Mining the Christian Past to Build Confident, Competent Disciples
Welcome to GaryNealHansen.com – the place to explore the best of Christian theology, spirituality, and community.
When I was a kid, I absorbed a few Christian basics without ever really thinking about them: Things like God as a Trinity, and Christ as fully human and fully God.
It was only when I got to seminary that I learned how the Church struggled over these issues for centuries.
And it was only as I learned the stories of those struggles that I realized how these “abstract” issues mattered for healthy faith and spiritual growth — for salvation itself.
My first book, Kneeling with Giants shows how diving deep into the ways Christians of the past approached God in prayer can give today’s Christ-followers new resources for growing closer to God.
When that book was named “Devotional Book of the Year” in the UK, I knew the point was getting across.
Know your past. Claim the riches you didn’t know were yours.
The more you know about your own family history, the wiser you can be about growing up and thriving.
Same goes for your knowledge of your Christian heritage. Follow the good examples. Avoid repeating past mistakes. Find some wisdom in a world of confusion.
I think of teaching as giving Christians access to their own hidden treasures:
- classic understandings of core biblical teachings interpreted for our world
- centuries-old spiritual practices that have changed the lives of millions
- movements whose community life has deepened discipleship and catalyzed mission
- role models and heroes for the disciple’s life
Whether in blog posts, books, classes, or conference speaking I want to go with you on the journey of discovery.
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I’d love to send you a copy of my most recent book Love Your Bible: Finding Your Way to the Presence of God with a 12th Century Monk. It’s a modern introduction to the classic of lectio divina, a way to prayerfully explore Scripture so that it becomes a pathway to new life in Christ.
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Headshot: Todd Adamson, Adamson Studios, Iowa City
