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mgdsmile 's review for:
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality is heavy, but it is a worthwhile journey through topics that are important for developing faith, not only in knowledge but in emotions and practice. Scazzero does a great job of incorporating his exigency and personal experience while staying humble. Chapter 1 was a clear exposition of the problem of emotional immaturity specifically as it relates to faith, which I think is very needed. Other chapters discuss self-awareness, familial patterns, finitude, and spiritual disciplines. Chapter 7, "Grow into an Emotionally Mature Adult," is the crux of his argument, and chapter 8 goes into specific, practical recommendations for developing a rule of life.
I do think it is important to approach this book with a strong foundation in Scripture and how we know the Lord works. As much as Scazzero's ideas are helpful, his framing focuses on the emotional and loses sight of biblical grounding. For instance, in the iceberg metaphor, I know what he's getting at, but he implies that unless we engage with our emotions in a healthy way, God won't touch them, which I believe is misleading. Also, the concept in chapter 4, "Journey through the Wall," seems more based on common experiences among people he's talked to. Experiencing a "wall" may be common (he almost implies it is a sort of inevitable rite of passage), but as far as I know, there is no specific scriptural foundation for that concept, so it should be taken as a theory and an idea, rather than a given. (Another reviewer pointed out how this chapter almost describes a process of sanctification... but without saying or defining "sanctification" ...interesting). Scazzero thinks highly of contemplative spirituality by describing monastic practices and referencing the Desert Fathers as he outlines ideas for a rule of life.
Overall, while this book provides interesting and potentially valuable ideas for Christians looking to engage more with emotions in faith, its tendency to promote ideas based in contemplative spirituality and mysticism makes me wary. Seems like it would be interesting to reread with a pen and a highlighter, but also a grain of salt.
I do think it is important to approach this book with a strong foundation in Scripture and how we know the Lord works. As much as Scazzero's ideas are helpful, his framing focuses on the emotional and loses sight of biblical grounding. For instance, in the iceberg metaphor, I know what he's getting at, but he implies that unless we engage with our emotions in a healthy way, God won't touch them, which I believe is misleading. Also, the concept in chapter 4, "Journey through the Wall," seems more based on common experiences among people he's talked to. Experiencing a "wall" may be common (he almost implies it is a sort of inevitable rite of passage), but as far as I know, there is no specific scriptural foundation for that concept, so it should be taken as a theory and an idea, rather than a given. (Another reviewer pointed out how this chapter almost describes a process of sanctification... but without saying or defining "sanctification" ...interesting). Scazzero thinks highly of contemplative spirituality by describing monastic practices and referencing the Desert Fathers as he outlines ideas for a rule of life.
Overall, while this book provides interesting and potentially valuable ideas for Christians looking to engage more with emotions in faith, its tendency to promote ideas based in contemplative spirituality and mysticism makes me wary. Seems like it would be interesting to reread with a pen and a highlighter, but also a grain of salt.