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Feelings and Faith: Cultivating Godly Emotions in the Christian Life
Weaves together biblical exposition and practical application to demonstrate how emotions relate to the Christian life. Emotions are a vital part of what it means to be a human being made in the image of God and redeemed in Jesus Christ. But often our emotions confuse and mislead us. So what is the proper place for emotions in a Christian's walk of faith? In Feelings and Faith Brian Borgman draws from his extensive biblical knowledge and his pastoral experience to help readers understand both divine and human emotions. After laying a biblical foundation he moves on to practical application, focusing on how Christians can put to death ungodly emotional displays and also cultivate godly emotions. This biblically informed, practical volume is helpful for pastors, counselors, and serious-minded Christians who wish to develop a full-orbed faith that encompasses their emotional life.
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2009
106 people are currently reading
637 people want to read
About the author
Brian S. Borgman
11 books11 followersBrian S. Borgman is the founding pastor of Grace Community Church in Minden, Nevada. He earned the DMin from Westminster Seminary California and is the author of My Heart for Thy Cause. He and his wife have three children and live in northwestern Nevada.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
April 8, 2025
Read this book for small group! As someone who considers herself emotional, this was a helpful book with great reminders. We cannot excuse our sinful responses to our personality/natural tendencies but need to submit our emotions to the Lord.
“For some reason, many evangelicals have become suspicious of the emotions and generally discount them. This is tragic. Others have so exalted experience and the emotions that they have minimized truth, doctrine, and theology. This too is tragic. The glorious reality is that truth and emotions, faith and feelings, theology and experience are not enemies, but the best of friends.”
“Robust, God-centered, Christ-exalting theology is designed by its Author to cause us to worship him with joy and gladness. Theology is not an end in itself. Worship is.”
“For some reason, many evangelicals have become suspicious of the emotions and generally discount them. This is tragic. Others have so exalted experience and the emotions that they have minimized truth, doctrine, and theology. This too is tragic. The glorious reality is that truth and emotions, faith and feelings, theology and experience are not enemies, but the best of friends.”
“Robust, God-centered, Christ-exalting theology is designed by its Author to cause us to worship him with joy and gladness. Theology is not an end in itself. Worship is.”
March 24, 2014
I think that one of the challenges for a biblical counselor is ministering to the person who has been heavily psychologized and tends to live by their emotions as if emotions were centers of truth. More than once over the course of many years of ministering to people I've said, "I do not care what you feel, but do care what you believe."
Of course I do care about what a person may feel but it's important for that person to come to terms with the fact that emotions are but one aspect of the soul, are God-given, and designed to illustrate what is going on in their soul (heart). That thought is usually counter-cultural and for many a paradigm shift in their thinking.
In Faith and Feelings: Cultivating Godly Emotions in the Christian Life Pastor Brian Borgman has written a useful book that lays out a biblical doctrine of emotions.
The first part (Parts 1 & 2) of the book lays out a biblical foundation for understanding our emotions while the second part of the book (Parts 3 &4) is application as Pastor Borgman discusses the emotions common to man in depression, sinful anger, fear, worry, anxiety, unforgiveness and bitterness. Part 4 is the application of cultivating Godly-emotions using Jesus as our model and the importance of biblical thinking.
I think it's important to qualify Pastor Borgman's use of terms "Godly emotions."
The expression at face value seems to indicate that positive emotions such as joy, a sense of contentment or happiness are automatically "Godly" while the negative emotions like fear, anxiety, sadness (depression) and discontentment are "ungodly."
All of our emotions are God-given and in and of themselves are neither Godly or ungodly. Emotions serve or function as warning lights like the lights on the dashboard of a car. They tell you something about what is going on under the hood. What may be going on under the hood may be Godly or ungodly and that's why the person needs to give the inner man (soul) a good hard look especially when the emotions are chronically negative.
To be fair here Pastor Borgman would not argue with me on this and probably consider my point to be a quibble. Fair enough.
As I said I found the book useful especially because it fills a needed niche in the biblical counseling world and so "liked" means to me recommended. The book is well researched, well foot-noted and has a Scripture index.
Of course I do care about what a person may feel but it's important for that person to come to terms with the fact that emotions are but one aspect of the soul, are God-given, and designed to illustrate what is going on in their soul (heart). That thought is usually counter-cultural and for many a paradigm shift in their thinking.
