The Face of the Deep by Paul J. Pastor
Published by David C Cook on February 1st 2016
Genres: Christian Life, Christian Ministry, General, Religion, Spiritual Growth
Pages: 240
Many Christians don’t have a clear idea of the Holy Spirit’s role in their life. Yet Scripture is full of stories that show the Spirit as a vibrant, personal being.The Face of the Deep invites you on a quest for the Holy Spirit that journeys through our world and Bible. The adventure is infused with wonder and symbolic imagination—from the black void of Genesis 1 all the way through the explosive re-creation at the close of Revelation. You’ll encounter the love and power of the Holy Spirit revealed through the beauty of creation, art, history, and theology.
Award winning writer, professor, grassroots pastor and first time author, Paul J. Pastor releases The Face Of The Deep: Exploring The Mysterious Person Of The Holy Spirit on February 1, 2016 from David C Cook. Through Scripture, stories and meaningful symbols, The Face of the Deep invites readers to see their world infused with holy wonder, spanning creation, art, history and theology. Intending to recapture a robust understanding and hunger for life with the Spirit, this compelling, creative book is garnering critical acclaim while simultaneously landing endorsements from a who’s who list of authors, pastors, professors and more.
Inspired by seven Old Testament and seven New Testament passages on the Holy Spirit, The Face of the Deep takes readers on a journey from the black void of Genesis 1:1 to the explosion of re-creation in the last chapter of Revelation, teaching historic doctrine and applying it with surprising beauty, spanning genres to combine memoir, biblical exposition and modern creative non-fiction.
With recent or upcoming coverage of the book planned from Christianity Today, Focus on the Family’s “The Boundless Show,” Men of Integrity, Leadership Journal, The Gospel Coalition, “The Bob Dutko Show,” Englewood Review of Books and more, RELEVANT Magazine lauds, “With this elegant book, Paul Pastor sets out to introduce us to the mysteries of the Spirit. His vivid writing and the simple, evocative images breathe life into the third person of the Trinity. Few books make knowing God more enticing.” CBA Retailers + Resources recommends “that the book be read slowly so that the Holy Spirit is allowed to speak through the pages and provide a deeper awareness of its mystery and beauty.”
In addition to the critical acclaim, endorsements for The Face of the Deep have come from such noteworthy writers as Dr. A. J. Swoboda, pastor, professor, and author of A Glorious Dark; Brett McCracken, author of Gray Matters and Hipster Christianity; Skye Jethani, author of With and the With God daily devotional at WithGodDaily.com; Jonathan Merritt, author of Jesus Is Better Than You Imagined; Drew Dyck, senior editor of Leadership Journal and author of Yawning at Tigers; Glenn Packiam, pastor of New Life Church Downtown, author of Discover the Mystery of Faith and Lucky; Tom Krattenmaker, member of the USA Today Board of Contributors and author of The Evangelicals You Don’t Know; Joshua Ryan Butler, pastor at Imago Dei Community and author of The Skeletons in God’s Closet; Randy Woodley, distinguished professor of faith and culture, George Fox Evangelical Seminary, and author of Shalom and the Community of Creation; C. Christopher Smith, editor of The Englewood Review of Books and coauthor of Slow Church; and many more.
Here are just a few more endorsements the book has received:
“Often while reading The Face of the Deep, I had to pause, think, and re-read a passage too rich and too insightful for a single consideration. Moreover, what hooked me first to that passage were its sharp images and its stout language. I have no doubt that anyone who does not skim but attends closely to Pastor’s book will experience the same inspiring jolts.” – Walter Wangerin Jr., winner of the National Book Award
“The Face of the Deep is grounded in Scripture and steeped in awe and wonder. Paul Pastor’s exploration of the Person and work of the Holy Spirit is creative, thorough, and profound—and as much-needed as it is refreshing.” – Karen Swallow Prior, PhD, author of Booked and Fierce Convictions
“Finally, somebody is writing about the Holy Spirit! Out of the recent desert of writings on the empowering presence of God comes this new book by Paul J. Pastor. Creative, thoughtful, rooted, mysterious—it pairs well for a conversation about God’s activity in the world. On the first page of the Bible, we read that the ruach hovered over the waters. I can’t help but wonder if he’s doing the same over this book.” – John Mark Comer, pastor for teaching and vision at Bridgetown: A Jesus Church and author of Garden City
“A theologically rich, soul-stirring vision of what the life of the Spirit among the people of God looks like. This book is a great step forward in helping us have ministries that not only preach the gospel but do so with power, deep conviction, and the Holy Spirit.” – Jon Tyson, founding pastor of Trinity Grace Church and author of Sacred Roots
“The best way to grasp mystery is not to dissect it but to behold it. So it is especially with the mystery of the Holy Spirit—the most misunderstood person of the Trinity—and Paul J. Pastor is the perfect writer and thinker to take us closer to, and savor, that mystery.” – Katelyn Beaty, managing editor of Christianity Today magazine
More information on Paul J. Pastor and The Face Of The Deep can be found at Mr. Pastor’s Website, Twitter and Facebook.
About Paul J. Pastor: Mr. Pastor is a full time writer and book editor, managed by D.C. Jacobson and Associates. Formerly an associate editor for Christianity Today’s (CT) publications, he earned more than 12 personal awards from the Evangelical Press Association during his time at CT. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Multnomah University in Portland, teaching classes on the Holy Spirit and biblical interpretation. Holding a Master of Arts in Exegetical Theology from Portland’s Western Seminary, his work examining links between Zephaniah, Babel, and Pentecost (which he read for the Evangelical Theological Society) earned the seminary’s highest award for Old Testament scholarship. Paul is also a grassroots pastor, ministering quietly to his local community. A rural Oregonian, he lives in Oregon’s majestic Columbia River Gorge with his wife and three children.
About David C Cook: David C Cook is a leading nonprofit resource provider serving the global Church with life-transforming, Christ-centered materials. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with offices in Illinois, Canada and the United Kingdom, David C Cook‘s resources are published in over 150 languages and distributed in more than 160 countries. Originally founded in 1875 as a curriculum publisher, today David C Cook publishes numerous bestselling fiction and non-fiction books from a variety of award-winning authors. It is also a leading provider of worship music through its Integrity Music label, which produces over one-third of the top 100 praise and worship songs sung around the world. Additional information can be found at www.davidccook.com.
Disclaimer: I will be receiving a digital copy of this book in exchange for this post.
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