A Heart Aflame for God

How 21st-Century Evangelicals Can Pursue Spiritual Growth through Early Modern Puritan Piety

“Keep your heart” (Proverbs 4:23). “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). “Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Scripture beckons Christians toward obedience and maturity, but many modern approaches to spiritual formation are less than biblical. In A Heart Aflame for God, Matthew C. Bingham studies God-ordained spiritual practices modeled by the 16th- and 17th-century Reformers.

Primarily drawing from Puritan tradition, Bingham shows readers how to balance belief in salvation through faith with a responsibility for one’s personal spiritual growth. He studies biblical practices―including meditation, prayer, and self-examination―from a Protestant perspective. Blending historical analysis and practical application, this edifying study cultivates a greater understanding of Reformed theology and an ever-growing relationship with God.

1. Opening Credits
2. Dedication
3. Introduction
4. Part 1: Foundations | Chapter 1: Spiritual Formation: A Simple Concept with a Complicated History
5. Chapter 2: Spiritual Formation in a Reformation Key: Five Solas for Head and Heart | Part 1
6. Chapter 2: Spiritual Formation in a Reformation Key: Five Solas for Head and Heart | Part 2
7. Part 2: The Reformation Triangle | Chapter 3: Scripture: Hearing from God | Part 1
8. Chapter 3: Scripture: Hearing from God | Part 2
9. Chapter 4: Meditation: Reflecting on God
10. Chapter 5: Prayer: Responding on God
11. Part 3: Widening Our Scope | Chapter 6: Self-Examination: Looking Inward
12. Chapter 7: The Natural World: Looking Outward
13. Chapter 8: Christian Relationships: Looking to One Another
14. Part 4: Challenges | Chapter 9: What about the Body?: Connecting the Spiritual and the Physical
15. Chapter 10: When Things Go Wrong: Wrestling with Spiritual Weakness
16. Epilogue
17. Appendix: A Brief Note on Spiritual Formation, Individualism, and the Church
18. Closing Credits