More than we may readily admit to, our physical condition impacts our spiritual and emotional health. The Daniel Fast is a tool which leads the reader to a thoughtful and well-planned blend of body-to-spirit awareness designed with a spiritual purpose in mind. Scripture references highlight different spiritual disciplines that require adhering to and purposed endeavor. One of these, the discipline of fasting, is often mentioned. Depending on one’s background, the person may have participated in fasting or they may not have.

This is a whole new opportunity to facilitate growth in the inner person through denying self of certain foods and drinks. Susan Gregory offers this book as a guide for a form of partial “fasting,” a fast that allows the foods eaten by Daniel and the three Hebrew boys during their initial period of  Babylonian captivity. For spiritual reasons, these young men refused to eat the King’s food and drink. Instead, they drank water and ate pulse, any seed-bearing food (vegetables, fruits, and grains). They fared very well.

As Gregory explains, a true “fast” is a relationship of denying food or drink for the purpose of a spiritual goal. The Daniel Fast incorporates devotionals, biblical background, a food list, and recipes. It is easy to read but serious in intent. My church ladies have participated in the Daniel Fast two times and are eager to do it again. They also purchased the workbook which works well as a compliment study. This is an excellent group activity. We saw much improvement in our physical health during the fast and also noticed a sharpness in our spiritual side as we completed the study.

Books often meet a need. My friend was devastated when her mate left her after forty-three years married. She went searching for help. This book delivered. There is a need for this type of book, one that offers spiritual truth in addition to practical hands-on ways to apply then incorporate it into real life. Traditionally, in evangelicalism, the realm of feelings and emotions was largely treated as a simple formula of confess the sin, get right with God, and all will be well. Those who were struggling often felt alone in their suffering. This is a somewhat academic book with an emphasis on feelings and emotions as they relate to spiritual living. I found it to be somewhat dry in the first few chapters which relate to a biblical foundation for truth but increasing in interest as Borgman delves into the nuts and bolts of dealing with our human emotions like anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, fear, anxiety, worry, and depression; then offering solutions found in confession, renewing of the mind, relationships, reading, meditating, prayer, and imagination. Faith and Feelings opens the door for greater exploration of the relationship of feelings with faith.

Many evangelicals have become suspicious of the emotions and generally discount them. This is tragic. Others have so exalted experience and the emotions that they have minimized truth, doctrine, and theology. This too is tragic. The glorious reality is that truth and emotions, faith and feelings, theology and experience are not enemies, but the best of friends.