Escaping the Matrix: Setting Your Mind Free to Experience Real Life in Christ

by Gregory A. Boyd; Al Larson

Publisher:

Baker

, 2005

Overview

Escaping the Matrix poses the question: What is in control of your mind? Like the characters in The Matrix movie trilogy, our minds can get hardwired to distortions that lie so deep within us that we aren’t even aware of them, such as habitual sin, thought patterns, damaged emotions, or even phobias. In Escaping the Matrix, pastor Gregory Boyd and counselor Al Larson bring together the biblical and neurological truths behind such struggles. Their practical examples and exercises will help you transform your thought processes to experience a deeper life in Christ.

In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• Poses the question: What is in control of your mind?
• Focuses on biblical and neurological truths
• Includes practical examples and exercises

Contents

• A Splinter in Your Mind: Waking Up to the Matrix
• Interpreting Electrical Signals: The Magnificent Brain and Its Neural-Nets
• Entering the Matrix: Exploring the Nature of Thought
• Waging War within the Matrix: Learning How to Take Thoughts Captive
• Opening Up Our Eyes: Getting Free from Matrix Images of God
• Taking the Red Pill: Experiencing the True You
• The Kiss of Trinity: Experiencing Freedom to Love
• Matrix Revolutions: Overcoming Wounding Memories
• Finding the Road That Leads Out: Overcoming Depression

Top Highlights

“And the most amazing and least understood aspect of the brain is its ability to interact with the spirit.” (Page 33)

“All of our emotions toward God are associated with our mental images of him” (Page 97)

“real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain” (Page 7)

“turn our tragedies, even our past failures, to our favor so that we become more than we otherwise would have been.” (Page 37)

“You perhaps sincerely believe what the Bible says is true, but you don’t experience it as real most of the time.” (Page 14)

Praise for the Print Edition

In Escaping the Matrix, Gregory A. Boyd and Al Larson have represented the how-to of giving your hurts and pains to the Lord. They brilliantly utilize the metaphors from the recent movie series The Matrix as a framework for the book, which contributes to making this a most enjoyable read.

—Bobby G. Bodenhamer, cofounder, Institute of Neuro-Semantics

The authors take a very complex dilemma for Christians and give understandable simple biblical explanations of the dilemma. Then they provide easily implementable exercises to enable Christians to overcome and experience a victorious life in Christ. Utilizing the metaphor of the matrix, as popularized in the movies, they show how we can get caught up in the matrix of lies of the great deceiver and how we can escape the matrix of lies and obtain the real life in Christ that Christ intended all of his followers to possess. This is a must read book for Christians desiring to grow in their relationship with Christ and desiring to assist others in finding real life in Christ.

—Stanley H. McCreary, professor of Christian counseling, Central Christian College of the Bible

As Jesus used stories powerfully for communicating, so have Boyd and Larson. They have taken the story and central idea within the movie The Matrix and have used it to describe many of the processes regarding how we actually “renew our mind” in the process of transformation. I’m impressed with this work as being well-grounded in Scripture, current in the neurosciences, and practical for everyday living. It is a must read for every pastor, counselor, coach, teacher, and parent.

—L. Michael Hall, author, The Matrix Model

Product Details

• Title: Escaping the Matrix: Setting Your Mind Free to Experience Real Life in Christ
• Authors: Gregory A. Boyd, Al Larson
• Publisher: Baker
• Print Publication Date: 2005
• Logos Release Date: 2014
• Pages: 224
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Matrix (Motion picture); Motion pictures › Religious aspects--Christianity
• ISBNs: 9781441220172, 080106533, 9780801065330, 1441220178, 080106533X
• Resource ID: LLS:ESCAPINGMATRIX
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-29T23:42:21Z

About Gregory A. Boyd

Gregory A. Boyd graduated with honors from Yale Divinity School and Princeton Theological Seminary, and he was a professor of theology at Bethel University for 16 years. He is the founder and senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. Boyd has also authored or coauthored numerous books and academic articles.