The Christian faith is about much more than belief and practices - it's also about the kind of people that we become. Yet some of the biggest barriers to our transformation come from our own toxic narratives about ourselves, narratives that shape the way we see ourselves and the way we interact with the world. We are made with a deep longing in our souls to be wanted, loved, alive and connected to God. Healing our souls requires more than knowing what God thinks about us. Our healing comes not through reason alone, but through revelation.

'The best practice I have seen in Christian spiritual formation' was Dallas Willard's endorsement of the Good and Beautiful series a decade ago. Now this fourth book in the series, The Good and Beautiful You, addresses the self-narratives that hinder spiritual growth and the desires of the soul that only God can satisfy. James Bryan Smith reminds us how Scripture reveals the beauty and goodness of our own souls and how we long for healing that only God can provide.

Complete with spiritual practices that help us live into that reality, The Good and Beautiful You will serve as a welcome companion on your journey to discover who you truly are in Christ.

About the Author
James Bryan Smith is the author of The Good and Beautiful God, The Good and Beautiful Life and The Good and Beautiful Community as well as Hidden in Christ. He is a theology professor at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, where he also serves as the executive director of the Apprentice Institute for Christian Spiritual Formation. A founding member of Richard J. Foster's spiritual renewal ministry, Renovare, Smith is an ordained United Methodist Church minister, and has served in various capacities in local churches.

Reviews
This is truly the most unique and best practice in spiritual formation out there! This along with the other future titles in this Apprentice Series will form a formidable 'curriculum of Christ-likeness.' Loving, transformative and deep! * Christian Marketplace *
More than most realize, the bottom level of discussions about many of the currents in our life is, Who are we? That is, anthropology. Jim Smith fulfills one of Dallas Willard's major hopes for the spiritual formation movement in this book?a Christian and biblical framing of who we are as persons, as souls. The danger of all such studies is self-idolatry, and that is why I so heartily recommend this book. Here we are called to understand ourselves as God created us and understands us and envelops us in Christ, that is, in his love and grace and transforming power. -- Scot McKnight, professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary
Six words come to mind whenever I think about my friend Jim: holy authenticity and intimacy with God. James Bryan Smith knows what it means to walk with God without pretense and with holy expectancy. He knows Jesus as his Redeemer, Healer, Defender, and Deliverer. Jim knows God; he knows his love. That's why he's just the person to write The Good and Beautiful You. Though we were born into sin, as Christ-followers we've been redeemed, through and through, by his grace. If you still struggle with a sense of identity and purpose, settle in and take your time working through these pages. I believe you'll encounter God, you'll hear his voice, and you'll learn afresh how much he loves you. Even today I pray that you hear the love song he sings over you, for it is life-giving and beautiful, just as Christ is in you. -- Susie Larson, author of Prevail
Writing in the venerable tradition of Dallas Willard and Richard Foster, James Bryan Smith has given us a valuable guide to caring for our souls in The Good and Beautiful You. Convinced that Christ is the way to the wellness of the soul, Smith points us to paths where we can find healing for our damaged souls. This book will help many people! * Brian Zahnd, author of When Everything's on Fire *
More than most realize, the bottom level of discussions about many of the currents in our life is, Who are we? That is, anthropology. Jim Smith fulfills one of Dallas Willard's major hopes for the spiritual formation movement in this book - a Christian and biblical framing of who we are as persons, as souls. The danger of all such studies is self-idolatry, and that is why I so heartily recommend this book. Here we are called to understand ourselves as God created us and understands us and envelops us in Christ, that is, in his love and grace and transforming power. * Scot McKnight, professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary *
The Good and Beautiful You is a heart-piercing and mind-nurturing journey into redeemed personhood. It is learned and light-spirited and challenging. Jim's ability to expose false beliefs, unpack soul-shaping truth, and craft experiences that bring truth and transformation is extraordinary. Divinely inspired wisdom for those he calls 'divinely formed mysteries.' * John Ortberg, author of Soul Keeping and Eternity Is Now in Session *



Book Information
ISBN 9781399802918
Author James Bryan Smith
Format Hardback
Page Count 272
Imprint John Murray Publishers Ltd
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Weight(grams) 380g
Dimensions(mm) 220mm * 140mm * 30mm