Download Get Syllabus - Munster Bible College

BIBLICAL
SPIRITUALITY
Michael A. G. Haykin
[email protected]
I. COURSE DESCRIPTION and OBJECTIVES
In recent days a growing number of western Evangelicals
have begun to pay far more attention to the vital subject
of spirituality. In fact, spirituality in Evangelical circles
is fast becoming what American Evangelical historian
Richard Lovelace has called “a growth industry.” This
growing interest of western Evangelicalism in spirituality
coincides with two other trends:


the increasing realization among theological
educators that seminary training must include
spiritual formation for it to be truly a training for
ministry and leadership in local churches; and
the broader western culture’s growing fascination
with “spirituality.”
In light of these trends, which show no sign of
diminishing, this course seeks to help the student:
Munster Bible College
Fall 2014


to become conversant with Biblical spirituality and
the spiritual traditions of the Church; and
to be committed to and involved in the practice of
spiritual disciplines as rooted in the Scriptures.
II. COURSE TEXTS
1. Richard F. Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life. An
Evangelical Theology of Renewal (Downers Grove,
IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1979).
2. Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the
Christian Life. (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress,
1991).
3. Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines Within the
Church. Participating Fully in the Body of Christ
(Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1996).
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III. COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1. There will be 5 written assignments. These assignments will consist of brief answers
to questions based on both primary and secondary sources. 3000 words in total
(approx 600 per assignment.) These assignments constitute 75% of the final mark and
are to be e-mailed to the Professor by December 7, 2014.
2. 25% of the final mark will be made up by a paper exploring the spirituality of a hymn
written in either the eighteenth or the nineteenth centuries. 2,500 words. The paper
must be typed, be written according to the essay form laid out in, for example, Kate
L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (7th
ed.; Chicago/London: University of Chicago Press, 2007) and comprise
approximately 2,500 words. Secondary sources should be used in the compilation of
this paper. The paper is due December 7, 2014 and is to be e-mailed to the Professor.
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IV. SUPPLEMENTARY BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kenneth Boa, Conformed to His Image: Biblical and Practical Approaches to Spiritual
Formation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001).
Simon Chan, Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life (Downers
Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1998).
James M. Gordon, Evangelical Spirituality (London: SPCK, 1991).
David Lyle Jeffrey, ed., A Burning and a Shining Light. English Spirituality in the Age of
Wesley (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1987).
Alister McGrath, Roots That Refresh: A Celebration of Reformation Spirituality (London:
Hodder & Stoughton,1992).
Don Postema, Space for God: The Study and Practice of Prayer and Spirituality (Grand
Rapids: CRC Publications, 1983).
Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines. Understanding How God Changes Lives
(New York: HarperSanFrancisco, 1988).
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V. LECTURE OUTLINE
Lecture 1: Introduction to Personal Spiritual Disciplines
Lecture 2: Theological Foundations: 1. Knowing God and Knowing Ourselves
Lecture 3: Theological Foundations: 2. Being Christ-Centered
Lecture 4: Theological Foundations: 3. The Cross of Christ & Justification
Lecture 5: Theological Foundations: 4. The Trinity and the Holy Spirit in Paul
Lecture 6: Theological Foundations: 5. Sanctification—The Vision of John Owen
Lectures 7–8: A Spirituality of the Word
Lecture 9-10: Biblical Meditation
Lecture 11: Biblical Theology of Prayer: 1. Prayer in the Old Testament
Lecture 12: Biblical Theology of Prayer: 2. Jesus & Prayer
Lectures 13–14: Praying with the Apostle Paul
Lecture 15: The Lord’s Day—A Puritan Perspective
Lecture 16: Reading Classics of Christian Devotion
Lecture 17: Baptism
Lecture 18: The Lord’s Supper
Lectures 19–20: Marriage and Spirituality
Lecture 21: Spiritual Friendship
Lecture 22: Mission—Inevitable Fruit of the Personal Spiritual Disciplines
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READING HANDOUTS
A Meditation on the All-Sufficiency of Jesus Christ
Biblical Spirituality: What is it?
Evangelical Spirituality—A Spirituality of the Word
Fasting
Fifteen Key Books in Christian Spirituality - arranged chronologically
Further Reading
Guidance: Finding the Lord’s Will
Isaac Watts: When I Survey
Isaac Watts: The Hymnwriter as Spiritual Mentor
Mysticism
Praying through the Scriptures: Hebrews 13:20-21
Praying through the Scriptures: 2 Timothy
Praying with the Puritans
Singing Hymns
Spiritual Formation: 1. Spiritualitas and Its Disciplines
Spiritual Formation: 2. Knowing God & Knowing Ourselves
Spiritual Formation: 2. The Flesh
Spiritual Formation: 3. The Devil
The Cross of Christ and Justification
We draw near to God
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VI. ASSIGNMENTS
Assignment 1

Read Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life, 86-94 and answer the following
questions:
1. What is the predicament of every human being?
2. What was Jonathan Edwards’ analysis of human sinfulness? Is it biblical? Why or
why not?
3. What happened to Edwards’ “depth analysis of sin” in the late eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries?
4. What is the “flesh” according to the New Testament?
5. What did Martin Luther view as the main “root of the flesh”? Does the New
Testament bear our Luther’s perspective?
6. What are some of the consequences of embracing the truth about the depth of sin?
7. What is meant by the terms “world” and “worldliness”?

