Customer Reviews

Evangelicalism Divided: A Record of Crucial Change in the Years 1950 to 2000

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Iain Murray's history of the change within evangelicalism over the last 50 years is both impressive and frightening. He shows how decisions by some noted evangelical leaders in Britain and the U.S. for the sake of "unity" or "results" have compromised the church and watered down the message of the Gospel. This helps us see why so many claim to be beleivers in Christ, and yet there is so little impact on lives and on our culture(s).

In one insightful passage, he asks, "If the evangelical belief that it is faith in the gospel which brings spiritual unity is true, then it follows that where the gospel ceases to be believed there unity ceases to exist. Therein lay a long-standing problem for evangelicals who found themselves in denominations where many ministers and people did not believe that gospel. In such circumstances, how could they give the commitment to denominational unity which Scripture gives to the unity of Christians?" (p. 83).

While Murray points out failures of certain well-known leaders, he does not throw stones, nor does he assault character or motives of these men. He is charitible and gracious even when he disagrees, which I found very refreshing compared to many "critiques" that people write.

As he writes, "Like the Corinthian Christians we are prone either to idolize men or to be unduly critical. We too readily form parties behind men in forgetfulness of the direction, 'One is your teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren' (Matt. 23:8). Because an eminent Christian is evidently right in some things, or owned of God in his work, we are liable to take him as a leader in all things and to treat any who disagree as opponents." (p. 308)

He also moves beyond simply the history and focuses on practical lessons to be learned from the last fifty years. He also reminds us that our true hope is in the Lord Jesus Christ and His Gospel of Grace. "At almost all times in history the kingdom of God has appeared to be in confusion to the outward eye. It is faith in the promises of God which provides a different perspective. The Holy Spirit assures us that infinite wisdom and love are presently directing the life of the church and that eternity will be witness to their success when a multitude which no man can number will be glorified with Christ. What we see now is but the beginning." (p. 317).

All in all, a helpful perspective and a firm corrective for all of us who seek unity and truth in the church.

This is one of the most powerful, compelling, stunning, and significant books written in the past decade. In these pages, Murray chronicles the fall of evangelicalism in the late 20th Century.

Murray begins by telling his reader of Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834) and his brand of theology. In an effort to defend Christianity from the higher criticism of his contemporaries, Schleiermacher made a great distinction between the mind and the heart, the objective thought and the subjective passions. He rejected the objective and taught that true Christianity was solely subjective, thus unassailable by higher criticism.

After his description of Schleiermacher, Murray shifts gears to the earlier half of the 20th Century and describes the events that transpired from that time to the present day. While careful not to slander anyone, he names names and gives example after example of a shift in attitude and approach from standing upon truth to compromise in the name of proclaiming the gospel.

As one reads through this book, at some point or another Murray's connection will strike him: modern evangelicalism has fallen into Scheiermacher-like beliefs, and most of its leaders don't even realize it. It's shocking and its implications hit very close to home, but Murray's conclusions are true.

After reading this book, I was grieved by some of the compromises I had made in the past. It permanently altered my perspective, and I am thankful I read it. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to any Christian who is interested in learning from the past, and I implore pastors and church leaders everywhere to read it so that the listing evangelical church might be righted again.

It has been said that only fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Well, I do not believe Mr. Murray is a fool, and he certainly is no coward. Undoubtedly he is unafraid to write what he believes to be the truth regardless of the repercussions. Such is the case with Evangelicalism Divided. This book may be more than many American readers care to digest, especially since it delves into the polity of the Church of England. Yet this book demands a wide and careful reading due to its grave implications, specifically in that it addresses the idea of what constitutes a genuine Christian. Not to mention issues that should concern American Evangelicalism, most notably, Billy Graham. Mr. Murray provides thorough references to back up his claims. Should his position indeed prove to be valid, the following statement may in deed be true: "In our generation, other than the Pope, no individual has done more to lift up the name of Jesus than has Billy Graham. Conversely however, no one individual, other than the Pope, has done more to eviscerate the actual power of the gospel message, than has Mr. Graham." Such are the implications of Evangelicalism Divided. Lines will be drawn in the sand and taking sides will be unavoidable. However this book does not deserve to be passed over. It must either be soundly refuted or widely distributed for all those concerned with true reformation and the biblical gospel.

If evangelicals wish to take stock of where they are now and what the future of the church holds, they must look to the past and understand from where it is they have come. Evangelicalism Divided by Iain Murray, would be a perfect place to start, for it is a record of the changes that took place in the American and British churches in the years 1950 to 2000. It records the rise of influences and influencers that ultimately changed the course of evangelicalism.

