Product Description

Charismatic renewal has at the core of its ideology an aspiration for revival. This is a laudable aspiration, but in recent years, in the absence of a large-scale evangelistic impact, it has encouraged a faddist mentality among church leaders.

The Gospel-Driven Church documents this development and the numerous theological and pastoral distortions that take place when genuine revival fervor transmutes into revivalism. Moreover, Stackhouse aims to show how a retrieval of some of the core practices of the church, such as preaching, sacraments, the laying of hands, and prayer is essential at this crucial stage in the trajectory of the renewal movement in the UK. He commends to church leaders a recovery of these means of grace—including Spirit baptism—as a way of keeping the church centered on gospel rather than mere pragmatic concerns about size and numbers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1620679 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 291 pages

About the Author
Ian Stackhouse is pastoral leader of Guildford Baptist Church.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant but too difficult
At last someone who is willing to stand up against the fadism in the church, while being part of the new church movement. This book needs several readings to absorb its important contents. However, it is difficult to read, as it is the product of a PhD thesis and is not written for your average reader. Please make the effort to read this book if you want a fresh and stimulating outlook on the future of the church.

very good try...
An interesting criticism, by a Charismatic Christian, of the more rediculous tendencies and practices within the Charismatic movement, pointing instead back to the the importance of 1.) keeping the Gospel central (and not the 'gifts' of the Spirit) through 2.) re-appropriating many historic traditions of the Church. Yes, it's a hard read. Yes, Stackhouse at times seems a bit TOO critical. At the same time, the message IS an important one, and when he hits the nail on the head, he his it's hard and drives it ALL the way in. A worthy read, even if not very entertaining.

An excellent corrective resource for charismatic churches
This is a very helpful and thought-provoking book on how to structure the church. Stackhouse is writing from a European charismatic perspective, yet he has many insightful thoughts on how church should be run in order to allow the Spirit to truly move and reform and sanctify those connected to Christ in the body. Reading this book deeply impacted me, and it has been even more beneficial to see the practices he lays out in this book lived out in my church body and to see the fruit that comes from them!