Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 175:698 (Apr 2018)
Article: Periodical Reviews
Author: Andrew J. Cress

BSac 175:698 (April-June 2018) p. 238

Periodical Reviews

By The Faculty and Staff of Dallas Theological Seminary

Andrew J. Cress

Editor

“Perceiving the Cultural Sea That Is Our Home—Spiritual Formation and Western 21st Century Culture,” Lisa Graham McMinn, Journal of Spiritual Formation and Soul Care 10 (Fall 2017): 147–58.

Lisa McMinn serves as writer in residence in the department of sociology at George Fox University. Her article examines the intersections between spiritual formation and everyday life and provides an intriguing perspective on the believer’s lifelong pursuit to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus. She argues that “challenging taken-for-granted assumptions about the world, our place in it, and how we should live can move us toward a more holistic understanding, and potentially greater spiritual insight and growth” (148). McMinn’s article draws attention to three major cultural characteristics of the Western world—personal autonomy, pain avoidance, and overemphasis on efficiency—to consider how contemporary Christians might be spiritually formed in the midst of these factors.

In examining the theme of the autonomous self, McMinn considers the development of self-identity within the Judeo-Christian heritage. She considers that, until the Enlightenment, individuals were “souls that belonged” to a community (149). In the Enlightenment, autonomy came to be seen as a human right, and individuals considered themselves owners of their souls (149–50). This shift produced changes such that “contentment was no longer perceived to be an internal state dependent on one’s connection to God and community, but became an external state pursued through self-determining choices aimed at satisfying our longings” (150). McMinn argues that to counteract this shift, followers of Christ must be rooted in communities and associations of faith, remembering that they belong to “God first and also to each other” (ibid.).

In her analysis of Western culture’s relationship to pain, McMinn observes that “our contemporary perspective is largely that pain is unnecessary and should be eradicated whenever possible” (151). In contrast to this, she considers the possibility that something as simple as a headache might “make us grateful for health and remind us of our limitations” (153). McMinn finds that pain can be instructive, training the believer with the strength to carry on in the midst of adversity and resulting in increased empathy for others. Though some pain can and should be avoided, eradicating pain can sometimes lead to a missed opportunity for growth (154).

BSac 175:698 (April-June 2018) p. 239

The final cul...