Customer Reviews

Christianity in Crisis with Study Guide

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

It seems from most of the previous reviews that the readers either love Hank Hanegraff or despise him. How strange. It seems that most of the negative reviews were actually personal attacks on the author and not directed toward his subject. I did not see a single negative review presenting an actual instance in which Mr. Hanegraff "lied". It seems as if they simply stated, "He lied," and left it at that. I would question if any of these readers had, in fact, actually read this book.

All that aside I can honestly tell you that this is a work of fact and not fiction. I left the "faith movement" a number of years ago. I once held to the teachings of men like Copeland, Hagin, Hinn and others until I placed their teachings up against the plumbline of scripture. I found that their teachings simply were not square.

The truth hurts. In an age of "easy believism" I guess it's just easier for some people to live for experience, after experience, after experience. These teachers preach a gospel of prosperity, comfort and healing for all. Any one who has read the bible knows that this is "a different gospel". In 1990 a believer in the "faith movement" actually had the audacity to tell me that my brother died of colon cancer because my family did not have enough faith. A simple study of the character of God proves this statement to be false.

I don't need to listen to Mr. Hanegraff's tapes to know that what he said about these false teachers is true. I have heard them say it with my own ears. Mr. Hanegraff is not a liar.

To those who follow the "faith movement" and it's dangerous teachings I would remind you of this one thing: "If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me." Matt. 16:24

....what contradicts their "faith".

To all the "out of context" reviewers, I suggest
that they listen to Mr Hannegraff's radio program
and then they get to hear the self same quotes from
the book out of the mouths of the charlatans and hucksters
themselves. They truly are a blight on modern Christianity
and Mr Hannegraff is to be commended for trying to show
their supporters just how bad these men really really are.

"Experts at removing money from the poor?". You betcha.

"Experts at removing money from the gullible?". Naturally.

The problem is that as timely as this book is, it is next to
impossibe to persuade a "Word Of Faith" believer that they
have been duped.

People feel foolish to admit having been fooled. So they
don't believe the evidence of their own eyes and ears.

It is unfortunate to read the negative reviews. It is obvious that most of these decieved readers are involved (or at least most of them) in this heretical movement that Hank uncovers. I was ordained by a Word of Faith Church and preached it's heresies for almost a decade. I can tell you now that this book is absolutely on target! It is well researched and documented. I've read the books and listened to the tapes of these false prophets. Hank Hanegraaff hasn't missed a beat!

It is so typical (and very un-Christ-like) of people who are involved in this very damnable heretical movement to become almost violent in words and action as you have noticed by many who have entered their less than favorable reviews. Such as the "so-called" theology professor who claims he has researched all of Hank's material and found them erroneous. You've been caught! This is definately not true.

Again, as a former licensed Word of Faith minister, this book is an absolute must! Buy it and see. Be sure to get the accompanying cassettes. They too are well documented and you can hear the startling and blasphemous babblings of these Word of Faith preachers first hand! There are no lies or misrepresentations in this award winning book and Hank Hanegraaff is supurb in both style and presentation.

If you love God, get this book. If you love your religion, then continue in your darkness!

God help those who are blind. Titus 1:10-16

In this in depth and insightful book, the popular "Bible Answer Man" exposes the lies told by popular allegedly Christian televangelists who are in fact only masking cultic heresies underneath their own twisted versions of Christianity. Each example is backed up by scripture and truth that is clearly well researched.

***** It is almost frightening as a horror novel to realize how so many popular "Christians" are in fact decieving the public, worldwide, in their "Praise the Lord and send me the money" tactics. It is clear that lives and souls, not to mention vast amounts of money have been lost to these people. With the help of books like this, hopefully more people will come to see the truth behind the multiple masks. *****

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.

I can only describe this book as life changing. I live in an area of Kansas where we have a Word of Faith radio station that disguises itself behind a wall of modern Christian music. This book has helped me debate with the station over why a station that focuses towards youth would broadcast such dangerous messages.
To those who claim that this book takes quotes out of context, I ask that they research for themselves. Hanegraaff does an excellent job of documenting every quote. I've personally examined many only to find what he writes is dead on. I simply ask, if his quotes are out of context, why hasn't a single Faith teacher stepped up and said, "I never said that. Here's my book that states otherwise, and here's a tape of my sermon where I said otherwise." That's the funny thing about the truth. No matter who says it, it's still the truth.
I've read many reviews of this book where people claim that Hank writes it in an attacking, insulting form. Well duh! What else do you think people who disagree with Hank would say when he says, "you're wrong and here's why." Besides, how else is someone supposed to sound when the teachings of a movement are causing many to become poor, sick, dying, and spiritually frustrated?
I strongly support this book. To those who don't, put your biases aside long enough to examine the truth objectively.

Ken Copeland says to those that rightly question his teachings, "Several people that I know had criticized and called that faith bunch out of Tulsa a cult. And some of 'em are dead right today in an early grave because of it, and there's more than one of them got cancer." (p. 363)

And what is Copeland and his boys teaching? ...That Jesus "became one with the nature of Satan, so all those who had the nature of Satan can partake of the nature of God." (p.156) and that God revealed to Copeland himself, "Oh yeah, if you'd had the knowledge of the Word of God that He did, you could've done the same thing, 'cause you're a reborn man too." (p.172-173),... says Ken Hagin, "Physical death wouldn't remove your sins. He's tasted death for every man. He's talking about tasting spiritual death." (p.164),...

