Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life

Whitney stands as one of evangelicalism’s most influential voices on Christian spiritual formation, combining decades of pastoral ministry with academic scholarship to help believers pursue spiritual growth. His ministry journey began in local pastoral work, where he served for 24 years, including almost 15 years as pastor of Glenfield Baptist Church in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. This extensive pastoral experience provided the practical foundation that would later inform his academic work on biblical spirituality. He earned his doctorate from the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa, and his transition to seminary education began at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, where he served from 1995 to 2005. He then moved to Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, as professor of biblical spirituality and associate dean. In 2024, he returned to Midwestern, where he began to serve as professor of biblical spirituality and the John H. Powell endowed chair of pastoral ministry.

Whitney’s most significant contribution to Christian literature came with the 1991 publication of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, which became a standard text on spiritual formation in evangelical circles. He has also authored several other books, including How Can I Be Sure I’m a Christian?,