The Mentored Life: From Individualism to Personhood

by James M. Houston

In our contemporary society, it is widely accepted in the search for self to seek the advice of a mentor. From upper-management consultants to the well-meaning friend, mentors are readily available. But as Houston writes, "We can choose the pursuit of self-knowledge for enhancing one's professional ambitions, or we can go beyond ourselves in ever-living faith as disciples of the Word." This book is not a guide to mentoring. Rather, Houston thoroughly dismantles and exposes cracks in the philosophies used throughout the history of mentoring. Individualism, stoicism, and even psychotherapy all fall short of God's ultimate plan. The Mentored Life reveals that it isn't about making the individual better. Instead, through Christian discipleship, individuals must humbly seek Christ, who alone can lead us to whole personhood.

Genres: Christian Living

203 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2002

About the author

James ‘Jim’ M. Houston is Professor of Spiritual Theology at Regent College, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

[Note: Because there are several authors named 'James Houston', these have been entered using the author's middle initial].

Reviews

[Doug · Rating 5 out of 5]

James M. Houston looks at a range of models for human development, but in the end he finds that Christian formation is relational. He suggests that we might translate the ancient monastic life of formation into the world today by forming friendships. This is one of Houston's best books, and an important/eseentials book in the world of spiritual formation books.

I also recommend finding his lectures. He is probably a better lecturer than writer, and his lectures are amazing.

[Alex Strohschein · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's good to have a mentor but this book wasn't quite what I expected. James Houston shows how across the centuries various forms of mentorship have been championed that are ultimately unsatisfactory, such as stoicism. Instead, Houston draws readers to the tutelage of the Trinity and wise Christian writers such as St. Augustine of Hippo, Soren Kierkegaard, and Hans Urs von Balthasar. In this, Houston also reminds us that mentoring isn't only embodied experience (e.g. meeting a Bible study leader for coffee); mentoring can come from imbibing the wisdom of Scripture and the saints. Admittedly, the book explicitly states it's not a guide to mentoring but that was what I was expecting. It's more a trove of insights rather than an applicable book.