Practicing the Monastic Disciplines: Finding Deep Spirituality in a Shallow World

In Practicing the Monastic Disciplines, authors Sam Hamstra Jr. and Samuel Cocar recover the wisdom of the Christian desert and make it more available and accessible to modern Christians, especially those in the evangelical circle they inhabit. Believing that moderns like themselves often flail in their Christian lives, the authors discover in the desert Christians of late antiquity a clear map for growing in Christlikeness, as well as an effective set of tools (or weapons) for combating temptation. This set of insights sees its completion in the spiritual theology of Evagrius Ponticus, a monastic theologian who expertly assessed the maladies and corresponding remedies of Christian discipleship. Evagrius and his comrades offer modern Christians a coherent framework for spiritual formation and growth, one which treats seriously both the frailties of human nature and the potential for sanctification. This strand of patristic spirituality guides us toward glorifying God through both training our bodies and ordering our interior lives.

Sam Hamstra Jr. is an Affiliate Professor of Worship and Church History at Northern Seminary (Lombard, Illinois), as well as founder and leader of ChapterNext, a Chicagoland-based pastor search firm and church consultancy dedicated to helping congregations open new chapters of dynamic and life-transforming ministry. A veteran pastor, worship leader, and musician, he is also author of Principled Worship (2006).

Samuel Cocar is a pastor and educator. He is the co-author of Practicing the Monastic Disciplines with Sam Hamstra Jr. He lives in southern Wisconsin with his spouse Valerie and two daughters.