Spiritual Classics

The case for reading deeply, not widely, and an introduction to A Testament of Devotion

While preparing to enter the vocation of public ministry, a mentor I admired, Elton Trueblood, gave me game-changing counsel: “read deeply, not widely.” He pointed to a two-foot shelf filled with books on his credenza behind his desk. Over a lifetime of reading, he had gathered twenty-five to thirty books that deserved, he said, “to be read every year.” All the books were old, many frayed from years of handling. By the way he spoke of them, caressing their covers as he spoke so admiringly, it was clear these books were old friends.

I never forgot that moment. I have been reminded of it many times. I recalled the moment when I came across a similar statement by C. S. Lewis, and I smiled to myself as Trueblood was often referred to as “the C. S. Lewis of the United States.” Here is what Lewis said about the old, spiritual classics: it is important to have “a standard of plain, central Christianity” — something that would become, for Lewis, “Mere Christianity.” Lewis then added:

Such a standard can only be acquired from old books. A new book is still on trial. It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one until you have read an old book in between.¹

It has been a rule I have followed that has served me well. I have my own two-foot bookshelf filled with books I attempt to read every year. The exercise of selecting the books that deserve inclusion means excluding some books that are truly valuable, but for me, not deserving of the same degree of attention. On my shelf is A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly. Published in 1941, it is one of the rare twentieth-century books regarded as a spiritual classic. Most are much older. Over the next few articles and podcasts, I’m going to take you on a journey into this little treasure that has impacted so many so deeply.

WHAT IS A SPIRITUAL CLASSIC

Sometimes called devotional classics, spiritual classics are a collection of writings within Christian theology and spirituality that have been regarded as possessing the rare potential of transforming the soul. To put it more bluntly, read a spiritual classic and you will begin to experience your life being reformed.

Given this, one does not set out to write a spiritual classic. Instead, readers over the centuries assign that title to a few, rare books. Here are a few characteristics you find in nearly every spiritual classic:

1. They are vintage. C. S. Lewis said this above, and it is worth pointing out again. They are almost all old. Some centuries old. You might find yourself thinking, after reading a few, that the only author worth reading is a dead author!

2. They are not trendy. Because they are old, writers have been spared the temptation to address current issues in ways that aim to attract readers and gain followers. The issues that vex us today are lost, fortunately, on the men and women who thought there was nothing more important than pointing out the way to a deeper, more transformative life with God.

3. They transcend cultural and denominational barriers. As you make your way through the classics of the soul, you’ll read a fifth century north African theologian’s spiritual autobiography in Confessions. You’ll go trekking with a Russian pilgrim in The Way of a Pilgrim. You’ll enter into a monastery in 17th-century France and be unable to put down The Practice of the Presence of God. Staying in France, you’ll explore the experience of union with Christ through the writings of a 17th-century French mystic, Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ. Crossing the Atlantic, you’ll discover an 18th-century American merchant and tailor in The Journal of John Woolman whose deep encounter with God led him to pour his soul and life into abolishing slavery decades before the American revolution.

4. They create hunger for deeper communion with Living God. Other books are interesting, helpful, insightful. These books expose the paucity of your union with Christ and make you hunger for something deeper, something more transformative.

5. They are spiritual travelogues, written by women and men who have traveled far before us on the way to a deeper life with God. These pilgrims have left waymarkers in these classics. They’ll help you find the trailhead. They’ll tell you what equipment you need to navigate this spiritual journey. They’ll tell you what to expect around each corner and where the good vistas are found. These authors, pilgrims everyone, will become trusted guides and companions for the inner way.

6. They are not scripture, but they help make real the spiritual experience so brilliantly revealed in scripture. Let’s be very clear about this: they are not inspired like scripture. The authors are not writing scripture. Bible is a singular source for revelation of God. These books are never replacements for scripture. But they deserve to be read, and I can say without any reservation that your experience of God will be much smaller and lacking deeper influence than necessary if you do not read these reports of encounter with God on the journey to a deeper life with God.

HOW TO READ A SPIRITUAL CLASSIC

1. Slowly. The goal is not to get to the end. The goal is to savor what is read. Keep a journal and a pen nearby as you read. Words, phrases, and ideas will begin to “pop” as you read, even if you have read this old friend many times before. Be sure to write down what you receive.

2. Prayerfully. Expect a revelation. God will likely reveal something on nearly every page. What is read will be for your heart. A short prayer as you read, such as, “Open my eyes and heart that I might see,” will increase attentiveness and help what is read sink from brain to heart.

3. Briefly. Some books you can read from cover-to-cover in one sitting. You can’t put it down. Do not try to read the spiritual classics in this manner. Plan for brief periods of reading. A quarter of an hour sounds about right. Your attentiveness is necessary. Any more than a quarter of an hour of reading likely cause you to lapse back into ordinary reading where you are simply reading words and turning pages. Set a timer; be present while you read; thank God for what as been given; return later for more. In this way, your soul and mind will be fortified.

