Lectures on Revival

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Summary: Finney's How To Book On Revival
Review: Lectures on Revival attempts to define revival and its cause. It could be called a "how to" book on revival. Among numerous issues concerning revival, the book looks at the invaluable necessity of prayer for revival, how to pray for revival, how to promote revival, how to preach for a revival and the hindrances to revival. The strength of the book is the authority of the author. It is one thing for theological academia to muse about the nature of revival, it is quite another when the leader of national revival shares from genuine experience. The book contains much concerning the practical aspects of revival. Personally, I found his teaching on prayer for revival to be the most helpful. It included powerful personal testimonies and real life examples. The book comes from a strong Armenian viewpoint. I thought many of Finney's insights did not align with Biblical truth. Some of his applications, like the problem of barking dogs and chewing tobacco in church are no longer relevant for most American churches. Despite that, this book is mandatory reading for any serious student of revival and valuable reading for anyone desiring to experience it.

Rating:
Summary: from someone who has actually read the book
Review: Some of the reviewers below have obviously not read the book, but are typical "anti-Finney" persons whose aim is to lower the book's rating by giving it one star. They believe Finney is a heretic and will denounce what they have not read just because it's written by Charles Finney.

That being said, when I first read the "Revival Lectures" it completely changed my life. Finney's presentation of the gospel is so much more challenging than the standard 20th/21st century version. This book transformed a generation in the 1800s. It also touched countless lives in the 20th century. (For example, the singer Keith Green was converted by reading this book.)

All this being said, I do not recommend this "modernized" version of the Revival Lectures. Their goal was to make the book easier to read (not that it was that hard to begin with). The language is far too "chatty" and loses all of Finney's style. It also outright changed the meaning of many sentences when you compare this book with the original-language edition. They took a great book and made it mediocre.

The book is also available from several websites in html or pdf form for free (in the original 1800s languge), and I know of two efforts to publish it in book form that will happen in 2003 (one in the original language, one a more conservative and faithful update). Best wait for those if you're looking to buy this classic in book form.

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Summary: Positively the finest authority on personal Revival
Review: There are many good christian biographies and many good christian books written on many subjects, but I have yet to find a single one that even comes close to the "Lectures on Revival" concerning having personal revival. A fantastic "how to" book, it is unparalleled. Though written about 150 years ago, the methods in this book are timeless and do work. I have seen it myself on a smaller scale when his principles (which are bible principles) are followed. Think what would happen if one or two of us really yielded ourselves to God as he did. We COULD have sweeping revival today. If you still have any doubts, read the "Autobiography of Charles Finney" and see for yourself that over and over again he used the same biblical methods mentioned in this book and achieved the same biblical results. The autobiography makes this book even more believable. The books go together. It has been noted, (not by him), that 85% of his converts were still living for God 7 years after conversion. Compare that with 1% today. Who's wrong? You be the judge. I challenge you to read the book and don't criticize his theology until you do. As one preacher friend told me, "They criticize his theology, but they can't match his power!"

Rating:
Summary: from someone who has actually read the book
Review: There are many good christian biographies and many good christian books written on many subjects, but I have yet to find a single one that even comes close to the "Lectures on Revival" concerning having personal revival. A fantastic "how to" book, it is unparalleled. Though written about 150 years ago, the methods in this book are timeless and do work. I have seen it myself on a smaller scale when his principles (which are bible principles) are followed. Think what would happen if one or two of us really yielded ourselves to God as he did. We COULD have sweeping revival today. If you still have any doubts, read the "Autobiography of Charles Finney" and see for yourself that over and over again he used the same biblical methods mentioned in this book and achieved the same biblical results. The autobiography makes this book even more believable. The books go together. It has been noted, (not by him), that 85% of his converts were still living for God 7 years after conversion. Compare that with 1% today. Who's wrong? You be the judge. I challenge you to read the book and don't criticize his theology until you do. As one preacher friend told me, "They criticize his theology, but they can't match his power!"

Rating:
Summary: Partnership with God
Review: This is a must read for those interested in true revival. I also thought it quite true and eye opening that Finney dispells many incorrect beliefs about revival that exist today even though the book is over 150 years old. The first and foremost is a parable he tells about farming. Tell a farmer that he should not sow seed, till, water or weed because a harvest is a sovereign act of God and we will all starve. Yes God makes the harvest grow, but man has his part. Likewise a spiritual harvest does not happen without man doing his part. There has never been a revival in the history of the church that broke out without being birthed thru people's intercession and seeking God. A main reason the American church is starving is because they are not willing to work with God for the harvest. This is a real eye opener and a great place to start for those seeking revival.

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Summary: Headhunter revivalism!
Review: This whole book presents revival (and salvation in general), not as a gracious miracle given by G-d according to His sovereign will and time, but rather as something that man must 'promote' by his own means, using the Holy Spirit almost like a common tool.

Mr. Finney was a modern-day Pelagian - he did not believe that man was totally corrupted by sin (Romans 3), and so logically built his false theology upon the premise that man can and must effectively earn and promote his own salvation, as well as the salvation of others, through regular, systematic means such as the ones presented in this book.

If you want a better review of the kind of false 'revival' that Finney is describing, read the book, 'Revival and Revivalism' by Iain H. Murray.

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Summary: Just because it "works", doesn't mean it's BIBLICAL
Review: To those of you who think that Finney was such a great revivalist and preacher because he brought in so many "converts" should examine his theology carefully with the historic Protestant tradition. One will clearly recognize that he taught something that was contrary to the views expoused by the Reformers--Luther, Calvin, and even Arminius. Finney was a hyper-Arminian heretic who deceived many people with his false teachings. Finney essentially denied the cardinal doctrines of the Reformation like sola fide, sola gratia, sola Christus, etc. He advocated a man-centred soteriology that keeps people out of the Kingdom. Avoid this book and others written by hyper-Arminians like Dan Corner. Just because something "works" doesn't mean it is Biblical.