The book begins with an examination of Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834) and the theology of experience that influenced so many. The God of Schleiermacher was a mere man, and one who bore little resemblance to the God of the Bible. To defend God against criticism, Schleiermacher redefined Christianity as mere subjectivity and not an objective Truth. This stunning departure from Scripture provides a foundation for many beliefs that later gained prominence in evangelicalism.

Having set the scene, Murray begins to examine many of the men and organizations that have directly shaped contemporary evangelicalism. He speaks of Billy Graham, J.I. Packer, John Stott and organizations such as Inter Varsity. While he is unafraid to name names, he avoids slander and conjecture, always speaking in love and always providing ample support for his claims. He writes about controversies in the Church of England during the sixties, about the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT). He writes also of controversy regarding how we ought to define a Christian and how we ought to define the church. Having thoroughly examined the modern history of evangelicalism, he raises questions and concerns about the present. The general conclusions he reaches are as follows:

* The history of the new evangelicalism has shown how difficult it is to remedy the faults of one position without falling into dangers at the opposite extreme.
* A great deal of the confusion which has divided evangelicalism has been related to the question, "Who is a Christian?"
* The church cannot succeed in the same way in which political parties may succeed.
* The period of history confirms the painful fact that there can be serious differences of belief and consequent controversies among true Christians.
* The history of this period shows how hard it is for leaders to look in different directions at once.
* The struggles and hopes of Christians are not to be understood in terms of the present and the temporal.

In short, Murray concludes that evangelicalism, as we know it today, has been unduly influenced by Schleiermacher. What is particularly amazing is that so few evangelical leaders know or care.

While this is sobering, we should not be discouraged or dismayed. Murray concludes, "At almost all times in history the kingdom of God has appeared to be in confusion to the outward eye. It is faith in the promises of God which provides a different perspective. The Holy Spirit assures us that infinite wisdom and love are presently directing the life of the church and that eternity will be witness to their success when a multitude which no man can number will be glorified with Christ" (page 317).

This book is fascinating, disturbing and critically important. I hope many evangelical pastors and leaders turn to this book to help them understand where evangelicals have come from so they can make necessary course corrections to lead where we need to go next. I give this book my recommendation.

This is in my current list of Top 10 Christian books. Will it stay there? Fairly good chance. I first heard of it on a tape-of-the-month from RC Sproul, who highly praised the book several times. I ordered it and read it. I agree with him. It outlines how we have gotten away from being Godly and have become focused on growth and other worldly ideals. There is much to cover and, yes, some of it is hard to digest. But, there is no ignoring that the author is hitting the nail on the head. Sometimes we all need a wake-up call.

Since Jesus saved me in 1992 I have struggled with much of modern evangelism and the evangelical church at large. Many of the books, methods, and ideas of the modern evangelical church just did not line up with Scripture. My first reaction was that I was simply theological ignorant and once I went through Bible college I might could define and defend modern evangelical practices such as altar calls, the "sinner's prayer," and many other modern tools of evangelism. However, four years of Bible college did nothing to change my mind.

Iain Murray gives us a book that speaks directly to these problems. Just where did modern altar calls, the "sinner's prayer," decisions for Christ, and other forms of evangelism come from. They most surely did not come from the New Testament. So Murray traces their history and shows the compromise of the evangelical church. Charles Spurgeon fought the Down-Grade Controversey and now the Church is full of down-graders like Billy Graham, Bill Hybels, and the entire Campus Crusade For Christ. In fact, go into most evangelical churches and preach against altar calls and you will be stoned before you can reach the door.

Read this book and repent for not giving all credit and all glory unto God alone, the author and finisher of our faith (Jonah 2:9; John 6:44; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; Hebrews 12:2).

Considers the last 50 years of Anglican and Evangelical history. A bold book which speaks out against unity for the sake of unity, upholding instead unity around Biblical truth. The surprise lay in how fundamental to the Christian faith were the issues skirted over by some evangelicals in pursuing this compromising unity - what is a Christian and how are we saved? Frustratingly short on Bible references in the first half of the book, this improves as Murray considers the Biblical view of unity in the latter half of the text.

In 1950, evangelicalism was at a crossroads. For the previous 50 years evangelicals had fought to create an identity. Having separated from the main-line denominations, evangelicals now were an androgynous group lacking identity. The former generation of evangelicals was tired, having fought battles for the purity and proliferation of the group. Feeling that the gospel's integrity was at stake, they had worked to raise up a younger generation of like-minded evangelicals. This new generation labored to create an identity for their group. Ian Murray, in Evangelicalism Divided, shows the struggles that ensued during this second generation. In a way, their effort was successful, as present day evangelicalism has certain features that identify it.