In Faith and Feelings: Cultivating Godly Emotions in the Christian Life Pastor Brian Borgman has written a useful book that lays out a biblical doctrine of emotions.
The first part (Parts 1 & 2) of the book lays out a biblical foundation for understanding our emotions while the second part of the book (Parts 3 &4) is application as Pastor Borgman discusses the emotions common to man in depression, sinful anger, fear, worry, anxiety, unforgiveness and bitterness. Part 4 is the application of cultivating Godly-emotions using Jesus as our model and the importance of biblical thinking.
I think it's important to qualify Pastor Borgman's use of terms "Godly emotions."
The expression at face value seems to indicate that positive emotions such as joy, a sense of contentment or happiness are automatically "Godly" while the negative emotions like fear, anxiety, sadness (depression) and discontentment are "ungodly."
All of our emotions are God-given and in and of themselves are neither Godly or ungodly. Emotions serve or function as warning lights like the lights on the dashboard of a car. They tell you something about what is going on under the hood. What may be going on under the hood may be Godly or ungodly and that's why the person needs to give the inner man (soul) a good hard look especially when the emotions are chronically negative.
To be fair here Pastor Borgman would not argue with me on this and probably consider my point to be a quibble. Fair enough.
As I said I found the book useful especially because it fills a needed niche in the biblical counseling world and so "liked" means to me recommended. The book is well researched, well foot-noted and has a Scripture index.
July 5, 2021
The beginning of the book is very foundational. It gives a flyover of emotions and their source. By the middle of the book, he begins to provide more biblical evidence that emotions ultimately come from God and that Christians can repent of sinful emotions while cultivating Godly ones. The final few chapters give practical steps to developing God honoring emotions. This is a great starting point to understanding your emotions.
May 23, 2024
While this book had a few helpful points, I can’t give it more than 2 stars because I disagree with a lot of the author’s premise. On p.50-51 he discounts any kind of free will and seems to suggest we are slaves to sin (even after salvation).
On p.62 he says God commands how we feel. And while we do have accountability for what we do with our feelings and are called to use self control, I don’t think we can control our gut-response feelings. We control what we DO with them. Also, if we don’t have any free will anyway (as he mentions before), how can we have control over our emotions? So much of this felt convoluted to me, and many of his points seemed to contradict each other.
Maybe I am missing the point… but I struggled with the structure and a lot of the content. There are some ideas in the last couple chapters worth referring back to, but overall I wouldn’t recommend this one.
On p.62 he says God commands how we feel. And while we do have accountability for what we do with our feelings and are called to use self control, I don’t think we can control our gut-response feelings. We control what we DO with them. Also, if we don’t have any free will anyway (as he mentions before), how can we have control over our emotions? So much of this felt convoluted to me, and many of his points seemed to contradict each other.
Maybe I am missing the point… but I struggled with the structure and a lot of the content. There are some ideas in the last couple chapters worth referring back to, but overall I wouldn’t recommend this one.
December 8, 2023
Solid content. I wish parts 1, 2, and 4 were condensed to just a few chapters. Part 3 on dealing with anger, bitterness, fear, worry, and depression was really good.
October 7, 2021
i enjoyed this book way more than i thought i would. i really appreciated how God-centered it was... the gospel was clearly stated and explained multiple times throughout with plenty of scripture references. the second half is also super practical!
main takeaway: how should a believer respond to feelings and emotions in light of our eternal security?
main takeaway: how should a believer respond to feelings and emotions in light of our eternal security?
December 16, 2017
Very good (1st time read Summer 2013).
Read it for the second time on January 2015. I still think think it is very good.
Read it for the second time on January 2015. I still think think it is very good.
September 1, 2025
I’ve been told by some (@Alexa Hammonds) that my emotional intelligence is underdeveloped. So I read a book about emotions. Take that Alexa. Particularly helpful in sorting out biblical language of God’s feelings, and misunderstandings of the doctrine of impassibility.
September 15, 2025
Its hard reviewing biblical books haha.
The content here was really good, I just wished there was a more tangible way to grow from the content of the book. It was more educational rather than applicable.
The content here was really good, I just wished there was a more tangible way to grow from the content of the book. It was more educational rather than applicable.
January 7, 2026
Saw this book on our shelf and thought- yeah I’ve got a lot of emotions I should read this lol.
I’m so glad I did! This book was fantastic, loved the chapters on Jesus as our pattern for godly emotions. The ungodly emotion chapters were full of care, wisdom and truth. Defs a must read, and easy to read too which is so helpful!
