This work offers a window into the shape of the thought of the Anglican priest and eighteenth-century revivalist John Wesley. Knight uncovers the peculiar theology of the Great Awakening pioneer, illuminating his passion for the gospel and vision for church renewal. Knight is an ordained United Methodist Church elder and the Donald and Pearl Wright Professor of Wesleyan Studies and E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at the Saint Paul School of Theology.

The book journeys through Wesley’s main contribution to Christian thought, his soteriology. Knight considers Wesley’s thought in light of the Moravian and Calvinist controversies, his unique emphasis on the restoration of the imago Dei, theology of grace, practical ethic of love, and later controversies (such as the nature of Christian perfection and view of the church). Concluding chapters explore Wesley’s theology of revival, eschatology, and the heart of his soteriology—the reality of renewing grace through divine love.

Wesley’s legacy endures as an architect of the Great Awakening and one of the foremost theologians of the eighteenth century. He adopted an Arminian soteriology in a revival championed by new light Calvinists like Jonathan Edwards. Wesley conceded the Augustinian principle of original sin and total depravity (or deprivation); however, his concept of prevenient grace underscored the reality of a moral conscience whereby one possessed the ability to cooperate with God’s saving grace. His cooperationist perspective allowed him to circumvent the deterministic implications of predestination. As Knight describes, Wesley’s salient soteriological contribution remains his “optimism of grace,” rooted in the transformative character of the Spirit’s work from conversion through the entire way of salvation. Wesley’s optimism allowed him to move from original sin to the often-controversial concept of “Christian perfection” (or “entire sanctification”). Knight underscores the nuances of Wesley’s view of Christian perfection, consisting in the synthesis of “instantaneous” and “gradual” sanctification. If early on in his career Wesley admitted one could achieve absolute perfection (“as an angel”) and “immunity from both error and temptation” in this life, his thinking subsequently matured, transcending the dualism that pitted direct experience against means of grace (108–9).

The intellectual legacy of Wesley is accented by the way he suspended inherited dichotomies. Alongside his synthesis of instantaneous and gradual sanctification, he reconciled the antinomian opposition between Christ’s imputed righteousness and practical holiness in addition to conflicting theologies of revival. In response to antinomian dualism, Wesley advocated the living out of saving grace; accordingly, one is “justified by faith alone, but genuine faith is given to those who have repentant hearts and lives” (113). While Wesley was concerned with the goal of personal salvation, it was only of initial consequence—he constantly looked beyond individual justification to sanctification and the “spreading of holiness throughout the earth” (127). Similarly, Wesley’s theology of revivalism hinged on a sovereign work of God that is both precipitous (“sudden”) and measured (“gentle”). Quoting from Wesley’s “The General Spread of the Gospel,” a revival might begin as “a shower, a torrent of grace” but more generally will “silently increase wherever it is set up” (in Knight, 128).

Among the principal contributions of the book is Knight’s pneumatological reflection on Wesley’s soteriology. Wesley’s goal of a new creation and restoration of the imago Dei in every believer was achieved by the perfecting (renewing) work of love through the Spirit. As Knight describes:

That our renewal in love is a work of divine power led Wesley to develop a more dynamic theology of the Holy Spirit than his Protestant predecessors. Grace for Wesley was much more than divine favor, which then and now is often construed in such a way as to leave persons fundamentally unchanged rather than as entry into a transformative relationship with God. Grace at its heart is the power of the Holy Spirit; thus, we can approach God with an expectant, although not a presumptive, faith (143).

While Wesley admitted that divine power is expressed in the miraculous, its foremost purpose was renewal—transformation and perfecting, through relationship, into the likeness of God. John Wesley: Optimist of Grace is a first-rate introduction into the theology of the revivalist and founder of Methodism. This work will appeal to scholars and laypersons alike interested in the heart of Wesley’s thought and Wesleyan theology.

Reviewed by Paul J. Palma

Publisher’s page: https://wipfandstock.com/9781625648389/john-wesley/

On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand and cast a wishful eye,

To Canaan’s fair and happy land where my possessions lie,

I am bound for the Promised Land, I am bound for the Promised Land,

Oh who will come and go with me, I am bound for the Promised Land!

