Book Review : Formed for the Glory of God : Kyle Strobel

The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote, "Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith." (Heb. 13:7) While this directive has very much to do with the great privilege of learning from and imitating those whose leadership of the church is "local" and "direct," it also implies that considering the outcome of another believer, eminent in godliness, holds incredible value for the Christian. If the believer has been taken from a state of utter corruption and brought into sanctifying fellowship with Christ, then beholding God's artistry in a man's holiness is nothing short of a sight to a miracle of grace.
In the history of the church in America, few names are as significant as Jonathan Edwards. His ministry profoundly marked the American theological landscape as one who held fast to the sweet doctrines of grace and was a first-hand witness to the Great Awakening. The language Edwards employed in his sermons reflected a vision of Christ as glorious, supreme, beautiful, and eternally worthy of all delight and worship. Edwards was, however, not simply a producer of excellent sermons and weighty theology. He was a real man, a follower of Christ, whose pursuit of Jesus stood behind all his ministerial contributions. He knew what it was to walk with God and enjoy Him.
     In Formed for the Glory of God: Learning from the Spiritual Practices of Jonathan Edwards, Kyle Strobel writes of Edwards as a man whose walk with God is as imitable as his preaching and teaching are to be enjoyed. Surely, Edwards is significant as one who spoke the Word of God. By that account, his way of life is worth being considered, which Strobel strives to lay out in this book.
     Approaching the book, I was expecting to be more pointedly "discipled" by Edwards' teaching. What I found is a very helpful and balanced look at the vision of godliness that propelled Edwards and an exploration of the practices that Edwards employed in pursuit of that vision. This is not a biography proper - you won't find Strobel relating all of Edwards' life experiences and the impact of those experiences on his walk with God. Rather, Strobel puts together a kind of "systematic devotional theology" of Edwards' life. In this book, you won't necessarily find anything new or edgy. You won't find promises that following Edwards' "strategies" will somehow net you the same place in church history. Frankly, the book hearkens to a time that, while simpler in cultural trappings and distractions, holds forth a depth and complexity in the church's understanding and enjoyment of the Christian's relationship with God that surveying Edwards' practices will drive you to thinking "Where do I start?".
     The first section of the book provides an effective overview of a significant aspect of the spiritual disciplines that may often be overlooked: the enjoyment of God as enjoyable in Himself. Part One is relatively small compared to the rest of the book, but it is this section that sets apart this book as distinctly "Edwardsian" and provides a perspective on the practical pursuit of communion with God that is well to be recognized. In short, Strobel suggests that Edwards' pursuit of God was "A Journey Into Beauty." Unfortunately, this side of Edwards is often overlooked for the cultural obscuration attached to his name. While it may not be a practically-oriented section, it does give a view of Christian living that reflects Edwards' genuine concern to enjoy God as He is. Strobel ends the chapter with this helpful statement: "...the Christian life is a subtle cleaning of the glass to see him [God] for who he is, and therefore seeing yourself, life and the world for what they are."
     The second part of the book is concerned with the practical pursuits of Edwards' walk with God. This section is most certainly fodder for the believer who would earnest pursue God. What is helpful to note is that Strobel presents these pursuits of Edwards accessibly. There is not the sense of "Edwards was great at this - you are not - good luck trying to be like him." Approaching this section with a desire to grow, young and mature Christian alike should be challenged to a deeper and more enjoyable walk with Jesus. And, because these practices are God-centered, any hint of "mystical" experience can be moored to the theological vision that Edwards is so well and rightly known for.
     Altogether, this is a fine book that explores the vision and practical pursuit of God enjoyed by a man worthy, by God's grace, to be imitated for his godliness. Again, this is not a "theology of Edwards," but a review of Edwards' vision for pursuing God and an introduction to certain practices he employed in pursuit of that vision. It's a good and warm read and one certainly worthy of picking up as a matter of knowing the great and glorious Triune God more deeply. Thank you to the folks at InterVarsity Press for supplying a complimentary review copy without expectations of a positive review.