Thread: Resources on Charles Finney

Help! I'm writing an article about 19th Century perfectionism and its persistence in evangelicalism; I read an article once that pointed out the C.G.Finney became interested in perfectionism because he felt the church needed to emphasize sanctification rather than justification in order to make faster improvements in society. I've looked all over Google tonite, can't find it.

Does anyone know of resources about Finney, specifically his take on sanctification vs. justification? My eyes are just about on strike from reading hypertext.

Thanks!

Meg,
I'm pretty sure there is a book in print on Finney's systematic theology. This would pretty much lay out his belief on sanctification and justification.

Here is a link to a critique of Finney's Systematic by Charles Hodge.

Thanks, I saved it, will read later.

Also, if you can find BB Warfield's two volumes on perfectionism (one of them deals with Finney) in a library, that should be helpful.

Here's a good article on Finney by Mike Horton you might find helpful:

http://reformednet.org/refnet/lib/docs/Finney.htm

If you have Sproul's Willing to Believe, he has a good chapter on Finney and his take on Justification. I can't remember if he talks about its releationship to sanctification though.

B.B. Warfield on perfectionism is very good. Specifically dealing with Finneyism I would recommend " Princton Theology 1812-1921" by Mark Noll. The section where Hodge deals with Finney is very enlightening.

You may just want to read Finney's own Systematic Theology It's still in print.

Originally posted by puritansailor
You may just want to read Finney's own Systematic Theology It's still in print.

But then this whole subject is !

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I once had a chance to buy Finney's Systematics for only $8 but couldn't bring myself to spend money on heresy. You kinda need it though, in order to prove to people that yr not making this stuff up!

I spend money on heresy all the time. It makes for great resource material! Nietzsche, Marx, Kant, Russell--I would recommend to all serious students. At the very least there is blatant entertainment value!

As far as your article on Finney is concerned, I would also recommend Warfield and his writings on perfectionism (I believe it's vol 7 of his works that deals with Finney).

[Edited on 6-9-2005 by Solo Christo]

Man, I wish I could afford BB! Yes, there are wise pagans I will read.

Life is too short to read bad theology

Depends on your focus I think. If you're writing papers on heretics, then you kinda have to read them. I read a lot of primary sources on different religions as well as Christian heretics. It helps me understand them better so that I can reach them better. If I don't understand RCC's on their own terms, how can I effectively witness to my own family for example. We also have Mormons in the family, how do I reach them if I don't read their source documents? Makes me feel somewhat ill reading them, but it must be done. And Finney is an example of someone who taught unadulturated heresy that has somehow become very popular. I'll encourage anyone trying to offset that influence.