Years afterward, I remember my mother saying of that event, “When the pastor put me under the water I thought I would sink out of sight — but when he raised me up I felt like I would soar into the heavens.” She said it well. A glorious resurrection awaits our burial with Christ. We normally think of Baptism and Communion as being separate Christian events. In reality, they are dual-expressions of one perfect experience of the believers’ identification with Christ. We should not receive one sacrament and neglect the other. Hear me carefully: In Baptism we are visibly put into the Body of Christ; in Communion, the Body of Christ is visibly put into us. This public-identification with Christ acknowledges us as being “heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ.” Romans 8:17.One of the medieval Christian fathers described the duality of this relationship with God in this way: He said, “Thou art in Christ and Christ in thee, knit together inseparably, so that one cannot be parted from the other …”

There is a unification of Old and New Testament truths in this Baptism/Communion example which we have rarely fathomed. The revelation is clearly laid before us in illustrations both of Moses and Christ. We have a parallel of this in salvation when the Holy Spirit puts Christ into us–and in spiritual-baptism when Jesus puts us into the Holy Spirit. Some may object to this language but careful Bible study will show it to be true. Romans 6:3-4. Galatians 3:26-29. Acts 1:5. In an identical way, Israel was baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. In the first, the water of the cloud descended upon them; in the second, they descended into the water of the sea. I Corinthians 10:2. This dual-baptism is the ideal portrayal of Baptism in the Spirit and baptism in water. One is visible, the other invisible, but both are available to us. Peter carefully explain that water-baptism does not result in the “removal of the filth of the flesh,” or being born-again, but is the “answer of a good conscience towards God,”1 Peter 3:21.

Image: Vince Fleming

David Rhea, the young man from Tennessee who has traveled with me since 2000, was water-baptized during the revival at the Brownsville Outpouring in Pensacola, Florida, 1995-2000. Two pastors accompanied him into the pool but in the moment he was immersed, the power of God hit the water like a lightning-bolt, knocked the pastors to the sides of the tank, left David electrified, comatose, floating on the surface of the pool. Men watching from the sideline raced into the baptistry and carried him out. What happened? God attested the validity of the Baptism to the congregation and filled David afresh with the Holy Spirit. Such events should be commonplace when believers are “buried with Christ”. If it isn’t happening it is because the modern Church is giving converts less than Jesus provided. At Christ The Rock Church where Laurie and I worshiped in Boca Raton, Florida, years ago, worship was frequently attested by the miraculous presence of God. Perry Comas was pastor. Regarding our identification with Christ in baptism, Paul explained in Romans 6:1-15:

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not resent your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

The Apostle enlarges this concept when he wrote the Galatians, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” 3:26.

Communion

Image: David Weber

Of Communion, Paul said, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). In “proclaiming the Lord’s death,” we formally declare that we now share in the death He died for us. That is, we have been “crucified with Christ,” have expired to this life, been buried with Him in the grave of baptism, and raised again to “walk in newness of life.” What He did in actuality, we receive in surrogate-adoption. In this understanding it is impossible to separate the unity of Baptism and Communion. Paul’s writings regarding Communion fortify the statement of Jesus who said of the bread and wine, “Take, eat, this is My body.” Matthew 26:26. That is, in the analogy of His being the “Bread of Life”, He is entering us. In Baptism, we are entering Him. Baptism and Communion are both outward expressions of one inward experience. When combined, they provide a complete identification of the believer in his relationship of “Christ in him and he in Christ”.

Jesus and the Disciples 

Luke 22:14-22: “When the hour had come, Jesus sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, ‘With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, ‘Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in *remembrance of Me.’ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table. And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!’” (The Greek translation says, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” anámnesis = To “recall” = to “recollect” in the sense to “call back”; “ana” = repeat, return, do again, more than mere remembrance but to “re-experience”. To remind; reflexively to recollect: – call to mind, bring to, call to, put in, remember. “Memorial” recreates the event. Much more than mental recall. Luke 22:19).

The careless attitude typifying much of the Evangelical Church regarding both Baptism and Communion is staggering. We have demoted these holy observances to casual formalities. How dare we! How dare we make anything God provided in tribute to His Son as our perfunctory ceremony! How dare we insult the Cross and the grace that flows from it! We Protestants criticize Catholics for their ritual–while, instead–we should approach the Lord’s Table in the same fervent desire of which Jesus spoke–covering our faces, groaning in the awareness of our sin, and at the same time bursting into inexpressible joy and celebration for His grace! An incredible chaos of emotions? Yes.

Baptism 

Image: Jametlene Reskp

Baptism in water is our public declaration, that, like the grain of wheat falling into the ground, its outer shell dying but its inner-life being freed to come forth, so we also have died to the self-life and its carnal ambitions, have been literally buried with Christ in a grave of water, and been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. Above all else, baptism is a proclamation of our total surrender and submission to Jesus Christ. With Paul we may then say that “We have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless we live, yet not ourselves, but Christ lives in us, and the life which we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God who loves us and gave Himself for us.” Philippians 2:5-16: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus …”

Baptism in water should be attended with miraculous signs, exorcisms of demons, fillings of the Holy Spirit, and other holy attestations. Tertullian, ad160-225, the greatest theologian of his day, in instructing new believers said they should rise from the water of baptism, praying, and expecting the charismatic gifts of the Spirit to come upon them.

