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Title: Five Views on Sanctification by Melvin Dieter, Anthony A. Hoekema, J. Robertson McQuilkin, John F. Walvoord, Greg L. Bahnsen ISBN: 0-310-21269-3 Publisher: Zondervan Pub. Date: 10 October, 1996 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.33 (3 reviews)
Rating: 2
Summary: too many similar opinions
Comment: Having read other "Five Views" books before, I really looked forward to this one. However after finishing the book I was somewhat disappointed. Of the five views presented, only three of them struck me as really different from each other: the Wesleyan, Reformed, and dispensational views. The Pentecostal and Keswick views sounded far to similar to the other three to justify their inclusion. In fact, the responses of the authors to each other's essays was almost always "this view is so similar to mine." While that was nice because the debate was never uncharitable, it really just seemed too repetitive.
It would have been better to keep the three views I mentioned above, the Wesleyan, Reformed, and dispensational, and added a fourth view that was tragically not mentioned in the book: the so-called "Oberlin" view of sanctification. This was the view propounded by Charles Finney and Asa Mahan. Though Oberlin professors themselves had slightly different views on the subject, President Fairchild best pinned it down in that Oberlin sanctification does not have the "second blessing" distinctive that Wesleyan sanctification has, but does teach that it is possible to obey God completely. That view is very important historically, and as I said, was not even mentioned in the book.
There are however, occassional discussions in the book that I found myself appreciating that were well referenced.
As it stands now, I'd not highly recommend this book. I would recommend "Wholeness in Christ" by Greathouse for a good presentation of Wesleyan sanctification. Then I'd say to pick up another book (though I haven't found a great one yet) for a presentation of Reformed sanctification. I think the only way to learn about Oberlin sanctification is to read older books by Finney on the subject.
Rating: 4
Summary: Very Insightful Study on Sanctification
Comment: I had to read this book while taking a college course on ethics. I found the studies to be very thought provoking with some having stronger, biblical arguments than others.
I had some problems with the strong remarks held by Dieter and Hoekma for Stanley Horton, the only Pentecostal of the five scholars. Horton, a very graceful and well educated man whom I have met, gave an excellent treatment to the Assemblies of God approach to the doctrine of sanctification. Dieter (Wesleyan) and Hoekma (Refomed) treated Horton with much contempt while not arguing against his points using various texts to back up their points.
I would encourage you, if you are like me and you enjoy studying various theological camps on many issues, this is a book you will enjoy reading.
Rating: 4
Summary: Good Examination of the most influential views
Comment: The New Testament exhorts Christians to "walk in the Spirit". What does that look like practically? How does the evangelical church teach believers how to "be holy" as God is holy? Too often we do not critically examine our teaching -- and the consideration of our teaching against other evangelical views that attempt to do justice to Scripture is often very helpful in evaluating our own position. That is precisely the reason why this book is helpful. This book allows you to read proponents of the views in their own words -- which is a helpful antidote against the mischaracterization that can sometimes occur in a standard theology text.
That being said, because all 5 indeed attempt to do justice to all of Scripture, they are actually not that far different from one another. Where they differ is in nuanced visions of sin, "walking in the Spirit", the question of the old v. new nature struggle, and in "being filled with the Spirit".
Don't be put off if the terms "Keswick" and "Augustinian-Dispensational" are unfamiliar to you. They are actually very common views in evangelical Christianity -- and related forms of both are taught throughout the evangelical Christian church (just not often identified by those terms)! Two very well-known ministries that espouse Keswick teaching are the Christian and Missionary Alliance and Campus Crusade for Christ. "Augustinian-Dispensational" is just a term Walvoord uses to identify the teaching on personal holiness which has been historically associated with Augustine, the early Reformers, and many dispensational and Bible churches today. You'll find it in Jerry Bridges' "Pursuit of Holiness", and probably much other contemporary Christian devotional and theological literature. It basically contends that the old and new natures are alive and active within the Christian believer, whereas the modern Reformed view is that the old nature is empirically dead.
Especially interesting is how each author traces the historical development of the teaching.
I did not find Dieter's and Horton's arguments to be well-defended from Scripture. Fundamentally, I find that the Wesleyan understanding of sin as applying only to intential wrong-doing and the Pentecostal understanding of being "baptized in the Spirit" as referring to charismatic experience are both problematic. The other three make compelling arguments from Scripture, but I must bark this note of caution: all of the authors make too much of the Greek verb tense! Unfortunately, the arguement of the tense of Greek verbs in the New Testament is only a good indicator, not a firm foundation, particularly the aorist -- which does not have to refer to a fixed past event! Rather, the aorist is best described as "undefined" and somewhat fluid in meaning. So we hold must hold exquisitely nuanced theological positions on sanctification in humility -- clinging to the essentials and allowing for some apparent paradox (Paul loves to say again and again in his epistles that 'you have put off the old nature' and then implore his readers later to 'put off the old nature'!).
May God bless you as you read this fine exploration of this important topic of faith and practice.
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