In connection with the resurging revival movements such as 'Heartcry', which is gaining much press in places such as the Netherlands and South Africa, thought it would be useful to examine what is behind rivivalism. Found this article by Prof. Herman Hanko of the Protestant Reformed Churches:

http://www.prca.org/articles/article_11.html

This is the 'Heartcry' movement:

http://www.sammytippit.org/pages/new.../articles.aspx

__________________
Bert Mulder
Elder of the First Protestant Reformed Church of Edmonton
Edmonton Alberta Canada

Brother,

You might want to read Revival and Revivalism by Iain H. Murray. The author of your article might want to read it as well.

Blessings!

__________________
Pastor Jerrold H. Lewis. (Dipl. IT; Assc. A; B.Th; M.Th Candidate, PRTS)
Lacombe Free Reformed Church
"A hot iron, though blunt, will pierce sooner than a cold one, though sharper."

JOHN FLAVEL

My Blog - Click HERE
Our Church site - Click HERE

Offhand this looks like Welsh Revival redux -the Welsh Revival emerged directly from efforts by folks at the Keswick Convention to export it to Wales - they were wildly successful for a while.

I think we should always pray for the success of the Gospel in our cities and respective countries, but this isn't revival, it's something else.

__________________
The man who is disposed to think of his sin as a great calamity, rather than as a heinous crime, is not likely either to reverence God or to respect His law. - John Kennedy, 1873
Meg
Blog
Member, Intown Presbyterian Church,PCA, Portland, OR

Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

Seems to me, Rev. Lewis, that Prof. Hanko has read the book: (from the Standard Bearer 08/01/95)

Revival and Revivalism: The Making and Marring of American Evangelicalism (1750-1858), by Iain H. Murray. Edinburgh: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1994. 455 pp. $27.95 (cloth). [Reviewed by Prof. H. Hanko.]

Added to the list of important books which Iain Murray has written is this current volume on revival. Murray’s thesis is that the revivals of the 17th century, which began in New England at the time of Jonathan Edwards and were common on the Eastern Seaboard of America during the visits of George Whitefield, were genuine outpourings of the Spirit of God. They were, however, followed by revivals sparked by the labors of Charles Finney which were not works of the Spirit at all, but caricatures of true revivals. The former, according to the title, were revivals; the latter was revivalism; the former, the making of American Evangelicalism; the latter, the marring of it.

This is an important book from many viewpoints. Although Murray speaks of 17th century revivals as indeed being the work of the Holy Spirit, he is not averse to criticism of the revivals in some respects. He is critical of the excesses and emotionalism which characterized the revivals, and even admits that these excesses led to departures and schisms in the church, and opened the door to cults which did harm to the Presbyterian Church: “... an almost total desolation in the Presbyterian church in Kentucky and part of Tennessee” (p. 172). He also speaks of the fact that under Methodism’s influence, revivals gave impetus to Arminianism (p. 182) and its altar call—which Murray clearly detests. While Murray approves of the ecumenical character of revivals (i.e., that they were to be found in Presbyterian, Baptist, and Methodist Churches, which often cooperated in the work) he also recognizes that this very ecumenicity led to doctrinal decline (p. 360).

But the real enemy of true revival was the revivalism of Charles Finney and New School Presbyterians. Of them Murray is sharply critical, and he blames them for destroying true revivals and giving revivals a bad name. In fact, Murray finds today’s revivals to be more revivalism than the work of the Holy Spirit. Rightly, Murray’s critique of Finney and the New School is chiefly doctrinal. And this doctrinal critique opens the way for many interesting and helpful discussions in the book of the issues surrounding Calvinism, Hyper-Calvinism, Arminianism, and Antinomianism. It is of more than passing interest that even in those days the orthodox in the Presbyterian Church, who often opposed revivals, were called Hyper-Calvinists.

But the extensive treatment of this subject sharply underscores what in my judgment are the basic, arguments against even revivals, not to speak of revivalism.

