Subversive Spirituality

by L Paul Jensen, Wilbert R Shenk (Foreword by)

Overview

Description: Subversive Spirituality links the practice and study of Christian spirituality with Christian mission. It develops a twofold thesis: grace, spiritual disciplines, and mission practices are inseparably linked in the mission of Jesus, of the early church, and of several historical renewal movements, as well as in a contemporary field research sample; and amidst the collapse of space and time evidenced by our culture's increasingly hurried pace of life, more time and space are needed for regular solitary and communal spiritual practices in church, mission, and leadership structures if Christian mission is to transform people and culture in our time. This requires a subversion of the collapsed spatial and temporal codes that have infected our Christian institutions. Jensen employs methods and approaches from a variety of academic disciplines to explore both spirituality in terms of space and time and mission in terms of deed and word. Specifically, Jensen examines the spirituality and mission of Jesus, the early church, the apostolic fathers, Origen, the Devotio Moderna, the early Jesuits, David Brainerd, and several women in 19th century Protestant missions. He considers the spirituality and mission that have arisen within the postmodern generations born after 1960. Based on the theological, historical, cultural, and field analyses of this study, a model for spirituality and mission is proposed. The model addresses the contemporary collapse of space and time and appears to have widespread applicability to diverse cultures and eras. Jensen's model is applied to the pluralistic and postmodern milieu of North America with recommendations for spirituality and mission in church, mission, and educational structures. A derivative model for teaching and practicing spirituality and mission in the academy, which also has application for non-formal leadership development structures, is also proposed. Endorsements: ""Far too many Christians live in little compartments: prayer over here, mission over there, Bible study somewhere else, even Jesus himself somewhere else again, and all squashed up because of the apparent relentlessness of today's fast-track lifestyle. What happens if we open up the little compartments to one another, and allow the bigger picture that emerges to challenge not only the way we think and live as Christians but the very framework of lifestyle which today's culture imposes on us? This wide-ranging and groundbreaking book provides an answer which will open eyes, minds, and hearts to an integrated vision of Christian discipleship, spirituality, and mission. Jensen's work is rooted in history but open to God's future, grounded in prayer and devotion while grappling with hard-edged practical questions. This is a book all of us in Christian leadership need to learn from if we are to be equipped for God's mission in tomorrow's world."" --N. T. Wright, Bishop of Durham, Church of England ""This is the book that I've been waiting for in my own teaching. In our technological, postmodern, post-Christendom age we need to hear the call to reengage both a generous spiritual journey and a courageous missional life. Each aspect of formation must rely on the other-and both are the product of the Spirit's clear work in Jesus' followers. My students either think that the church will be renewed by an inward journey or by outward activism. And each group thinks that their way is Jesus' way. Paul Jensen's lucid, scholarly, and empowering book calls us back to a transforming spirituality which nourishes and empowers God's people for the Kingdom mission into which Jesus sent all his followers with grace, love, and power."" --Stephen A. Hayner, President of Columbia Theological Seminary and former President, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship ""This is an important book. Jensen is dealing with issues that others are not and doing so in ways that challenge the church and lure us into new openness to intimacy with God. He co

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781606081549
Publisher:	Pickwick Publications
Publication date:	08/01/2009
Series:	Princeton Theological Monograph , #113
Pages:	392
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

L. Paul Jensen is founder and director of The Leadership Institute, in Orange, California, which offers non-formal training in spiritual formation, spiritual direction, and leadership development. He is Assistant Professor of Leadership and Christian Formation as well as an Assistant Professor of Spirituality in Contemporary Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary. He has authored articles on discipleship and spirituality, including several entries in the Encyclopedia of Christian Civilization.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Far too many Christians live in little compartments: prayer over here, mission over there, Bible study somewhere else, even Jesus himself somewhere else again, and all squashed up because of the apparent relentlessness of today's fast-track lifestyle. What happens if we open up the little compartments to one another, and allow the bigger picture that emerges to challenge not only the way we think and live as Christians but the very framework of lifestyle which today's culture imposes on us? This wide-ranging and groundbreaking book provides an answer which will open eyes, minds, and hearts to an integrated vision of Christian discipleship, spirituality, and mission. Jensen's work is rooted in history but open to God's future, grounded in prayer and devotion while grappling with hard-edged practical questions. This is a book all of us in Christian leadership need to learn from if we are to be equipped for God's mission in tomorrow's world."
—N. T. Wright, Bishop of Durham, Church of England


