The constraints of the spiritual life, practiced in community, are what set us free. Practicing spiritual disciplines can seem difficult, especially when we undertake them as isolated individuals. But we were never meant to practice them alone.
Jared Patrick Boyd reveals how the constraints practiced in Christian community shape us into the way of Christ. He re-anchors the practices of constraint within the ascetic tradition of monasticism, religious orders, and the early church fathers. Boyd writes, "The constraints of a rule of life are what make life together, lived for one another, possible. A rule of life is not meant to be primarily personal, but communal. It's not primarily meant to guide my life. It is meant to describe our way of life together." Constraint is the practice of learning to pay deeper attention to the things in our inner world that prevent us from progressing in the school of love.
Discover a deep conversation on freedom and constraint with six core practices of constraint that can form in us a greater freedom to be and become people who love as God loves. Enter into this vision with your local community (in small groups, church leadership teams, or families), and learn to make greater room to experience the love of God.
"In a world of excess and distraction, constant demands for our attention, and moral confusion, Jared's book is an invaluable resource for the church, not only for those who have a natural leaning toward simplicity and introspection but especiallyfor those who do not. Finding Freedom in Constraint is accessible, conversational, and funny. It is filled with wisdom and guidance for incorporating these ancient, life-giving practices into our hearts and our intentionally developed communities. Jared doesn't shy away from engaging the difficult topics in our culture but instead holds them with a gentle, thoughtful, and humble hand that we are wise to emulate."
Jay Pathak, national director of Vineyard USA
"Christianity proposes not so much a set of beliefs as a way of life, a bid for the total transformation and fulfillment of human existence. Jared Boyd, a wise and experienced pastor, unpacks this proposal with insight, fervor, and a gracious sensitivity to contemporary questions and concerns. This book will be for many a welcome challenge and summons to a holistic encounter with God in Christ."
Wesley Hill, associate professor of New Testament at Western Theological Seminary
"Boyd's vocation to bridge Christian traditions shines through the pages of this book. He is a Vineyard pastor who loves Ignatius of Loyola, John Cassian, and Saint Benedict. He is a charismatic who cherishes the contemplative tradition of the church. Somehow in his insightful telling, these diverse streams of the Christian faith fit together harmoniously. This book does a great service to the church by showing charismatics and Pentecostals how the constraint that characterizes monastic practice offers joy, flourishing, and faithfulness."
Tish Harrison Warren, Anglican priest and author of Liturgy of the Ordinary and Prayer in
