Growing Downward:
The Path to
Christ-Exalting Humility
by Nick Thompson
DETAILS:
Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
Publication Date: May 11, 2022
Format: Kind Edition
Length: 224 pgs.
Read Date: June 19-26, 2022
Here is the unvarnished truth: pride is your number one enemy at every stage of the game. This is true of you regardless of your vocation; your economic, political, or social status; and your age, ethnicity, or education… I begin here because it is only as we come to understand pride as our greatest enemy that we will learn to embrace humility as our greatest ally.
What’s Growing Downward About?
The Publisher’s Description is:
Author Nick Thompson recognizes that pride is our worst enemy. If pride is our chief foe, then humility is our chief friend, even though its company may be painful. But spiritual growth is a descent—we must grow downward. Defining humility as “the downward disposition of a Godward self-perception,” Thompson walks us through the practical implications of this definition, leading us to embrace a God-centered perspective on the self. With winsome illustration and warm pastoral instruction, Growing Downward shows us that the path of humility, though difficult, is the way to true meaning and fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
Thompson is thorough at arriving at his definition of “the downward disposition of a Godward self-perception”—looking at other definitions offered by notable authors and theologians along the way—evaluating and critiquing them.
From this point, he works out the implications of that definition by looking at Existential Humility, Ethical Humility, Evangelical Humility, Ecclesiological Humility, and Eschatological Humility.
So, what did I think about Growing Downward?
As far as the reading experience goes—this is fine. The writing is crisp, it’s clear, it’s accessible, and Thompson makes certain the reader gets his point.
As far as the content? Ehhhhh, I’m not sure. The Introduction and the first part of the book? Those were really, really strong and convincing—and Thompson had me with him there. But after that? It’s complicated to explain, but I’ll try. I liked the individual chapters, and the topics he covered in them. But they seemed disconnected from the whole. Not all of them even seemed that focused on the idea of humility or Godward self-perception. Good material, but to what end?
Instead of an argument built on several lines of reasoning, which is how the book seems to be designed. It seemed to me to be one argument made, with some essays loosely attached to the topic added on. I can see where a lot of these trains of thought can lead back to the main argument. But I look to an author for that work, to show how
The one thing I tripped on more than once was Thompson’s tone—it frequently struck me as less-than-gracious or compassionate. Generally, within a couple of pages, he’d say something to mitigate what I perceived as harshness (or something like that). But I think it’d be best to not need that mitigation.
That said, I fully expect to be in the minority on this. I think many readers will benefit from this book and not get hung up on those things I did.
I liked enough of this to recommend it to you—but just enough. If you do read it, come back and tell me where I’m wrong, okay?
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