Ich begann kürzlich die Werk von “A Quest For Godliness – The Puritan Vision Of The Christian Life” von J. I. Packer zu lesen. Er beschreibt darin, warum uns die Puritaner viel zu sagen haben. Einige Weisheiten aus der Einleitung dieses Buches:
Regular discursive meditation … in applying spiritual truth to yourself, as well as turning that truth into praise is a vital dicipline for spiritual health. … God knows, I am a poor practionier of this wisdom, but when my heart is cold I do at least know what I need.
The Purtians have taught me to see and feel the transitoriness of this life, to think of it, with all its richness, as essentially the gymnasium and dressing-room where we are prepared for heaven, and to regard readiness to die as the first step in learning to live.
All theology is also spirituality. … If our theology does not quicken the conscience and soften the heart, it acutally hardens both; if it does not encourage the commitment of faith, it reinforces the detachment of unbelief; if it fails to promote humility, it inevitably feeds pride.
Ich liebe Packer, nicht nur weil es ein Genuss ist ihn zu lesen, sondern weil er solide akademische Forschung immer mit dem persönlichen geistlichen Leben verbindet.
