THE GOSPEL-DRIVEN CHURCH—RETRIEVING CLASSICAL MINISTRIES FOR CONTEMPORARY REVIVALISM

Written by Ian Stackhouse Reviewed By Krish Kandiah

Ian Stackhouse delivers a provocative and polemical insider’s perspective on the current state of the charismatic renewal. The book is erudite, eloquent and engaging and will elicit both heartfelt affirmations and denouncements from evangelicals across the breadth of the charismatic and reformed spectrum. My review copy now sports an equal number of marginal ticks and crosses.

Stackhouse starts by lamenting the faddishness of the contemporary renewal movement. He argues that pragmatism and panic are the defining marks of the charismatic church and then proceeds in the next seven chapters to expound how this malaise is exhibited.

In a chapter on worship, Stackhouse argues that charismatics have been preoccupied with revival. Here he cites a narrow, but telling, selection of contemporary worship songs that heighten the expectation of an imminent spiritual awakening. What is revealing in this chapter is Stackhouse’s refusal to demarcate between a worship service and a life of worship—thus liturgy is seen as the answer to the problem with contemporary worship patterns.

Stackhouse then challenges a faulted view of preaching as espoused by Meic Pearse and David Norrington by embarking on a running dialogue with P.T. Forsyth. Stackhouse argues for a recovery of preaching that is less concerned with being relevant than being faithful. This is perhaps the weakest chapter as few of my charismatic friends would find any sympathy with Pearse or Norrington.

In two successive chapters Stackhouse argues for the recovery of the sacraments. He argues persuasively that this will assist the church to avoid its panic driven fixation on the present and will help to reconnect congregations with both the past and completed work of Christ and our powerful eschatological hope. Stackhouse casually suggests ‘while it may be the case aesthetically and liturgically, that catholic and evangelical theology express significantly different spiritualities, these need not be regarded as theologically opposite; rather the convergence of catholic and evangelical theologies ought to be seen as an attractive option’ (149). Without the further elaboration this sentiment needs, this approach may disenchant many of Stackhouse’s otherwise sympathetic evangelical readers.

Stackhouse guards against an instrumental view of the sacraments by caveating his approach with the need to emphasise the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit. He does, however, propose a rather confusing account of baptism as occurring contemporaneously with conversion and yet having a sacramental status and an ecclesiological context with the laying on of hands (169–72).

Finally, Stackhouse paints a challenging picture of pastoral ministry that draws heavily on Henry Nouwen and Eugene Peterson—who rightly rail against the increasingly managerial model of the pastor. While there is a commendable emphasis on a ministry that flows out of a passionate love for Christ this culminates in a call for ‘holy inefficiency’ (231) where pastors are to be know less for their praxis and primarily for being contemplative visionaries. The lack of any attempt at biblical support for this model is marked. Scant attention is paid to the pastoral model provided by the ‘gospel-driven’ apostle Paul who argued ‘I could consider my life worth nothing to me if only I may … complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace’ (Acts 20:24).

This book offers fantastic opportunity for debate and will challenge all readers to re-evaluate their own position on worship, leadership and models of the church.


Krish Kandiah

Krish Kandiah
The Evangelical Alliance
London, England, UK