Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries
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- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Gerald L. Sittser
- ISBN：0830837450
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Summary
The history of the church has shaped what our faith and practice are like today。 It's tempting to think that the way we do things now is best， but history also has much to teach us about what we've forgotten。 In Water from a Deep Well， Gerald Sittser opens to us the rich history of spirituality， letting us gaze at the practices and stories of believers from the past who had the same thirst for God that we do today。 As we see their deep faith through his vibrant narratives， we may discover that old ways can bring new life to our own spirituality。
Market/Audience People interested in spiritual formation Students Church leaders History enthusiasts
Endorsements
"Instructive and informed， and 。 。 。 provides the kind of clarity and simplicity which only grows out of deep knowledge。" IAIN TORRANCE， president， Princeton Theological Seminary， and former moderator of the Church of Scotland
"Sittser writes not just as a scholar and a teacher， but also as a Christian who has long walked the narrow path， keeping company with God， and both his wisdom and his winsomeness mark every page。" LAUREN F。 WINNER， assistant professor， Duke Divinity School， and author of Girl Meets God
Features and Benefits Overviews Christian history through the lens of spirituality Bestselling author Includes excerpts from classic Christian works and authors Offers spiritual formation exercises Provides group discussion questions
Reviews
Mason Hill
，
So good。 A beautiful quick overview of church history in different periods。 Felt like a tiny step into a huge ocean of spirituality that I haven’t spent time in。 I can’t wait to dive into some of the recommended readings he offers
Rachel
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I really enjoyed this overview of the various stages of church history and the characteristics of each state - the positive and negative。 It was interesting to see the themes that were consistent out reinvented in different stages by a range of denominations， to counteract and counterbalance the spirit of the age。 It seems cyclical in some ways。 The martyrdom of the early Christians， the asceticism of the early desert fathers， the risk of the modern missionary。 The core issue of sacrifice， inter I really enjoyed this overview of the various stages of church history and the characteristics of each state - the positive and negative。 It was interesting to see the themes that were consistent out reinvented in different stages by a range of denominations， to counteract and counterbalance the spirit of the age。 It seems cyclical in some ways。 The martyrdom of the early Christians， the asceticism of the early desert fathers， the risk of the modern missionary。 The core issue of sacrifice， interpreted differently and sometimes unnecessarily imposed… or taken to the extreme。 Much food for thought as we consider spiritual formation in a postmodern world。 。。。more
David
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This book does a wonderful job at highlighting various eras of church/Christian history by giving us the core contribution the era made to Christian faith and mission。 Sittser is thorough and gracious。 Says enough and not too much for each era。 He also invites practice and engagement that each era calls us too。 This book will pull you away from an individualistic faith to a communal and historical one that will help you dig deeper roots for a stronger foundation。This was my “Monday” read in that This book does a wonderful job at highlighting various eras of church/Christian history by giving us the core contribution the era made to Christian faith and mission。 Sittser is thorough and gracious。 Says enough and not too much for each era。 He also invites practice and engagement that each era calls us too。 This book will pull you away from an individualistic faith to a communal and historical one that will help you dig deeper roots for a stronger foundation。This was my “Monday” read in that I read a chapter a read over a couple of months。 A slow digestion of it。 。。。more
Abigail Franklin
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Sort of cool， a little too much missions emphasis for me。
Marc Schelske
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Sittser’s best idea， and the premise of the entire book， is that our faith would be enriched if we understood the long history of the spiritual practice of our faith ancestors。 “When I take my place in a few each Sunday morning with my local congregation， the people I don’t see far outnumber of the people I do see， this ‘cloud of witnesses’ that provides much-needed depth and texture and companionship as I follow Jesus。” （p。9） This idea seems crucial。 We imagine ourselves unique in our problems Sittser’s best idea， and the premise of the entire book， is that our faith would be enriched if we understood the long history of the spiritual practice of our faith ancestors。 “When I take my place in a few each Sunday morning with my local congregation， the people I don’t see far outnumber of the people I do see， this ‘cloud of witnesses’ that provides much-needed depth and texture and companionship as I follow Jesus。” （p。