4. Soulfully. These writings make no attempt to give you a three-step template to a better life. While there are richly theological, they do not pretend to be theological texts that parse the nature and characteristics of God. That kind of writing is useful. These writings take you, instead, into the depths of God’s heart and your heart. God will be exposed. You will be exposed. The exposure, sometimes joyful and sometimes painful, will be transformative.

A TESTAMENT OF DEVOTION, BY THOMAS KELLY

I first encountered Thomas Kelly’s A Testament of Devotion in a senior class during college that required reading five spiritual classics. Kelly’s little book was one of them. Several things were important about this discovery:

1. I was raw, all of 21-years-old. I did not yet know the term “spiritual formation”— the movement was just emerging. I also had not, to my knowledge, read a spiritual classic up to taking that course. I read—a lot. But my background and traditions had not exposed me to this collection of writings. This class was like taking me on an exploration of a newly discovered island. It was mesmerizing.

2. My initial exposure A Testament of Devotion was “back in the day.” That is a useful way of not revealing exactly my age while saying it was—clearing my throat—quite a few years ago! I went to all that trouble to let you know this little book has been a companion of mine for my entire adult life that spans several decades.

3. I am not sure I remember the four other books I read that semester. But this book resonated deeply, intrigued me even if I was unable to grasp much of its depth. It became, almost overnight, a deep and trusted friend. It is now the answer to a trivia question for me: If you were deserted on an island and could only have one book to read (besides the Bible), what would that book be? Answer: A Testament of Devotion. Hands down. Not even close. A few years ago, when trekking a five-hundred mile spiritual pilgrimage in Europe, A Testament of Devotion was the only book I took with me. When hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains of NorCal, this book goes with me. I can read a few paragraphs for 10-15 minutes, and have bread for my soul for hours as I hike. It has been traveled miles with me, had coffee spilled on it, been misplaced but always recovered. What I am trying to say is that it has been my most trusted guide for the interior journey that is taking me step-by-step into a deeper life with God. What I am not trying to say is that A Testament of Devotion has to be your single-most trusted spiritual guide and mentor. You and I are not the same person with the same experiences. Other books will ring the bell for you. When that happens, thank God for the discovery and begin soaking up over and over the words and images that will form your soul and change your life as I have thanked God for Thomas Kelly and A Testament of Devotion.

4. There are two reasons I think A Testament of Devotion became a treasured friend:

   • Vocabulary. Before reading A Testament of Devotion, I had a very limited and small vocabulary for describing the movement of God in the human soul. My vocabulary was limited mainly to the language of conversion and salvation, both incredibly important stages in biblical, Christian spirituality. But those are early stages in the spiritual journey. I had little vocabulary for what came after conversion and salvation. I did not know the capacity of the soul for real and intimate communion with God, not just in the life after death, but now as God begins to dwell in the human soul. All of this I discovered in A Testament of Devotion. A Testament of Devotion was lighting up my soul and imagination and mind with megawatts of spiritual light. (At the Super Bowl, energy geeks estimate it will take about ten megawatts to light up the stadium, with one megawatt being 1,000,000 watts.) This book was, and remains, dazzling. I learned about the Sanctuary of the soul. I learned that a “concern” in the spiritual world, was not a worry, but a calling. I learned of an inward terrain that beckoned me inward. I learned something that seemed small at the time, but has become more and more important: how to capitalize words in the spiritual kingdom. For instance, as you read these articles, you will see that I never write about “the presence of God.” Instead, I refer to “The Presence of God.” Often, much progress is made in the seemingly small things, and this was, for me, an important discovery. Over the next few articles—and podcasts—I’ll unpack some of the spiritual treasures I discovered.

   • Thomas Kelly’s life story. Context matters; all the time. In Kelly’s story, I found a soul mate. The more I read, the more I understood his yearnings and desires and discoveries, because they were yearnings and desires embedded deep in me. His discoveries were discoveries I wanted to experience. The fact that he could talk so simply and plainly about yearnings and discoveries gave me words to understand better my own journey and experiences. As I take you on a journey into A Testament of Devotion, I’ll begin with a biographical sketch of Kelly’s life and journey.

It is not necessary to purchase a copy of A Testament of Devotion. You are not required to love this spiritual classic to get something from these upcoming articles and podcasts. However, if you do want to get a copy of this little treasure, click on this link:

In this coming week, this spiritual formation newsletter will continue to take you deeper into the spirituality of gratitude. You’ll meet some new writers who will expand and deepen your understanding of how gratitude can possibly help you find a deeper life with God. The next post is just days away.