D.A. Carson Rejects Spiritual Disciplines
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This is taken from a lecture on "The History of Spiritual Disciplines." This part 2 of a 4 part series on Reformed Spirituality at theocast.org
Teacher: Jon Moffitt
- 00:00
- And then I found this article, you'll find this in the note, helpful by D .A. Carson on the reform view versus spiritual disciplines.
- 00:08
- He says, it is not helpful to list assorted Christian responsibilities and label them spiritual disciplines.
- 00:15
- That seems to be the reasoning behind the theology that smuggles in, say, creation care and almsgiving.
- 00:22
- By the same logic, if out of Christian kindness you give a back rub to an old lady with a stiff neck and a sore shoulder, then back rubbing becomes a spiritual discipline, which to be honest with you, probably my wife would prefer me to have that spiritual discipline.
- 00:41
- But rubbing a lady's back, if it's doing it for the glory of God, you could then equate it with, if you're taking the same logic they're giving here, you can then equate it saying, if I discipline myself in this action, then
- 00:52
- God will use it to transform me into the image of Christ. Right? He goes on to say, some of these so -called spiritual disciplines are entirely divorced from any specific doctrine whatsoever.
- 01:03
- They're merely a matter of technique. That is why people say, sometimes say, for your doctrine, by all means, commit yourselves to evangelical confessionalism.
- 01:13
- But when it comes to spiritual disciplines, turn to Catholicism or perhaps
- 01:20
- Buddhism. What an astounding statement. So write doctrine, stay with confessionalism.
- 01:26
- But if you want to know more about spiritual disciplines, you're not going to evangelical sources to get those.
- 01:32
- You aren't going to historic, Reformed confessional sources to get those. You have to go to something that is other than that, which is