Status
Available
Collection
Publication
Crossway (2011), Edition: Reprint, 224 pages
Description
John Piper's newest book will help Christians think about thinking. Focusing on the life of the mind helps us to know God better, love him more, and care for the world. Along with an emphasis on emotions and the experience of God, we also need to practice careful thinking about God. Piper contends that "thinking is indispensable on the path to passion for God." So how are we to maintain a healthy balance of mind and heart, thinking and feeling? Piper urges us to think for the glory of God. He demonstrates from Scripture that glorifying God with our minds and hearts is not either-or, but both-and. Thinking carefully about God fuels passion and affections for God. Likewise, Christ-exalting emotion leads to disciplined thinking. Readers will be reminded that "the mind serves to know the truth that fuels the fires of the heart."… (more)
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
1433523183 / 9781433523182
User reviews
LibraryThing member SteveJMcLean
Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God, John Piper, Crossway, 2010, 222 pages.
In the book “Think”, John Piper states on page 20 that the purpose of his book is to “encourage serious, faithful, humble thinking that leads to the true knowledge of God, which leads to loving him, which
When I got into this book it was one that I did not want to put down, I just wanted to keep reading as each page was an encouragement and an assault on my study practices and the way that I assimilate knowledge and use my brain to progress what i know and learn about God. At the same time I desired to put the book down and really ponder how I function and process and think on if my process is one that honours God. It is not very often that I have both of these feeling at the same time!
I think almost everyone can do with the encouragement that this book offers, to search, to learn and study God. Not in a way to quantify and dissect, but to learn and embrace the living and breathing God of the universe! But as Piper stated, the genius of this book is that he does not stop at merely learning about God, but challenges the reader to turn the academics of learning into the heart action of loving God more and more. And the measuring stick for this ... the way that we overflow the love we feel for and experience from God onto those around us.
Piper wrote another gem ...it is pastoral, practical, academic, and simple ... grab a copy, read it and be drawn deeper into learning about God, to love Him more and show that love to those around you.
Recommend – Highly Recommend, five of five stars!
In the book “Think”, John Piper states on page 20 that the purpose of his book is to “encourage serious, faithful, humble thinking that leads to the true knowledge of God, which leads to loving him, which
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overflows in loving others.” A strong and clear purpose ... and one that Piper is able to fulfill completly in this book.When I got into this book it was one that I did not want to put down, I just wanted to keep reading as each page was an encouragement and an assault on my study practices and the way that I assimilate knowledge and use my brain to progress what i know and learn about God. At the same time I desired to put the book down and really ponder how I function and process and think on if my process is one that honours God. It is not very often that I have both of these feeling at the same time!
I think almost everyone can do with the encouragement that this book offers, to search, to learn and study God. Not in a way to quantify and dissect, but to learn and embrace the living and breathing God of the universe! But as Piper stated, the genius of this book is that he does not stop at merely learning about God, but challenges the reader to turn the academics of learning into the heart action of loving God more and more. And the measuring stick for this ... the way that we overflow the love we feel for and experience from God onto those around us.
Piper wrote another gem ...it is pastoral, practical, academic, and simple ... grab a copy, read it and be drawn deeper into learning about God, to love Him more and show that love to those around you.
Recommend – Highly Recommend, five of five stars!
Show Less
LibraryThing member BradKautz
“Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking.” Those words, attributed to Steve Jobs, were widely shared shortly after his death in 2011. Depending on the way in which Job’s words are understood they both agree and disagree with the goal of John
Piper asserts that thinking, i.e. giving serious consideration to the things one is called to believe, is needed for a person to come to faith in Christ, and for one who has that faith to then grow as a Christian. Rather than simply having ‘faith,’ without understanding what that may mean or how it may call one to live, he makes a “plea to see thinking as a necessary, God-ordained means of knowing God. Thinking is one of the important ways that we put the fuel of knowledge on the fires of worship and service to the world.” (15)
Using a writing style that is conversational and very readable, Piper starts with a description of his early career, first as a scholar and then a pastor, showing the role that thinking played in broadening and deepening his faith. He writes “But thinking under the mighty hand of God, thinking soaked in prayer, thinking carried by the Holy Spirit, thinking tethered to the Bible, thinking in pursuit of more reasons to praise and proclaim the glories of God, thinking in the service of love – such thinking is indispensable in a life of fullest praise to God.” (27)
The middle of the book contains a discussion of the importance of thinking in a person’s coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ, showing from the Bible that faith isn’t something that is simply ‘acquired’ but must also be understood. We don’t have faith merely by believing a text such as John 3:16. Thinking is essential to understanding the meaning contained in the text.