Baptismal Hymn

On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand,

And cast a wishful eye

To Canaan’s fair and happy land,

Where my possessions lie.

Chorus:

I am bound for the promised land,

I am bound for the promised land;

Oh who will come and go with me?

I am bound for the promised land.

O the transporting, rapturous scene,

That rises to my sight!

Sweet fields arrayed in living green,

And rivers of delight!

O’er all those wide extended plains

Shines one eternal day;

There God the Son forever reigns,

And scatters night away.

No chilling winds nor poisonous breath

Can reach that healthful shore;

Sickness and sorrow, pain and death,

Are felt and feared no more.

When I shall reach that happy place,

I’ll be forever blest,

For I shall see my Father’s face,

And in His bosom rest

I am bound for the Promised Land …

PR

From Charles Carrin Ministries monthly newsletter, Gentle Conquest (September 2020). Originally published as “Thou Art in Christ — And Christ in Thee!” Used with permission. http://www.charlescarrinministries.com/gentleconquest

John Piper did not attempt to add another biography of William Wilberforce’s life. He has instead probed to find the source of what motivated Wilberforce to spend his life for the abolition of slavery in Britain. Piper documented his source material effectively, demonstrating that he has read both primary and secondary literature and is able to point readers to where they also may find the treasured quotations of Wilberforce. Piper has made a unique contribution to the study of Wilberforce because he has directed the reader how to apply the lesson of this great man’s life and how to incorporate faith with practice. Wilberforce proves the success of faith infused politics.

It is essential to read biographical stories for more than inspiration; we must read with an ear to hear what they are attempting to teach us. Piper focuses the reader’s attention on the powerful motivating force that under-girded the legendary tenacity of Wilberforce, who spent his political career to secure the emancipation of the slaves of Great Britain. Piper leads the reader through repetitive probing to consider how the Christian faith of Wilberforce compelled him to endure failure and yet remain steadfast until he successfully transformed both parliament and the opinion of a nation.

The brevity of the book condenses the life story of William Wilberforce into an easy read of a couple hours. It contains sufficient information of his life and contribution, to enable one to be conversant of this man, without taxing the time of one who is too busy to read extensively. The essential highlights of his Christian witness emphasize the influence of his faith, in the realm of political legislation; this synthesis is central to Piper’s message. To read this book is to grasp quickly the basic story and moral influence that the faith of William Wilberforce had on the social injustice of slavery.

Reviewed by John R. Miller

Author’s page, where you may download eBook versions without cost (as of July 21, 2017): http://www.desiringgod.org/books/amazing-grace-in-the-life-of-william-wilberforce

 

This review was originally published on the Pneuma Foundation website on August 24, 2007. The Pneuma Foundation is the parent organization of PneumaReview.com.

In Frank Matera’s God’s Saving Grace: A Pauline Theology the author considers with careful and solid scholarship the totality of Paul’s themes in the canonical thirteen letters of scripture. Matera, a Roman Catholic and professor of Biblical Studies at Catholic University of America, Washington D.C., speaks as a scholar who studied Reformation teaching. He recaptures Pauline theology, succinctly unwrapping the apostle’s original framework concerning salvation in Jesus Christ. Utilizing Paul’s conversion experience and call, he builds a case that the grace of God remains the foundation for the apostle’s soteriology. In Ephesians 2:8-9 (NRSV) he states “for by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God-not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” Matera writes, Paul “no longer knows God except in Christ;”(248) therefore, there is nothing that sustains him but Christ alone. Again, he continues, “once the mystery of God’s redemptive plan has been revealed, however, it is clear that there has always been one plan, which is revealed in Christ”(248). Through the motif of the saving grace of Jesus, Matera outlines the meaning of salvation and redemption in his book.

Ch 1 A Pauline Theology of God’s Grace

Ch 2 Paul’s Experience of God’s Saving Grace

Paul’s calling and apostleship is grounded in the Damascus Road christophany (Acts 9) where he encountered with Christ. In Gal. 1:13-2:21, the apostle’s autobiography divulges this defining moment of his life. Matera indicates that a number of his letters commence with the launching of his apostleship by “the will of God” (1 Cor. 1:1). Paul defends his ministry with the Damascus christophany as his conversion was both a transformation and calling in one event. As Matera examines each of the three accounts of his christophany recorded in Acts 9, 22, 26, he writes that Paul’s commission was of divine origin, built on the kerygma of the cross of Christ (1 Cor. 1:18). Hence, he observes “Paul’s call, his gospel, and his apostleship are intimately related to each other” (42). Matera’s Pauline theology, is established in the Damascus Road christophany, and in that momentous event, Christ became the focus of the apostle’s life.

