Dwelling in Christ by Jonathan R Bailey

About the Audiobook:

Like many Christians, you may feel as if you're living in a cycle of fits and starts, seeking to grow closer to God but feeling disillusioned in your faith. In a culture of hustle and hurry, maybe you long to trade a transactional faith for a transformational relationship with God.

In Dwelling in Christ, Jonathan R. Bailey reintroduces the Threefold Way―an ancient, time-tested path of Christian spirituality. Moving beyond quick fixes and performance-based faith, this well-worn path offers a practical movement through three stages for growing in Christlikeness over a lifetime.

Discover anew how to walk the Threefold Way:

•  Purgation: Learn to release the harmful and unloving things that pull you away from God.
•  Illumination: Dwell more deeply in God's presence as you intentionally and gradually align your heart more and more with his.
•  Union: Experience an ever-deepening friendship with God that increasingly transforms you into Christlikeness from the inside out.

Aided by the wisdom of ancient monastics, contemporary theologians, and thoughtful reflections on his own spiritual journey, Bailey invites you to trade the illusion of control for the reality of love. In continuity with spiritual voices such as Dallas Willard and Richard Foster, this book offers a hopeful and practical way of life through retrieving a framework reaching back into the earliest centuries of the church. With Dwelling in Christ, be free from chasing quick fixes and enter the steady, lifelong journey of becoming like Christ.

My Review:

I really like this book. Bailey clarifies how we usually see spiritual growth, as transactional. We do this thing and we expect a certain result. He tried again and again but his best efforts led to frustration. He advocates growth that is transformational. It is a slow process and will take a lifetime. We never finish because we are always becoming. We never will arrive until we see Jesus face to face.

I like how Bailey has investigated the experiences of Christians over the centuries. He goes through the three fold path, explaining how each transforms us. By his own admission, he has not come into the union stage. That in itself may take the rest of his life.

This is a great book for every Christian frustrated by the usual means of growth. Bailey's personal way of explaining what he has learned makes for a very good listening experience. I highly recommend this book. There are additional resources at the book's website.

My rating: 5/5 stars.

About the Author/Narrator:

Jonathan R. Bailey writes about Christian spiritual formation and the slow work of becoming like Christ.

He is the author of Dwelling in Christ: Discover the Threefold Path of Spiritual Transformation, a book that draws from Scripture and the wisdom of the Christian tradition to explore how God forms us through the ancient path of purgation, illumination, and union.

Jonathan is the creator of the Three Weekly Lights newsletter, a Ministry Team member with Renovaré, and co-founder of Dwell, the audio Bible app.

He is especially interested in what Christians from the past can teach us about following Christ in the present.

He lives in Texas with his wife, Kori, and their three children.

InterVarsity Press, 6 hours 1 minute.

I received a complimentary digital audio of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent review.

(My star ratings: 5-An exceptional book, 4-Better than average, relevant and liked by me, 3-It is average, 2-It is below average and not liked by me, 1-It is practically unreadable.)