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A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation
How 21st-Century Evangelicals Can Pursue Spiritual Growth through Early Modern Puritan Piety
“Keep your heart” (Proverbs 4:23). “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Scripture beckons Christians toward obedience and maturity, but many modern approaches to spiritual formation are less than biblical. In A Heart Aflame for God, Matthew C. Bingham studies God-ordained spiritual practices modeled by the 16th- and 17th-century Reformers.
Primarily drawing from Puritan tradition, Bingham shows readers how to balance belief in salvation through faith with a responsibility for one’s personal spiritual growth. He studies biblical practices—including meditation, prayer, and self-examination—from a Protestant perspective. Blending historical analysis and practical application, this edifying study cultivates a greater understanding of Reformed theology and an ever-growing relationship with God.
Puritan Tradition for Modern Shows readers how classic Protestant traditions—including prayer, meditation, and appreciation for the natural world—steer wayward hearts toward Christ Rich Reformed Presents spiritual formation practices that are consistent with the 5 solas of the Protestant Reformation Intermediate-Level Written for theological students, pastors, and Christians interested in early modern Reformed theologians
“Keep your heart” (Proverbs 4:23). “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Scripture beckons Christians toward obedience and maturity, but many modern approaches to spiritual formation are less than biblical. In A Heart Aflame for God, Matthew C. Bingham studies God-ordained spiritual practices modeled by the 16th- and 17th-century Reformers.
Primarily drawing from Puritan tradition, Bingham shows readers how to balance belief in salvation through faith with a responsibility for one’s personal spiritual growth. He studies biblical practices—including meditation, prayer, and self-examination—from a Protestant perspective. Blending historical analysis and practical application, this edifying study cultivates a greater understanding of Reformed theology and an ever-growing relationship with God.
Puritan Tradition for Modern Shows readers how classic Protestant traditions—including prayer, meditation, and appreciation for the natural world—steer wayward hearts toward Christ Rich Reformed Presents spiritual formation practices that are consistent with the 5 solas of the Protestant Reformation Intermediate-Level Written for theological students, pastors, and Christians interested in early modern Reformed theologians
368 pages, Hardcover
Published April 15, 2025
245 people are currently reading
1177 people want to read
About the author
Matthew C. Bingham
3 books18 followersMatthew C. Bingham (PhD, Queen’s University Belfast) is vice president of academic affairs and associate professor of church history at Phoenix Seminary in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is the author of Orthodox Radicals: Baptist Identity in the English Revolution and has served as a pastor in the United States and Northern Ireland. Matthew is married to Shelley, and they have four children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
June 14, 2025
Given the growing popularity of “spiritual formation” literature (think James K. A. Smith, John Mark Comer, etc.), this is of the most important and timely books I’ve read in a long time.
July 17, 2025
Bingham presents a thoroughgoing overview of Puritan spirituality for the contemporary church. He sets a Word-centered vision of religious affections over against self-help culture, Roman Catholic spirituality, evangelical pragmatism, and contemporary visions of spiritual formation that de-center the Scriptures in the name of recovering a theology of the body. He provides one of the best written critiques of James K. A. Smith’s vision for spiritual formation in print. Bingham is right on here! Also, I loved the chapters on “Scripture: Hearing from God,” “The Natural World: Looking Outward,” and “When Things Go Wrong: Wrestling with Spiritual Weakness.” Thorough. Thoughtful. And in that last chapter, compassionate and pastoral.
I admit I’m unconvinced by Bingham’s iconoclastic vision of a “simple” spirituality “shorn of all extrabiblical accretions” (76). He takes the Puritan approach which stridently applies the regulative principle. In my view, the Anglo-Lutheran principle of Christian freedom is better. It rejects Catholicism’s clearly unbiblical practices but is willing to “plunder” from them what’s edifying (e.g. the use of prayer books/praying the hours, marking the Christian calendar, and even a biblically tethered use of lectio divina for Christian meditation).
It surprised me that Bingham didn’t address two embodied practices embraced by the Puritans—fasting and Sabbath-keeping. I wonder if this is because they don’t neatly fit his triangle of Reformed spirituality—Scripture intake, meditation, and prayer. On this point, I couldn’t help but think Bingham would be helped by a different triangle. In the 1539 preface to the Wittenberg edition of his German writings, Luther set forth a similar three-fold vision of Word-based spirituality based on Psalm 119. His categories were meditation (on the Word), prayer (guided by the Word), and trials (living the Word). Though they weren’t exactly what Luther had in mind, lived practices like Sabbath-keeping do fit the Reformer’s third category.
Finally, one question I have after reading is how Bingham would define faith. Does he—with Baxter, Edwards, and Piper—view the affections as part and parcel with faith? Or does he follow Melanchton’s classic view that faith consists in right content, ascent, and trust/dependance. Puritans like Thomas Chalmers and Octavius Winslow seem to take the latter and (in my view) more orthodox perspective. Bingham doesn’t address this but he does point out Baxter and Edwards’ introspective tendencies. In a book about spiritual affections, clarity here would’ve been helpful. In particular, I think it would’ve helped resolve some of the tension Bingham feels between self-examination (ch. 6) and assurance (pp. 327–30). I’d read a book where he explored this more.
I admit I’m unconvinced by Bingham’s iconoclastic vision of a “simple” spirituality “shorn of all extrabiblical accretions” (76). He takes the Puritan approach which stridently applies the regulative principle. In my view, the Anglo-Lutheran principle of Christian freedom is better. It rejects Catholicism’s clearly unbiblical practices but is willing to “plunder” from them what’s edifying (e.g. the use of prayer books/praying the hours, marking the Christian calendar, and even a biblically tethered use of lectio divina for Christian meditation).