Later in the book Piper explains several ways of thinking that may sound acceptable to modern readers but which are actually contrary to the kind of thought that helps believers to understand God. He demonstrates the fallacies within relativism, which is a rampant thought-form in the 21st century, and he also shows how pragmatism and subjectivism are both forces that lead to an exaltation of human thinking, rather than a deepening of godly wisdom. He concludes with a discussion of the connection between knowledge and humility, demonstrating that while thinking nurtures spiritual maturity and deepens faith it does so in a way that continuously exalts God.
In Matthew 22:37 Jesus said “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Throughout this book Piper connects loving God with thinking about God deeply, saying “loving God with all our mind means that our thinking is wholly engaged to do all it can to awaken and express the heartfelt fullness of treasuring God above all things.” (91, italics Piper)
And “treasuring God above all things” is what a life of Christian faith is all about.
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Piper in his book Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010). We can simply live with other people’s thinking, which is not always a bad thing, for much wisdom has come before our era. Or we can think deeply about what we learn today, so that our faith rests and grows on a solid foundation.Piper asserts that thinking, i.e. giving serious consideration to the things one is called to believe, is needed for a person to come to faith in Christ, and for one who has that faith to then grow as a Christian. Rather than simply having ‘faith,’ without understanding what that may mean or how it may call one to live, he makes a “plea to see thinking as a necessary, God-ordained means of knowing God. Thinking is one of the important ways that we put the fuel of knowledge on the fires of worship and service to the world.” (15)
Using a writing style that is conversational and very readable, Piper starts with a description of his early career, first as a scholar and then a pastor, showing the role that thinking played in broadening and deepening his faith. He writes “But thinking under the mighty hand of God, thinking soaked in prayer, thinking carried by the Holy Spirit, thinking tethered to the Bible, thinking in pursuit of more reasons to praise and proclaim the glories of God, thinking in the service of love – such thinking is indispensable in a life of fullest praise to God.” (27)
The middle of the book contains a discussion of the importance of thinking in a person’s coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ, showing from the Bible that faith isn’t something that is simply ‘acquired’ but must also be understood. We don’t have faith merely by believing a text such as John 3:16. Thinking is essential to understanding the meaning contained in the text.
Later in the book Piper explains several ways of thinking that may sound acceptable to modern readers but which are actually contrary to the kind of thought that helps believers to understand God. He demonstrates the fallacies within relativism, which is a rampant thought-form in the 21st century, and he also shows how pragmatism and subjectivism are both forces that lead to an exaltation of human thinking, rather than a deepening of godly wisdom. He concludes with a discussion of the connection between knowledge and humility, demonstrating that while thinking nurtures spiritual maturity and deepens faith it does so in a way that continuously exalts God.
In Matthew 22:37 Jesus said “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Throughout this book Piper connects loving God with thinking about God deeply, saying “loving God with all our mind means that our thinking is wholly engaged to do all it can to awaken and express the heartfelt fullness of treasuring God above all things.” (91, italics Piper)
And “treasuring God above all things” is what a life of Christian faith is all about.
Show Less
LibraryThing member chriskrycho
Over the course of the twentieth century, the evangelical church has been of two minds about thinking. On the one hand, many in evangelical circles (especially in the South) have embraced an anti-intellectual approach that substitutes experience for education and rejects the role of formal theology
On the other hand, some church traditions, especially mainline denominations and those that have maintained Reformed convictions, have overemphasized the power of intellect and reason, sliding slowly into a faith without expression. With the resurgence of Reformed theology over the last five or ten years, there has been an uptake in these circles to the point where the intellectualism so feared by the rest of evangelicalism has in fact appeared in many churches.
