Mark Fugitt is wondering why nearly unlimited access to the Bible today has not had a bigger impact — specifically, why it has not made people holier in general.
And the Southwest Missouri pastor is exploring this question in his latest book, “Quiet Time: The Past, Present, and Potential Power of Personal Bible Study,” recently announced by Leafwood Publishers.
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Fugitt has deep roots in Southern Baptist life. Both grandfathers were long-time Southern Baptist pastors in Missouri, Oklahoma and California, and his father currently serves as a pastor in Norwood, Missouri. Fugitt spent years working on the church planting and replanting teams for the Missouri Baptist Convention while serving as a North American Mission Board church replanter. He currently serves as a rural pastor at Little Creek Baptist Church where the parsonage is actually a 40-acre farm outside of Hartville, Missouri. He is also the Campus Coordinator for the Mountain Grove branch of Missouri State University-West Plains.
Learning from past
In his book, Fugitt takes a closer look at how past Christians thought and fought for the ability to not only spend time with Scripture but to learn how to get the most out of it. The book ends by considering how some of these key ideas of the past can positively impact present-day Christians who are looking for something more.
“’Quiet Time’ is a wise and measured journey through the history of personal Bible reading and devotion,” said Trevin Wax, of the North American Mission Board. “Mark Fugitt shows himself to be open-hearted toward believers in other cultures and eras, eager to learn from their practices, while never losing sight of the extraordinary privilege we enjoy today with Scripture so accessible and so many tools available to help us understand and internalize God’s Word. Historical research and spiritual reflection, held together beautifully.”
Fugitt is a historian of religion and holds five degrees including a Ph.D. in biblical studies and historical theology from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
His work has been featured in Christianity Today, NPR, and the Los Angeles Times. This is Fugitt’s second title. “Lost Shepherd: What Believers Once Knew about Psalm 23 That the Modern World Has Forgotten” came out in 2023. Both books are available for order and preorder wherever books are sold online. “Quiet Time” releases Sept. 22.