It surprised me that Bingham didn’t address two embodied practices embraced by the Puritans—fasting and Sabbath-keeping. I wonder if this is because they don’t neatly fit his triangle of Reformed spirituality—Scripture intake, meditation, and prayer. On this point, I couldn’t help but think Bingham would be helped by a different triangle. In the 1539 preface to the Wittenberg edition of his German writings, Luther set forth a similar three-fold vision of Word-based spirituality based on Psalm 119. His categories were meditation (on the Word), prayer (guided by the Word), and trials (living the Word). Though they weren’t exactly what Luther had in mind, lived practices like Sabbath-keeping do fit the Reformer’s third category.
Finally, one question I have after reading is how Bingham would define faith. Does he—with Baxter, Edwards, and Piper—view the affections as part and parcel with faith? Or does he follow Melanchton’s classic view that faith consists in right content, ascent, and trust/dependance. Puritans like Thomas Chalmers and Octavius Winslow seem to take the latter and (in my view) more orthodox perspective. Bingham doesn’t address this but he does point out Baxter and Edwards’ introspective tendencies. In a book about spiritual affections, clarity here would’ve been helpful. In particular, I think it would’ve helped resolve some of the tension Bingham feels between self-examination (ch. 6) and assurance (pp. 327–30). I’d read a book where he explored this more.
October 11, 2025
It’s really spectacular—better than people say! This book helped me most personally this year.
May 30, 2025
A good, thorough introduction to practical sanctification.
December 15, 2025
A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation by Dr. Matthew Bingham is a book for our times. Bingham defines spiritual formation as “the conscious process by which we seek to heighten and satisfy our Spirit-given thirst for God through divinely appointed means and with a view toward working out our salvation with fear and trembling.” Tragically, many churches have few resources that point parishioners in a God-Centered direction. A Heart Aflame for God is a step in the right direction.
The author begins by constructing a foundation that will help orient Christians to growing spiritually. At the heart of this foundation is the Bible’s command to “keep the heart.” Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Puritan authors are utilized to drive home the importance of keeping the heart. This involves an intense battle with sin but also entails fighting for joy. In the end, this activity is designed to push us toward Christian maturity and godliness or sanctification.
The five solas of the Reformation are reflected upon that serve both the head and the heart. Bingham writes, “If we believe that the Reformation got the gospel right, then we should be equally attentive to the way a Reformation vision of spiritual formation follows from that same understanding of the gospel.”
There is no pitting of the head and the heart in this work, which proves to be one of its greatest strengths. Indeed, as Bingham notes, “the affections of regenerate Christians are primarily stirred through reflecting on God’s truth as revealed in his word.” Thus, we find a marriage of both the head and the heart, which is in keeping with the thought of the New England Puritans.
Bingham carefully unpacks the crucial spiritual practices that God’s Word sets forth for his people to grow in godliness, namely, Bible intake (hearing from God), meditation (reflecting on God), and prayer (responding to God). A chapter for each discipline (which Bingham refers to as the Reformation Triangle) is included that educates and inspires.
A Heart Aflame for God is a much-needed balm for the soul, a book that is sure to warm hearts and ignite minds for the great cause of the gospel.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
The author begins by constructing a foundation that will help orient Christians to growing spiritually. At the heart of this foundation is the Bible’s command to “keep the heart.” Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Puritan authors are utilized to drive home the importance of keeping the heart. This involves an intense battle with sin but also entails fighting for joy. In the end, this activity is designed to push us toward Christian maturity and godliness or sanctification.
The five solas of the Reformation are reflected upon that serve both the head and the heart. Bingham writes, “If we believe that the Reformation got the gospel right, then we should be equally attentive to the way a Reformation vision of spiritual formation follows from that same understanding of the gospel.”
There is no pitting of the head and the heart in this work, which proves to be one of its greatest strengths. Indeed, as Bingham notes, “the affections of regenerate Christians are primarily stirred through reflecting on God’s truth as revealed in his word.” Thus, we find a marriage of both the head and the heart, which is in keeping with the thought of the New England Puritans.
Bingham carefully unpacks the crucial spiritual practices that God’s Word sets forth for his people to grow in godliness, namely, Bible intake (hearing from God), meditation (reflecting on God), and prayer (responding to God). A chapter for each discipline (which Bingham refers to as the Reformation Triangle) is included that educates and inspires.
A Heart Aflame for God is a much-needed balm for the soul, a book that is sure to warm hearts and ignite minds for the great cause of the gospel.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.
November 22, 2025
This book is a must read! The Reformation Triangle (reading, meditation and prayer) are worth this book as Bingham highlights how Protestants have viewed spiritual formation historically. He also does a great job communicating how Eastern Orthodox/Rome views spiritual formation in comparison to Protestants. Would highly recommend!
January 29, 2026
Bingham’s Heart Aflame for God is an attempt to retrieve a reformed approach to Spiritual Formation. It attempts to lay out a response to the criticisms of Word-based piety that describe the reformed tradition as dry and intellectual, and evangelicalism in general as spiritually thin and shallowed compared to Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodoxy.
I appreciated many aspects of this book, but the main one is that it’s a very serious engagement with the claims about Protestant deficiencies that have been ongoing for some time. I know there’s a popular claim at the moment regarding how much deeper the theological formation of the Catholic Church is, but I hope that everyone soon comes to see how not true this is.
