Recapturing the Wonder: Transcendent Faith in a Disenchanted World
- 15th Annual Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year - Inspirational
- Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Top Shelf Book Cover Award 2017
When we're young, it's easy to believe in the supernatural, the mysterious, the enchanted. But as we grow older, we learn to be more "rational" and more confident that reality is merely what we can see. Even as Christians who believe in the resurrection, we live as if miracles and magic have been drained from the world. As Mike Cosper wrestled with his own disillusionment, he found writers, thinkers, and artists like Hannah Arendt, Charles Taylor, James K. A. Smith, and David Foster Wallace whose words and ideas reassured him that he was not alone. And he discovered ancient and modern disciplines that shape a Christian way of life and awaken the possibility of living again in an enchanted world. Exquisitely written with thoughtful practices woven throughout, this book will feed your soul and help you recapture the wonder of your Christian walk.
Introduction
1. Discovering Our Disenchantment
Pathway One: Re-Enchanting Our World
2. Modern Displays and the God Who Ends Religion
Pathway Two: Experiencing Grace
3. Selfie Sticks, Spectacles, and Sepulchers
Pathway Three: Bringing Scripture to Life
4. Seeking a "Hidden Ground"
Pathway Four: Withdrawing With God
5. Abundance and Scarcity
Pathway Five: Practicing Abundance
6. Feasts of Attention
Pathway Six: Throwing a Feast
7. The Monastery and the Road
Pathway Seven: Writing a Rule of Life
Epilogue: One Final Wonder
Acknowledgments
Notes
"The word wonderful is a cliché these days, meaning simply 'very good.' This book, though, reclaims what it means to be wonder-full. Mike Cosper, one of the keenest gospel Christian analysts of culture alive today, shows us in this book why our world has become so disenchanted and charts us back to the joy of awe. This is an awe-full and wonder-full book, in the right meaning of both of those words."
"Do we need another book on classical disciplines of the Christian life? I have read many, but Recapturing the Wonder reads differently. It is a deeply spiritual, easily accessible, and creatively written book that encouraged my heart and exposed some disenchantment in the crevices of my own soul. I'll be handing this book out quite a bit. If you feel a little dry and disillusioned or need a refresher on God's invitation to know him more deeply through the practice of the disciplines, this book will serve you well."
"Recapturing the Wonder pulls you in from the first story of a tomcat catching a raccoon and keeps you reading until the final challenge to live the good life. You will love it. Mike Cosper has a way of expressing what we are all feeling and experiencing, and he makes sense of it all. He knows our deepest questions and innermost yearnings and creatively points to Jesus for all the answers."
"Am I ever simply where I am or is my mind constantly somewhere else? Am I able to sit in silence and enjoy the ambient noise or must I always be looking at my phone? These were some of the convicting questions I found myself asking as I read Mike Cosper's book Recapturing the Wonder. Reading his book caused my heart to long for more of Jesus, more rest in him, and more time with him, not to earn his favor but because of who he is. Find time to sit and read Cosper's rich and practical book. You'll be glad you did."
"The sieve of modern skepticism has drained some of the richest substance from belief; we and the world are all the poorer because of it. Recapturing the Wonder guides us toward a reenchanted Christian faith in a way that is compelling, convicting, and, well, enchanting. This is a book for our age."
"Disenchantment, cynicism, and skepticism are ubiquitous in our present time. We still long for wonder, but we seek it apart from the Wonderful One. In Recapturing the Wonder, Mike Cosper takes us by the hand, inviting us to relinquish our jadedness by receiving the wonder found in the gospel of Jesus Christ."
"Recapturing the Wonder is a winsome wake-up call, calling us back to ourselves and back to God. It's conversational and straightforward, full of heart and authenticity. Through simple spiritual practices freshly applied, Cosper invites us to practice the integration of grace against the disconnect of this modern life."
"Recapturing the Wonder gently invites those weary of monochromatic faith to step beyond the veil of cynicism and encounter a world full of vibrant diversity."
"Highly interactive with cultural memes, imaginative literature, and the liturgical calendar, the author paves a way for believers to reconnect with God in a consumerist society addicted to smartphones and exhibitionism. There is much wisdom here, and a clear sense of the author also at work to disentangle himself from the ephemeral to draw nearer to God."
"Cosper’s creative work will help readers struggling with a frenetic pace who want to reconnect with the quieter practices of faith."
Product Details
- Title : Recapturing the Wonder: Transcendent Faith in a Disenchanted World
- Author: Cosper, Mike
- Publisher: IVP Books
- Publication Date: 2017
- ISBN: 9780830890767
Mike Cosper is the founder of Harbor Media, where he produces podcasts for Christians in a post-Christian world. Prior to that, he served as the executive pastor for worship and arts at Sojourn Church in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the author of The Stories We Tell: How TV and Movies Long for and Echo the Truth and Rhythms of Grace: How the Church's Worship Tells the Story of the Gospel. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife, Sarah, and their two daughters.