I’m so glad I did! This book was fantastic, loved the chapters on Jesus as our pattern for godly emotions. The ungodly emotion chapters were full of care, wisdom and truth. Defs a must read, and easy to read too which is so helpful!
February 27, 2021
I highly recommend this book if you are an emotional being like myself. I greatly appreciate how Borgman draws all his principals from Scripture, and does not discount emotions and feelings, but encourages them to stir up our faith and good works when they are flowing from the right understanding of Biblical truth.
February 13, 2018
In many respects this is an excellent book. The author has assembled some very helpful reflections on how the Bible speaks to our emotional life and the fullness and richness of Biblical teaching on the subject.
At the same time, the book is somewhat hamstrung by an assumption that all we need to know about our emotional life can be found in the Bible. This may sound safe, but is it really sound? I don't think so. There is much wisdom to be gained by the careful study of human emotional and psychological behavior. The author doesn't seem to be interested in any of this and occasionally hints that these are unhelpful, if not dangerous paths to take.
Another problem is that the book approaches the subject of emotions from a presupposition of the primacy of the intellect. This lack of philosophical self-reflection results is something of a ham-handed reflection on the subject of human emotions.
The last third of the book was most certainly the best and on the whole the chapters dealing with the mortification of sinful emotions and the cultivation of godly emotions was spot on (save the almost laugh-out-loud fear of literary fiction - only the Bible and Christian biographies are safe for Christians to read it seems. )
I found the book useful and helpful, shortcomings aside.
At the same time, the book is somewhat hamstrung by an assumption that all we need to know about our emotional life can be found in the Bible. This may sound safe, but is it really sound? I don't think so. There is much wisdom to be gained by the careful study of human emotional and psychological behavior. The author doesn't seem to be interested in any of this and occasionally hints that these are unhelpful, if not dangerous paths to take.
Another problem is that the book approaches the subject of emotions from a presupposition of the primacy of the intellect. This lack of philosophical self-reflection results is something of a ham-handed reflection on the subject of human emotions.
The last third of the book was most certainly the best and on the whole the chapters dealing with the mortification of sinful emotions and the cultivation of godly emotions was spot on (save the almost laugh-out-loud fear of literary fiction - only the Bible and Christian biographies are safe for Christians to read it seems. )
I found the book useful and helpful, shortcomings aside.
January 17, 2023
I started this book in June 2022. It didn't take me this long because it was bad, but rather because it was very well written and you can't rush this book. It's a slow read that has to marinate.
Essentially the book breaks down the understanding of godly emotions, the practice of deterring sinful emotions, and cultivating godly emotions.
His thoughts were well organized and his Scripture use was spot on. I learned a lot and would gladly read this book repeatedly throughout the years to come.
It is a precarious work to have self-control and also grow in emotional maturity. This book would serve as a great tool to anyone trying to persevere in these goals.
I personally chose this book beacuse I am a very emotional person. I have matured in some ways, but still struggle to control my emotional state (as many girls do) 😜 . I also reject the jotion that our faith should reject emotions altogether, so I was encouraged by this book.
Essentially the book breaks down the understanding of godly emotions, the practice of deterring sinful emotions, and cultivating godly emotions.
His thoughts were well organized and his Scripture use was spot on. I learned a lot and would gladly read this book repeatedly throughout the years to come.
It is a precarious work to have self-control and also grow in emotional maturity. This book would serve as a great tool to anyone trying to persevere in these goals.
I personally chose this book beacuse I am a very emotional person. I have matured in some ways, but still struggle to control my emotional state (as many girls do) 😜 . I also reject the jotion that our faith should reject emotions altogether, so I was encouraged by this book.
February 25, 2021
I appreciated Borgman's reliance on Scripture to understand emotions. His style was more given to conveying information than necessarily *inspiring,* but I think that was appropriate for a book that many people are probably reading because in some way their feelings can be too much for them. It felt a bit like a textbook, and I honestly appreciated that.
His writing style reminded me of Jerry Bridges' style: straightforward, not seeking flair. While I respect both Bridges and Borgman, I actually have a hard time getting through said writing style! However, Borgman's short chapters made it easy to feel like I could always pick up and read another one.
My favorite chapters were the chapter on bitterness and the chapter on how living in community fosters godly emotions.