I left the Catholic Church not for theological reasons (though those developed later) but because of how much richer Protestant tools for discipleship and spiritual growth are. Many people, even Protestants who convert to Catholicism, are leaving for an imagined depth that is just not there. Catholic Bible reading is abysmally absent, homilies tend to be shallow and moralistic, mysticism has more in common with paganism than the spiritual power offered in Scripture, and the fruit of all of this is telling. Protestants who convert have more fire than their natural-born Catholic counterparts, but this is largely because of the activistic spirit of Protestantism that they have carried over. Most people don’t count the cost of Catholicism’s flaws before they convert. And I watch them spend the rest of their life doubling down on principles and theological positions that are totally untenable for the honest reader of scripture.
For the readers of Comer, JKA Smith, and others, consider diving more deeply into your own reformed tradition before trading it in for the smoke, bells, and architecture that offer no more real life than the powerful symbols of Islam do. Just because something is spiritually powerful doesn’t mean it’s biblical. Our reformed tradition is not perfect (and Bingham could have done a better job at showing places we need to grow) but it has a lot more to offer than other traditions, particularly because of the ways it constantly feels the need to return to the bare text of scripture, especially at the points where it feels its own weaknesses.
This book is a little dense, and the biblical arguments are better than the puritan quotes! But it’s well worth the read as the fate of spiritual formation hangs in question more than it has in quite some time.
I appreciated many aspects of this book, but the main one is that it’s a very serious engagement with the claims about Protestant deficiencies that have been ongoing for some time. I know there’s a popular claim at the moment regarding how much deeper the theological formation of the Catholic Church is, but I hope that everyone soon comes to see how not true this is.
I left the Catholic Church not for theological reasons (though those developed later) but because of how much richer Protestant tools for discipleship and spiritual growth are. Many people, even Protestants who convert to Catholicism, are leaving for an imagined depth that is just not there. Catholic Bible reading is abysmally absent, homilies tend to be shallow and moralistic, mysticism has more in common with paganism than the spiritual power offered in Scripture, and the fruit of all of this is telling. Protestants who convert have more fire than their natural-born Catholic counterparts, but this is largely because of the activistic spirit of Protestantism that they have carried over. Most people don’t count the cost of Catholicism’s flaws before they convert. And I watch them spend the rest of their life doubling down on principles and theological positions that are totally untenable for the honest reader of scripture.
For the readers of Comer, JKA Smith, and others, consider diving more deeply into your own reformed tradition before trading it in for the smoke, bells, and architecture that offer no more real life than the powerful symbols of Islam do. Just because something is spiritually powerful doesn’t mean it’s biblical. Our reformed tradition is not perfect (and Bingham could have done a better job at showing places we need to grow) but it has a lot more to offer than other traditions, particularly because of the ways it constantly feels the need to return to the bare text of scripture, especially at the points where it feels its own weaknesses.
This book is a little dense, and the biblical arguments are better than the puritan quotes! But it’s well worth the read as the fate of spiritual formation hangs in question more than it has in quite some time.
June 5, 2025
Excellent.
December 18, 2025
This was my best book of 2025. Bingham writes on the trifecta of spiritual formation - Scripture reading, meditation, and prayer. From there, he branches out into self-examination, meditating on the Book of Creation, and Christian fellowship. His writing serves as a pedagogical tool, training you to appreciate the theological foundations of such practices and to slow down doing them. This is important, for he points out how our cultural moment, militates against slow, steady spiritual formation.
Another positive of this book is how it addresses two current problems. I came to faith in a context where the “sanctification gap” was prevalent. The focus was getting people went and moving onto the next person, not shepherding for spiritual growth. I went many years before someone taught me how to read and pray. (Meditation wasn’t even a category.) this evangelical culture is Bingham’s first target. The second target is the trend to either transfer into a Catholic or Orthodox denomination or engagement in more “embodied practices” at the expense of a Word-based piety (James K.A. Smith). Bingham demonstrates the shortcomings of these approaches while portraying a better, more biblical way to growth.
Most people picking up this book won’t read anything new, innovative, or groundbreaking; but you will read something refreshing. It will knock the rust off your soul and renew your zeal for following Christ.
Another positive of this book is how it addresses two current problems. I came to faith in a context where the “sanctification gap” was prevalent. The focus was getting people went and moving onto the next person, not shepherding for spiritual growth. I went many years before someone taught me how to read and pray. (Meditation wasn’t even a category.) this evangelical culture is Bingham’s first target. The second target is the trend to either transfer into a Catholic or Orthodox denomination or engagement in more “embodied practices” at the expense of a Word-based piety (James K.A. Smith). Bingham demonstrates the shortcomings of these approaches while portraying a better, more biblical way to growth.
Most people picking up this book won’t read anything new, innovative, or groundbreaking; but you will read something refreshing. It will knock the rust off your soul and renew your zeal for following Christ.
November 8, 2025
Wow. Book of the year. So clear and helpful. Super good at addressing the eclecticism of evangelical approaches to spiritual formation, and helpful for providing a distinctively Reformed approach. Lots of good work academically, but very readable and practical.
Never had thought about a Reformed approach to meditation before I read this. And my original apprehension about the lack of mention of local church participation was quite helpfully alleviated in the appendix. This is really a must-read for anyone who considers themselves Reformed in any way. Read it!
Never had thought about a Reformed approach to meditation before I read this. And my original apprehension about the lack of mention of local church participation was quite helpfully alleviated in the appendix. This is really a must-read for anyone who considers themselves Reformed in any way. Read it!
December 3, 2025
This was exceptional. A clear presentation of Reformed Protestant spirituality in response to current deviant tendencies in spiritual formation, this book reclaims an important yet overlooked aspect of the Reformed tradition. This is exactly the kind of content we need today. God be praised.