9） This idea seems crucial。 We imagine ourselves unique in our problems and theological controversies。 Even a brief summary of Christian history shows how shallow and misinformed this feeling is。 We are part of a continuous heritage shaped by people， ideas， and practices many of us are only vaguely aware of。 As crucial as Sittser’s premise is for healthy discipleship， I was continually frustrated with the narrative of this book， which verged on hagiography at times。 It was only in his final chapter that he revealed his viewpoint: “None of these traditions are without fault。 I could just as easily have written a book about their weaknesses。。。Every person， movement， and tradition I have introduced has left an ambiguous legacy。 I have chosen to dwell on the good part of the story， though I could’ve done the opposite。 But I believe that failures and abuses do not nullify the value of these traditions。“ （p。281-282） I wish that Sittser had included that paragraph in his introduction！ Understanding this editorial viewpoint would have allowed me to hear what he had to say more clearly。 Even more， I wish that Sittser had not taken this position at all。 His intentional choice to curate this story with an eye toward the “good parts” undermines the value of the premise。 While I agree with him that “abuses and failures do not nullify the value of these traditions，” I believe that understanding the weaknesses and failures of our heritage are an essential part of learning from our past。 The spiritual resource our forebears provide with us is not just a menu of practices like Lectio Divina and the Ignatian Examen， but also （and perhaps more importantly） a roster of ways we Christians have leveraged our faith for self-justification and to attain power at the expense of others。 Sittser wrote: “Every generation of believers faces the risk of becoming a prisoner to its own myopic vision of the Christian faith， assuming that how it understands and practices faith is always the best。” （p。18）。 Not only does this include the myopia of our practices， but also the myopia of our certainty that we are right。 Seeing how our heroes of faith and spiritual ancestors failed is an essential part of learning from their legacy so that we can be better equipped to live as salt and light in the world following the other-centered co-suffering way of Jesus。 。。。more
Graydon Jones
，
This is a great book about the history of spiritual practices in Christianity。 It was really encouraging！
Bhavika
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This was a great read！ It’s an overview of Christian spirituality starting from the early church to the missionary movement。 I was encouraged by the lives and witness of the saints throughout different time periods and am filled with thankfulness for the rich history of the Church！ This book has been a springboard to dig deeper and to learn more from “the great cloud of witnesses”。"We are on a relay team。 We have a heritage， a richly composted family history。 We need to know these members of our This was a great read！ It’s an overview of Christian spirituality starting from the early church to the missionary movement。 I was encouraged by the lives and witness of the saints throughout different time periods and am filled with thankfulness for the rich history of the Church！ This book has been a springboard to dig deeper and to learn more from “the great cloud of witnesses”。"We are on a relay team。 We have a heritage， a richly composted family history。 We need to know these members of our family who lived lives so similar to what we are living and lived them well。 As we get to know them we are less isolated， less alone。 We are not orphans。 We are not misfits”“The martyrs call us to proclaim Jesus as Lord and the desert saints to fight against the world， the flesh and the devil。 The early church challenges us to create a community of belonging for broken， displaced， disconnected people。 Medieval monks invite us to abide by healthy rhythms， mendicants to imitate the life of Christ and mystics to seek union with God。 The Reformers urge us to listen to the Word of God， evangelicals to surrender our lives to it and missionaries to proclaim it to the world。 The stories of these saints are at our disposal to enlarge， enrich and warn us。"There is more！" they tell us。 "So much more。"” 。。。more
Ian Ritchie
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This is one of the most inspirational books I've read in a while。 In each chapter， Jerry Sittser looks at one branch of the Christian spiritual tradition and picks a few representative fruits， saints both famous and obscure。 He squeezes as much concentrated inspiration and wisdom as can fit into a single chapter for his readers to sip and savor。 This is a great book to come back to when you need encouragement or conviction in your spiritual life。 Jerry uses the stories of Christians throughout h This is one of the most inspirational books I've read in a while。 In each chapter， Jerry Sittser looks at one branch of the Christian spiritual tradition and picks a few representative fruits， saints both famous and obscure。 He squeezes as much concentrated inspiration and wisdom as can fit into a single chapter for his readers to sip and savor。 This is a great book to come back to when you need encouragement or conviction in your spiritual life。 Jerry uses the stories of Christians throughout history to lift an inspirational hammer to drive home a spiritual point。 He is able to translate the stories into applications for ordinary people， helping readers focus that inspiration into practical action。 。。。more
