Yesterday, inspired by a final exam for Christian Devotional Classics (Evangelical Seminary), I kicked off a series on Receiving from the Christian Devotional Classics with a post on Thomas Merton & the Desert Fathers. Before going further with the series I thought that it would be helpful to wrestle with the question, “What is a Christian Devotional Classic?”
Maybe this reminds you of the larger conversation regarding What IS a Christian Book? (A Working Definition), a topic we broached when launching The Best Christian Book of All Time March Madness.
A Christian book is written with the intention (explicit or implicit) of expressing Christian truth (that is, truth drawn from God’s revelation through Scripture, Christ, and the Spirit) and in such a way that a reader can participate in this truth. — Micheal Hickerson. What IS a Christian Book? (A Working Definition). Emerging Scholars Network Blog. 3/13/2013.
But this is more focused. Before reading further, I encourage you to take a few minutes to write a draft/rough definition (or framework) of your own, give a representative title (or two), and briefly consider “Why bother with and how to interact with Christian Devotional Classics?” Bonus: What one Christian Devotional Classic do I desire to incorporate into my fall reading list? [Read more…] about What is a Christian Devotional Classic?