January 28, 2026
I was quite pleasantly surprised by this book.
I usually steer away from 'devotional' or 'spiritual formation' literature, as I often find it to be quite superficial and/or, at times, legalistic. Thus, I wasn't really looking forward to reading this book; based on the title I assumed it would be some sort of Reformed version of 'how to have a quiet time' or some type of Reformed take on John Mark Comer's stuff or something like that, so I came in with many reservations.
However, this book was quite the opposite. In short, Bingham draws from the history of Reformed Christians (the early Reformers, the Puritans, the Dutch Reformers, the Princeton Divines, etc.) to compile the elements of the Christian life that all of the historically Reformed voices held paramount for believers to grow and mature into the image of Christ. The main emphasis, drawn from the concensus of the saints of old, is what Bingham called the Reformation Triangle of Scripture reading, meditation, and prayer. The rest of the book flows from those three emphases.
Bingham closed the book with ch. 10 on Wrestling with Spiritual Weakness, which was a providential blessing personally, as I've been in a spiritual lull lately. The beauty of that chapter was drawing out how many of the deficiencies that lead to spiritual weakness are often times driven by forgetting or neglecting the common means of grace and the practices of Word, meditation, and prayer. Paired with this analysis was an exhortation for us to keep looking to Christ, for Christ is the true and ultimate motivator in the Christian life (Heb. 12:1-2).
Overall, a very edifying read; I would recommend it especially for younger believers to help them rightly develop their spiritual lives. (Extra credit for the detailed and beautiful cover and spine artwork!)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"The Christian life is a growing life. Christians are growing in grace and knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18), growing into maturity (Col. 1:28), growing up into salvation (1 Pet. 2:2), and growing into conformity to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29)...Abundant growth, steady increase, and forward progress toward that "better country" prepared by God (Heb. 11:16) - these are the marks that define the life of faith Christians are called to." p.333
"We haven't [looked to the Reformed tradition] because we wish to idolize a particular time and place or a particular group of people but rather because early modern Reformed Christians saw biblical realities clearly and wrote down what they saw. Ours has been an attempt to imitate them as they imitated Christ (1 Cor. 11:1)." p.334
I usually steer away from 'devotional' or 'spiritual formation' literature, as I often find it to be quite superficial and/or, at times, legalistic. Thus, I wasn't really looking forward to reading this book; based on the title I assumed it would be some sort of Reformed version of 'how to have a quiet time' or some type of Reformed take on John Mark Comer's stuff or something like that, so I came in with many reservations.
However, this book was quite the opposite. In short, Bingham draws from the history of Reformed Christians (the early Reformers, the Puritans, the Dutch Reformers, the Princeton Divines, etc.) to compile the elements of the Christian life that all of the historically Reformed voices held paramount for believers to grow and mature into the image of Christ. The main emphasis, drawn from the concensus of the saints of old, is what Bingham called the Reformation Triangle of Scripture reading, meditation, and prayer. The rest of the book flows from those three emphases.
Bingham closed the book with ch. 10 on Wrestling with Spiritual Weakness, which was a providential blessing personally, as I've been in a spiritual lull lately. The beauty of that chapter was drawing out how many of the deficiencies that lead to spiritual weakness are often times driven by forgetting or neglecting the common means of grace and the practices of Word, meditation, and prayer. Paired with this analysis was an exhortation for us to keep looking to Christ, for Christ is the true and ultimate motivator in the Christian life (Heb. 12:1-2).
Overall, a very edifying read; I would recommend it especially for younger believers to help them rightly develop their spiritual lives. (Extra credit for the detailed and beautiful cover and spine artwork!)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"The Christian life is a growing life. Christians are growing in grace and knowledge (2 Pet. 3:18), growing into maturity (Col. 1:28), growing up into salvation (1 Pet. 2:2), and growing into conformity to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29)...Abundant growth, steady increase, and forward progress toward that "better country" prepared by God (Heb. 11:16) - these are the marks that define the life of faith Christians are called to." p.333
"We haven't [looked to the Reformed tradition] because we wish to idolize a particular time and place or a particular group of people but rather because early modern Reformed Christians saw biblical realities clearly and wrote down what they saw. Ours has been an attempt to imitate them as they imitated Christ (1 Cor. 11:1)." p.334
February 12, 2026
Seriously good. I found my thinking and practices corrected throughout. Praise God for that.
October 11, 2025
Best book on spiritual formation and disciplines I have ever read.
February 23, 2026
4.5. Really enjoyed this book. Bingham does a great job pulling from the puritans to show us the age tested ways of spiritual formation. My only gripe is that, for a simpleton like me, it drags at times and sometimes the point was made about two pages before he concluded the point. Also, the last chapter on spiritual struggles was excellent - one of the better chapters I’ve read on the subject.
November 25, 2025
This book is excellent in every respect. It shows the riches of the Reformed and Puritan tradition for spiritual formation. Bingham provides thoughtful and thorough research and relevant applications to our modern day.
August 15, 2025
In a time where theological “retrieval” is in vogue and every person who takes up the mantle of “spiritual formation” oddly ends up in either Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy, this book is incredibly refreshing. Protestants, particularly the Puritans, are not devoid of understanding on spiritual formation, but precisely the opposite. Honestly, this was so good that it might become my default recommendation for a resource on spiritual formation for years. I haven’t read much of Foster or Willard, but at least compared to the mystical mumbo jumbo on spiritual formation that’s abundantly common today (like Practicing the Way), the Puritans are such a deep well of understanding the Christian life faithfully. Such an encouraging read!