In the first place, although Murray makes an effort to define what he means by revival, he nevertheless does not clearly distinguish between revival and normal ways in which the Spirit works, e.g., at the time of Pentecost not only, but also in times of reformation in the church of Christ (including the Reformation of the 16th century) when spirituality is very high among the faithful in the battle of faith.

A more serious aspect of revivals was their ecumenical character. While Murray deplores the influence of Methodism in revivalism, e.g., he speaks without criticism of the fact that Presbyterians, Baptists, and Methodists fully cooperated in the revivals of the 18th century (see pp. 68, 69, e.g.). This ecumenicity was manifested in a disregard for doctrine; obviously this had to be true, for how could such different groups cooperate in revivals unless doctrinal differences were overlooked. Yet, with some ambiguity and contradiction, Murray is quite frank in condemning revivalism for doctrinal departure, while approving of the disregard for doctrinal distinctives in the revivals of which Murray approves.

It is in connection with this tension in Murray’s book that he seems to say that some doctrines of Calvinism, such as predestination and limited atonement, are not important for evangelism (p. 363).

The book highlights what are other serious errors in revivals. Revival doctrine is based on a wrong view of conversion—surely within the covenant, but perhaps outside covenant lines as well. For example, Murray approves of the idea that conviction of sin is not the work of the Holy Spirit. Some, busy in revivals, wanted those under conviction of sin to come forward as an aid to a decision for Christ when they were distressed, but Murray registers his disagreement with this idea of coming forward on the grounds that conviction of sin is not evidence of .regeneration (pp. 213ff.).

Revivals show a disregard for the doctrine of the covenant and the place of children in the covenant. The Reformed and biblical doctrine of the covenant insists that children “as well as, adults are included in the covenant and church of God” (Heidelberg Catechism, Q. & A. 74).

The doctrine of revivals misunderstands the work of the Holy Spirit in teaching that revivals result in mass conversions, spectacular evidences of the Spirit’s work, and special outpourings of power through unusual ways in which the Spirit works. Scripture teaches that the work of the Spirit is unlike earthquakes, fire, and powerful winds, but is like a still small voice that works quietly, unnoticed, unaccompanied by fanfare, but powerful and irresistible for all that.

Murray talks about revival as it affected Princeton and even mentions Charles Hodge’s criticism of the excesses. But there is more in Hodge than Murray reveals. Murray should have referred to Hodge’s “The Constitutional History of the Presbyterian Church in the USA” and told his readers of the scathing indictment of revivals which Hodge offers.

It is striking that David Wells in his book, No Place for Truth, quotes Sidney Mead with approval when Mead says: “The ascendancy of pietism that accompanied the Second Great Awakening had the effect of undercutting the place of theology.... The passion for truth was replaced by the passion for souls, and . . . during the 19th century and well into the 20th, religion prospered while theology went slowly bankrupt” (p. 110). This was indeed the fruit of the disregard for doctrine which characterized revivals at their best.

__________________
Bert Mulder
Elder of the First Protestant Reformed Church of Edmonton
Edmonton Alberta Canada

Bert,
Click on the hyperlink at the bottom of my post for signature requirements.

Thanks.

__________________
Scott Bushey
Husband to Tina, father to Nicole, Danielle and Zoe
Member First Presbyterian Church of Margate PCA

Thankyou for this review of Murray's work. I appreciate Prof. Hanko's analyses even when I disagree with him. But here I have nothing to disagree with him on, except his calling the 1700s the 17th century. He is quite right to draw attention to Hodge's Constitutional History and his criticisms of "revivals." And yet for all that, I still believe we should pray and work for revival in the biblical sense of the word, Ps. 85.

__________________
Yours sincerely,


"Illum oportet crescere me autem minui."

[quote]
Psalm 85

To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah.

1. To the chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.
3. Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger.
4. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
5. Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations?
6. Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
7. Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation.
8. I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.
9. Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
10. Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12. Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.
13. Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.

(A.V.)

__________________
~Jay~
Husband of ENS, father of J II. | Indian Trail, NC
Currently disabled due to health issues
Communicant Member, Precentor | Presbyterian Reformed Church of Charlotte, NC | Presbyterian Reformed Church