Sheri
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An interesting read on the story of pioneers behind our Christian faith after those in the Bible。 I had heard the names， and some I hadn't heard， but didn't know their stories and how they lived out their faith。 Questions at the end of each chapter helped to point the reader to thinking about how they might live out their own faith。 The author admits that these people sometimes made mistakes in their pursuit of God， but focusses on aspects of faith instead of mistakes。 Some chapters were very he An interesting read on the story of pioneers behind our Christian faith after those in the Bible。 I had heard the names， and some I hadn't heard， but didn't know their stories and how they lived out their faith。 Questions at the end of each chapter helped to point the reader to thinking about how they might live out their own faith。 The author admits that these people sometimes made mistakes in their pursuit of God， but focusses on aspects of faith instead of mistakes。 Some chapters were very heavy and begged to be skimmed over， however。 。。。more
Conor
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I was assigned this book for a seminary class， and I fell in love with it。 I all ready lean into books that look at historical models of spirituality， especially the models of the monastics， but have always wondered how the flow of history moved these models in and out of one another。 Sittser does an amazing job of honoring these models while not gilding the lily。highlights abounded。It is one of those books that after you read it， makes you pause in thankfulness。
Austin Glenn
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Very inspiring。 It’s fun to read about the spiritual giants who have come before us and upon whose shoulders we stand。 Overall a great read， especially for anyone interested in church history or spiritual formation。
Ben Ramsey
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A great introduction to the history of the Christian church and movement。 Contains just enough information to get an accurate picture but not overwhelming。
Brandon Howlett
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I give this book my highest recommendation！
Alan Steier
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Sittser not only does a good job of describing the various eras of Christian spirituality， but he also takes it to the next level but applying how that particular era can benefit the Christian today。 I also very much appreciated the focus on real people and how they represented the various eras of Christian spirituality。 If you like history， you'll love this book。 Sittser not only does a good job of describing the various eras of Christian spirituality， but he also takes it to the next level but applying how that particular era can benefit the Christian today。 I also very much appreciated the focus on real people and how they represented the various eras of Christian spirituality。 If you like history， you'll love this book。 。。。more
Benjamin Minch
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Great view of history and spirituality
James Kerr
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An excellent book overall。 It is solid historically and encouraging her personal application。
Hunter Wheatcraft
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I reread this book these past few weeks。 The books is great and worth slowly working through， but is worth a buy for the chapter conclusions alone:）
Joel Wentz
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This is a compulsively-readable survey of church history disguised as a book about Christian spiritual practice （though it includes plenty of discussion of distinct Christian spirituality as well！）。 Sittser walks the reader through major epochs of history since Christ's crucifixion， and each stage is themed around a particular form of spiritual practice that marked that era。 The result is an extremely informative walk through 2000 years of religious thought and practice。Though this is a book fro This is a compulsively-readable survey of church history disguised as a book about Christian spiritual practice （though it includes plenty of discussion of distinct Christian spirituality as well！）。 Sittser walks the reader through major epochs of history since Christ's crucifixion， and each stage is themed around a particular form of spiritual practice that marked that era。 The result is an extremely informative walk through 2000 years of religious thought and practice。Though this is a book from a primarily-evangelical publisher and writer， it is remarkably broad in research and theological perspective。 Some of my favorite chapters were the ones on Eastern Orthodox icons， Medieval saints and laity， and the Mystics。 Sittser's discussion of Evangelical history is also even-handed， and I found myself reminded of evangelicalism's powerful and distinct contributions to Christianity， even while noting its historical flaws。Overall， you can tell Sittser did his homework！ This book is clearly a labor of love and decades of broad reading and research。 The footnotes and annotated bibliography are a treasure trove for those interested in deeper reading on any of the subjects mentioned in the book。 Those who are well-versed in church history may not find much new here， but this is a stellar introduction for those who aren't as familiar with the topic。 。。。more
