Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D., Professor of
Philosophy, Denver Seminary
Doug.Groothuis@gmail.com
Spiritual formation, becoming more like Jesus
Christ in thought and deed, requires a renewed mind (Romans 12:2) that avoids
worldliness (1 John 2:15-17) and pursues godliness (Matthew 5:1-18). Our
sanctification through the Holy Spirit requires an ongoing dependency on God
wherein we grow in the knowledge of God, how his Kingdom operates (Matthew
6:33), ourselves (James 1:25), and our place in the church (1 Corinthians
12-14) and broader culture (1 Chronicles 12:32).
To this end, here are some principles and
recommendations in how to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2
Corinthians 10:3-5)
1. Remain faithful in the
reading and study of the Holy Scriptures, which are God’s cognitive revelation
of himself and the ways of salvation (2 Timothy 3:15-16). Acquire and use study
aids such as one or more study Bibles. I recommend The Apologetics Study Bible, The
Reformation Study Bible, The NET
Bible, and The NIV Study Bible.
Of course, there are many other tools such as commentaries and other helps. The
excellent commentaries of John Calvin and Matthew Henry are available on line
for no charge.
2. Discern your unique calling as a Christian. No one can do
everything, so we must concentrate our energies where we are gifted and in
accordance to God’s leading in our day. I highly recommend Os Guinness’s book
on this vital topic, The Call. See
also John Piper, Don’t Waste Your Life.
3. Be involved in a
Bible-believing and Bible-teaching local church and seek to serve through what
you have learned. Biblically, we are responsible to use what we know wisely and
for the glory of God. We should not hide our gifts under a table, but employ them
to build up the church and witness to the world (Matthew 5; Ephesians 4:15).
Specifically:
A. Develop adult education
classes on the Christian worldview, biblical interpretation, theology, apologetics,
and social issues.
B. Make sure your church
has some way of preparing high-school students for college. Many churched
teenagers either put aside their Christian convictions or lose them during this
time. For how high-school students in the church tend to think, see Christian
Smith, Soul Searching. Also consult
the essay “Faithful Christianity in College” by Douglas Groothuis and Sarah
Geis at: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/philosophicalfragments/2013/04/09/faithful-christianity-in-college/
C. Be involved as a mentor
to those who can benefit from your gifts and what you have learned through The
Centurion program. Try to find a suitable mentor for yourself as well (Proverbs
27:17; 2 Timothy 2:2).
4. Develop your skills at
speaking and teaching and conversation. American linguistic culture is ugly,
sloppy, and lazy. Instead of blending with the inarticulate herd, broaden your
vocabulary, work on articulation, and listen to the people with which you are
speaking. On writing see the classic Elements
of Style by Stunk and White. On public speaking see Stand Like Lincoln
5. Read thoughtful
Christian books, both classic and contemporary. While we often emphasize
popular books, we should not forget time-tested classics written by Augustine,
Calvin, Pascal, and Jonathan Edwards. Twentieth-century writers such as G.K.
Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, John Stott, J.I. Packer, Francis Schaeffer, and Os Guinness make for
hearty and rewarding reading as well.
6. Certain periodicals are
edifying as well. For keeping the pulse of contemporary evangelicalism, see Christianity Today. Political and
cultural issues are carefully addressed in First
Things, which now has a rather strong Catholic focus. To stay abreast of
cults, religious movements, apologetics, and ethics read The Christian Research Journal.
7. Be aware of secular
culture and non-Christian religious expressions through your reading of
periodicals and books. I also read the Sunday New York Times and The New
Yorker for sophisticated secular views—in, in the latter case, for their
superb cartoons. Commentary is
excellent for conservative Jewish views. Books
and Culture reviews significant Christian and other books. This is a
resource for discerning what non-Christian books you should read, as is The New York Times book review. I also
check Harpers, The Atlantic, Rolling Stone,
Time Magazine, and Wired to look for significant articles.
I find browsing at bookstores especially helpful, if you can find a brick and
mortar bookstore left. We should be grateful that the Denver
8. Carefully and
prayerfully consider your use of all electronic communications media. These
often sap our knowledge and divert us from godly habits of the heart. Consider
engaging in a protracted media abstention in which you eliminate a
commonly-used electronic system for a week to ten days. It will profoundly
change your view of technology. See my book, The Soul in Cyberspace. For my more recent thoughts see my
interview with Tim Challies at: http://www.crosswalk.com/blogs/challies/the-soul-in-cyberspace-an-interview-with-douglas-groothuis-11603254.html Consider also the thoughtful, secular book, Hamlet’s Blackberry. For a broader
historical and culture critique read Neil Postman’s magisterial work, Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to
Technology. The best book on television is Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death. See also my
article in The Christian Research Journal,
“Understanding Social Media” at: http://www.equip.org/PDF/JAF2333.pdf. For a more scholarly
paper, see Douglas Groothuis, “Christian Scholarship and the Philosophical
Analysis of Cyberspace Technologies,” (Journal
of the Evangelical Theological Society, 4 14 (December 1998): 631-640. This
is on line at: http://www.etsjets.org/files/JETS-PDFs/41/41-4/41-4-pp631-640-JETS.pdf.
9.
Listen to thoughtful radio programs and podcasts. Many
gifted Christian teachers and preachers can be heard in this manner. Redeem the
time by listening to them in your car or while exercising or when you cannot do
anything else, such as when you are ill. Of the talk radio, hosts, Dennis
Prager, a conservative Jew, is probably the most civil and intelligent. He is
refreshing in that he addresses more than just politics. Another excellent
source of cultural criticism from a Christian or Christian-friendly viewpoint
is Mars Hill audio, hosted by Ken Myers, author of All God’s Children and Blue Suede Shoes: Christians and Popular
Culture. Some audio books of thoughtful books are available for purchase or
from a library.
10. Take periodic times of
silence, for either short or long periods of time. Our culture is too noisy and
over-stimulated. We need quiet to compose our bodies and souls before God in
cognitive meditation, prayer, and rest. As Ecclesiastes says, there is
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak (3:7; see also Habakkuk 2:20).
a time to be silent and a time to speak (3:7; see also Habakkuk 2:20).
11. Consider Denver Seminary for further education. I
head the MA in Apologetics and Ethics. We also offer a Certificate in
Apologetics and Ethics (10 semester hours). See: www.denverseminary.edu