"This is the book that I've been waiting for in my own teaching. In our technological, postmodern, post-Christendom age we need to hear the call to reengage both a generous spiritual journey and a courageous missional life. Each aspect of formation must rely on the other-and both are the product of the Spirit's clear work in Jesus' followers. My students either think that the church will be renewed by an inward journey or by outward activism. And each group thinks that their way is Jesus' way. Paul Jensen's lucid, scholarly, and empowering book calls us back to a transforming spirituality which nourishes and empowers God's people for the Kingdom mission into which Jesus sent all his followers with grace, love, and power."
—Stephen A. Hayner, President of Columbia Theological Seminary and former President, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship


"This is an important book. Jensen is dealing with issues that others are not and doing so in ways that challenge the church and lure us into new openness to intimacy with God. He connects the world of ancient spiritual practices with the world of constant communication and instant gratification. Dr. Jensen helps us to find the stillness we need in which to open ourselves to God so as to be renewed in ways that enable us to engage in mission.
"This is a fine example of multi-disciplinary scholarship in service of mission and spirituality. The multiple tables alone, with their helpful summaries of key insights, are worth the price of the book. This is no ordinary book, but one which needs to be made available to a wide audience of theorists and practitioners in academic, church, and missional communities."
—Richard Peace, Fuller Theological Seminary

"At the very outset, one can see that Jensen has taken on an ambitious project. It not only covers a wide range of thinkers that span more than two millennia, but it addresses a complex array of ideas. And yet, what could be more pertinent and to the point in a new age, with all the challenges the age portends, than an analysis that connects time and space to devotion to God and mission? Jensen's research is consistently rigorous and his powers of comparison and analysis superior. I highly recommend this provocative and important study."
—James Bradley, Geoffrey W. Bromiley Professor of Church History,Fuller Theological Seminary


"Some thinkers teach us by digging deeply into a specialized area and discovering new facts and insights. Others change us by explaining new connections and relationships, which not only enlighten our minds, but also change what we do. Jensen's book is the latter type. Backed by a sweeping panorama of historical and biblical material, he urges us to change our lives and our world by connecting the spiritual life and mission in a holistic, fresh way. I hope and pray many will listen-and change."
—Jon L. Dybdahl, Professor of Mission, Andrews University and Former President of Walla Walla University



"Jesus was frequently heard saying, 'If a person has ears, let him hear!' Subversive Spirituality attests to the fact that Paul Jensen 'hears.' It affirms that he has one ear to the ground of the postmodern generations, hearing the painful results that the energy-sapping disintegration of space and time produces in their lives. But Paul's other ear is tuned to the life-generating pulse of our Creator and to the rhythms he has designed for our renewal in life and for empowerment in mission. I first saw the transformed lives of those who practiced the convictions Paul suggests in this work. And now as I read the concepts in print, I realize the magnitude of the mission that could be ignited by the Spirit in the hearts of those who read and 'hear.'"
—Julie A. Gorman, Professor of Christian Formation and Discipleship, Fuller Theological Seminary


"For so many people today, life is busy, full, and only picking up steam. This is true in the life of the minister as well. We have a great need for time and space to meet with God. Jensen presents an integrative model for spirituality and mission that can help the church engage the generation of this age in ways that deepen their inner life with God and move people to participation in God's kingdom mission. Grounded in grace, Jensen offers both critique and hope for how spiritual practices can bring about the transformational work of redemption in our lives and the world today. This is a solid work that speaks to the longings of a postmodern generation to know God and to engage in meaningful redemptive work in the world today."
—Evan Hunter, Director of the Ivy Jungle Network




"With careful research, analysis and diagnosis, Paul shows us what Gen X and Y most need (particularly their "mentor deficit") and how helping them implement the timeless practices of Christians throughout history will help them be formed into disciples of Jesus."
—Jan Johnson, spiritual author of many books including Invitation to the Jesus Life