Margaret Neal
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In his book， Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries， Gerald L。 Sittser takes readers on a journey through the history and spirituality of the Church。 Sittser’s book is both spirituality challenging and critically engaging， and its purpose is to “explore the diversity of Christian spirituality。"One thing that I might consider a “critique，” was that Sittser only focused on the positive aspects of the traditions。 However， I believe he was right in s In his book， Water from a Deep Well: Christian Spirituality from Early Martyrs to Modern Missionaries， Gerald L。 Sittser takes readers on a journey through the history and spirituality of the Church。 Sittser’s book is both spirituality challenging and critically engaging， and its purpose is to “explore the diversity of Christian spirituality。"One thing that I might consider a “critique，” was that Sittser only focused on the positive aspects of the traditions。 However， I believe he was right in saying the negatives do not negate the good。 Sometimes， as Christians， we spend too much time apologizing and not enough time simply sharing Jesus’ love。 Therefore， I believe Sittser’s positive message was needed。 The book is both intellectually stimulating and religiously thought provoking， and it achieves its purpose to positively delve into the differences of the Christian experience。 。。。more
Austin Spence
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This was really my first dive into church history （shocking I know） and I wasn’t necessarily expecting that。 The outline of following different movements and focusing on a particular few individuals who contributed significantly to the Christian experience。 That kept things interesting and gave me some direction for who to read and explore when I do decide to go back in time。 Sitser writes and explains well， probably based off that teaching background。 For anyone looking for an introduction to d This was really my first dive into church history （shocking I know） and I wasn’t necessarily expecting that。 The outline of following different movements and focusing on a particular few individuals who contributed significantly to the Christian experience。 That kept things interesting and gave me some direction for who to read and explore when I do decide to go back in time。 Sitser writes and explains well， probably based off that teaching background。 For anyone looking for an introduction to different Christian movements and icons， this is for you。POST EDIT 08/05/20THIS IS JUST ANOTHER RIP OFF OF RICHARD FOSTER'S "STREAMS OF LIVING WATER" going to bop down the rating as this is a bummer！ 。。。more
Brian Simpfenderfer
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Read this for seminary， solid book on ancient Christian practices。 It was a good read for sure。
Lauren Ducommun
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Sittser did an excellent job weaving through eras of Christian history—his book was very readable。 I enjoyed learning about Saints in history。 I didn’t always agree with Sittser — for example， that we still can and should learn from saints that have denied that Christ is “God’s perfect， complete， and final revelation” （p169） 😬 or others that are teaching false doctrine。 That’s like saying we can still learn good things from people like Joseph Smith。 But it is interesting to see how movements and Sittser did an excellent job weaving through eras of Christian history—his book was very readable。 I enjoyed learning about Saints in history。 I didn’t always agree with Sittser — for example， that we still can and should learn from saints that have denied that Christ is “God’s perfect， complete， and final revelation” （p169） 😬 or others that are teaching false doctrine。 That’s like saying we can still learn good things from people like Joseph Smith。 But it is interesting to see how movements and doctrines have changed over time， and how Sittser gave each era a “theme” to help remember the by。 I’d recommend this book， but only with a lot of caveats。 。。。more
Jared Beebe
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This book covers Christian spirituality throughout specific historical movements of church history。 It is more of a 30，000 foot view of spiritual disciplines。 This book did not draw me in and keep my interest the entire time。 However， I really enjoyed chapter ten titled “Conversion: The Spirituality of Evangelicals。” My physical copy of the book was completely missing the last several pages of the conclusion， and it was also missing the bibliography in the back。 Something must of went wrong at t This book covers Christian spirituality throughout specific historical movements of church history。 It is more of a 30，000 foot view of spiritual disciplines。 This book did not draw me in and keep my interest the entire time。 However， I really enjoyed chapter ten titled “Conversion: The Spirituality of Evangelicals。” My physical copy of the book was completely missing the last several pages of the conclusion， and it was also missing the bibliography in the back。 Something must of went wrong at the printing press， which is kind of surprising that the publisher still send these copies out to be sold。 All in all， I would recommend this book to someone who wants to dip their toes into particular practices of spiritual discipline throughout church history。 。。。more
