Dwelling in Christ

Discover the Threefold Path of Spiritual Transformation

by Jonathan R. Bailey
Foreword by Richard J. Foster

Dwelling in Christ

Paperback

$19.99

Length: 192 pages
Dimensions: 5.5 × 8.5 in
Published: September 01, 2026
Imprint: IVP Formatio
ISBN: 9781514014189

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From Transactional Faith to Transformational Life in Christ

Are you tired of feeling stuck in your faith? Do you long for real, lasting spiritual transformation that feels relational rather than formulaic?

Like many Christians, you may feel as if you're living in a cycle of fits and starts, seeking to grow closer to God but feeling disillusioned in your faith. In a culture of hustle and hurry, maybe you long to trade a transactional faith for a transformational relationship with God.

In Dwelling in Christ, Jonathan R. Bailey reintroduces the Threefold Way—an ancient, time-tested path of Christian spirituality. Moving beyond quick fixes and performance-based faith, this well-worn path offers a practical movement through three stages for growing in Christlikeness over a lifetime.

Discover anew how to walk the Threefold Way:

Purgation: Learn to release the harmful and unloving things that pull you away from God.
Illumination: Dwell more deeply in God's presence as you intentionally and gradually align your heart more and more with his.
Union: Experience an ever-deepening friendship with God that increasingly transforms you into Christlikeness from the inside out.

Aided by the wisdom of ancient monastics, contemporary theologians, and thoughtful reflections on his own spiritual journey, Bailey invites you to trade the illusion of control for the reality of love. In continuity with spiritual voices such as Dallas Willard and Richard Foster, this book offers a hopeful and practical way of life through retrieving a framework reaching back into theearliest centuries of the church. With Dwelling in Christ, be free from chasing quick fixes and enter the steady, lifelong journey of becoming like Christ.

REVIEWS

"If you're weary of formulaic spirituality and yearning for a deeper life with God, Dwelling in Christ will be a welcome companion on the journey. With clarity and wisdom, Jonathan R. Bailey draws from the rich tradition of the Threefold Way to offer a compelling vision of how genuine transformation in Christ unfolds through intentional rhythms of grace."Tim Wildsmith, pastor and author of Daily Scripture Guidebook

"With beautifully crafted phrases and sentences, Jonathan R. Bailey draws us into the eternal journey for which we have been created. Drawing upon the timeless wisdom of the ancient Threefold Way—purgation, illumination, union—he stirs our heart's desire to become reflectors of God's self-giving love. Most helpfully, he shares generously from his own learnings and failures to provide us with an accessible map for our own pilgrimage into our mutual indwelling with Christ. Our times cry out for fresh voices who will become our companions and guides along this Way. I give joyful thanks for this voice!"Trevor Hudson, author of Discovering Our Spiritual Identity and In Search of God's Will

"In Dwelling in Christ, Jonathan R. Bailey unwraps the often-missed contours of a truly relational life with God. I'm so grateful he helps us replace dry, transactional approaches with personal ways of interacting with God."Jan Johnson, author of Meeting God in Scripture and chair of Dallas Willard Ministries

"Jonathan R. Bailey walks us through not only his journey but all our journeys, following the Threefold Way of purgation, illumination, and union—an ancient, clear, simple, balanced, reliable structure for spiritual growth that accommodates our own unique path. No quick fix is offered, but if you want to grow and change, this is your manual. The writing is honest and beautiful, inviting and at times heartbreaking. This book did for me what all great books do—it made me want to do what it prescribes."James Bryan Smith, author of The Good and Beautiful God

"Not many can walk the tightrope of faithfully bringing forward ancient Christian wisdom about growing closer to God while keeping it accessible for everyday people. Jonathan R. Bailey sticks the landing."Ted Harro, president of Renovaré

“Jonathan R. Bailey’s Dwelling in Christ is a rare, outstanding debut—beautiful, wise, and precise. He seamlessly translates ancient Christian wisdom regarding purgation, illumination, and transformation for the contemporary reader. It is clear Jonathan has written this from a place of deep communion with God, having practiced what he preaches and having walked through suffering. In a culture of anemic Christianity, this book is a breath of fresh air. Energizing. It is robust and solid food, not a formula but a practical field guide. Jonathan offers both recollections of the pathway trodden by saints in the past and a direct and gracious invitation for us to follow in their footsteps. It is what Dallas Willard called a curriculum for Christlikeness. This book is a gold mine of practical wisdom for anyone depending on God’s grace to become like Jesus. It’s phenomenal.”Marlena Graves, author of The Way Up Is Down and Bearing God

"The stories of the Christian saints can seem remote and fantastic. How could ordinary people embody such generous love and courageous faith? In this book, Jonathan R. Bailey sets out to answer that question by leading us in the ancient ways of purgation, illumination, and union. In this practical, compassionate, and personal book, he explores how we can walk the same Threefold Way that transformed the stories and souls of the church's earliest witnesses and can form us powerfully today as well. This book will be a gift to those who crave a way to move beyond a faith that is merely performed, to a life shaped by deepening prayer and growing joy."Sarah Clarkson, author of Reclaiming Quiet

"I am so grateful for Jonathan Bailey's work on Christian formation. He has played no small role in helping me learn to let Christ and his Word dwell in me."Justin Whitmel Earley, CEO of Avodah Legal and author of The Common Rule and The Body Teaches the Soul

Foreword by Richard J. Foster

1. From Walking the Aisle to Walking a Path: Awakening

Part 1: Purgation: From Performing for God to Participating with God
2. Abandoning Quick Fixes for a Long Journey: Training
3. Giving Up Certainty to Embrace Mystery: Affliction
4. Releasing Perfection for Progress: Temptation

Part 2: Illumination: From Trying to Be a Christian to Becoming like Christ
5. Replacing Inspiration with Intention: Rule of Life
6. Letting Go of Bargaining for Breathing: Prayer
7. Surrendering Pretense for Patience: Humility

Part 3: Union: From Religious Maturity to Relational Intimacy
8. Relinquishing the Need to Be Seen for the Gift of Seeing Others: Glory
9. Trading the Illusion of Control for the Reality of Love: Charity
10. From the Status of Arrival to the Joy of Endless Becoming: Ascent

Acknowledgments
Notes
Resources