Smith, James K. A. You Are What You Love: The Power of Spiritual Habit. Grand Rapids: Brazos, PAGES 1–110
PAGES 1-36 Ellis, Christopher J. Gathering: A Spirituality and Theology of Worship in Free Church
Tradition. London: SCM
Use the next paragraph (or two) to evaluate the reading. Engage the main points that relate to the author’s argument. Include page numbers when making specific references to the book. Three areas to focus upon:
Has this author made a compelling case? I.e., Are the author’s claims well supported (factual)? Are the arguments well formed?
What overall perspectives (theological, experiential, philosophical, denominational, or cultural) does the author have that influence or condition his or her conclusions? Do these perspectives negate or limit their conclusions? What contexts might not be helped by these arguments?
What unique terms or vocabulary does the author use to describe their claims? How do they define those terms?
Include a handful of quotes from the text that may be meaningful to your future pursuits (e.g., your research paper). Footnote them in using Turabian’s short form. Do NOT use parenthetical citation or the “ibid” convention.
Conclude with two or three thoughtful questions to further our class’s interaction with this text.