i am happy | Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith

A true classic... | Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith | Richard J. Foster

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	• Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith Richard J. Foster HarperOne, 2001 - 448 pages average customer review:based on 21 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A REAL EYE OPENER FOR ONE TYPE OF CHRISTIANITY

This book vividly shows us how we cling so tightly to our 'right way to worship' that we miss out on the greatest revelations!! We think in terms of "one way of worship" as the truth.....Foster explains how the most balanced people use all the 6 traditions of Christian faith. I didn't realize how narrowly focused I was until this book presented itself to me. You will come away with, not only a tolerance for all denominations of Christianity, but a recognition of NEED for all that each offers in worship of God.

i am happy

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from south korea daniel yang

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A true classic...

This is truly one of the best books that I've ever read. Having deeply appreciated Foster's "Celebration of Discipline," I had high hopes for this one, but they were met and exceeded.

In "Streams of Living Water," Richard Foster breaks down the entire history of the church into six traditions of spirituality, which he calls streams. He begins the book by describing how Jesus Christ demonstrated all six streams without blemish. Within his descriptions of each stream, he tells fascinating stories to gives examples of each tradition as represented by a historical figure, a biblical figure, and a contemporary figure. The six traditions are the contemplative, prayer-filled tradition (exemplified by Antony, John, and Frank Laubach), the holiness, virtuous tradition (exemplified by Phoebe Palmer, James, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer), the charismatic, spirit-empowered tradition (exemplified by Francis of Assisi, Paul, and William Seymour), the social justice, compassionate tradition (exemplified by John Woolman, Amos, and Dorothy Day), the evangelical, Word-centered tradition (exemplified by Augustine, Peter, and Billy Graham), and the incarnational, sacramental tradition (exemplified by Susanna Wesley, Bezalel, and Dag Hammarskjold). The book concludes with two significant appendices, explaining "critical turning points in church history" and defining "notable figures and significant movements in church history."

The strengths of the book are many. For those unfamiliar with church history, Foster will introduce the reader to some interesting individuals. It was striking to realize how unfamiliar I was with several of the individuals outside my primary faith tradition. His writing style is both intelligent and accessible, to the point that I was simultaneously challenged by and engaged in the text. The breadth of information and history is tremendous, yet it never feels overwhelming or encyclopedic. And the appendices alone are worth the price of the book, serving as excellent primers on the basics of church history.

My primary critique is relatively minor, but I felt that the ending was abrupt. I would have appreciated if Foster had spent an extra chapter providing some better closure and bringing together these rather disparate traditions.

Overall, this book is tremendous. It helped to free me of the Pharisitic superiority complex that I often feel toward my own faith tradition. Foster does a masterful job of demonstrating that all six streams are legitimate, life-giving expressions of the church, as shown by the model of Christ. We would be well served to honor Him by embracing our own stream or streams, opening ourselves to experiencing Him within a new stream, and appreciating the streams that may be beyond our own experience. In any case, I am confident that anyone will be blessed to read this wonderful book.

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Streams of Living Water

This book provides a great review of the diversity of the Christian Spirit that prevails in todays world. The details of the people that lived their spirit in their every day life is enlightening. The historical view of the origin of each stream is very interesting and written in a way that makes Richard Foster's prose very exciting.

A Little Too Much of the Good Stuff

Some people like to hear themselves talk, some people like to read what they write...and read and read and read....Richard J. Foster is one of those people.

He takes what could have been a great, great book and diminishes its power and impact by words, words and more words. He leaves "no stone" unturned, and therein lies the problem. He book is good, very good, but its too long and too wordy.

It's as if he intended it to be the be-all and end-all of religious thought. His organization is excellent, his insight keen, effective and meaningful, but by the time you get to the end of the chapter, you are worn out with the words, words, words and words. Mr. Foster either needed an editor or needs to learn to write more concisely.

Still, however, this book is well worth reading for the serious Christian and for interested in understanding and/or coming to terms with the many and varied manifestations of the Christian Faith.

What should have been a delightful and meaningful read of an outstanding piece of work, turns out to feel like work, work and more work. Should have been a five-star or higher book, but excessive writing brings it down to a four-star work. Still very, very valuable to the faith and understanding of the faith.

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The author of the bestselling celebration of discipline explores the great traditions of christian spirituality and their role in spiritual renewal today

In this landmark work, Foster examines the "streams of living water" -- the six dimensions of faith and practice that define Christian tradition. He lifts up the enduring character of each tradition and shows how a variety of practices, from individual study and retreat to disciplines of service and community, are all essential elements of growth and maturity. Foster examines the unique contributions of each of these traditions and offers as examples the inspiring stories of faithful people whose lives defined each of these "streams."

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