His writing style reminded me of Jerry Bridges' style: straightforward, not seeking flair. While I respect both Bridges and Borgman, I actually have a hard time getting through said writing style! However, Borgman's short chapters made it easy to feel like I could always pick up and read another one.
My favorite chapters were the chapter on bitterness and the chapter on how living in community fosters godly emotions.
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October 30, 2024Like many others, I learned early on to regard Christianity as a train with the engine being faith, and the caboose being feelings—implying that faith can get along just fine without feelings. Borgman explains that while emotions cannot guide our lives, they serve as a gauge to measure the state of our souls. Emotions are not mere chemical reactions that happen to us, they are indicators of what we truly value and believe. Our emotional lives must be sanctified right along with everything else. Borgman offers some great wisdom about how to mortify our sinful emotions, and nurture godly ones.
November 18, 2020
A great book that helps us understand the importance of our emotions! The key insight is that we are not slaves to our emotions, and by God's grace, we can cultivate godly emotions and mortify ungodly emotions.
April 26, 2025
I!!!! AM!!!! DONE!!!!!!
April 19, 2024
Take your time reading this book. It's not a hard read, but it is rich and a must read for anyone who considers themselves emotional, or who might be counseling an emotional person.
July 18, 2021
Decent book dealing with emotions (not necessarily feelings). Borgman has offered some helpful and pastoral insights about the role of emotions in the Christian life. Much of it is pretty straightforward, but occasionally Borgman offers a very insightful perspective. I thought he was a little squishy on impassibility and he didn't necessarily draw some needed Christological distinctions in the way Christ dealt with emotions. The best part probably came near the beginning where Borgman, building on other works, noted that our emotions flow from principles that we maintain and therefore, when we're having ungodly emotions, we must work on the principles. His section dealing with the mortification of emotions was better than his section on cultivating new emotions. On the whole a helpful and quick read.
August 16, 2022
This book is super helpful in dealing with the two ditches of emotionalism and intellectualism. This sentence from the book sums it up really well, “The glorious reality is that truth and emotions, faith and feelings, theology and experience, are not enemies, but the best of friends.” I think that all Christians, especially of the younger generation should read this book.
September 21, 2019
Really poor doctrine of God in the first third of the book (essentially denying divine impassibility). Rest was okay, but not something I’d imagine recommending or revisiting.
May 15, 2024
Worth it for the anxiety chapter alone.
May 16, 2025
"In order to sanctify the emotions we must have our minds renewed with the Word, washed with the Word, and reconstructed by the Word. Wrong thinking will lead to wrong feeling."
Very well done book, I'd encourage anyone to read!
Quotes that stood out:
"Because I am a pastor, people often ask me, 'Isn’t it better for me to stay home if I don’t feel like going to church than to go to church when my heart isn’t in it? Won’t that make me a hypocrite?' My answer is, 'No, it will only make you a chain sinner, lighting up one sin with another.'.[..]
If God commands us to do something and we don’t do it, what is our normal course of action? Confession and repentance. Why should the protocol be any different when we fail to feel the way God commands us to feel? If he commands us to come and worship him with gladness (Ps. 100:1–2), yet we don’t feel like worshiping him with gladness, that is a sin."
"When God speaks to us in his Word, he does not give us simple, straightforward propositional truth statements. The Bible does not read like a legal brief. God’s Word is certainly truth ( John 17:17), and there are propositional statements, but it is not a series of doctrinal theses. God communicates with passion and emotion in his Word, and such communication is designed to make us respond in like manner."
"But “love is not a feeling,” say a few Christian pop songs and teachers. This will not do. We are told to “love one another earnestly from a pure heart” (1 Pet. 1:22) and to “love one another with brotherly affection” (Rom. 12:10). Love may be more than a feeling, but never less."
"The compassion of Jesus should mold and shape our own emotions. If our theology cuts the nerve of compassion for the lost then our theology is not biblical. If our theology stultifies compassion for the suffering, then we are not thinking or feeling like our Savior."
"If we allow our minds to fixate on the world, we will find our emotions, desires, and actions being con-formed to this world. This is not a call to legalism (a manmade list of don’t watch, don’t listen, etc.); it is a call to recognize that what we think about and dwell on will affect our emotions and our actions. Therefore, we are to live and think cautiously (Prov. 4:23; 27:3; Rom. 13:14)."
