Can anyone suggest some resources about evangelism, altar calls, etc., from a Reformed perspective?
mm.
These immediately came to mind:
As I recall, these resources don't do a ton to deconstruct Finney's "new measures." Rather, they tend to focus on building a positive case for Reformed evangelism.
I'd endorse all five of those suggestions. There's also Joel Beeke's Puritan Evangelism if you're looking for something more historical.
+1 on Packer's work.
In Beeke's book, is it only a historical summary or does he compare today's evangelism, i.e., Finnyisms, man and god working together, man not totally spiritually dead therefore he can choose to accept god's salvation, etc?
Or in Beeke's book, does he transpose the Puritans' evangelism into ways we "should" evangelize from a Reformed perspective?
In Beeke's book,
Here is a sample from the Introduction-
"I will show how the Puritans brought the gospel to others in a thoroughly scriptural manner. First, I will define what I mean by Puritan evangelism, then show that the Puritan evangelistic message, based on Scripture, was doctrinal, practical, experimental, and symmetrical. Then I will examine the primary methods Puritans used to communicate the gospel—a plain style of preaching and the practice of catechetical evangelism. Finally, we will see that the Puritans believed that the message and methods of evangelism were inseparable from the inward disposition of an evangelist. That disposition included a heartfelt dependence on the Holy Spirit and earnest prayer that God’s Word and Spirit would bless all evangelistic efforts."
Thanks Mike for the quote.
In Beeke's book, Here is a sample from the Introduction- "I will show how the Puritans brought the gospel to others in a thoroughly scriptural manner. First, I will define what I mean by Puritan evangelism, then show that the Puritan evangelistic message, based on Scripture, was doctrinal, practical, experimental, and symmetrical. Then I will examine the primary methods Puritans used to communicate the gospel—a plain style of preaching and the practice of catechetical evangelism. Finally, we will see that the Puritans believed that the message and methods of evangelism were inseparable from the inward disposition of an evangelist. That disposition included a heartfelt dependence on the Holy Spirit and earnest prayer that God’s Word and Spirit would bless all evangelistic efforts."
Glad to help. If you would like to see anything else in the book, let me know. Also, just for the record, I am one who holds to both God's sovereignty and human responsibility, so would be glad to "defend" why I believe that way (using Logos resources of course!).
God bless.
And Logos just happens to have a good reformed resource on that very topic: Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility: Biblical Perspectives in Tension, Carson
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I too have that one. Dever has a similar book, and Packer probably has the best.
well lo and behold I have Carson's book. good find.
Glad to help. If you would like to see anything else in the book, let me know. Also, just for the record, I am one who holds to both God's sovereignty and human responsibility, so would be glad to "defend" why I believe that way (using Logos resources of course!). And Logos just happens to have a good reformed resource on that very topic: Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility: Biblical Perspectives in Tension, Carson