May 17, 2025
A rich, biblical, reformed approach to spiritual formation. I think this book came at exactly the right time, both correcting those in the reformed world who have lost their rich tradition of spiritual formation, and those who have sought instruction for spiritual formation in places other than God’s Word. Balanced, approachable, charitable, rich, devotional, and helpful.
December 25, 2025
I’m not sure who Heart Aflame is written to. It's a pretty a niche book, seemingly aimed at the choir -a very small choir whose main allegiance is to Protestant Reformed thinking. A very academic, well-read choir of pastors (Aflame is rather dense- I would guess most pastors would not make it more than 10% through). It might equip some pastors to better understand spiritual formation, but another book would be needed to appeal to the masses. A Heart Aflame is not going to win a duel with Comer's Practicing the Way (its main opp, as the kids say). Whereas Practicing is short and immediately likable, Aflame is long and a bit of a slog.
Aflame seems far more concerned with "how does this line up with the Protestant Reformation" than "how does this line up with the Bible"? Convince me from scripture, not from human reformers. I'm a reformed protestant, but that's not my driving allegiance. It's not compelling for me to hear: "we do it this way because Luther and Calvin and the Puritans said so." I like those guys. In fact, I picked this book up because I'm on a reading-Puritans kick. I find them super helpful.
I think to appreciate this book, you'd have to read a few books on why the Reformation mattered. But honestly, I'd prefer a book just stand on its own, arguing from scripture. For all the sola-scriptura talk, Aflame sure does put a lot of stock in humans.
With that being said - I really like Aflame’s emphasis on God's Word as THE pathway to spiritual formation:
“The Bible is not just one tool among many in our spiritual formation tool kit, but rather, whether directly or indirectly, the whole of our spiritual formation flows out from our engagement with it."
A much needed correction to the loosey-goosey "you just need to connect with God in whatever way fits your personality. There's no one right way." (e.g.- Gary Thomas' Sacred Pathways and Scazerro's Emotionally Healthy Spirituality; also: Wilder in his book Renovated, where he dialogues (posthumously!) with Willard on spiritual transformation, only mentions Scripture reading in an appendix).
It was a helpful book for me personally. As a college pastor, I've wrestled with my own elevation of God's Word. Is it realistic for college students to read and re-read this ancient book? Am I wrong to assert that it is THE way to know and love God?
I'm a big fan of James KA Smith, Comer, and Willard (and even McGilchrist’s warning that we have overly-emphasized the left brain/information over right-brained relational connection). Have I got it wrong? Do I just privilege the reading/obeying of God's word because of my personality (Enneagram 5!) or the post-enlightenment-time I inhabit? Bingham gave me confidence that I am on the right track.
One of the most helpful part of Aflame was Bingham’s critique of James KA Smith. As someone who strongly tends toward spiritual-formation-through-the-mind, Smith has been tremendously helpful for me.
Bingham helpfully divides Smith’s spiritual formation into two central claims:
(1) human beings are primarily “lovers” rather than “thinkers,” and
(2) we learn to love rightly through embodied, ritual practices.
Bingham rightly affirms the first but rejects the second.
Aflame is worth reading, but someone needs to write the Practicing-the-Way level book on spiritual-formation-through-God’s-Word that appeals to the masses. Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin is the closest book I can think of.
Aflame seems far more concerned with "how does this line up with the Protestant Reformation" than "how does this line up with the Bible"? Convince me from scripture, not from human reformers. I'm a reformed protestant, but that's not my driving allegiance. It's not compelling for me to hear: "we do it this way because Luther and Calvin and the Puritans said so." I like those guys. In fact, I picked this book up because I'm on a reading-Puritans kick. I find them super helpful.
I think to appreciate this book, you'd have to read a few books on why the Reformation mattered. But honestly, I'd prefer a book just stand on its own, arguing from scripture. For all the sola-scriptura talk, Aflame sure does put a lot of stock in humans.
With that being said - I really like Aflame’s emphasis on God's Word as THE pathway to spiritual formation:
“The Bible is not just one tool among many in our spiritual formation tool kit, but rather, whether directly or indirectly, the whole of our spiritual formation flows out from our engagement with it."
A much needed correction to the loosey-goosey "you just need to connect with God in whatever way fits your personality. There's no one right way." (e.g.- Gary Thomas' Sacred Pathways and Scazerro's Emotionally Healthy Spirituality; also: Wilder in his book Renovated, where he dialogues (posthumously!) with Willard on spiritual transformation, only mentions Scripture reading in an appendix).
It was a helpful book for me personally. As a college pastor, I've wrestled with my own elevation of God's Word. Is it realistic for college students to read and re-read this ancient book? Am I wrong to assert that it is THE way to know and love God?
I'm a big fan of James KA Smith, Comer, and Willard (and even McGilchrist’s warning that we have overly-emphasized the left brain/information over right-brained relational connection). Have I got it wrong? Do I just privilege the reading/obeying of God's word because of my personality (Enneagram 5!) or the post-enlightenment-time I inhabit? Bingham gave me confidence that I am on the right track.
One of the most helpful part of Aflame was Bingham’s critique of James KA Smith. As someone who strongly tends toward spiritual-formation-through-the-mind, Smith has been tremendously helpful for me.
Bingham helpfully divides Smith’s spiritual formation into two central claims:
(1) human beings are primarily “lovers” rather than “thinkers,” and
(2) we learn to love rightly through embodied, ritual practices.
Bingham rightly affirms the first but rejects the second.
Aflame is worth reading, but someone needs to write the Practicing-the-Way level book on spiritual-formation-through-God’s-Word that appeals to the masses. Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin is the closest book I can think of.