Dan Absalonson
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I learned a lot and enjoyed the journey through time。
David Andrianoff
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Sittser introduces saints who “have bequeathed to us a rich legacy of faith， sacrifice and service。” Followers of Christ chosen Christ for their allegiance。 Sittser points out （p。 256）， “Pioneer missionaries are consummate risk-takers 。 。 。 because of their single-minded devotion to Jesus Christ。” They serve God who left His heavenly home and took up residence on the earth in the form of a human being。 Missionaries become citizen-sojourners who have no home。 When they cross cultural barriers for Sittser introduces saints who “have bequeathed to us a rich legacy of faith， sacrifice and service。” Followers of Christ chosen Christ for their allegiance。 Sittser points out （p。 256）， “Pioneer missionaries are consummate risk-takers 。 。 。 because of their single-minded devotion to Jesus Christ。” They serve God who left His heavenly home and took up residence on the earth in the form of a human being。 Missionaries become citizen-sojourners who have no home。 When they cross cultural barriers for the sake of the gospel， they live in a cultural no man’s land。 Mary Slessor， for example “had changed too much to return to her homeland， yet she could never adapt enough to become truly African” （p。 p。 272）。 At the same time， missionaries often disappoint everyone: their supporters back home evaluate their effectiveness in light of their own cultural values。 The people they try to reach often reject the Christian message because it seems to threaten their traditional values。The Christian message， however， makes a home in every culture。 Because of the incarnation the risk is worth taking。 Sittser observes that （pp。 292-3） “As Christ is the incarnation of God， the church is the incarnation of Christ。” A community， the church can advance the cause of Christ’s kingdom。 I agree with Sittser （p。 11）， “that I am a very rich man， for I belong to a community of faith that gives me a deep sense of belonging。” 。。。more
Lisa
，
This is an easy read for someone interested in spiritual formation and history。 The chapter titles are helpful and insightful。 Witness- about the martyrs。 I hope I would be this way Belonging- about how community was such a key part of early Christianity。 Struggle-The "Desert Life" shows us how unfriendly modern life is to a walk with Christ。 Rhythm-A history of monasticism that was a good review。 The importance of relating to others to truly learn to love and that is the perfection that was des This is an easy read for someone interested in spiritual formation and history。 The chapter titles are helpful and insightful。 Witness- about the martyrs。 I hope I would be this way Belonging- about how community was such a key part of early Christianity。 Struggle-The "Desert Life" shows us how unfriendly modern life is to a walk with Christ。 Rhythm-A history of monasticism that was a good review。 The importance of relating to others to truly learn to love and that is the perfection that was desired。After Christianity became acceptable and even the "desired" religion of the Roman Empire， all was in vain。 And I wonder if that is why the Dark Ages came about。 "Suddenly the illusion of stability and solid security that political and economic prosperity had created shimmered and started to dissolve。 Transcience and impermanence were once again operative realities。 Christians were forcibly reminded that their Kingdom was not of this world" from The Rule of St。 BenedictI am not getting into the icon thing but I really appreciated reading about Melania （is that Prez Trump's wife's name？） and also John Chrysostom。Heros chapter-- about John C。 Well， it was interesting that he was kidnapped to become the head of the church in Constantinople。 At that time there were 100，000 Christians in that city。 Now that makes me sad。 He wrote this （AD 398）， which could be written today for everyday people， not the monks or clergy: "You stand continuously in the front rank， and you receive continual blows， So you need more remedies。 Your wife provokes you， for example， your son grieves you， your servant angers you， your enemy plots against you。。。poverty troubles you， loss of property gives you grief， prosperity puffs you up， misfortune depresses you。。。Therefore you have a continuous need for the full armor of God。"I continue my plugging along in this book。 I will say， if I've not said it before， the title of the book is just so inviting。 Anyway， the chapter "Windows" was about cathedrals， art， icons， relics， sacraments etc。 I did not get alot out of it although I do marvel at the cathedrals。 There is "something" about them。 And those things I just listed have had a huge influence on historic Christianity。 The "Union" chapter was about mystics。 This intrigues me。 