The Reformation didn’t just promote reading; reading started and fueled it. When oppressors and tyrants want to squash freedom they burn books, with authors of the books soon to follow. There is something almost mystical about a book. There is something wondrous about reading.
Very well done book, I'd encourage anyone to read!
Quotes that stood out:
"Because I am a pastor, people often ask me, 'Isn’t it better for me to stay home if I don’t feel like going to church than to go to church when my heart isn’t in it? Won’t that make me a hypocrite?' My answer is, 'No, it will only make you a chain sinner, lighting up one sin with another.'.[..]
If God commands us to do something and we don’t do it, what is our normal course of action? Confession and repentance. Why should the protocol be any different when we fail to feel the way God commands us to feel? If he commands us to come and worship him with gladness (Ps. 100:1–2), yet we don’t feel like worshiping him with gladness, that is a sin."
"When God speaks to us in his Word, he does not give us simple, straightforward propositional truth statements. The Bible does not read like a legal brief. God’s Word is certainly truth ( John 17:17), and there are propositional statements, but it is not a series of doctrinal theses. God communicates with passion and emotion in his Word, and such communication is designed to make us respond in like manner."
"But “love is not a feeling,” say a few Christian pop songs and teachers. This will not do. We are told to “love one another earnestly from a pure heart” (1 Pet. 1:22) and to “love one another with brotherly affection” (Rom. 12:10). Love may be more than a feeling, but never less."
"The compassion of Jesus should mold and shape our own emotions. If our theology cuts the nerve of compassion for the lost then our theology is not biblical. If our theology stultifies compassion for the suffering, then we are not thinking or feeling like our Savior."
"If we allow our minds to fixate on the world, we will find our emotions, desires, and actions being con-formed to this world. This is not a call to legalism (a manmade list of don’t watch, don’t listen, etc.); it is a call to recognize that what we think about and dwell on will affect our emotions and our actions. Therefore, we are to live and think cautiously (Prov. 4:23; 27:3; Rom. 13:14)."
The Reformation didn’t just promote reading; reading started and fueled it. When oppressors and tyrants want to squash freedom they burn books, with authors of the books soon to follow. There is something almost mystical about a book. There is something wondrous about reading.
May 24, 2021
This was a decent look at feelings and faith. I think a good subtitle for the book would be "How to manage your feelings, kill ungodly emotions and cultivate godly ones by emphasizing good, Biblically-based doctrine and applying that doctrine."
The author emphasized the importance of Biblical truth being the anchor of our soul and what drives our decisions in life, instead of feelings which I agree with. He mentioned how he used to have a negative view of feelings and how he has moved towards a more positive view of them, having come to see their importance. As I read through the book it was clear that he was much more of a cerebral sort of person than a feeling type of person so I could see why he used to have a rather negative outlook on feelings. There were statements throughout the book that made me wonder if he could still grow in that area. I think he would probably view some emotional expressions during worship these days as nothing more than empty emotionalism where I as a Charismatic/Continuationist wouldn't.
The book itself had some good points throughout but at times, it felt like reading a textbook - more informational, not as inspirational. And I didn't really understand why he included a chapter on preaching. It had really helpful information for anyone entering the ministry or who is part of the clergy but I think it made the book longer than necessary for those not involved in ministry. My favorite section of the book was his appendix on Divine Impassibility
There were 4 sections in the book followed by 2 appendixes-
Part 1 -A Biblical-theological Foundation for Understanding Emotions
Part 2 - Biblical Sanctification and Our Emotions
Part 3 - Mortifying Ungodly Emotions
Part 4 - Cultivating Godly Emotions
Appendix 1 -Divine Impassibility: Is God Really without Passions?
Appendix 2 - A Biography Bibliography
For further reading on the topic of emotions, what they are, and how to process them, I'd recommend Marc Alan Schelske's book, "The Wisdom of Your Heart."
The author emphasized the importance of Biblical truth being the anchor of our soul and what drives our decisions in life, instead of feelings which I agree with. He mentioned how he used to have a negative view of feelings and how he has moved towards a more positive view of them, having come to see their importance. As I read through the book it was clear that he was much more of a cerebral sort of person than a feeling type of person so I could see why he used to have a rather negative outlook on feelings. There were statements throughout the book that made me wonder if he could still grow in that area. I think he would probably view some emotional expressions during worship these days as nothing more than empty emotionalism where I as a Charismatic/Continuationist wouldn't.
