A quick chat with John H. Coe (79, M.A. 83), director of the Institute for Spiritual Formation and professor of spiritual theology, and Kyle C. Strobel (M.A. 02, M.A. 05), associate professor of spiritual theology, co-editors of (IVP Academic, February 2019).

Q: How would you describe contemplation?

A: The term contemplation is what Paul calls us to in Colossians 3:2, to Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. It is our response to Pauls prayer in Ephesians 3:1619, that we come to know the love of Christ in our inner person that surpasses knowledge. Contemplation is setting ones heart on God, as the center of ones life, and seeking life the only place it is to be found in him. The contemplative orientation of Christian existence simply names the truth that God is with us in the Spirit, and that we are truly with God in Christ. It is merely a synonym for walking in the Spirit as Paul mentions in Galatians 5.

Q: Why are some Christians tentative about this spiritual practice?

A: The few Christians who are worried about contemplation tend to assume it is something it isnt, and they dont seem to know that evangelicals have always seen contemplation as a fundamental practice of the Christian faith. This is why throughout our book you find Jonathan Edwards, John Wesley, John Calvin, Richard Baxter and other Puritan men and women embracing contemplation. Many assume that contemplation is either pagan, or else a Roman Catholic practice, but that assumption isnt based on knowledge of the evangelical tradition.

Q: Why is contemplation important to a Christians spiritual growth?

A: To contemplate is simply to walk with, and be with, God in all I do. The core of the Christian life is contemplation, a life of openness to Gods work in the Spirit, binding us to the life of Christ, that forms our fundamental posture of presenting ourselves to God.