Soul Keeping by John Ortberg
Week 3: Chapter 2 — What Is the Soul?
Read Chapter 2 of Soul Keeping by John Ortberg. Key passage: Genesis 2:7; Matthew 11:28–30.
Previewing Week 3 of Soul Keeping
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
Before you can care for your soul, you need to know what it is — and Ortberg's answer may surprise you. Read with a spirit of discovery rather than confirmation.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Ortberg draws on Dallas Willard's definition of the soul as the organizing center of a person — the part that integrates everything else (mind, will, body, social relationships, soul). In your own words, what does it mean for the soul to be an 'integrating center'? What happens when that center fails to hold?
2.Ortberg uses the image of a river and its banks — the soul is like the banks that give shape and direction to the water of life flowing through you. What happens to a river without banks? How does that image apply to a person whose soul is disordered?
3.Ortberg makes the point that the soul is not the same as the spirit, the mind, or the emotions — though it encompasses all of these. Were you surprised by this distinction? How does clarifying what the soul is change how you think about caring for it?