Lectures on Revivals of Religion. [Paperback]

Charles G Finney (Author), Richard M Friedrich (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 4, 2005

When editors have been changing Finney's words in their republications of his works over the last one hundred and thirty years, it is essential in understanding the man and his success that republications without changes be given once again to the public. This new edition does that. While the text is from the final 1868 revised edition, numerous footnotes are added that show the changes Finney made from the original 1834 and 1835 editions of these lectures. Many of the changes made in more recent republications are also noticed. From Finney's Preface: In revising [these lectures] for a new edition, I have done little more than correct the phraseology in a few instances, add a few footnotes, and replace the last two Lectures by newly-written ones on the same texts and prepared especially for this edition. . . These Lectures have been translated in the Welsh and French languages, and have been extensively circulated wherever the English or either of those languages is understood. One house in London published 80,000 copies in English. They are still in type and in market in Europe, and I have the great satisfaction of knowing that they have been made a great blessing to thousands of souls. Consequently, I have not thought it wise to recast them for the sake of giving them a more attractive form. God has owned and blessed the reading of them as they have been, and with the exceptions above noticed, I have given them to the present and coming generations. If the reader will peruse and remember the foregoing preface, he will understand what I said of the church and some of the ministers, and why I said it. I beseech my brethren not to take amiss what I have said, but rather to be assured that every sentence has been spoken in love, and often with a sorrowful heart. May God continue to add His blessing to the reading of these Lectures. CHARLES G. FINNEY (1792-1875) was America's foremost evangelist. Over half a million people were soundly converted under his personal ministry in a day when there was no TV or microphones. He was also an excellent theologian, philosopher, educator, pastor and reformer while professor of theology and president of Oberlin College. Harvard's Perry Miller said, "Finney led America out of the eighteenth century." He is remembered, according to Harvard's W. G. McLoughlin, for his "textbook on how to promote revivals of religion. This book is the perennial classic to which all succeeding generations of revivalists have turned for authority and inspiration." He was also a father to the evangelical and holiness movements.

Product Details

• Paperback: 484 pages
• Publisher: Alethea In Heart; 2nd edition (March 4, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932370471
• ISBN-13: 978-1932370478
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #372,830 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Powerful and Convicting, With Some Faulty Theology, June 9, 2006

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Marc Axelrod (Potter, Wi USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lectures on Revivals of Religion. (Paperback)

These are powerful lectures on what constitutes a religious revival, how to encourage or promote a religious revival, and what can be done to maintain a revival experience in the life of the Christian and in the life of the church.

Charles Finney understands a religious revival to be the work of man, when we renew our first love with Christ. A religious revival is a new beginning of obedience to God. It results in the backslidden person or church returning to its first love (Jesus), and in the conversion of sinners. God is involved in the revival process insofar as he providentially arranges for men and women to be encountered with the truth of the gospel. Yet a revival cannot take place without the cooperation of the penitent sinner, he or she must repent of their sins and seek the Lord with all their heart (Jeremiah 29:13). This understanding of a revival shows that Finney emphasizes the work of man right alongside the work of God, which would be anathema for Calvinists.

Finney also stresses that people need many revivals. If our love grows cold, or our hearts become crusty, it is because we need to remember the height from which we have fallen and repent and do the things we did that led to our first revival. Finney contends that we need to be reconverted, or a person who was once a revived believer could end up in hell.

He points out that a revival can be expected when God reveals to His people that the time is right for one. Also, when the Christian community and the clergy are united in their intense desire to see a revival that will bring about the salvation of the wicked, an awakening can be expected. Finney would also point out that the church would need to be open to God doing it any way He wants.

He goes on to mention that in order to promote a revival, Christians should confess their sins one by one. Finney regards this as absolutely essential, since we committed them one by one, they need to be confessed and forsaken one by one. Moreover, it will do no good to merely confess them or to trust that over time, God will grant repentance unto life. God has mandated that we all repent of our sins of omission (things that we neglected to do, such as prayer, Bible reading, giving, self denial, etc) and our sins of commission (slander, lying, cheating, hypocrisy, and envy, among others).

Beginning with page 342 of Lectures on Revival of Religion, Finney gives advice to Christians on how to respond when someone asks "What must I do to be saved?"

His advice is to tell the sinner to change his mind about sin, to confess his sins and vow to forsake them, and to believe the gospel of Christ, that He died for us and rose again, and to submit to God completely.

Unfortunately, it seems that Finney believes that a person may need to be reconverted again and again. It is hard to know if Finney is suggesting that a Christian may backslide to an unsaved condition and may need salvation again, or if the expression "reconvert" is merely an expression of being reconverted to a totally sold out lifestyle for Christ. Probably both, since Finney shows contempt for the idea that a person can be "once saved, always saved." If this assessment is true, it would put Finney's understanding of the security of the believer in sharp contrast with Edwards, who would only assume the integrity of a revival experience if the person is faithful to the end.

I should also say that Finney has a plain way of speaking (these lectures were delivered extemporaneously and transcribed), and he is also quite funny, especially in the lecture about the wrong things to say to a sinner on the verge of accpeting Christ.

I recommend not only reading this book, but following Finney's steps in promoting revival in your own life (pages 31-44). But watch out for his erratic theological pronouncements (the need for Christian people to be reconverted again and again, his radical emphasis on man's role in salvation, and in his denial that revival is a supernatural work of God. Get past the theology and take his advice on the practical side of living an awakened life for Jesus Christ.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book On Revivial next to the Bible, February 15, 2007

By 

Grover Smith (Prairieville, La United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lectures on Revivals of Religion (The Life and Works of Charles G. Finney, Volume 1) (Hardcover)

As a trained lawyer Finney's is very organised writer and the Title says Lectures. This is a clearly written and a very powerful book. Finney sees revival the way a farmer sees crops. You prepare the ground (heart), you plow (pray), plant seed(Word of God), you water (repent of sin) Trust God to give the growth. Not a book on over night jack in the bean stalk growth. But a timely book now as when first written. Read Finney auto Biography to more clearly understand the Second Great Awakening in America. The first being 1740-1750's Johnathan Edwards and George Whitefield's ministry. This book when read with Bible in Hand will do no harm and possibly much good. It is one of a dozen or more great books on religion that has had a great impact on my Christian life. You will be stirred if you read it. It is not perfect but written by a man trying to be perfect even a s God is perfect. A great Book on Sowing and Reaping. Note: Finney was not a get salvation lose salvation preacher. He did begin to believe it was possible for a man to chose to forsake Christ after having been converted. This required a active choice of unbelief not an accidental falling away or by sinning to much. This doctrine was a result of his seeing fruit that he thought was once gathered seeming to fall away back into unbelief. This Book will be a great blessing to who read and to all who read it like the Bereans searching the scriptures to see if it is true. W.A. Criswell wrote of one of his books "Reading this book is like eating fish, if you come to a bone you can't swallow, just chew around it." So take advantage of this reprint Buy, Borrow it from some one who has it. It will stir your soul and provoke you to good works for Christ.