I currently own the Don Whitney book. The first chapter had me a bit concerned. He uses liberal doses of Foster and Willard quotes. It made me go into this book with a little trepidation. I don’t understand why he would do this. I mean you could probably quote something that Oprah said, and for that particular quote it could be truth. My question is, “Why would you do that?” I guess I would have preferred that he just use his own written words and leave the quotes from such people out of his text. I realize that this book possibley was written prior to both of these men going off in left field, but he’s had reprints where he could have pulled them.On the 9Marks site there was an interview with Whitney that I listened to and he was asked specifially about Foster. He said the he wouldn’t recommend any of Foster’s books to his seminary students until they were in their third year. If this is what he believes, why put these quotes in a book that any Christian may pick up to read. Why recommend Foster’s book at all, if you have to be a third-year seminary student to pick the bones from the meat in Foster’s books. It just doesn’t make sense. That said, having read to the half-way point in his book, I don’t have a problem with anything he’s written. I just didn’t understand why he chose to use these quotes in his book. I was baffled.

Catherine,Willard and Foster in “left field?” Is there nothing to be said for the “disciplines of grace” and their Spirit-empowered use, or is that all just a bunch of legalism?

Michael DuenesLegalism? I’m not sure why you would say that. I might use words like spiritual formation, contemplative spirituality or mysticism when speaking of Willard and Foster’s writings and lectures. When you use that term ‘discipline of grace’, what exactly do you mean by that? Both Willard and Foster, in one way or another, are involved in the Renovare Spiritual Formation Bible (RSFB). The RSFB uses the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible. This version is published by a division of the National Council of Churches (an ecumenical, inter-faith organization). Both men are linked very tightly with contemplative spirituality and mysticism. These are some of the reasons why I was curious why Whitney would choose to use quotes in his book from either of these sources. I don’t feel that it’s a legalism issue, but more a discernment issue.As I said in my previous post, I feel that Whitney was right on in his discussions of Bible intake, prayer, worship, evangelism and serving. While I have not completed the book, I did skip ahead to his chapter on silence and solitude and in skimming this chapter, I was happy to see no discussion of breath prayers, stilling the mind, entering the silence or Lectio Divina. I will read it in more detail when I get to it. We are living in days when we must be very cautious and measure everything against God’s Word.

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (I Timothy 4:1).