Carl Prude Jr.

Carl Prude, Jr., Anchored in Light: Understanding and Overcoming the Five Deadliest Threats to Your Faith (Leafwood Publishers, 2013)
ISBN 978-0-89112-347-7

(Because of the great amount of information contained in this book, I have included in this review only portions of the book’s content from Chapter 1, Lost in Faith: Paradox in Paradise).

“... I have a question for those of us who belong to the community of faith: Is our faith failing us today?” (15)
Can any regular churchgoer not answer this question affirmatively?
Carl Prude, Jr., the author of “Anchored in Light,” identifies the spiritual malaise of the modern church and accurately describes the problems it currently faces.
Prude points out that there is “...much divergence within the faith community [that] has added to a gradual erosion of the believers’ once clear spiritual identity.” (18)
“In an effort to regain their lost spiritual equilibrium, people of faith change churches, change worship habits, change devotional routines and even change faiths. These tactics don’t work because they don’t get to the root of the problem.” (18)
Prude believes that the “simple answer is things that they’ve experienced—the hardships and complexities that don’t fit neatly into a doctrinal box or philosophical slot” (19)
(I would suggest that directly behind the experiences lays the problem of not knowing or not applying the doctrinal truths of Scripture to the questions Prude wisely refers to.)
Questions like:
“How do I handle this?” (19)
“…how come I feel more like killing myself instead of celebrating?” (19)
“…how can I keep these memories from robbing me of the joys of life?” (19)
“Is there something wrong with me?” (19)
“Why are there so many ups and downs to life? When will things settle down for me?” (19)
“How can I trust...leadership?” (20)
“What was the point of all the pain this has caused for our family?” (20)
“Does God show favorites or is there just something wrong with my faith?” (20)
“... how can I forgive myself...?” (20)

Prude reiterates, “it’s these types of experiences that can cause us to lose our grip on our faith—especially if our pastors, priests, ministers or spiritual leaders aren’t well enough equipped to help us work through them.” (21)
Herein may lie the root: the members of the Body of Christ are not equipped [by knowledge and prayer]. Revealing that he is so equipped in great measure, Prude goes on to provide many of the answers to these distressing questions.
Prude’s list of the most common symptoms of being “Lost in Faith” is worth including here:

a sense of spiritual disillusionment
a growing sense of spiritual frustration
despondency about spiritual truths and realities
new-founded doubts about scriptural authenticity
apathy towards church-related activities that once provided joy and satisfaction
a tendency to replace faith-centered activities with other activities
an agitated attitude regarding spiritual topics
a reluctance to participate in anything new in the faith community
fragmented spiritual focus
a diminished prayer life
a general attitude of disappointment towards God
detachment from friends within the faith community
boredom with matters of spirituality (listed from pages 21 and 22)

Prude observes that although many believers are “discontent in their faith, they’re not disconnecting from their faith” (22, italics his). [Surely the Lord is able to preserve His people!]
The author’s insights into the stratagems of the devil and his fury are worthy of our meditation and enlargement. They may be found on pages 24 and 25.
Prude then lists (still in Chapter 1!) the five lethal “Furies,” “spiritual parasitic infections” (31) that the devil unleashes on the faithful:

Fury #1: Processing without Progressing, a Fury that “leaves the believer feeling lost, inept and despondent.” (25, 26)
Fury #2: Running When You Should Be Walking And Walking When You Should Be Running, the Fury that “occurs when people of faith don’t have a sense of peace about the use of their time, resources and talents.” (26)
Fury #3: Entrenched in Stench, a Fury that manipulates the believer with “unhealed wounds from the past, and new toxic experiences [so descriptive]” (26)
Fury #4: The Assimilation Mutation fury that “represents the typical but harmful one-size-fits-all approach to service within the faith community,” which stifles spiritual gifts and natural talents and “leads to disheartenment...” (27)
Fury #5: Are We There Yet? that “represents the challenges associated with the gap between actual spiritual growth and our expectations for spiritual growth.”
This fury “leaves the believer feeling frustrated, unworthy and discouraged about their spiritual progress.” (27, 28)

It is wonderfully heartening to read a popular author when he writes “The scriptures teach that God provides a pathway to victory for every trial or temptation we face.” Having recognized our own situation in what Prude has written to this point, there is offered shining hope in God and His Word!

The author then lists five anchor tenets that correspond to each of the Fury’s.
First, Space Yourself. This anchor shows “the spiritual keys to effectively managing each occurrence or circumstance as it comes...[which] strengthens the bond of trust in our relationship with God...” (28)
Second, Pace Yourself. This anchor teaches the “keys to maximizing ourselves from moment to moment.” (28)
Third, Waste Yourself. This anchor “shows how to effectively resolve and rid ourselves of the bondage from emotional or mental scars—past or present” (29)
Fourth, Place Yourself. “This anchor tenet provides key insights into understanding, cultivating and protecting your personal and spiritual identity, even amidst pressure to conform to standards that everyone else accepts.” (29)
Finally, Grace Yourself. This anchor demystifies “the spiritual transformation process...” (29)

Prude contends, “Not only do these five anchor tenets lay the foundation for recovery from the Lost in Faith Experience, they also help the believer reestablish a pathway forward—a pathway that’s both fruitful and rewarding. Learning how to apply any one of these anchor effectively will make a tremendous difference in your life.” (29)

Not only does Carl Prude, Jr., as a pastor and theologian, identify the spiritual malaise of the modern church and accurately describe the problems it currently faces, he goes on to provide refreshing and insightful counsel to those suffering the symptoms. This book, by its advice from the Bible, will bless those who will ponder and apply its wisdom.… (mehr)