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Pepperdine Provost Darryl Tippens Publishes Book on Jesus in Everyday Life
Pepperdine University Provost Darryl Tippens is publishing a new book titled Pilgrim Heart: The Way of Jesus in Everyday Life. The 224-page work examines discipleship as a particular way of life, guided by a set of simple, but powerful, daily practices known to the earliest disciples and the saints through the ages. Dr. Tippens delves into such topics as friendship, confession, forgiveness, and discernment, while inviting the reader to "consider afresh the way of Jesus" in light of practices that have proven to transform lives for 2,000 years.
Author, church leader, and professor of English literature, Dr. Tippens is Pepperdine University’s chief academic officer. Tippens was also the joint editor of a popular spiritual anthology of readings on the spiritual quest titled Shadow & Light: Literature and the Life of Faith. Mike Cope, author of Righteousness Inside Out, praises Pilgrim Heart saying, "This incredible book belongs on the shelf right next to Richard Foster and Dallas Willard."
Quotes from Dr. Tippens. . .
On his motivation for writing the book:
"In many different settings (retreats, conferences, churches, etc.) and over many years, I have spoken on the topics that form the central chapters of the book. It is clear that there is a deep hunger today for spiritual things, yet many people are quite unaware of some of the greatest spiritual traditions and practices that are available to us. Many people are seeking spiritual counsel that is grounded, mature, and proven. They want to go beyond the popular, self-help books found in the local bookstore. While the 'spirituality industry' is booming (there are more than 10,000 books in English with 'spirituality' in the title), many of them are oblivious to the communal, biblical, and embodied nature of a mature spirituality. It is my hope that Pilgrim Heart will reconnect people with a dynamic, living tradition of spirituality that is rooted in Scripture and Christian history. Furthermore, some of the greatest minds of all time have offered profound insights into the spiritual life. I try to draw on many of these for illustration and definition."
On religious thinkers he admires:
"The book is the product of personal experience and a life-long devotion to Scripture. I also rely heavily on the wisdom of some of the world's greatest theologians, novelists, poets, essayists, and playwrights. I derive insights from the ‘classics,’ including Augustine, Pascal, Shakespeare, Milton, and Kierkegaard; but I also draw from contemporary authors like Frederick Buechner, Miroslav Volf, Ann Lamott, Kathleen Norris, Stanley Hauerwas, Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, C. S. Lewis, and many others."
On the book’s intended impact on readers:
"In my opinion, authentic religion is deeply communal and 'embodied,' that is, it involves our bodies as well as our minds. Too much spirituality today is flawed, bogus -- it's esoteric, cerebral, interior, privatized, even narcissistic. It promises so much, but proves to be a dead end. People today are hungry for a holistic spirituality that involves heart and body. My hope is that the book will give voice and courage to people's intuitive sense that authentic faith involves all dimensions of one's life. 'The world is charged with the grandeur of God,' says the poet G. M. Hopkins. My hope is that Pilgrim Heart will awaken people to the omnipresence of God in this world, and that it will encourage people to reconnect with other believers in robust forms of community."
About Darryl Tippens:
Dr. Tippens received his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University and completed postdoctoral work at a variety of institutions including Yale University, the University of Kansas, the University of Chicago, and Johns Hopkins University. The provost has earned distinction as a scholar; instructor; and professor during his 32-year career. Before joining Pepperdine, he was the James W. Culp Distinguished Professor of English at Abilene Christian University and is a former chair of the Division of Language and Literature at Oklahoma Christian University. Dr. Tippens has authored works throughout his career including articles on Shakespeare, Milton, and the Bible as literature.
Pilgrim Heart: The Way of Jesus in Everyday Life is scheduled to be released in May by Leafwood Publishers and will be available for purchase in the Pepperdine University Seaver Bookstore on the first day of the May Bible Lectures. After the Bible Lectures, Dr. Tippens book will be available for purchase at both the Seaver and Drescher Campus Bookstores.