February 14, 2026
As a pastor in the Reformed stream, I often have conversations with Christians about their walk with the Lord. A common refrain in such conversations is, “Why so much focus on the mind and not on the heart?” Notably, this question is most often raised by those under the age of forty. Ironically, these same people will say things like, “I feel like it’s going to rain today,” without realizing that such observations and conclusions are products of the mind, not the emotions.
The point is this: for those who grew up in the wake of the Young, Restless, and Reformed movement, new cultural currents are now unmooring spiritual formation from the Word of God and redirecting it toward other practices. Popularly, the works of Jon Mark Comer have had a considerable impact on the under forty crowd. Academically, James K.A. Smith has garnered many admirers and adherents. Anecdotally, we all have a friend who is entertaining leaving Protestantism for Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy because it “feels” better.
This is why Matthew Bingham’s work A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation is such an important work at this moment in time. Bingham does not say anything novel. Rather, he says that which is very old: Spiritual formation begins with the Word and is centered on the Word of God.
Bingham suggests that a Reformed approach to spiritual formation consists of three pillars. First, it is word-centered. God has revealed himself in his Word by the power of His Spirit. Thus, it follows that God’s people are most profoundly shaped by and formed by God’s word. Second, it is marked by biblical simplicity. Spiritual formation that is centered on the word is simple in the avoidance of extrabiblical additions. The Word is sufficient in and of itself. Third, a Reformed approach is committed to engaging the heart via the mind. In a world that is increasingly centered on the feelings as the center of truth, the reminder that God’s ordained means of grace for keeping the heart and cultivating God-honoring affections involve setting one’s mind on truth.
With the pillars of Reformed spirituality in place, the practical implications are obvious. Christians should commit themselves to Bible reading, meditation, and prayer. These are not innovative techniques or newly discovered disciplines, but the ordinary means God has always used to form his people. There is nothing glamorous about opening the Scriptures day after day, laboring to understand them, and responding to them in prayer. Yet it is precisely through these ordinary practices that God ordinarily produces extraordinary fruit.
Bingham’s great contribution is not the introduction of new methods, but the reorientation of modern Christians back to old ones. The Puritans served Bingham's purpose of showing such methods in action. He draws from the deep well of Puritan writings throughout, showing the reader that such actions produced minds and hearts enthralled by the God of the Bible. In an age that prizes personal experience and novelty over the biblical means of grace and growth, A Heart Aflame for God serves as a timely reminder that spiritual depth is not achieved by chasing feelings but by dwelling in truth. The heart is not bypassed in this process. Rather, it is properly engaged, shaped, and inflamed as the mind is steadily saturated with the Word of God.
In this sense, Bingham offers a much needed corrective to contemporary spiritual formation, successfully pushing back on Comer and Smith. He calls the church back to confidence in Scripture, to patience in the ordinary means of grace, and to the conviction that lasting transformation is not engineered through techniques, but cultivated over time through saturation of truth. For pastors and lay Christians alike (particularly those under 40), this book is a serious summons to return to the simple and sufficient path God has always provided
The point is this: for those who grew up in the wake of the Young, Restless, and Reformed movement, new cultural currents are now unmooring spiritual formation from the Word of God and redirecting it toward other practices. Popularly, the works of Jon Mark Comer have had a considerable impact on the under forty crowd. Academically, James K.A. Smith has garnered many admirers and adherents. Anecdotally, we all have a friend who is entertaining leaving Protestantism for Roman Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy because it “feels” better.
This is why Matthew Bingham’s work A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation is such an important work at this moment in time. Bingham does not say anything novel. Rather, he says that which is very old: Spiritual formation begins with the Word and is centered on the Word of God.
Bingham suggests that a Reformed approach to spiritual formation consists of three pillars. First, it is word-centered. God has revealed himself in his Word by the power of His Spirit. Thus, it follows that God’s people are most profoundly shaped by and formed by God’s word. Second, it is marked by biblical simplicity. Spiritual formation that is centered on the word is simple in the avoidance of extrabiblical additions. The Word is sufficient in and of itself. Third, a Reformed approach is committed to engaging the heart via the mind. In a world that is increasingly centered on the feelings as the center of truth, the reminder that God’s ordained means of grace for keeping the heart and cultivating God-honoring affections involve setting one’s mind on truth.
With the pillars of Reformed spirituality in place, the practical implications are obvious. Christians should commit themselves to Bible reading, meditation, and prayer. These are not innovative techniques or newly discovered disciplines, but the ordinary means God has always used to form his people. There is nothing glamorous about opening the Scriptures day after day, laboring to understand them, and responding to them in prayer. Yet it is precisely through these ordinary practices that God ordinarily produces extraordinary fruit.
Bingham’s great contribution is not the introduction of new methods, but the reorientation of modern Christians back to old ones. The Puritans served Bingham's purpose of showing such methods in action. He draws from the deep well of Puritan writings throughout, showing the reader that such actions produced minds and hearts enthralled by the God of the Bible. In an age that prizes personal experience and novelty over the biblical means of grace and growth, A Heart Aflame for God serves as a timely reminder that spiritual depth is not achieved by chasing feelings but by dwelling in truth. The heart is not bypassed in this process. Rather, it is properly engaged, shaped, and inflamed as the mind is steadily saturated with the Word of God.
