Grace Upon Grace

Rating:
Summary: Challenging
Review: Dr. Neal's book covers the narrow branch of Christian studies known as Sacramental Theology from a protestant/catholic perspective. Any Methodist, Episcopalian, Lutheran, or Presbyterian will really love this book, and if you're a preacher in any of these denominations this book is a must-buy. Baptists and other non-sacramental Christians, however, will probably be challeneged by this book. Buy it only if you are ready and willing to have your preconceptions blown and your mind changed. I'm an American Baptist preacher and I'm still dealing with the BIG changes in thinking that Dr. Neal has challenged me to make. I'm not sure I agree with everything he has written, but I was amazed at how MUCH I found I simply could not refute.

Most theologians can't write a reasonable sentence to save their life, but Dr. Neal is a wonderful exception to this unfortnate truth. On the readability scale "Grace Upon Grace" ranks very high -- it is one of the best-written theological texts I've ever read, and should be fully understandable to the average Christian. In his preface Dr. Neal tells us that he wrote this book pretty much for the common man and woman; and he succeeded. He writes a great deal like he preaches, which is obvious when one listens to his audio sermons website. His stories, biblical interpretations, and theological discussions will all "preach," and in this way this book is useful to active preachers who are looking for new ways of communicating the concepts of Grace and the ordinances.

However, be warned: this book is not "lite devotional reading." If you're looking for simple ideas or concepts, look elsewhere. If you don't mind having your mind expanded, buy "Grace Upon Grace."

Rating:
Summary: Solid Theology
Review: Grace Upon Grace deals with a very difficult topic -- the meaning and function of the Sacraments -- in understandable, readable prose that is both clear and informative. I found this book to be deeply compelling at both a personal and intellectual level. The author begins by discussing the meaning of Grace, it's nature and role in the Christian life; he then proceeds to address the question of how one receives Grace and the different ways that this has been understood by various Christian groups down through the centuries. The core of this book deals with the nature of the Sacraments (Baptism and The Lord's Supper) as instruments for receiving Grace. This is my favorite part of the book, by the way. Finally, the author outines several other instruments (or "means") of Grace, like healing, marriage, ordination, and footwashing. In every respect, Dr. Neal has written a very sharp book. This is a MUST read for anyone interested in the Sacrmaents!

Rating:
Summary: Solid Theology
Review: Grace Upon Grace deals with a very difficult topic -- the meaning and function of the Sacraments -- in understandable, readable prose that is both clear and informative. I found this book to be deeply compelling at both a personal and intellectual level. The author begins by discussing the meaning of Grace, it's nature and role in the Christian life; he then proceeds to address the question of how one receives Grace and the different ways that this has been understood by various Christian groups down through the centuries. The core of this book deals with the nature of the Sacraments (Baptism and The Lord's Supper) as instruments for receiving Grace. This is my favorite part of the book, by the way. Finally, the author outines several other instruments (or "means") of Grace, like healing, marriage, ordination, and footwashing. In every respect, Dr. Neal has written a very sharp book. This is a MUST read for anyone interested in the Sacrmaents!

Rating:
Summary: Deep meaning made easy and personal
Review: I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the many different ways in which God reaches out to bless his people through his grace. Dr. Neal approaches this from a sacramental point of view; in other words, he looks at it through the instruments of the recognized sacraments and sacramentals of the Anglo/Catholic and Methodist churches.

But this book is far more than an academic theological essay. Dr. Neal takes some of these deep theological concepts, and makes them easy to understand and meaningful where you and I live... things like baptism, and communion, and marriage, and even the Scriptures themselves; you may come to understand them in ways you never have before, and how they are powerful instruments used by God to bless you and care for you.

Dr. Neal does this by opening up a window onto himself, and his personality, and his personal experiences... and shows God's love and grace working in his life and in the lives of others he's known. You'll get to know the author, his love and commitment to God and his Word, and how the same love and grace God has shown him can reach to you.

All in all, a warm and personal introduction to the grace of God demonstrated in the lives of men and women through the instruments of the church.

Rating:
Summary: Well Written, Helpful and Informative
Review: I learned a lot from this book. It's not just for Methodists, though I'm sure they could learn a lot from the writings of one of their own theologians. No, this book is written for all Christians who are interested in leaning about the love of God and the power that God has for rebuilding our lives. While it is written from the protestant/Catholic perspective, I think that even Baptists and other such Christians could learn a lot from this book. Neal explains their beliefs too.