The book itself had some good points throughout but at times, it felt like reading a textbook - more informational, not as inspirational. And I didn't really understand why he included a chapter on preaching. It had really helpful information for anyone entering the ministry or who is part of the clergy but I think it made the book longer than necessary for those not involved in ministry. My favorite section of the book was his appendix on Divine Impassibility
There were 4 sections in the book followed by 2 appendixes-
Part 1 -A Biblical-theological Foundation for Understanding Emotions
Part 2 - Biblical Sanctification and Our Emotions
Part 3 - Mortifying Ungodly Emotions
Part 4 - Cultivating Godly Emotions
Appendix 1 -Divine Impassibility: Is God Really without Passions?
Appendix 2 - A Biography Bibliography
For further reading on the topic of emotions, what they are, and how to process them, I'd recommend Marc Alan Schelske's book, "The Wisdom of Your Heart."
March 26, 2025
🎧 The topic of emotions and how believers should view them has been debated, with emotions running high at times :). Brian Bergman does an excellent job of describing a theology of emotions (how we should view our emotions according to Scripture). I appreciated his sections on putting to death (mortifying) ungodly emotions and cultivating godly emotions. He also touched on the importance of living in community with other believers in order to help us cultivate godly emotions.
Two quotes that stood out:
“Some truths are oxygen. We cannot breathe without them. We cannot live without breathing. These “oxygen truths” are: the character of God, justification, and future glory… If we do not have the truth of God’s character firmly fixed as foundational to all our thinking, then all effort of trying to obey God and sanctify the emotions will amount to chasing our tails, ending in frustration. We must know who God is.”
“For some reason, many evangelicals have become suspicious of the emotions and generally discount them. This is tragic. Others have so exalted experience and the emotions that they have minimized truth, doctrine, and theology. This too is tragic. The glorious reality is that truth and emotions, faith and feelings, theology and experience, are not enemies, but the best of friends.”
Two quotes that stood out:
“Some truths are oxygen. We cannot breathe without them. We cannot live without breathing. These “oxygen truths” are: the character of God, justification, and future glory… If we do not have the truth of God’s character firmly fixed as foundational to all our thinking, then all effort of trying to obey God and sanctify the emotions will amount to chasing our tails, ending in frustration. We must know who God is.”
“For some reason, many evangelicals have become suspicious of the emotions and generally discount them. This is tragic. Others have so exalted experience and the emotions that they have minimized truth, doctrine, and theology. This too is tragic. The glorious reality is that truth and emotions, faith and feelings, theology and experience, are not enemies, but the best of friends.”
October 19, 2022
Often there are two extremes in Christianity: those led by their emotions and not guided by truth, or those led by doctrinal truth yet denying the place of emotions at all. There are serious dangers in both, but none so much as the false witness they give of who God is and what the Bible teaches about emotions in the Christian life.
What I love about this book is the author's gospel-centered approach to emotions and their beautiful place of expression. God's emotions are seen in Jesus who displayed them in His earthly ministry. We are designed with emotions, but they are affected by sin and often take the wheel. When God changes a person's heart, that original design is redeemed and our emotions have a place to glorify God again.
Rather than suppressing our emotions as Christians, we can look to Jesus and see where, how, and when to express them in a way that glorifies God.
The book has four sections:
🍁 A Biblical-Theological Foundation for Understanding our Emotions (character of God)
🍁 Biblical Sanctification and Our Emotions (emotions and truth)
🍁 Mortifying Ungodly Emotions
🍁 Cultivating Godly Emotions
What I love about this book is the author's gospel-centered approach to emotions and their beautiful place of expression. God's emotions are seen in Jesus who displayed them in His earthly ministry. We are designed with emotions, but they are affected by sin and often take the wheel. When God changes a person's heart, that original design is redeemed and our emotions have a place to glorify God again.
Rather than suppressing our emotions as Christians, we can look to Jesus and see where, how, and when to express them in a way that glorifies God.
The book has four sections:
🍁 A Biblical-Theological Foundation for Understanding our Emotions (character of God)
🍁 Biblical Sanctification and Our Emotions (emotions and truth)
🍁 Mortifying Ungodly Emotions
🍁 Cultivating Godly Emotions
August 30, 2017
Borgman lays out in the first part a basis for understanding the rightful place and perspective for our emotions. He looks at God's character, and although God doesn't have passions (as Westminster Confession puts it), the Bible is full of language demonstrating that God is a feeling God. Not that He is dependent on them, or controlled by them in any way. Rather, our fallen natures, and the fallen emotions we thus experience, "answer" to a similar thing in God. Borgman does a really great job with such a delicate topic of God and emotions.