In this sense, Bingham offers a much needed corrective to contemporary spiritual formation, successfully pushing back on Comer and Smith. He calls the church back to confidence in Scripture, to patience in the ordinary means of grace, and to the conviction that lasting transformation is not engineered through techniques, but cultivated over time through saturation of truth. For pastors and lay Christians alike (particularly those under 40), this book is a serious summons to return to the simple and sufficient path God has always provided
August 14, 2025
Fantastic! “A Heart Aflame for Go” will be one of my go-to resources for regular spiritual rhythms now. Amidst various thoughts regarding liturgies (Smith, Harrison Warren, Comer, etc), and with many making conversions to Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions, Bingham helpfully calls Protestants back to the robust, distinctly Protestant understanding of spiritual formation. The book displays that the Reformed tradition has a very thorough and biblical (and distinctly not RC or EO) theology of formation. He rightly critiques those aforementioned understandings of cultural/bodily liturgies while also gleaning *certain* helpful insights they provide.
“A Heart Aflame for God” is inspiring, informative, and practical. I believe Bingham rightly invites us back to a Reformed approach to spiritual formation in a convincing manner. Take up and read!
5/5 stars
A couple random quotes I enjoyed:
The burden of this book is to take up that same animating impulse that has propelled the broader spiritual formation movement but to argue that good, biblical solutions to evangelicalism's "sanctification gap" are readily found within the pages of historic Reformed authors. The Reformation heritage that gave birth to evangelicalism already has a rich and biblically faithful tradition of spiritual formation, such that we do not need to create a pastiche of spiritual practices drawn from medieval mystical, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox authors. If an evangelical thoughtfully concludes that those non-Reformed paths represent a more faithful way to walk with God, then he or she will not be the first to do so and is certainly free to make that choice. But what is unfortunate and frustrating is to see evangelical Christians depart from the Reformation's heritage of spiritual formation under the false assumption that no such thing actually exists. In other words, if you are going to reject your inheritance, you should first make sure you know what's in it. (p. 34)
Spiritual formation is the conscious process by which we seek to heighten and satisfy our Spirit-given thirst for God (Ps. 42:1-2) through divinely appointed means and with a view toward "work[ing] out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12) and becoming "mature in Christ" (Col. 1:28). (p. 35)
In a Reformed context, then, when we talk about spiritual formation, we are always, in one way or another, talking about engaging with God's word. The reason for this is simple: Scripture is God's appointed means for communing with his people. And it is through communion with the living God that the people of God are conformed more and more to his likeness. As the Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck (1854-1921) explained, it is in Scripture that "God daily comes to his people. In it he speaks to his people, not from afar but from nearby. ... Scripture is the ongoing rapport between heaven and earth." (p. 91)
Thus the Bible is not just one tool among many in our spiritual formation tool kit, but rather, whether directly or indirectly, the whole of our spiritual formation flows out from our engagement with it. (p. 92)
“Our physical existence is tied to our spiritual well-being," writes D. A. Carson, and so "sometimes the godliest thing you can do in the universe is get a good night's sleep— not pray all night, but sleep." [Source: Carson, Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010), 147]
“A Heart Aflame for God” is inspiring, informative, and practical. I believe Bingham rightly invites us back to a Reformed approach to spiritual formation in a convincing manner. Take up and read!
5/5 stars
A couple random quotes I enjoyed:
The burden of this book is to take up that same animating impulse that has propelled the broader spiritual formation movement but to argue that good, biblical solutions to evangelicalism's "sanctification gap" are readily found within the pages of historic Reformed authors. The Reformation heritage that gave birth to evangelicalism already has a rich and biblically faithful tradition of spiritual formation, such that we do not need to create a pastiche of spiritual practices drawn from medieval mystical, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox authors. If an evangelical thoughtfully concludes that those non-Reformed paths represent a more faithful way to walk with God, then he or she will not be the first to do so and is certainly free to make that choice. But what is unfortunate and frustrating is to see evangelical Christians depart from the Reformation's heritage of spiritual formation under the false assumption that no such thing actually exists. In other words, if you are going to reject your inheritance, you should first make sure you know what's in it. (p. 34)
Spiritual formation is the conscious process by which we seek to heighten and satisfy our Spirit-given thirst for God (Ps. 42:1-2) through divinely appointed means and with a view toward "work[ing] out [our] own salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12) and becoming "mature in Christ" (Col. 1:28). (p. 35)
In a Reformed context, then, when we talk about spiritual formation, we are always, in one way or another, talking about engaging with God's word. The reason for this is simple: Scripture is God's appointed means for communing with his people. And it is through communion with the living God that the people of God are conformed more and more to his likeness. As the Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck (1854-1921) explained, it is in Scripture that "God daily comes to his people. In it he speaks to his people, not from afar but from nearby. ... Scripture is the ongoing rapport between heaven and earth." (p. 91)
Thus the Bible is not just one tool among many in our spiritual formation tool kit, but rather, whether directly or indirectly, the whole of our spiritual formation flows out from our engagement with it. (p. 92)
“Our physical existence is tied to our spiritual well-being," writes D. A. Carson, and so "sometimes the godliest thing you can do in the universe is get a good night's sleep— not pray all night, but sleep." [Source: Carson, Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010), 147]
August 5, 2025
Spiritual formation is having a moment. Feeling the pinch of the frenetic culture, Christians are turning to authors such as John Mark Comer and Ruth Haley Barton to provide guidance on how to live a Christian life that isn't directed by the culture, but by Christ.
Matthew Bingham's "A Heart Aflame for God" affirms this impulse, but questions the theological moorings of many of those in the spiritual formation camp. Bingham draws on reformed resources to answer the question, "what should a biblically rooted spiritually formed life look like?" He suggests six foundational disciplines:
1. Hearing from God (scripture)
2. Reflecting on God (meditation)
3. Responding to God (prayer)
4. Looking inward (self-examination)
5. Looking outward (the natural world)
6. Looking to one another (Christian relationships)
The book is a helpful response to some of the well-intentioned but wrong-headed impulses of the spiritual formation movement. By drawing upon a host of reformed voices, Bingham makes it clear the unity and clarity of what biblical spiritual formation is and isn't.