I wonder if I've not had any of these experiences because I've not practiced those austere disciplines or gone off to the desert。 Some of these men and women spent years in the desert， in isolation。 I've read of Bernard of Clairvaux but did not realize that he could be "ruthless。" The author did not elaborate on that。 Interesting because the next paragraph reads （p 179） "Bernard's mysticism pulsates with love--God's love for us， our love for God。 Bernard believed that as fallen， helpless， unworthy people， we need God's love。 'I am voluptuous， I am curious， I am ambitious， There is no part of me which is free from this threefold ulcer， from the soles of my feet to the top of my head。'Still in spite of our unworthiness， God loves us， passionately so。 God's love for us engenders in us the desire to love God in return。I can agree with that。 Then Julian of Norwich "affirmed a union of relationship， not absorption。 God is one kind of being， we are another。 We know him in relationship of love。 God himself initiates， sustains and perfects that relationship。 " I like that- acknowledging that we are not God that He is separate from us， different， unknowable in some ways， yet He revealed Himself to us。（168） God is other and greater than creation， above and beyond it。 In the end， all the means we use to describe God， ascent to God and commune with God， simply fall short and fail。 As the soul ascends， "language falters。" Another guy， Dionysius "argued that when it comes to this deeper kind of knowing， we cannot use language to describe God with any degree of accuracy。 IN calling God good， for example， it would be better to say that God is not good， for our understanding of the word "good" is limited by our earthly experience of good， which falls short of the depth of God's goodness 。 God is above good or hyper-good。 God is above beauty。 " Beyond beautiful。 He thought we have to refer to God in negative terms because he is just so "other" than us。In the chapter on "Ordinariness，" the author brings up Francis and other "orders。 He mentions the laity and the impact these orders had on ordinary people。 Yet， those orders were still very radical and extreme， in a disciplined way。 I was waiting for him to mention the Reformers。 They seemed to bring the ordinary people into the picture more than any in the Medieval times and in the established Roman Catholic church at that time。"Conversion" In reading about the Puritans and the Pietists， an issue for them， because of nominalism， was that people "provide a narrative of their conversion before they were allowed to become church members。" Pietists believed that conversion to Christ implied living for Christ。 I believe this。 The confusing part is people， including children I suppose， who have that "narrative" then outright reject it。I finally finished the book today。 I appreciated the chapters "Conversion" and then "Risk。" He wrote about the evangelical movement particularly in the last two centuries in the US。 "Two changes occurred （historically）。 First， evangelicals put increasing stress on the experience of conversion， believing that the intensity of the experience would somehow authenticate the reality of it。 This led them to use methods that made a conversion as predictable and convenient as possible。 Second， they developed strategies to win and disciple converts， which turned evangelicalism into an entrepreneurial direction。 Both experience and strategy became the distinguishing characteristics of the evangelicalism in the 19th century。" and I would add， to this day。 very different from how people knew Christ in the years since He came。Maybe things are changing a little as I think of the emergent church; less stress on disciplines and programs。。。。。"Risk" was all about missionaries， starting with the Jesuits and Ignatius。 This made me think of Catherine's Honors thesis at Hopkins。 Where is that？ "We read a brief synopsis of their stories。。。。but they lived the story， day after day， year after year， not knowing how it would all turn out。 Their work progressed slowly and unpredictably and mysteriously。 They made little decision every day to do the will of God as they knew it; they took little risks--as well as a few big ones--that set them on a course leading to adventure， achievement and influence; They chose to devote their time， talent and energy to God， refusing to put limits on twhat God would do with them。 Risk does not have to be grandiose， It can--and probably should start small。 " 。。。more
Kaleb Smith
，
A great succinct and linear history of the different traditions in Christianity following from the early martyrs to modern pioneer missionaries。
Frances
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An overview of different manifestations of Christian spirituality in a positive vain。 A reminder that nothing is 100% good but that does not mean that good things didn't come out of it。 An overview of different manifestations of Christian spirituality in a positive vain。 A reminder that nothing is 100% good but that does not mean that good things didn't come out of it。 。。。more
Jennifer Webster
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Everyone who considers themselves a follower of Jesus Christ will be amazed to see they is so much more we can learn from church history。 A valuable tool to challenge you to think deeply and grow sincerely。
Lynn
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