Wesleyan churches, Pentecostal churches, and the modern charismatic movement trace their theological roots to John Wesley. Yet these groups have gone separate ways in interpreting the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church, often regarding one another with suspicion or distrust.

     In The Divided Flame Dr. Howard Snyder, a Wesleyan minister, calls Wesleyans and charismatics to reexamine how they parted ways. He finds that they still have a great deal in common theologically; and he proposes that this common ground should serve as a basis for dialogue.

     “How does a Wesleyan dialogue with Charismatic Christianity?” Snyder asks. “Rather than comparing our theology or practice point by point, we have chosen to address the central question that Charismatic Christianity raises for us: In what sense is Christian experience, and the church, charismatic? If the Charismatic Movement raises valid biblical questions for us—and it does—then it is more important to deal with those questions than merely to catalog the pluses or minuses of the movement.”

     This book reviews the history of Wesleyan and charismatic thought, evaluating them in light of Scripture’s norms for church life. A provocative study, The Divided Flame should bring a fresh perspective to the controversy surrounding modern charismatic theology.

HOWARD A. SNYDER pastors the Irving Park Free Methodist Church of Chicago and teaches theology at Garrett-Evangelical Divinity School. His previous books include The Radical Wesley, The Problem of Wineskins, and A Kingdom Manifesto.

DANIEL V. RUNYON is an editor and writer in Spring Arbor, Michigan.
 
 

A ZONDERVAN PUBLICATION    BL967 17062p FRANCIS ASBURY PRESS  RENEWAL/HISTORICAL THEOLOGY ISBN 0-310-75181-0