Revival and Revivalism

Understanding the current American church scene is like trying to understand the property of leaves in a wind-tunnel, or maybe like nailing jello to a wall. It seems nigh impossible. Enter Mr. Iain Murray. He digs to the roots of the current kudzu and reveals the noxious weeds for what they are. At the same time, he reveals the forest of the ancient trees and the calm meadows of genuine evangelical faith. Excellent, excellent, excellent.

This is a book to keep.

I think this is a very important book. It was rather an emotional read for me, and made me both rejoice and be sorrowful. It is not just a history; but contains much on the practical outworkings of doctrine, and even a great work on genuine spirituality, genuine Christianity. I am left with much hope and desire for God to likewise perform marvelous works of grace in our day, and also a desire to study the men of generations past. It is remarkable how much the terrain of American Christianity was marred during the 1830s and beyond, and how we still are feeling the effects of it today. It makes me want to study more of what it (the men, their preaching, evangelism, etc.) was like prior to that grand and most unpleasant shift.

This is an outstanding book. It really should be mandatory reading for every prospective minister. So many of the fallacies of contemporary church life and ministry are a result of this shift from revival to revivalism and the related shift from orthodoxy to semi-pelagianism.

Arguably one of THE great books on the subject of revival. If you have read Charles Finney and Leonard Ravenhill you need to read this book. No doubt, their zeal for God was commendable. Ravenhill, in particular, continues to have an impact on my life. Yet, both men misunderstood revival, and Finney more so than Ravenhill. This book corrects many of those errors and explains how the modern concept of revival has evolved.