But, as the title makes clear, Murray feels that the present state of evangelicalism is divided. One wing of it has stood for orthodoxy and biblical doctrine. This wing identifies itself with the martyred reformers who shed their blood at the hands of the Roman church. These evangelicals view themselves as standing for the integrity of the gospel. They have learned from the battles of the previous generation, and have made attempts to separate from the liberal denominations in order to avoid the fights that consumed their predecessors. Yet this new generation would rather die than oversee the compromising of the gospel under their watch.

The other branch of evangelicalism has dedicated itself to gaining recognition for the movement as a whole. Rather than fighting the battles over orthodoxy, these evangelicals fight for scholastic recognition, the expansion of their message through crusades, and the unification of the world-wide Christian church.

Murray makes clear that the goals of the two branches are mutually exclusive. Success in one camp invariably means defeat in the other. The gospel cannot be defended from liberal encroachments and at the same time be recognized as academically profitable by those same liberals. Murray equally makes clear that he is not a neutral historian, but rather one who finds himself squarely in the first camp. He would be willing to die rather than see the gospel compromised. However, Murray also cunningly reveals that no one is willing to kill him; rather his opponents are trying to drag him and his gospel into unholy alliances those who do not uphold it.

One of the strengths of the book is how Murray describes the personal relationships that existed between evangelicals during this time period, and how in many cases those relationships influenced the progression of thought and motives of the main players. Two opposite examples: Billy Graham was influenced by his father-in-law to labor on the same side as the denominations; D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones's resolve was tried and strengthened through the friendship with and separation from J. I. Packer, once his student. In both of these examples, Murray delicately and carefully shows the development and effects of the relationships. In the case of Lloyd-Jones, Murray shows the pain and conflict brought about by the eventual separation of the teacher from the student. This brief section (108-111) is a good brief section to read to get a feel for the theme and tone of the book.

Murray seems to have two main purposes in writing this book. First, he aims to show that the bursting of the evangelical dyke began in England; from there the river of division and compromise flowed across the Atlantic, changing its tack at Park Street Church in Boston, then across the United States it flowed and crested at Fuller Seminary in Los Angeles. Second, he aims to show that those who wanted recognition, academic integrity, and unity in the world-wide body of Christ were in error, and are primarily responsible for the current division in evangelicalism.

This book does a convincing job of showing that there is a difference between true Christianity and unity with liberal denominations. These differences cannot be reconciled (this is most clearly shown on p. 150).

If there is a weakness of the book, it is perhaps found in attributing too much to the likes of people like Lloyd-Jones and Graham. This book describes both of them as the key players in the division of evangelicalism. While others were obviously involved in both branches of the division (and on both sides of the ocean), Murray chooses to focus on the evolution and crystallization of thought in these two as indicative of their forks of the divided evangelical river. But, was Graham to blame for the compromises and division win evangelicals? Or, rather were the drops of compromise already in the water? If Graham would have held fast to his separatist roots, would not the river have thrust another to the front of the movement? Murray does not say.

As other reviewers have noted, Murray does an excellent job of sustaining his thesis: that the theology of Schleiermacher has crept into evangelicalism over the past fifty years. I would give the book five stars except for two unexamined issues.

First, Murray omits one crucial compromise that evangelicals made. Revivalist movements that emerged from the Second and Third Great Awakenings had originally been excluded under the term "evangelical" because they held to a theology that focused on subjective experience. But in the late 1960s, social conservatism became more important than theological orthodoxy within evangelical circles. Thus, these fellow "conservatives" were invited into the fold despite their Schleiermachian tendencies. I agree that evangelicals also made compromises with liberals and Catholics, and watered down their theology to avoid scorn from intellectuals. But these latter issues all pale in comparison to the changes that came when evangelicals began defining themselves according to social issues rather than doctrine.

Second, Murray fails to point out that these unity-oriented compromises have actually led to disunity. As knowledge of theology has atrophied, individual preachers have gained larger followings. Theological broadening at the macro level has actually led to theological narrowing at the micro level. Denominations and churches now regularly split because the followers of one leader will no longer commune together with the followers of another leader. Oddly, as our ignorance of theology has grown, so has our confidence that our own positions are unassailable.

I listened to some interviews with Iain Murray on ninemarks.com. In one interview, he discussed this book and I was extremely intrigued. I am 100% on the side of ecumenism with Murray and Dr. Lloyd-Jones. This book is good to let you know the historical aspect of Evangelicalism. Murray didn't really attempt to apply in a typical manner. But it is extremely applicable if you see how others have gone wrong. I think we should read this, and others like it, with a sense of humility. We need to weigh tough topics like this with God's infallible Word and nothing else. I believe Murray stays true to the Word. If you're interested, I would suggest the interviews [...] to see if this is worth it. The interviews are extremely worth it.