Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians: Finding Authentic Faith in a Forgotten Age with C. S. Lewis
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Many Christians today tend to view the story of medieval faith
as a cautionary tale. Too often, they dismiss the Middle Ages as a
period of corruption and decay in the church. They seem to assume
that the church apostatized from true Christianity after it gained
cultural influence in the time of Constantine, and the faith was
only later recovered by the sixteenth-century Reformers or even the
eighteenth-century revivalists. As a result, the riches and wisdom
of the medieval period have remained largely inaccessible to modern
Protestants.
Church historian Chris Armstrong helps readers see beyond modern
caricatures of the medieval church to the animating Christian
spirit of that age. He believes today's church could learn a number
of lessons from medieval faith, such as how the gospel speaks to
ordinary, embodied human life in this world. Medieval Wisdom for
Modern Christians explores key ideas, figures, and movements
from the Middle Ages in conversation with C. S. Lewis and other
thinkers, helping contemporary Christians discover authentic faith
and renewal in a forgotten age.
From the Back Cover
"A wonderful introduction to our neglected Christian
tradition"
"With lilting prose and sparkling insight, Armstrong draws us into
the spiritual riches of medieval Christianity. He uses the insights
of C. S. Lewis and other modern interpreters to shine a light
on that long-past yet still remarkably relevant era. This book will
serve equally well in college, seminary, and church education
classrooms."
--Grant Wacker, Duke Divinity School
"Using the wisdom of C. S. Lewis as a point of entry,
Armstrong unpacks the material and sacramental world of the
medieval church, demonstrating why such dated material is much
needed in the life of the evangelical church today. This is a
must-read for anyone who cares about the evangelical church's
future."
--Greg Peters, Biola University; author of The Story of
Monasticism
"Armstrong's approach to introducing twenty-first-century
Christians to the rich resources of medieval and monastic wisdom is
ingenious. He uses C. S. Lewis to invite us into a
conversation with other contemporaries who have found that this
oft-neglected period of Christian history provides the kind of
embodied and holistic spiritual life that is needed
as a remedy for today's gnostic, individualistic, and shallow
spirituality."
--Dennis Okholm, Azusa Pacific University; author of
Dangerous Passions, Deadly Sins: Learning from the Psychology of
Ancient Monks
"With a searching evaluation of his own evangelical leanings and
inspired by the discerning medievalism of his spiritual mentor
C. S. Lewis, Chris Armstrong takes us on a delightful tour
through the insights of medieval Christians that have most profited
him. With Armstrong's sparkling prose, the journey never turns
arcane or becomes tiresome, and it leaves us with many treasures to
ponder."
--Robert B. Kruschwitz, Institute for Faith and Learning,
Baylor University
"A wonderful introduction to our neglected Christian tradition for
all those who feel something is missing in the modern church. It is
also a real treat for fans of C. S. Lewis."
--Devin Brown, Asbury University; author of A Life
Observed: A Spiritual Biography of C. S. Lewis
"An excellent introduction to medieval spirituality,
philosophy, theology, and Christian practice."
--David Neff, former editor in chief, Christianity
Today and Christian History
Contents
1: My Angle of Approach
2: C. S. Lewis--A Modern Medieval Man
3. Getting Rooted: Tradition as Source of Truth
4.
Getting Thoughtful: The Medieval Passion for Theological
Knowledge
5. Getting Moral: The Ethical Fabric of
Medieval Faith
6. Getting Merciful: Why Medievals
Invented the Hospital
7. Getting Earthy: God's Second
Book--The Natural World
8. Getting Passionate: Medieval
Faith as a Religion of the Heart
9. Getting Human: How
the Incarnation Lifts Up Our Humanness
10. Getting It
Together: Responding to Our Medieval Heritage and Reflecting on
the Ascetic and Monastic Paths
Product Details
- Title : Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians: Finding Authentic Faith in a Forgotten Age with C. S. Lewis
- Author: Armstrong, Chris R.
- Publisher: Brazos Press
- Publication Date: 2016
- ISBN: 9781493401970
Dr. Chris Armstrong is the founding director of Opus: The Art of Work, a new institute at Wheaton College dedicated to understanding God’s call for work in the world. Prior to taking this post in 2014, he was director of Bethel Seminary’s Work with Purpose initiative while serving as a professor at Bethel. His training is in the field of American church history, and his areas of interest include religion and emotion; Christianity and literature; the holiness, Pentecostal, and charismatic movements; the Christ-and-culture conversation; and the “ancient–future” and “new monastic” movements within evangelicalism. He received his BA from St. Mary’s University in Nova Scotia (Canada), his MA from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and his PhD from Duke University, where his research focused on the 19th-century holiness movement.
Dr. Armstrong wrote over 70 articles as the former managing editor of Christian History & Biography magazine, and he continues to contribute to Christian History & Biography and other publications, including Christianity Today and Leadership Journal. He has contributed chapters to Singing the Lord's Song in a Strange Land (edited by Mark A. Noll and Edith L. Blumhofer) and Portraits of a Generation: Early Pentecostal Leaders (edited by James R. Goff Jr. and Grant Wacker). Dr. Armstrong’s book, Patron Saints for Postmoderns, was published in 2009 by InterVarsity Press, and his forthcoming book, Getting Medieval: An Exploration with C. S. Lewis, will be published by Baker Academic.