Lovelace, Richard. Dynamics of Spiritual Life, An Evangelical Theology of Renewal, IVP Academic, 1979
Lovelace’s book “is a manual of spiritual theology (11).” The book is a historical and a sociological overview of major renewal movements in the last few hundred years. Not only does Lovelace offer a rewarding analysis of each movement, but he also theologizes expertly in each of them giving even the most ardent critic an appreciation for the author’s labors.
Lovelace offers us a way towards revival, but also alerts the reader to the consequences of spiritual decline, what he calls “a destructive enculturation (184).” Gleaning from an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the ecclesiastical landscape, the author surveys different renewal movements and provides the good, the bad, and the ugly of each.
Most salient, it seems, is his critique of pastoral elitism (225). He concludes that the “elimination of pastoral elitism is…the principal reason for the growth of Pentecostalism…in the third world (225).” The democratization of the laity is an incentive to carry on the kingdom’s work without the over-dependence on a sole authority figure, he argues. The activism of the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches and their propensity to lead by prayer rather than by organization is what makes these movements a force in the revivalistic tradition.
Lovelace is not guilty of false prophecy since he spoke as a man of his time writing in the 1970’s. However, he would have been shocked to see the level of stardom attributed to modern day leaders in the Charismatic and Pentecostal movements of the 21st century. These churches, in this reviewer’s estimation, no longer thrive via the decentralization of congregations, but through the forceful and “charismatic” personalities of its leaders who have used the naivete of their laity to bring in millions of dollars through ungodly methods.
While this critique is unfair, since the author has not (to my knowledge) addressed this matter, it is perhaps a form of cyclical inevitability that decentralized congregations eventually fall under some hierarchical structure for good or ill.
This reviewer is inclined to see Lovelace’s analysis of cycles in various renewal movements as a way of reading current movements in the Church and perhaps offering some prophetic pronouncements to an age that has abandoned the work of the Spirit in exchange for a few crumbs under the intellectual table of pagans. The book offers a way forward, but the reader will have to digest the profound insights and biblical answers for a modern revitalization of the church of our Lord.
The author’s constant exhortation to pursue prayer as a means of bringing about change offers all of us, especially in pastoral ministry, a fresh account of the need to seek God in times of plenty or want.
Best Quote:
“History teaches us the danger and futility of fighting and separating over the ceremony that is supposed to unite us instead of living the reality it embodies.” (170)
My pastor studied under Lovelace at Gordon-Conwell in the late 1970’s. This book has been extraordinarily important for his own ministry, and he recommends it often. So, it is not surprising that he also recommends Tim Keller’s work, since Keller was also influenced directly by Lovelace. My pastor and our church was PCUSA, but we are now ECO Presbyterian.