Book Review: Deep Discipleship, by J.T. English and Formed in His Image, by Coleman M. Ford
January 16, 2025
January 16, 2025
J.T. English, Deep Discipleship: How the Church Can Make Whole Disciples of Jesus. B&H Books, 2020. 224 pages.
Coleman M. Ford, Formed in His Image: A Guide for Christian Formation. B&H Books, 2023. 244 pages.
The church has one primary mission—discipleship, to make more and better Christians.
We understand that Jesus has called us to “make disciples, baptizing them” (Matt. 28:19). But often the church has a “we’ll take it from here” attitude, as if Jesus gave no further instructions beyond those simple words, leaving it up to us to determine how the “make disciples” plan should be carried out. As a result, pragmatism infects the church. One curriculum, book, and conference after another proposes the missing key that might unlock Christian-making and Christian-maturing.
But Jesus hasn’t left us without an explanation as to how disciples are made. He tells us what comes after baptism: “teaching them to observe (or obey) all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20). Integral to the disciple-making enterprise is teaching, with a focus on obedience to Jesus.
These emphases shape two recent books: Formed in His Image by Coleman Ford and Deep Discipleship by J.T. English. Each title places a premium on teaching, while never forgetting that teaching is meant to be applied.
What contribution does each make to the disciple-making conversation?
Both books note that discipleship in many churches is anemic. English’s goal in Deep Discipleship is to “introduce a paradigm that will help local churches implement a philosophy of ministry that will grow and mature deep and holistic disciples” (10). His burden is to see the church infused with more environments where deep teaching is present. With so much discipleship material focused on the relational side of spiritual growth (small groups, fellowship, one-anothering, hospitality, etc.), English’s burden is to recover the indispensable element of theology and biblical knowledge in our discipleship methodology. He argues that our discipleship needs more Bible, not less.
In a similar way, Ford’s aim in Formed in His Image goes to the Bible and roots our spiritual formation in several doctrinal foundations. The doctrines of the Trinity, union with Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit are not tangential to Christian growth. They comprise its essential foundations. De-emphasizing these doctrines is counterproductive to making healthy disciples. And lest we think biblical knowledge itself is the goal, both books stress—again and again—that while discipleship rests on the foundation of theology, it does not end there. As English says, “God is the goal of deep discipleship” (21).
With so many books on Christian growth advocating for the importance of relationships or the practice of spiritual disciplines, Deep Discipleship and Formed in His Image add the necessary doctrinal pillars to make these practical aspects more effective and sustainable.
A second positive for both books is the church-centeredness of their discipleship methodology. They encourage building a culture of discipleship and argue that the church is the God-ordained place to cultivate this culture. Largely eschewing the more generic language of “community” or “friendship,” these books remind us that we cannot grow in isolation. We need Christ’s church to be formed in Christ’s image.
For English, this means raising the bar for members. Many Christians remain in the shallow end and never get beyond the elementary stages of Christian faith and practice. We ought to call our members to take practical steps to mature in their walks with Christ. For both English and Ford, this means personal spiritual disciplines and class environments, Bible study and theological instruction. The vision of both men is to return discipleship to the church, so that through the church, disciples might be brought to increasing maturity in Christ.
Both books are informed by the same vision but aren’t trying to do the same thing.
For Ford, his goal is to orient the reader toward the foundational realities of discipleship, the root system from which healthy disciples grow. For English, his goal is to impress upon the reader the need for deeper discipleship, the greenhouse in which disciples grow.
Where is your church in the practice of disciple-making? The answer to that question will shape what book you choose, but both would be worth your time.