Hank's response, in part... "If we are to take the Bible seriously, we must conclude that Jesus committed His spirit to the Father, not to Satan. The apostle Paul put it ever so eloquently when he wrote of Christ, "Having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them triumphing over them by the cross" (Colossians 2:15)."

This book is great at showing the false teachings of the Word-Faith movement, from the proclamation of Benny Hinn, Paul Crouch, and Ken Copeland that they are "little gods" to Benny Hinn teaching "Never, ever ever go to the Lord and says, 'If it be thy will...' Don't allow such faith-destroying words to be spoken from your mouth" (p. 11) ...to Faith teachers proclaiming that "Satan conquered Jesus on the Cross" (p.11)

I once participated in a Word-Faith church in Ocala, Florida. The pastor taught that all of these men were prophets of God, and that their 'anointing' wasn't to be touched. I ordered this book and "A Different Gospel" to see for myself the accusations. Then I got the audio version of Christianity in Crisis, and was shocked to hear these teachings as they were said, which were a further continuation of the reasoning at my local Word-Faith church. I also highly suggest the videos "The Great Apostasy: The Lost Sign" by The Christian Sentinel and "The Many Faces of Benny Hinn" by the Trinity Foundation.

I can assure you, all of the info in this book can be verified. I'll leave you, the reader with a couple of verses from the Bible.

Phillipians 3:18-19 (NIV) -- For, as I have often told your before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

Proverbs 30:5-9 (NLT) -- Every word of God proves true. He defends all who come to him for protection. Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you, and you will be found a liar. O God, I beg two favors from you before I die. First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, "Who is the LORD?" And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name.

Hebrews 10:10 (NLT) -- And what God wants is for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time.

This is a great book. Firstly to those that have given this one star using argumentts such as do not judg and do not touch these men of God. Firstly Hank does not judge any of these people in the whole book, he is simply judging what they teach, he is exposing a particular teaching. If you people did read the Bible you would see that the apostle Paul went to great lengths to write letters to the chruches in his day warning against false teachers and telling people to have nothing to do with them. And that is scripture. Hank does a great job of exposing these fakes with documented evidence, which any sane person would not argue with. I notice the arguments against this book NEVER have any substantial amount of backing from the BIBLE, the arguments this book makes are fully backed by the bible as he uses bible verses in context. These so called men of God condemn themselves by their own words. I was once a K Hagin fan, even though I stopped following him a long time ago, it wasn't until I read this book that I saw how far from the real Jesus it is. Copeland likes to tell us God is 6ft 2 with a hand span on 9 inches. Reducing God to one of us, he uses a verse in Isaiah that says God measures the heavens by the hollow of his hand. In a book by Jerry Bridges called The Joy of fearing God he uses the same verse to talk of Gods greatness. He checked with a scientist or astronomer (i cant remember) to try get an idea of the size of our universe. Apparently the nearest star in the next galaxy is light years away, then there are so many galaxies, all combinesd the figure would be incomprehensible to us, an enormous size. That is closer to the size if Gods hand and that is AWESOME. So you see, it is this God who controls everything by his POWER not his faith. He is the one Jesus spoke of. Hank is simply showing us that these teachers are not talking about the same God or Jesus even though they claim to be. They belong with other cult movements. If that really bothers you and you don't want to look into it for yourself and you defend these people, then you really must question whether your relationship is with God or just with the Copeland and Hinns of this world. Buy this book, be blessed and set free.

As a charasmatic tongue speaking christian,who believes the gifts of the Spirit still exist today. I found that this book accurately adressed the teachings of the faith movements primary teachers.As an early christian I took Mr Hagins courses and this is exactly what he taught.The problem is that since we charasmatic christians have for so long been told that we either are from the devil or are mentally unstable. we tend to cling to anyone who supports our positions on charisma as friends.Having read other works by this author and his predecessor Mr Martin.I don't think he is biased against the charasmatic movement.But he correctly points out that no teacher has the free hand to have his teachings go unquestioned.We should never be in the habit of receiving a teaching or teacher without examining its biblical accuracy.This book correctly points this out.And most of these leaders fail the test.I wish that all my charasmatic brothers would please sit down and read this book with an unbiased position and see for yourself if what these faith teachers are teaching is truly what the bible teaches.

The author shows that the teachings of the Word-Faith movement are heretical. I will give an example. One of the most shocking is a statement by one of the teachers (Kenneth Copeland, if you care). According to him, the Holy Spirit revealed to him that he could have done the same as Jesus did. Yes, that Copeland, if he had the correct knowledge, could have paid for all humanity's sins! Other teachings are that Jesus is not God, that "God is the biggest failure in the Bible", etc. The entire book has teachings like this, some heretical, some blasphemous, some absurd (Adam could fly to the moon?).

Hank is not taking everything out of context. Once I came across a devotional written by a well-known faith teacher. I looked through it and soon found confirmation of the false teachings, the statement that (possibly not entirely verbatim here) "If you need a car, God has to give it to you." No, it's God's decision what and to whom he gives.

As a final note this book is not about spiritual gifts.

This is Hank Hanegraff's first, and still, best outing as an author. His writing is easy to read without sacrificing deep theological issues. That is the skill of his writing. He makes things understandable to the lay person as well as the scholar. The book will be an interesting read for both groups and everyone in between.

Hank Hanegraff, President of the Christian Research Institude, documents of the many false teachings of todays most popular faith teachers such as Copeland, Hinn, and Crouch. He correctly exposes the false teachings the "faith is a force", "We are little gods", and the "health and wealth" doctrines.

This book is an outstanding and a must for all concerned Christians.