Read Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life, 133-144 and answer the following
questions:
8. Outline the history of satanology as found in these pages.
9. What are Satan’s five characteristic strategies?
10. How does Satan tempt believers?
11. What are some of the ways in which Satan especially tempts you? How can you
guard against these temptations to sin? (Note: These questions are not to be answered
in writing but you must simply indicate that you have considered them and answered
them in your mind).
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12. What is meant by satanic deception?
13. What are the effects of Satan’s accusations?
14. What is demonization? Do you believe such can happen today? Why or why not?
15. What are some of the different perspectives on exorcism?
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Assignment 2

Read Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 23-35 and answer the
following questions:
1. Do you agree that “there simply is no healthy Christian life apart from a diet of the
milk and meat of Scripture”? Why or why not?
2. How might your beliefs be different if you did not have a Bible? If you never
received Bible intake?
3. Why is knowing the Bible intimately such a vital part of knowing God and being
godly?
4. The text states that we often honour God’s Word only with our lips. In what practical
ways might you add to that honour with your heart, hands, ears, eyes, and mind?
5. In our busy lives, it’s easy to become preoccupied with “Christian” activities and not
spend enough time in God’s Word. What “Christian” activities are you involved in?
In what ways is or is not Bible intake a part of these activities?
6. If we aren’t disciplined in hearing God’s Word, which negative consequences will
occur? Be specific.
7. What do the following verses say about hearing God’s Word? (1) Romans 10: 17; (2)
1 Timothy 4:13.
8. What other ways, besides in a local church ministry, can you hear God’s Word?
9. Why is it important to not be a “passive listener” to God’s Word? How can you
cultivate the ability to be an “intent listener”? Be specific.
10. Read 1 Timothy 4:7 and 2 Timothy 3:16. What do these verses say about reading the
Bible each day?
11. What happens to a person who reads the Bible? (See Revelation 1:3.)
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12. Why can Bible intake become a chore instead of a discipline of joy? In what ways
might meditating on Scripture deepen your appreciation of God’s Word?
13. Consider Ezra 7:10. To which three key areas of study did Ezra devote himself?
What did he do before he began teaching God’s Word to the people?
14. Do you agree with R. C. Sproul that laziness is the real reason why Christians don’t
study God’s Word enough? Why, or why not?
15. What, in your mind, are the differences between hearing, reading, and studying
God’s Word?

Read Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 37-60 and answer the
following questions:
16. Why should we memorize Scripture?
17. What is biblical meditation?
18. What do Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:1-3 teach with regard to meditation?
19. What do Richard Baxter and Jonathan Edwards teach us with regard to meditation?
20. Summarize the method Whitney suggests regarding how to meditate on Scripture.
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Assignment 3

Read John Owen, Sin and Temptation. ed. James M. Houston (Portland, Oregon:
Multnomah Press, 1983), 151-167 (pdf of these pages will be available during lecture
week) and answer the following questions:
1. How does Owen explain Romans 8:13?
2. What is mortification? What is it not?
3. Can a human mortify sin alone?

Read Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life, 102-119 and answer the following
questions:
4. What is sanctification?
5. What is the relationship between justification and sanctification? Can one occur
without the other? Why or why not?
6. How does grace relate to sanctification?

Read Galatians 5:19-26 and answer the following questions:
7. If Paul were writing in the 21st century, do you think he would have any reason to
add or subtract from the list of “works of the flesh”?
8. Is the list of the fruit of the Spirit a comprehensive one? Why or why not?
9. Which fruit do you find it hardest to display in your own life?
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Assignment 4

Read Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 61-78 and answer the
following questions:
1. What conclusion does Whitney draw concerning the prayer life of evangelicals in
general?
2. Why is prayer so important?
3. Why don’t people pray more?
4. How does Whitney suggest overcoming these problems?
5. What role, according to John 16:13, does the Holy Spirit play in your prayer life?
6. How would you describe the relationship between biblical meditation and prayer? See
Psalm 5:1, 19:14 and re-read the quote by William Bates.
7. Why do you think more churches today don’t teach about the relationship between
meditation and prayer?
8. How has this lack of teaching affected the Church as a whole? Your life? The lives of
others you know?
9. What do you think is the relationship between a Christian’s view of God’s
willingness and ability to answer prayer, the person’s love for God, and his or her
willingness to persevere in prayer?
10. Read Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life, 392-396. Summarize Lovelace’s thesis in
this section in a paragraph of approximately 100 words.

Read Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church, 163-175 and answer the
following questions:
11. What are the reasons that corporate prayer is a necessary part of the church?
12. How shall we pray corporately?
13. How good is your church at prayer? In what ways can you personally influence that?
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Assignment 5

Read Lovelace, Dynamics of Spiritual Life, 146-151 and outline how the church has
or has not fulfilled Christ’s command to his people to evangelize the nations.

Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, 61-78 and answer the following
questions:
1. What images does the word “evangelism” bring to your mind?
2. Why does God command us to evangelize?
3. What does 1 Peter 2:9 say about God’s people and how does this relate to
evangelism?
4. Why do you think many Christians are afraid of evangelism?
5. Have you ever been afraid to share your faith in Christ? Why? What are your specific
fears about evangelism? Do you have a strategy for dealing with your fears? (Note:
These questions are not to be answered in writing but you must simply indicate that
you have considered them and answered them in your mind).
6. What do Luke 24:27 and John 20:21 reveal about evangelism?
7. How is evangelism a spiritual discipline? What are some ways that you can practice it
in your life?
8. Summarize Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines Within the Church, 89-102.
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