Fasting: The Ancient Practices is written by Scot McKnight and Phyllis Tickle. At 185 pages, this book is pretty easy to read.
This book encompasses many questions that many believers deal with. Is the body evil and keep us from God or can it be used in pursuit of God’s blessing? McKnight firmly presses that fasting should not be used to manipulate God, nor should it be used solely to get a result. Instead, fasting is a response to a grief, sin, etc.
Also included in this book are scriptural accounts of fasting and accounts of individuals throughout the centuries who’ve had lots of experience with fasting. McKnight makes suggestions for how to fast appropriately (and healthily). He discourages the casual faster, and sets straight the pitfalls of fasting like cheating and manipulating and those looking for merit.
The idea of fasting is a response to a sacred moment or a yearning for God’s presence in one’s life.
As someone already familiar with fasting, I found this an informative reference book. One unfamiliar with fasting would greatly benefit from such a book as this.
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