The Deeply Formed Life: Five Transformative Values to Root Us in the Way of Jesus

Hunter Wolfram

Rating: really liked it
This book had some good aspects and aspects that frustrated me very much.

I will begin with the good.
- Rich is very passionate about what he is saying in this book and truly does believe it. I especially appreciated when he used personal stories with his wife and kids as that gave the impression that he lives this out or, as he admits, tries to to the best of his ability.
- The discussions I had around this book have been very helpful and fruitful for me
- Some sections were quite insightful. I especially thought the contemplative rhythms and the interior examination sections were the most helpful and my wife and I actually implemented technology boundaries following our discussion of the content in the first chapter. Without spoilers, I think that this chapter offers great thoughts and was a good launching point for the rest of the book

Now the not so good
- It is clear that this book is made to be easily quotable, because lines that are most likely to be quoted are sectioned off in between paragraphs many times per chapter. This annoyed me greatly and took some practice to read around. It is more of a publishing decision, but still annoying.
- The most frustrating thing is the lack of clarity with some of the lines. On a number of occasions, he mentioned something that doesn't make sense or I wished he would explain more and just moved on. Some lines just lack clarity, even though they can make big, definitive statements. (Sometimes conversations afterward helped me understand these lines better, but not always)
- I noticed that some of Rich's influences were New Age false teachers, such as Richard Rohr (who coauthored a book that was quoted) and Brian Zahnd, who endorsed Rich's book. This plays itself out most, imo, in a serious lack of talking about sin and how God redeems us from His judgment through the Cross. In some places there is actually an intentional downplaying of the soteriological effect of the cross.

These are just my thoughts. Overall there was a lot of helpful stuff. The unhelpful stuff was glaring when I went through it, however, which is why I am rating the book a 3/5

Jackson Ford

Rating: really liked it
One of the best books on spiritual formation I’ve ever read. Gonna be a classic up there with Bonhoeffer, Eugene Peterson for me. If you got done reading Scazzero’s Emotionally healthy Spirituality/Discipleship and were like ‘that was good/helpful, but not as deep as I’d like” then this is the book for you. Definitely appreciated Villodas’s approach to tough topics like racial reconciliation and sexuality. So good to think about these things within an embodied spiritual framework. There’s such a significant difference between ‘spiritualizing’ something and ‘embodied/habitual spirituality’.

Gavin Restifo

Rating: really liked it
A Must-Read for Modern Disciples

This book has its finger on the pulse of our culture. Villodas gives practical Biblical advice on how to live in this cultural moment in such a way that both is formative in our relationships with the Lord but grows a deep well of intimacy with the Lord to position us to love those around us well. This book is like sitting down for a series of discipleship meetings with someone who knows and loves Jesus, but also deeply cares for your own spiritual formation. The practices and the end of each movement of the book are worth their weight in gold and for a church culture that is devoid of liturgies gives a rhythm for how to engage with God in ways that train the natural bend of our souls to be back towards Jesus. I think that this book is a must-read in all seasons of life but especially for young adults entering the marketplace or ministry after graduation.

Rachel | All the RAD Reads

Rating: really liked it
i think it was @hayley.e.morgan who posted about this one and put it on my radar, but it took me a bit to get to it! villodas built on principles i’ve learned from folks like john mark comer and aaron niequist, adding new layers for me when it comes to how to live a life that is rooted in things of Christ. it’s meaningful and helpful without being trite or patronizing, it felt fresh and relevant without trying too hard, and i especially loved his thoughts on pursuing diversity in churches, fighting for justice, and keeping the Sabbath.

Dustymattfrantz

Rating: really liked it
While the book goes over good topics and has a few good things here and there, the book overall wasn’t all that good. For one it lacks clarity a lot of the time. Also there seemed to be a lack of Scriptural interpretation and application of the topics. In addition, the author seems to hold to some soft CRT/I which is concerning, along with quoting from a book co-authored by Richard Rohr, a very false teacher. Not really a book that I’d recommend or refer to

Melinda Currie

Rating: really liked it
3.5 stars. Some good stuff in here.
He has a script for processing messy emotions that I think will be a game changer for me:
1. What happened?
2. What am I feeling?
3. What is the story I’m telling myself?
4. What does the gospel say?
5. What counter-instinctual action is needed?

Josh

Rating: really liked it
3.5 stars. Honestly, for the genre and tradition in which this book is written, it's well-done and practical. Villodas has a great depth of insight, breadth of knowledge, and many examples of spiritual disciplines and practices to help foster a well-rounded spiritual life. I think many of his suggestions in this book would certainly help many folks to be more "deeply formed" as he puts it.