Part two shows how we are to not merely intellectualize our faith, and be cool and stiff in regards to truth. He shows how emotions are a part of the scope of our sanctification.
Part three deals with how we ought to mortify unbiblical emotions.
Part four is on how to cultivate godly emotions.
All in all, very helpful. Part One in particular was very good, insightful, soul-stirring. The other sections have many helpful insights for understanding where our feelings fit within our faith. Borgman gets it right, on the whole.
Part two shows how we are to not merely intellectualize our faith, and be cool and stiff in regards to truth. He shows how emotions are a part of the scope of our sanctification.
Part three deals with how we ought to mortify unbiblical emotions.
Part four is on how to cultivate godly emotions.
All in all, very helpful. Part One in particular was very good, insightful, soul-stirring. The other sections have many helpful insights for understanding where our feelings fit within our faith. Borgman gets it right, on the whole.
September 16, 2022
Brian Borgman es pastor de la Grace Community Church en Minden, Nevada. Este libro es el resultado de una serie de sermones acerca de las emociones predicados en su iglesia. Él mismo define su libro como "teología práctica", edificada sobre una correcta y sana exégesis del texto bíblico, con el propósito de aplicarla a la vida del creyente. El propósito del autor es que Dios use la enseñanza de su Palabra para ayudar a los cristianos a tener una vida emocional equilibrada, estable y gozosa para la gloria del Señor. La primera parte del libro establece los fundamentos bíblicos y teológicos de la doctrina de las emociones (las emociones de Dios, el carácter de la Palabra de Dios y la condición del ser humano). La segunda, tercera y cuarta partes tratan de los aspectos prácticos de la doctrina: las emociones que debemos desechar y las que debemos cultivar en el proceso de santificación. Este es un libro sano, equilibrado y que nos ayuda a expresar las emociones con las que Dios nos creó para su gloria.
September 10, 2023
I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this book; I just knew that I wanted to learn more about what the Bible says about emotions, and this sounded like it might help.
This book not only helped, it's increased my TBR pile by about a dozen books.
This book does exactly what the title suggests--it looks at the Bible and what it says about feelings and emotions. This isn't a book of interpretation, though. Borgman includes scripture after scripture after scripture to point out biblical truths and not just ideas and thoughts about what God might have meant. He also quotes tons of other people who've also studied and commented on the topics of each chapter.
This book inspired and challenged me in many ways. Not only will I hold on to it to read again later, I'll also likely recommend it to others.
This book not only helped, it's increased my TBR pile by about a dozen books.
This book does exactly what the title suggests--it looks at the Bible and what it says about feelings and emotions. This isn't a book of interpretation, though. Borgman includes scripture after scripture after scripture to point out biblical truths and not just ideas and thoughts about what God might have meant. He also quotes tons of other people who've also studied and commented on the topics of each chapter.
This book inspired and challenged me in many ways. Not only will I hold on to it to read again later, I'll also likely recommend it to others.
December 28, 2024
I did not like this book at all.
The author came from a very legalistic background and seems to have a new brand of legalism represented in this book. He’s quite dogmatic and some of his stories made me cringe.
He also elevated Scripture to the place God Himself should hold, to the extent that God Himself was no longer necessary for a believer’s sanctification. I quote: “Our Father has provided for us all we need for the cultivation process: the Word, prayer, worship, biblical preaching, Christian relationships, the church present and past, and good books” (p 206).
The emphasis seemed to be that there are principles in Scripture that, if we just followed them, would make our emotions fall in line. Read more, study more, repent, find an accountability partner, and all your problems will be solved.
The author came from a very legalistic background and seems to have a new brand of legalism represented in this book. He’s quite dogmatic and some of his stories made me cringe.
He also elevated Scripture to the place God Himself should hold, to the extent that God Himself was no longer necessary for a believer’s sanctification. I quote: “Our Father has provided for us all we need for the cultivation process: the Word, prayer, worship, biblical preaching, Christian relationships, the church present and past, and good books” (p 206).
The emphasis seemed to be that there are principles in Scripture that, if we just followed them, would make our emotions fall in line. Read more, study more, repent, find an accountability partner, and all your problems will be solved.
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