In finishing Bingham's book, my only hope is that there will soon be a slimmed down and more accessible and practical lay version of the book. I would utilize such a book regularly in discipleship contexts.
For more reviews see thebeehive.live
Matthew Bingham's "A Heart Aflame for God" affirms this impulse, but questions the theological moorings of many of those in the spiritual formation camp. Bingham draws on reformed resources to answer the question, "what should a biblically rooted spiritually formed life look like?" He suggests six foundational disciplines:
1. Hearing from God (scripture)
2. Reflecting on God (meditation)
3. Responding to God (prayer)
4. Looking inward (self-examination)
5. Looking outward (the natural world)
6. Looking to one another (Christian relationships)
The book is a helpful response to some of the well-intentioned but wrong-headed impulses of the spiritual formation movement. By drawing upon a host of reformed voices, Bingham makes it clear the unity and clarity of what biblical spiritual formation is and isn't.
In finishing Bingham's book, my only hope is that there will soon be a slimmed down and more accessible and practical lay version of the book. I would utilize such a book regularly in discipleship contexts.
For more reviews see thebeehive.live
December 23, 2025
Incredibly helpful and clear book. Bingham shows readers why it is important to recover and uphold a Reformed (biblical) understanding of Spiritual Formation, centering on Scripture Reading, Prayer, and Meditation. I found Bingham's engagement with many popular books (James KA Smith and others) to be very helpful. Chapters 9-10 were probably my favorite, as he engaged with Smith in chapter 9 and then applied his book to times of Spiritual struggle in chapter 10.
December 27, 2025
Very important and timely. It seems to me that the modern spiritual formation movement is inappropriately drawn to mysticism and concepts from Rome, this book helps to recover the richness of spiritual formation from the reformed tradition. I wanted to say, “read this, not Comer,” but that isn’t entirely fair. I’m not saying you can’t read James K.A. Smith or Comer, but read this first and then you’ll be better equipped to read them with discernment.
January 13, 2026
Everything you'd want in a spiritual formation book.
Crystal clear and careful on wrong approaches to spiritual formation, while constructive and instructive on biblical approaches to keeping our hearts.
An antidote to the errors of Roman Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and pop spirituality without souring on what Scripture encourages.
Great way to start 2026!
Crystal clear and careful on wrong approaches to spiritual formation, while constructive and instructive on biblical approaches to keeping our hearts.
An antidote to the errors of Roman Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and pop spirituality without souring on what Scripture encourages.
Great way to start 2026!
December 30, 2025
Exceptional. Biblically robust, theologically rich, practically accessible, and very encouraging.
The inclusion of chapters about the body and spiritual dryness were great companions to the bedrock disciplines of Bible reading, meditation, and prayer.
Overall: Highly Recommend. ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
The inclusion of chapters about the body and spiritual dryness were great companions to the bedrock disciplines of Bible reading, meditation, and prayer.
Overall: Highly Recommend. ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
May 13, 2025
Amen and amen! This is the book that I have thought has needed to be written and I’m glad Bingham wrote it! He approaches not just spiritual disciplines, but panning back the camera to the whole perspective of spirituality. He engages with some contemporary trends and important questions about what Christian spirituality ought to look like. He settles, thankfully, on a foundation of word-based piety. This is an important book.
December 28, 2025
This was such a refreshing and edifying book. Highly recommend!
May 5, 2025
Excellent exposition of reformed and puritan spirituality. This book helpfully critiques the notion that we need to leave evangelicalism in order to truly grow spiritually. What we need is not new practices or traditions (though they can be helpful), what we need most is to have our minds renewed with God’s word, to meditate on it, and to pray through it. This book motivated me to dive back into the Puritans.
January 4, 2026
This book is a really helpful corrective for modern Protestantism/Reformed evangelicalism. It’s common to hear critiques of this camp (my own camp) as “overly intellectual” and “heady” in its approach to spiritual formation. Bingham acknowledges some legitimacy to this critique (I agree) but rather than suggesting we look outside of the Reformed tradition for a solution, he instead points back to resources within the tradition itself (mainly the Puritans). He presents and unpacks the “reformation triangle” of scripture, meditation, and prayer as a summary of the Reformed approach to spiritual formation. I found the simplicity of this approach to be really refreshing and grounded. I also found he articulated why there is a hesitancy to be overly prescriptive in spiritual formation within the Reformed tradition (unlike in modern pietists like Richard Foster and John Mark Comer). This hesitant posture is a feature of the Reformed tradition, not a bug. This posture also doesn’t mean one can’t be practical in formation, it simply means that formation is empowered and guided by God’s Word above all else.
The best (and probably most provocative) chapter was his interaction with James KA Smith’s body of work around formation, the body, and intellect (ch. 9).
One critique I have is that it likely should’ve been shorter. All of the topics covered were relevant and helpful, I just think another round of cutting this book down would make it a lot more readable.
In any case, read this book and maybe you’ll learn that you don’t have to swim the tiber, go up the candle, etc. in order to find a compelling vision of spiritual formation.
The best (and probably most provocative) chapter was his interaction with James KA Smith’s body of work around formation, the body, and intellect (ch. 9).
One critique I have is that it likely should’ve been shorter. All of the topics covered were relevant and helpful, I just think another round of cutting this book down would make it a lot more readable.
In any case, read this book and maybe you’ll learn that you don’t have to swim the tiber, go up the candle, etc. in order to find a compelling vision of spiritual formation.
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