What's Your God Language?: Connecting with God through Your Unique Spiritual Temperament

In What's Your God Language? Myra Perrine describes nine types of spiritual temperaments and suggests disciplines and faith expressions that fit best with each unique temperament (or blend of temperaments). Drawing on her doctoral research that built on the work of Gary Thomas and others, Perrine calls readers to stop fighting the way God wired them and to experience a deeper intimacy with Christ by embracing their unique ?spiritual circuitry.? Features:In-depth analysis of nine categories of spiritual temperamentsSpiritual temperament assessment tool for assessing one's individual temperamentBiblically supported and thoroughly researchedWritten in a friendly, anecdotal styleForeword by Gary ThomasWeb site with additional intermediate and advanced exercisesThe 9 Languages:The ActivistThe AseticThe CaregiverThe ContemplativeThe EnthusiastThe IntellectualThe NaturalistThe SensateThe Traditionalist From Publishers Weekly The Five Love Languages meets Myers-Briggs at church? It sounds like the setup for a joke, but it's actually the premise of a book, and a decently thoughtful book at that. Perrine, who specializes in pastoral counseling and spiritual formation, draws upon Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas, who provides a foreword here. The idea is that individuals relate to God in very different ways, and should tailor their spiritual practices to capitalize on their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. This individuality is nothing to be ashamed of; rather, Perrine insists, we must rejoice in the startling human variety God has created. Perrine offers nine basic spiritual types: the activist, the ascetic, the caregiver, the contemplative, the enthusiast, the intellectual, the naturalist, the sensate and the traditionalist. Readers are invited to take a diagnostic quiz to establish their primary temperament, which they can learn more about in the second half of the guide. The idea for this book is not new; Marita Littauer explored religious temperaments in Your Spiritual Personality, and the Gallup organization presented helpful statistics along these lines in Living Your Strengths: Discover Your God-Given Talents and Inspire Your Community. Still, it's a worthwhile read, especially for pastors, youth workers and other church leaders. (Sept.)Correction: The June 11 review of Joan Chittister's Welcome to the Wisdom of the World and Its Meaning for You (Eerdmans, Aug.) should have been starred. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review The Living God has given Myra Perrine three gifts which she now generously gives to us. The first is knowing the heart of God; Myra has been ravished by God's heart, especially by God's passion to be known by us, and for us to come and live in the inner love life of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The second is knowing her heart; Myra has courageously looked into and then embraced who God created and is redeeming her to be, and her looking and embracing frees us to do the same. The third is knowing our hearts; Myra has an astounding capacity to understand the full range of other kinds of hearts God has made and is redeeming, as seen in her brilliant ?exercises? for the nine different spiritual temperaments with which she works. Thank you, God, for now sharing these gifts with us through this refreshing, releasing, expansive work of spiritual direction. Darrell Johnson, Regent College (Vancouver, BC) From the Inside Flap "If you always suspected God tuned your heart to connect with Him in a particular way, What's Your God Language? is a must-read book. It will show you how to listen to the way you're made. It will give you permission to express your heart for God in the shape of the longings He's given you. Myra Perrine's book is a real gift to the body of Christ." Paula Rinehart, Author of Strong Women, Soft Hearts and Sex and the Soul of a Woman  "How we as human beings relate to God i