Tim Morris and Don Petcher, Science & Grace: God’s Reign in the Natural Sciences (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2006), 352 pages, ISBN 9781581345490.

Morris (PhD in cellular and molecular biology) and Petcher (PhD in elementary particle physics) originally hoped to write a book about a theology of science for an explicitly Evangelical audience that had some familiarity with the science and religion dialogue. They realized, however, after beginning that a more general audience would also benefit from an introduction to a Christian perspective of the relation between science and religion. The main goal of the book, in fact, is to suggest ways in which the people of God can think faithfully about science, and yet not allow science to dictate the meaning of the gospel. Morris and Petcher thus attempt to develop a “theology of science” (i.e., science shaped by theology) that employs Christian convictions about God’s faithfulness to his creation. While more and more scientific advancements seem to challenge basic beliefs in Christianity, the authors assert that there is truly no dissonance between the two when viewed appropriately. Science and religion, according to the authors, dovetail nicely and both serve to increase the adoration of God.

Morris and Petcher successfully provide a Christian perspective as to the power of science as well as its limitations. For those who see their science as separate from their faith, this book will be challenging. Morris and Petcher discuss how science is inextricably tied to one’s worldview. Therefore, the interpretations of scientific analyses impact one’s worldview.

Tim Morris

Don Petcher

A basic outline of the book could be presented as discussions of four relations: 1) humanity’s relation to God, 2) humanity’s relation to itself, 3) humanity’s relation to the world, and 4) God’s relation to the world. Pneuma Review readers would be well served by a close reading of the first three chapters of this book, as Morris and Petcher give a wonderful review of the rise of the scientific methodology in the modern world. I will focus my review, however, upon the second section of this book wherein Morris and Petcher attempt to emphasize the centrality of the Trinity in the original creation, its redemption, and the sustenance of creation. Morris and Petcher, both, are Reformed in their theology. As a consequence, their theological extrapolations may be at odds with various readers of the Pneuma Review. For example, in speaking of the Trinitarian roles within creation and its sustenance, they assert that the persons of the Trinity have essentially the same roles as they have in redemption. Implicit, then, is primacy given to Christ in creation and somewhat relegating the Spirit to a peripheral role. One perceives a strong Christological focus throughout this book. For example, many of the roles traditionally given to the Spirit within the Trinity are given to Christ by Morris and Petcher in this book. It seems to me that they errantly equate Trinitarian with Christological. This way they reassert the Son’s activity within the created world but perhaps unintentionally denigrate the Spirit’s role within the world. In fact, Morris and Petcher relegate the Spirit’s role to be one of mere sustenance within the created world (107). In so doing, Morris and Petcher seemingly belie the opening chapter of Genesis. It is evident that the Spirit was the member of the Trinity that was the immediate cause of order arising from primal chaos (Genesis 1:2). My criticisms of their expansive Christological focus notwithstanding, Morris and Petcher have produced a fine introduction to university students and laymen alike regarding how Christians should approach the science and religion debate. All in all, this book is ultimately concerned with viewing creation as an expression of the glory of God.

Reviewed by Bradford McCall

Publisher’s page: http://www.crossway.org/books/science-and-grace-tpb/

Marshall Shelley and Eric Reed, “Finding the Grace Gates: An interview with Pastor Joseph Garlington” Leadership (Spring 1999), pages 22-28.

Pastor Garlington is the pastor of Covenant Church of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a frequent speaker and worship leader at Promise Keeper events nationwide. “Finding the Grace Gates” focuses on the role of pastors as the “lead worshiper” of their congregations. Pastor Garlington relates many personal stories and experiences in explaining how to help people recognize holy moments (what Garlington calls “God moments”) in worship. He expounds on the term repristination, a word borrowed from the writings of Garry Wills, as he explains how worship must be renewed for every generation for them to properly understand its meaning. The role of the lead worshiper, he says, is “to lead by example”, and to “…not get in the way.” The key is leading people into an awareness of God’s presence and then teaching them to linger in it. Garlington stresses the importance of teaching people to find “grace gates”. “When I am most conscious of my inadequacy, my dependence upon God, and upon His sufficiency, that’s when I have a ‘grace gate’—the inrush of the grace of God for me for a particular reason, a particular season in my life… . My responsibility as lead worshiper is to help my congregation find the gate. You get a thousand people in a room and there’s somebody out there who has broken the law. And there’s somebody else who’s had the best week ever, and there’s everything in between. I have to get these people to understand that they all have access to the presence of God.”

Finding the Grace Gates provides many keen insights for anyone who leads worship or is interested in deepening their knowledge of Scriptural worship methods.

Reviewed by Joseph Joslin

Read the original article: www.ctlibrary.com/le/1999/spring/9l2022.html