However, it is still very much in the evangelical, self-help-y, tradition of prescriptive spiritual manuals (though on the better end of that spectrum). There are frequent reminders that Villodas's thriving church is the example to follow, which is a hallmark of this type of work. The materials are cursory rather than in-depth. It suffers from being wide rather than deep, and some topics are just a bit too shallow to do justice to the topic being examined (i.e. contemplative spirituality, justice, mission). It tries to be everything for everyone, and unfortunately suffers for it.

I also found some of the sections a bit "click bait" sounding (I know, it's a book...but still). For example, one of the five areas of a deeply formed life was "sexual wholeness," but REALLY it's a section on community and embodied spirituality. Or the section on "racial justice" was really about reconciliation (racial and otherwise) as a broader reality of human flourishing. I don't know why the decision was made to look at big topics but claim that the root is a smaller manifestation of that topic, but it at least felt like it was because those things are attention-grabbing in our culture today. A minor complaint, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Traci Rhoades

Rating: really liked it
A good storyteller. Full of ideas to put into practice. I appreciate the thought of him taking a congregation through these ideas. We need more of this in community.

Abram Martin

Rating: really liked it
This book was great. And I'll definitely be rereading it as a devotional.
Here is an excerpt.
"As I think about the future of Christianity in our world, I'm convinced that followers of Jesus have a great opportunity before us. The way of the world continues to swallow people in its pace, hostility, distractions, and shallowness.
Having the right answers to the questions of faith is helpful but will not do much to form people in the way of Jesus. We need more than answers found in arguments. We need answers found in very lives. We need to locate integrative answers to the fundamental questions that reside not only in the head but in the entire person.
When we take seriously the task to follow Jesus and reflect his transforming power in all aspects of life, we will be at a place where the claims of the gospel take root in deeper ways. To this end, may we work in the power of God's Spirit to see Christ formed in our lives, our churches, our world. "

Jacolyn

Rating: really liked it
In his book, Pastor Rich outlines the need for a deeply formed life in Christ, a life that is rooted not just deeply but broadly, sinking roots firmly into the life of Jesus while also intertwining them with community. He explores five values that will pull our roots down into the life of Christ and will allow our lives to blossom into fruit for the life of the world. Though gentle in tone and punctuated with timely humor, it does not compromise its message, nor does it neglect to detail formational practices that can be immediately applied towards that mission. I found it refreshed my heart while it refocused me, and I am excited to continue onward in the journey of spiritual formation in Christ as well as to share it with others in the church that my husband and I pastor here in New York.

Alicia

Rating: really liked it
Rich Villodas invites the reader on a journey of introspection and unlearning. The things that were most gratifying were conversations about difficult subjects like sex and love; anger; emotional intelligence; racial dilemmas in a multiracial America. How does one get a deeply formed life? Pause/be willing to take inventory about your you. It is not a legalistic nor liberal argument but instead a meditation to get the reader to move past surface experiences and expectations and just find a deeper sense of their journey in Christianity sans the browbeating often disguised as "honest" help. It read like the wise friend, mentor or stranger you heard speak and decided you'd like to hear more because of their non pushy welcome. Highly recommended. Villodas is a pastor of a church in Queens, NY.

Robin

Rating: really liked it
This is a timely book with a clarion call back to discipleship in such confusing times. We can easily be pulled in many directions without stopping to pause and consider what is happening in our bodies, our hearts, and soul. I like the way the book is divided. One chapter highlights a particular rhythm or topic of discipleship and then the following chapter provides "best practices" for each. This allows us to think of ways to apply it in our lives. This was helpful. The book does attempt to cover really big topics like racism and sexuality and perhaps it might be all too much and a bit scattered at times.

Matt

Rating: really liked it
Thoughtful and practically helpful book on spiritual formation. Towards the end of the book, the author discusses the extremes of focusing only on being or focusing only on doing. We must hold them in dynamic tension and live a life where “doing flows from being.” I think that idea encapsulates this book and it has helped me evaluate this tension in my own life. May we submit to the Spirit as He forms Christ in us that we might live like Him on His mission in this world.

Bobby

Rating: really liked it
This book redirects the Christian life toward right practice, rather than merely right belief. If you are wondering what it means to live your faith in every part of your 21st century life, this book is an excellent start.

Graydon Jones

Rating: really liked it
This book is a fantastic introduction to living a Christian life with depth, integration, and intentionality!