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The Spirit Comes (as part of the package)Christians not 'Spiritians'THE SPIRIT COMES (as part of the package) The author is the Director of Anglican Renewal Ministries; writing in the introduction he says, 'In spite of all the difficulties I still believe that charismatic renewal, far from being a strange and aberrant heresy, is nothing more nor less than authentic, mainstream New Testament Christianity ƒ In a nutshell, I believe that all Christians should be charismatics, and if they're not they should be!' Leach writes frankly about his own reluctant path to becoming a 'paid-up head-held-high charismatic, and generally adopts a disarming gentle persuasiveness in the style of his writing, although the tone becomes more strident as the book progresses; he engages the attention of his readers, but at the expense of being rather lightweight in terms of use of Scripture. He seems genuinely convinced - probably in the light of his own stated experience - that evangelicals who would not describe themselves as charismatic are privately rather envious of their charismatic brethren and deep down would like to join them! What is charismatic?He asks: 'What is this thing called charismatic?' quoting and briefly commenting on three Old Testament prophecies and a handful of New Testament references. Charismatic spirituality, according to Leach, finds its source in the baptism of the Spirit which is closely linked with water baptism - indeed, he states that 'reception of the Spirit and experience of his gifts in a way that is impossible to miss (italics mine) is something which [water] baptism ought to include and without which it is incomplete and inadequate.' The author is dismissive of the view that baptism of the Spirit is synonymous with regeneration, preferring to understand it as separable (but not necessarily separate) from conversion. The character of charismatic spirituality, we are told, comprises five 'P's: Presence (being intensely aware of God's presence), Power ('the belief in a nutshell that the God who is present with us ƒ does stuff'), Praise ('the only important thing ƒ worship is the highest priority'), Play ('to the charismatic, the Christian faith is a bit of a game') and Purpose (to change the world). Objections to the charismatic position are considered, and the author comments with sadness on the strident invective tone of some evangelical critics who at times use intemperate language in criticising other believers. He responds graciously, and at times with irony and humour, modelling a courteous - and loving - approach towards Christians with whom we disagree. Serious concernsI had several serious concerns with this book, the greatest of which was the way in which Leach implicitly caricatures evangelicals as Bible deists (putting the Bible in place of God), using quotations from Jack Deere's writings. He states that the 'Scriptures [are] not enough', citing Luke 24:13-33 as an example, in particular stating that their Bible study on the road to Emmaus was not enough to reveal the risen Christ to the two disciples, which only happened later in the village: 'Then their eyes were opened and they recognised him, and he disappeared from their sight' (Luke 24.31, NIV). Leach completely misses the point made by the next verse, namely that on the road to Emmaus Christ only finally reveals himself to the disciples after an extensive study with them of what all the Scriptures said concerning himself: 'They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"' (Luke 24.32, NIV). The Holy Spirit as he speaks through the written Word shines his light continually upon Christ the Word, magnifying him and holding him up for us as the Head of the church and the Author and Perfecter of our faith whom believers have come to know in all his fullness by faith. This book, while it makes some useful points in places, seems to turn the ministry of Christ and the Spirit upside down, as if the work of Christ is to shine a light to magnify the Spirit and his work, such that the early 'Christ-ians' would have been more appropriately nicknamed 'Spirit-ians' instead. By placing such emphasis upon a visible, felt experience of the Holy Spirit alongside the gospel of repentance and faith, this book adds to the gospel and implicitly (even unintentionally) relegates Christ and his written Word to a lesser place which left me deeply concerned that Christians could be led astray. Mark Lawrence, Dunstable© Evangelicals Now - May 2002 |