Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well Written, Helpful and Informative, January 25, 2001
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.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
WOW!!, April 27, 2002
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.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Book!, January 25, 2001
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.
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