I guess that's what I found most impressive about this book. I learned about the differences between those Christians and Churches that look upon the Sacraments as our works -- what the Reverend Neal calls "Ordinance" Christians -- and those who think of them as instruments or "means of grace" through which God's love and unearned favor are received -- what he terms "Sacramental" Christians. I discovered that, even though there are major differences, there are also many important ideas upon which we agree, and I found that helpful.

Additionally, I especially liked how Rev. Neal shared his own life experiences of God's Grace. He brought a personal face to an otherwise difficult to comprehend topic in a way which tore down the barriers between an academic mind, like Neal's, and the mind of an simple Christian, like me.

If you really want to know about how the Grace of God functions in your life, or if you've ever wanted to have a more complete understanding of Baptism, Communion, and the other sacramental acts, you should buy and read this book. It's really a treasure.

Rating:
Summary: WOW!!
Review: Out of the several dozen new books which I read in the course of a year, there are always two or three which make me sit back and reconsider everything that I have learned before. Thus far this year the only book that has done this for me has been Dr. Gregory Neal's incredible volume: "Grace Upon Grace."

I bought it on the suggestion of a friend, and I quickly found why she loved it so. Dr. Neal's simple, straightforward approach to complex theology is a breath of fresh air. He is largely unconcerned with trying to impress his readers with a vast vocabulary of difficult words, but rather focuses on explaining the field of Sacramental Theology in ways which make the subject come alive for the average Christian reader. Rare is the book which can do this, and Grace Upon Grace does it better than most.

For the simple beauty of the written word, Dr. Neal's book should be commended. For an excellent, theologically and Biblically sound study on the nature of Baptism, Communion, and the other Means of Grace, this book cannot be beat. If you're a Methodist, you MUST read this book. If you're any kind of catholic Christian, this book will help you greatly. Even if you're from the non-Sacramental tradition, you'll learn a LOT about why you think the way you do from reading this book.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Book!
Review: Over the past 25 years I've read a LOT of books about the Sacraments. With only a few exceptions, most of these books are either way too deep for the average Christian to find helpful, or they're so empty of ideas as to be meaningless. Not so with Dr. Neal's book.

Grace Upon Grace is one of the best theological books I've read in a long time. Written by a gifted, articulate, and obviously well-educated Methodist scholar, this book deals with the doctrines of Grace and Faith as they function in the lives of the people of God. The principle question that Dr. Neal addresses is "how is Grace received?" Neal's answer is simple, elegant, and totally acceptable by both Catholics and Protestants: by faith in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, communicated to us through the "means of grace."

I found Dr. Neal's approach refreshing for its simplicity and brilliance: we need instruments to do most things in this life, from changing the channel on the TV to sending an email to cooking a steak; likewise, we need instruments to receive the Grace which God wants to give us. Through the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism, through such means of grace as Forgiveness, Healing, Worship, Scripture, Fellowship, Foot Washing, Ordination, and Marriage, Dr. Neal sketches a wonderful outline of the instruments that God uses to communicate his love and favor -- the Real Presence of Jesus -- to us. And, he does this in a way that makes these ideas clear and meaningful for us today.

In short, I loved this book. Sure, there are some things in this book which I'm still not sure I agree with, but that's okay ... Dr. Neal's clear, compelling, well-constructed arguments, not to mention his superb, easy-to-read poetry and prose, makes this an excellent book with which to wrestle and pray. Anyone who wants to understand an area of Theology that is so frequently neglected by the popular Christian authors of today should buy this book.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: Prior to reading this book I had never given much thought to how I believed Grace to function in my life or in the lives or Christians. Neither had I ever connected the rituals of Baptism and the Lord's Supper with the idea of receiving God's Grace. This shouldn't be surprising, since I come from a Christian-tradition that Dr. Neal would call "Ordinance" in approach. However, after going on a Walk to Emmaus and experincing the love of Christ Jesus in Christans of many different denominations, and after hearing about the term "Means of Grace," I just had too find out more.

How shocked was I to discover that, after 30 years in the ministry, there was a whole field of Biblical Theology that I hadn't even noticed before! Dr. Neal's book, Grace Upon Grace, opened up this area of Biblical Study and Theology to me in a way that was both compelling and immediately agreeable. I wasn't sure what I was going to find when I began reading, and I must admit to never having read or known much about what Methodist, Anglicans, and Catholics believe about the Ordinances, but the discovery was well worth the time and effort. I was shocked to find a deep Biblical basis for Dr. Neal's Sacramental approach, and the more I read the more I found I which I could accept.

This book is DEEP, Biblical Theology for the pastor and the teacher and the curious Christian. If you're ready to have your understandings changed regarding how Grace functions and is received in the Chritian life, read this book.