Conformed to His Image: Biblical and Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation

By Kenneth BoaZondervan, 20011

Book Review on “

Conformed to His Image

” by Kenneth Boa

Spirituality is very much woven into the very fabric of life in Asian cultures. Even moremodern-minded and upwardly-mobile generation of younger Malaysians gravitate to

feng shui

paraphernalia,

bomoh

medicine and

yoga

gurus for the promises of health, prosperityand self-fulfillment. A similar awareness and hunger for spiritual renewal is also evidentamongst Christians, but how is an authentic biblical spirituality any different from that of their surrounding cultures? What are the distinctive marks of Christian spirituality?In his book

Conformed to His Image: Biblical and Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation,

Kenneth Boa seeks to provide a more comprehensive and balanced approachto the spiritual life from a biblical perspective. He describes spirituality as a “Christ-centered orientation to every component of life through the mediating power of theindwelling Holy Spirit” (page 19). It is analogous to a pilgrim’s journey which starts withour embrace of God’s free grace and progresses through lifelong faith and obedience inChrist. Even though the book is designed as a college or seminary text, it is highlyreadable with chapter overviews, helpful charts and emphasis on practice. There arethought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter intended to lead us to reflect andapply what had been learnt earlier. I would heartily recommend it as an excellent, balanced and indispensable resource for small groups, churches and lay leaders who seek a deeper spirituality as well.2

A common pitfall of spiritual writings is the tendency to focus on a few selectiveapproaches while neglecting the remaining ones, especially if they are associated withother traditions. As a result, some practitioners fall into the trap of treating every problemas a nail (i.e. demon possession) because their only tool is a hammer (deliveranceministry). Being ecumenical in scope, Boa attempts to address such gaps by offering amore integrative and holistic approach by incorporating lessons for both recent andancient spiritual pathways. For those who are interested, there is a high-level sketch of movements and earlier pilgrims in church history who have left a map to guide our own journey in Appendix B entitled “

The Richness of Our Heritage

”. Readers could gain a broader perspective as well as a better equipped toolbox.But first and foremost, Boa intends to write a handbook to spiritual formation. Accordingto him, the various spiritual approaches are like twelve facets of a precious gem. Withoutclaiming to be exhaustive, these categories are an attempt to “reflect the variousdimensions of biblical truth as they relate to practical experience on a personal andcorporate level” (page 21). Some of us may be more attracted to some of these spiritual“facets” than others due to our different temperaments and background. An extrovert may be more inclined towards an active and expressive mode of spiritual life while anintrovert may prefer more reflective contemplation. Recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all approach, Boa has included Appendix A called “

The Need for Diversity

” to helpus understand our predisposition regarding spirituality and encourage us to deliberatelyengage an approach which we tend to avoid or neglect. Ultimately, regardless of personality types, all of us need a balance of

knowing, being and doing

(page 480).3