Editorial Reviews

"Far too many Christians live in little compartments: prayer over here, mission over there, Bible study somewhere else, even Jesus himself somewhere else again, and all squashed up because of the apparent relentlessness of today's fast-track lifestyle. What happens if we open up the little compartments to one another, and allow the bigger picture that emerges to challenge not only the way we think and live as Christians but the very framework of lifestyle which today's culture imposes on us? This wide-ranging and groundbreaking book provides an answer which will open eyes, minds, and hearts to an integrated vision of Christian discipleship, spirituality, and mission. Jensen's work is rooted in history but open to God's future, grounded in prayer and devotion while grappling with hard-edged practical questions. This is a book all of us in Christian leadership need to learn from if we are to be equipped for God's mission in tomorrow's world."
—N. T. Wright, Bishop of Durham, Church of England


"This is the book that I've been waiting for in my own teaching. In our technological, postmodern, post-Christendom age we need to hear the call to reengage both a generous spiritual journey and a courageous missional life. Each aspect of formation must rely on the other-and both are the product of the Spirit's clear work in Jesus' followers. My students either think that the church will be renewed by an inward journey or by outward activism. And each group thinks that their way is Jesus' way. Paul Jensen's lucid, scholarly, and empowering book calls us back to a transforming spirituality which nourishes and empowers God's people for the Kingdom mission into which Jesus sent all his followers with grace, love, and power."
—Stephen A. Hayner, President of Columbia Theological Seminary and former President, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship


"This is an important book. Jensen is dealing with issues that others are not and doing so in ways that challenge the church and lure us into new openness to intimacy with God. He connects the world of ancient spiritual practices with the world of constant communication and instant gratification. Dr. Jensen helps us to find the stillness we need in which to open ourselves to God so as to be renewed in ways that enable us to engage in mission.
"This is a fine example of multi-disciplinary scholarship in service of mission and spirituality. The multiple tables alone, with their helpful summaries of key insights, are worth the price of the book. This is no ordinary book, but one which needs to be made available to a wide audience of theorists and practitioners in academic, church, and missional communities."
—Richard Peace, Fuller Theological Seminary

"At the very outset, one can see that Jensen has taken on an ambitious project. It not only covers a wide range of thinkers that span more than two millennia, but it addresses a complex array of ideas. And yet, what could be more pertinent and to the point in a new age, with all the challenges the age portends, than an analysis that connects time and space to devotion to God and mission? Jensen's research is consistently rigorous and his powers of comparison and analysis superior. I highly recommend this provocative and important study."
—James Bradley, Geoffrey W. Bromiley Professor of Church History,Fuller Theological Seminary


"Some thinkers teach us by digging deeply into a specialized area and discovering new facts and insights. Others change us by explaining new connections and relationships, which not only enlighten our minds, but also change what we do. Jensen's book is the latter type. Backed by a sweeping panorama of historical and biblical material, he urges us to change our lives and our world by connecting the spiritual life and mission in a holistic, fresh way. I hope and pray many will listen-and change."
—Jon L. Dybdahl, Professor of Mission, Andrews University and Former President of Walla Walla University



"Jesus was frequently heard saying, 'If a person has ears, let him hear!' Subversive Spirituality attests to the fact that Paul Jensen 'hears.' It affirms that he has one ear to the ground of the postmodern generations, hearing the painful results that the energy-sapping disintegration of space and time produces in their lives. But Paul's other ear is tuned to the life-generating pulse of our Creator and to the rhythms he has designed for our renewal in life and for empowerment in mission. I first saw the transformed lives of those who practiced the convictions Paul suggests in this work. And now as I read the concepts in print, I realize the magnitude of the mission that could be ignited by the Spirit in the hearts of those who read and 'hear.'"
—Julie A. Gorman, Professor of Christian Formation and Discipleship, Fuller Theological Seminary


"For so many people today, life is busy, full, and only picking up steam. This is true in the life of the minister as well. We have a great need for time and space to meet with God. Jensen presents an integrative model for spirituality and mission that can help the church engage the generation of this age in ways that deepen their inner life with God and move people to participation in God's kingdom mission. Grounded in grace, Jensen offers both critique and hope for how spiritual practices can bring about the transformational work of redemption in our lives and the world today. This is a solid work that speaks to the longings of a postmodern generation to know God and to engage in meaningful redemptive work in the world today."
—Evan Hunter, Director of the Ivy Jungle Network




"With careful research, analysis and diagnosis, Paul shows us what Gen X and Y most need (particularly their "mentor deficit") and how helping them implement the timeless practices of Christians throughout history will help them be formed into disciples of Jesus."
—Jan Johnson, spiritual author of many books including Invitation to the Jesus Life

From the Publisher