People espousing each view have been guilty of pride, often accusing the other of missing the depths of God’s truths. Both camps have legitimate critiques of each other’s positions.
John Piper steps into this turmoil with Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God. The short volume (224 pages in the paperback edition) is an exploration of the necessity of thinking for the glory of God. Piper argues that thinking is not optional for the Christian life: Scripture demands that we worship God with our minds.
How do we worship God with our minds?
Piper’s thesis is simple but revolutionary:
But thinking under the mighty hand of God, thinking soaked in prayer, thinking carried by the Holy Spirit, thinking tethered to the Bible, thinking in pursuit of more reasons to praise and proclaim the glories of God, thinking in the service of love—such thinking is indispensable in a life of fullest praise to God.
Piper first explains his own history and then begins by tackling the poles toward which evangelicals have historically tended. To the anti-intellectuals, he offers a bracing dose of Scriptural challenges. As he puts it,
The apex of glorifying God is enjoying him with the heart. But this is an empty emotionalism where that joy is not awakened and sustained by true views of God for who he really is. That is mainly what the mind is for.
He explains this in detail and traces out some of its ramifications, noting that God has chosen to reveal himself in a book. Reading requires thinking—we can’t get off without engaging our minds, and doing so deeply. Not everyone should be a robust philosopher, but all of us should use our minds to know God as he really is.
Anticipating the objections some will raise, Piper takes on the passages in the New Testament that other use to suggest that knowledge is dangerous or bad—and he takes these passages head on. Whereas some have taken Jesus’ call to a childlike faith to mean that we should have an unintellectual approach to Christianity, Piper argues the real problem is prideful hearts. Do we come before God in humility, trusting him to reveal his truth to us, or do we come before him confident in our own strength in one way or another?
Piper likewise tackles the falsehoods offered by relativistic claims that there is no true knowledge, noting, “Jesus knew this sort of evasive use of the mind. He did not like it”. Venturing through the example provided by Pharisaical self-deception, he demonstrates the dangers of minds put to work apart from the love of God.
Having thoroughly critiqued both intellectualism and anti-intellectualism, Piper concludes, “The remedy for barren intellectualism is not anti-intellectualism, but humble, faithful, prayerful, Spirit-dependent, rigorous thinking”. Similarly, he reminds us that “pride is no respecter of persons—the serious thinkers may be humble. And the careless mystics may be arrogant”.
What to do?
Piper’s turn toward practicality drives these truths home, applying them to everyone, the academic and the plumber alike. All of us are called to think about God, to know him better, to feed the fuel of our desire for God with true knowledge of him. The particulars will look different, but the command remains the same: each of us must love the Lord our God with all of his mind (Matthew 22:37).
This book is a treasure. It should be read and savored and taken to heart.
My only concern is that few people will finish this book who do not already value thinking. Although Piper has written an accessible book, it remains a book for those who are not intimidated by lengthy quotes from other authors, rigorous examination of Scriptural texts, and relatively high language. These things will endear the book to readers like me—I couldn’t stop reading—but for those who are opposed to intellectual engagement, the book’s very approach may be a barrier to their hearing its message.
My hope is that such people will hear this much-needed message anyway, that their pastors will be challenged by the book and will stir up their own congregations to begin truly worshiping God with their minds as well as their hearts and souls. It is not a long or difficult read, and if you’re a pastor who harbors suspicions about the value of serious intellectual engagement in the church, you need to read this book.
Similarly, the intellectuals among us should read this book. Those who struggle with pride and confidence in knowledge desperately need this reminder that our knowledge only matters if it is aimed at knowing, loving, and honoring God.
Even those who already love thinking humbly will find much to be challenged by here. All of us need our thinking about thinking sharpened, and Piper paves the way for us to truly think for the glory of Christ.
Show More
and rigorous thought. This is the mood that has characterized most evangelical churches over the last several decades.On the other hand, some church traditions, especially mainline denominations and those that have maintained Reformed convictions, have overemphasized the power of intellect and reason, sliding slowly into a faith without expression. With the resurgence of Reformed theology over the last five or ten years, there has been an uptake in these circles to the point where the intellectualism so feared by the rest of evangelicalism has in fact appeared in many churches.
