Longing for God - (Renovare Resources) by Richard J Foster & Gayle D Beebe (Paperback)

About the Book

Do you long for the closeness with God that you've tasted in fleeting moments? You can begin to fill that longing by developing your capacity to receive and respond to God's love. In this rich resource Richard Foster and Gayle Beebe introduce you to people from the past who have known God deeply and model the seven paths to intimacy with God from Christian history.

Book Synopsis

• 2010 Christianity Today Book Award winner
• 2010 Golden Canon Leadership Book Award winner

Think of the moment you last experienced God.Do you know him that closely in this moment?Truly experiencing the love of God gives us a taste of his goodness and his love for us, but often those moments are fleeting. We get distracted by life. Our awareness and understanding fade while our longing to experience him that way again increases.In these pages you can begin to fill that longing by developing your capacity to receive and respond to God's love. Spiritual formation is the process through which one's inner self is opened to the work of the Holy Spirit, who forms us into the image of the Son. Here Richard Foster and Gayle Beebe, both experienced leaders in spiritual formation, introduce you to people from the past who have known God deeply. Each person helps you to grasp one of the seven primary paths to intimacy with God that have been developed throughout Christian history. Chapters are divided into sections, each segment surrounding a key figure and concluding with a reflection and prayer.This rich resource can guide you into the same deep intimacy with God, opening you to the Spirit's work of transformation. A Renovaré Resource.

Review Quotes

"A rich feast of Christian life and practice. Powerfully instructive on how serious people make real progress in the life with God."

--Dallas Willard, Christian Retailing, July 6, 2009

"A rich resource which can lead one into a more intimate relationship with God."

--Arnold Rzepecki, Catholic Library World, December 2009

"Anyone longing for God will find this book to be a treasure chest full of gems. Dig in and you will be lavishly rewarded."

--Barbara Sartorius-Bjelland, The Covenant Companion, November 2009

"By featuring the lives and teaching of 26 spiritual masters from church history, Foster and Beebe shine a light on seven paths (or orientations) to spiritual development. This survey brings together shared themes and unique contributions that guide those journeying with and toward God."

--The 2010 Christianity Today Book Awards, Spirituality Category Winner, February 2010

"Few people pass through life without at one time or another wishing they had faith--or more faith. Longing for God offers the examples of Christians whose longings were answered."

--J. Douglas Ousley, August 2009

"Foster and Beebe certainly captured my interest and spiritual imagination as I used this book for my morning quiet time. I recommend it highly. The book is also available as an abridged audio book--a great resource for the morning commute or a road trip."

--Gerry Ediger, Mennonite Brethren Herald, September 2009

"Like a personal introduction to those well-known Christian writers of the past."

--Betty Waller, The Lamplighter, vol. 41, no. 2

"The authors do an excellent job. They relay the practical and powerful messages of great thinkers and doers who were not always understood in their times, and they do so in a way that is intelligible for today's readers."

--Wayne E. Groner, Congregations, Fall 2009

"This book can serve as spiritual 'food' to nourish a hungry soul and serves as a great resource for teachers and pastors who do not have time to dig through ancient manuscripts looking for nuggets of useful information."

--David Mercadante, Quaker Life, September/October 2009

"This is very much a survey work, useful as an introduction to a wide range of spiritual masters--and especially useful if it inspires one to read some of the classic texts it summarizes."

--Lawrence S. Cunningham, Commonweal, June 4, 2010

About the Author

Gayle D. Beebe (PhD, Claremont Graduate University) is president of Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, and past president of Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, Michigan. He serves as one of the general editors for The Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible.

Richard J. Foster (DThP, Fuller Theological Seminary) is founder of Renovaré in Denver, Colorado. He is the author of many books including Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth and Freedom of Simplicity.