Book Review: Feelings and Faith by Brian Borgman
July 13, 2009 Posted by Roger Overton
| We find ourselves in a culture that seems dominated by emotions. Most advertising is geared toward motivating emotions. We are often told to “follow our heart,” which roughly means we should do what feels right to us. Unfortunately, there is little difference between the world and the church in this way. Many people choose churches based on how the service makes them feel. Christians often make decisions attributing their feelings to God with little or no thought given to applying God’s already revealed Word to their lives. It’s as though emotions are above being right or wrong. In Feelings and Faith Brian Borgman explains that emotions can have moral significance and he attempts to show how we can be filled with emotions that glorify God. |
After a brief introduction explaining and defining emotions, Feelings and Faith: Cultivating Godly Emotions in the Christian Life begins with the understanding that since we are made in God’s image, we must look to the character of God as our guide for our character, including our emotions. Borgman takes the view that God does have emotions (contra the “divine impassibility” view that has been held by many theologians). He consequently explores God’s emotions as revealed throughout the Bible and shows how the make-up of our emotions went astray due to the fall.
Our status resulting from the fall naturally leads to who we are in Christ. Borgman progresses to show the necessity of God’s authoritative truth for our complete sanctification. He contends that certain truths are essential to our transformation (he refers to them as “oxygen truths” as we cannot grow spiritually without them): the character of God, justification, and future glory. Also considered is how spiritual experiences should relate to our emotions and how the Bible can help us cultivate godly emotions.
The third section of the book gets rather practical by seeking the mortification of ungodly emotions. Borgman explores sinful anger, unforgiveness, fear and worry, and depression by carefully considering what the Bible says and providing a game plan to mortify the emotions.
The remainder of the chapters are focused specifically on cultivating godly emotions. Borgman spends quality time looking at the pattern Jesus set noting that “It belongs to the truth of our Lord’s humanity that he was subject to all sinless emotions.” (B.B. Warfield) He reflects on the necessary connection between biblical thinking and godly emotions and proceeds to discuss emotions as they relate to worship, preaching, relationships, Bible study and prayer, and meditation. The book concludes with an appendix returning to the question of divine impassibility. He contends that our view of God is diminished if we understand Scripture’s emotional descriptions of God as mere metaphors.
I know of only one other book that deals generally with thinking biblically about emotions. Yet, it is a subject to which Christians today desperately need to give more thought. So I am thankful to Brian Borgman not only for addressing this important subject, but for doing so in a way that is clear, biblically instructive, and immensely practical. Feelings and Faith reminds us that God wants to redeem our entire being- heart, soul, mind and strength that He has expressed the keys to the sanctification throughout the Bible.
Borgman avoids the dangers of exalting emotions too highly or denigrating them to having no place in the Christian life. Indeed, we ought to feel and we ought to feel rightly. Particular chapters struck me more than others, due to my own struggles and experiences, and readers will likely vary on which points they found most challenging. As a general treatise on the topic, Feelings and Faith is the sort of book I expect to return to throughout my life in an effort to cultivate godly emotions.
Related posts:
- Book Review: Running Against the Wind by Brian Flynn
- Book Review: Faith of My Fathers by Chris Seay
- Book Review: A Generous Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren
- Book Review: Essential Truths of the Christian Faith by R.C. Sproul
- Book Review: Swashbuckling Faith by Tim Wesemann
- Book Review: The Gospel According to LOST by Chris Seay
Posted in Book Reviews, Roger's Posts
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July 21st, 2009 at 5:44 pm
[...] reaction is in part fueled by reflections on Brian Borgman’s Feelings and Faith, which I reviewed last week. He makes the case that God has emotions, and since we are made in His [...]