People espousing each view have been guilty of pride, often accusing the other of missing the depths of God’s truths. Both camps have legitimate critiques of each other’s positions.
John Piper steps into this turmoil with Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God. The short volume (224 pages in the paperback edition) is an exploration of the necessity of thinking for the glory of God. Piper argues that thinking is not optional for the Christian life: Scripture demands that we worship God with our minds.
How do we worship God with our minds?
Piper’s thesis is simple but revolutionary:
But thinking under the mighty hand of God, thinking soaked in prayer, thinking carried by the Holy Spirit, thinking tethered to the Bible, thinking in pursuit of more reasons to praise and proclaim the glories of God, thinking in the service of love—such thinking is indispensable in a life of fullest praise to God.
Piper first explains his own history and then begins by tackling the poles toward which evangelicals have historically tended. To the anti-intellectuals, he offers a bracing dose of Scriptural challenges. As he puts it,
The apex of glorifying God is enjoying him with the heart. But this is an empty emotionalism where that joy is not awakened and sustained by true views of God for who he really is. That is mainly what the mind is for.
He explains this in detail and traces out some of its ramifications, noting that God has chosen to reveal himself in a book. Reading requires thinking—we can’t get off without engaging our minds, and doing so deeply. Not everyone should be a robust philosopher, but all of us should use our minds to know God as he really is.
Anticipating the objections some will raise, Piper takes on the passages in the New Testament that other use to suggest that knowledge is dangerous or bad—and he takes these passages head on. Whereas some have taken Jesus’ call to a childlike faith to mean that we should have an unintellectual approach to Christianity, Piper argues the real problem is prideful hearts. Do we come before God in humility, trusting him to reveal his truth to us, or do we come before him confident in our own strength in one way or another?
Piper likewise tackles the falsehoods offered by relativistic claims that there is no true knowledge, noting, “Jesus knew this sort of evasive use of the mind. He did not like it”. Venturing through the example provided by Pharisaical self-deception, he demonstrates the dangers of minds put to work apart from the love of God.
Having thoroughly critiqued both intellectualism and anti-intellectualism, Piper concludes, “The remedy for barren intellectualism is not anti-intellectualism, but humble, faithful, prayerful, Spirit-dependent, rigorous thinking”. Similarly, he reminds us that “pride is no respecter of persons—the serious thinkers may be humble. And the careless mystics may be arrogant”.
What to do?
Piper’s turn toward practicality drives these truths home, applying them to everyone, the academic and the plumber alike. All of us are called to think about God, to know him better, to feed the fuel of our desire for God with true knowledge of him. The particulars will look different, but the command remains the same: each of us must love the Lord our God with all of his mind (Matthew 22:37).
This book is a treasure. It should be read and savored and taken to heart.
My only concern is that few people will finish this book who do not already value thinking. Although Piper has written an accessible book, it remains a book for those who are not intimidated by lengthy quotes from other authors, rigorous examination of Scriptural texts, and relatively high language. These things will endear the book to readers like me—I couldn’t stop reading—but for those who are opposed to intellectual engagement, the book’s very approach may be a barrier to their hearing its message.
My hope is that such people will hear this much-needed message anyway, that their pastors will be challenged by the book and will stir up their own congregations to begin truly worshiping God with their minds as well as their hearts and souls. It is not a long or difficult read, and if you’re a pastor who harbors suspicions about the value of serious intellectual engagement in the church, you need to read this book.
Similarly, the intellectuals among us should read this book. Those who struggle with pride and confidence in knowledge desperately need this reminder that our knowledge only matters if it is aimed at knowing, loving, and honoring God.
Even those who already love thinking humbly will find much to be challenged by here. All of us need our thinking about thinking sharpened, and Piper paves the way for us to truly think for the glory of Christ.
Show Less
LibraryThing member joshrskinner
enjoyed it. basic, simple, clear. good book.
LibraryThing member HGButchWalker
Nice response to the anti-intellectual sentiment that often permeates the church. Because the "intellectual-elite" has forsaken God many have come to believe that intellect is a problem. Piper neatly dispells that notion.
LibraryThing member david__clifford
A must read.