The Making of Evangelical Spirituality

by Jason Cherry

How did it come to be that evangelicals expect individualized, extrabiblical revelation from God? What has happened culturally, historically, and theologically to make this the ubiquitous assumption of evangelical spirituality? The Making of Evangelical Spirituality is a compound of history and theology applied to the subject of evangelical spirituality--specifically, the phenomenon of evangelicals thinking "God spoke to me" in a still, quiet voice. The story is complex, multifaceted, and urgently in need of telling. Few Christians know the history of the spiritual expectations heaped upon them. Few know the individuals who gave shape to evangelical spirituality, spiritual chieftains who were often guided by uniquely ephemeral, social, and cultural forces. There is no towering figure like Martin Luther that stands as the lone front man for the esoterica of evangelical spirituality. Instead, it's the osmosis of many fascinating people struggling through life in the storm of worldly and cultural momentum. This book is the story of those hermits, monks, reformers, heretics, politicians, outcasts, and preachers who gave shape. Failure to tell the story now risks it becoming just another part of historical compost, threatening to make evangelicals forever ignorant of what they are tossing into the garden of their soul.

Genres: Church

186 pages, Hardcover

Published January 5, 2023

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not only a very good book, it’s a much needed book. We have reached a point in our American culture where the influence of Christianity is quickly waning. Many seem to think that this is the result of some recent, major shift in cultural values - the result, perhaps, of corrupt political leaders, the passing of immoral laws, the rise of social media. These people seem to think that this is where the battle for our souls must occur: change these leaders/policies, ban Disney or Tic-Toc and the problem will be solved.

Jason Cherry helps us to see that the quickly waning culture is simply the downhill momentum picking up speed - and it started centuries ago. And the answer is not simply addressing the symptoms of immoral political leaders, social media, and pop culture, but the church needs to take a hard look inward and recognize that she has been allowing unbiblical beliefs and practices to distract and detain the mission of the church.

Specifically, individualism and emotionalism - along with the belief that God speaks to us apart from His Word (what Cherry calls mysterialism) - have come to dominate the church over the last couple of hundred years and we are seeing the results played out in our culture and the ineffectiveness of the church. There is a lot of work to do, and many books will be written to address the “hows,” but the first step is to understand how we got here in the first place, and avoid these same errors as we move forward. Cherry’s book does this and does it in a way that is beneficial for scholars and lay people alike. It will be a helpful tool for those Christians who want to be a part of something better, something more effective, something more biblical. These churches do exist, they’re growing, and this book will hopefully further that growth.

[Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is outstanding and essential for the church today - especially in the American south where it has become a commonplace trump card to claim “I just feel like God is leading me to…[fill in the blank].” Most aren’t intentionally taking the Lord’s name in vain or claiming direct divine inspiration, but what we say matters and eventually creeps into our beliefs.

Cherry takes the reader through a fascinating journey first through the psychological and philosophical origins of “mysterialism,” then the historical origins (all the way back to the desert fathers), and finally the theological history. While the bill certainly engages with the “cessationism” - the fact is that this is not primarily an error driven by bad theology, but stems from a vast array of influences (from American individualism, to pietism, to Ralph Waldo Emerson’s romanticism, and much more).

If you’re a pastor/elder/teacher in the church - you need this book to help understand and correct this ubiquitous practice in the modern church. If you find yourself using these seemingly harmless Christianese phrases (“God led me to…” or “I feel God telling me…”) then you definitely need reflect on why it is you speak this way and what implications doing so has on you and the church community. Cherry’s book is an outstanding guide.