by Richard J. Foster

It was Revd Canon Terry Wong who first introduced me to Richard J. Foster through his classic Celebration of Discipline. And I have benefited from it. Foster is an American theologian who earned his doctorate from Fuller Theological Seminary.

Treasure Trove recently acquired his Streams of Living Water. In it, Foster identifies how six spiritual traditions to show how they can be meaningful for believers today. They are the contemplative, the holiness, the charismatic, social justice, the evangelical, and the incarnational.

These all grow out of Jesus’ ministry, for example His prayer and intimacy with the Father, purity of heart, life in the Spirit, and advocacy for justice and shalom. As His followers, Foster believes we need to nurture these six streams into our lives.

For each tradition or stream, Forster uses three illustrations: a historical figure; a Bible character; and a contemporary person. He also explains each tradition, listing strengths and weaknesses, and suggests how best to apply them.

A bonus is the appendices in which Foster presents an additional 200 notable figures and significant movements in church history through the lens of the six traditions.

Lucilla Teoh
Treasure Trove Team Member