One Faith: The Evangelical Consensus [Hardcover]

J. I. Packer (Author), Thomas C. Oden (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 13, 2004

Jesus Christ promised a unity for his church. Are there now clear evidences of that within evangelicalism? Or are evangelicals fragmenting into ever smaller divisions?Renowned theologians J. I. Packer and Thomas C. Oden make the case that there is a significant theological consensus holding the evangelical church together. With copious citations from statements produced since 1950 that are widely representative of international evangelical faith, Packer and Oden let these witnesses speak for themselves.Packer and Oden survey several key documents of evangelicalism, particularly the Lausanne Covenant (1974), the Manila Manifesto (1989), The Gospel of Jesus Christ: An Evangelical Celebration (1999) and The Amsterdam Declaration (2000). Charting sixteen different theological themes, they also include references to numerous documents produced by evangelical theological seminaries and societies, mission agencies, parachurch organizations and assorted special convocations. More than informational, One Faith arises out of the hope that it may not only edify the evangelical church but also provide a potential foundation for a new ecumenism that gives glory to the God of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the good news of his gospel.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Theologians Packer (Knowing God) and Oden write to convince the laity of doctrinal unity among evangelical Christians, attempting a reference work of recent evangelical faith statements for pastors, students, historians and journalists. Employing a straightforward, concise style and building its case on primary sources, this book succeeds as a reference. Because of the academic nature of its subject matter, however, many laypeople will find it tough going and best taken in small doses. Evangelicals-those believers in any denomination who identify "a core of necessary truth that has remained central through many shifts of the Christian scene over time"-sometimes disagree on issues such as baptism and church government, creating the appearance of fragmentation. While admitting this, Packer and Oden presuppose that the areas of dissension are peripheral and assert that evangelicals stand together on the foundational points that true believers have embraced in every age. Excerpting 70 statements written by interdenominational groups since 1950, 16 chapters make the case for concord on basics such as the authority of scripture, the nature of God, the person and work of Jesus Christ and the meaning of salvation. A conclusion explores the implications of the consensus within evangelicalism, summing up: "It is the creed of a very large and still growing bloc of the world's believers, it boldly claims the high ground of biblical centrism, and it ought to be taken account of." Appendices reproduce three key doctrinal statements in their entirety.
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 223 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (April 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830832394
• ISBN-13: 978-0830832392
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #481,992 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thomas C. Oden (Ph.D., Yale University) recently retired as Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Theology at The Theological School of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. He is general editor of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture and author of numerous theological works, including a three-volume systematic theology.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable Book Built Around a Simple Idea, July 29, 2008

By 

W. M. McGuire (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One Faith: The Evangelical Consensus (Hardcover)

The quarrels among evangelicals have led some evangelicals and most non-evangelicals to believe that a theological consensus is lacking within this group. The two authors, representing "two distinguishable [but] related wings of modern evangelical history" (p. 15) show that there is a core set of shared beliefs.

Since both Packer and Oden are scholars, they carefully explain what they mean by "consensus" and "evangelical," and they delineate their methodology, their anticipated, audience and what they hope to accomplish.

The book is structured around 16 chapters, each addressing a theological topic. For each topic, they offer numerous portions of various evangelical statements of faith that address that particular topic. Thus, one can see for oneself the broad agreement between these different groups. In their conclusion, they make several points concerning evangelicalism that do truly seem to flow from the statements of faith presented.

One should not conclude that because the book is about evangelical consensus, that it will also address differences among evangelicals. While accepting the nature of theological diversity, it focuses on its chosen topic and does not depart from that topic.

It is a simple and elegant book. It is thoughtful. It is irenic in tone. It is easy to read. It meets a significant need. It does exactly what it purports to do. It clearly adds to the body of literature. Thus, it is highly recommended.

5 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars More of a compellation than compelling, February 27, 2006

By 

fromtheashes - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Faith: The Evangelical Consensus (Hardcover)

I was looking for thoughtful dialouge on the areas of theology that evangelicals agree on. Instead the book provides excerpts from a variety of different evangelical documents. It is not a bad resource to have but for me it failed to provide the consensus mentioned in the books title.