Christianity with Power: Your Worldview and Your Experience of the Supernatural

by Charles H. Kraft

Power. Politicians crave it. Money buys it. And some people will do anything to get it. In a world where New Agers rely on crystals and channeling to tap into spiritual power, the Christian is reminded that Jesus used supernatural power to heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead. Two thousand years later, the world still desperately needs a Savior who works in power. However, many modern Christians are embarrassed and reluctant to preach a gospel accompanied by supernatural power. Our Western worldview conditions us to fit God into a neat, predictable mold. But Kraft is convinced that the power of the gospel will not be confined to our categories. Step by step, he offers a biblical understanding of signs and wonders and shows how Christians can become God's instruments to heal the sick, to work miracles, and to oppose the counterfeit powers of this age. There is something that makes 'Christianity with Power' quite possibly great, maybe even a major publishing event to be noted some day when the history of the modern church is written. . . . Kraft helps us as no one else has in understanding our Western worldview in relation to the way the Holy Spirit is working today" -from the Foreword

Genres: Supernatural

242 pages, Paperback

First published February 28, 1989

About the author

Rev. Dr. Charles H. Kraft is an anthropologist and linguist whose work since the early 1980s has focused on inner healing and spiritual warfare. He is the Sun-Hee Kwak Professor of Anthropology and Intercultural Communication in the School of Intercultural Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, teaching primarily in the school's spiritual dynamics concentration. He joined Fuller's faculty in 1969. In the 1950s he served as a Brethren missionary in northern Nigeria. He has been a professor of African languages at Michigan State University and UCLA, and taught anthropology part-time at Biola University. He holds a BA from Wheaton College, a BD from Ashland Theological Seminary, and a PhD from the Hartford Seminary Foundation.

-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why do we read of Jesus healings and other works of power yet see so little of this in the church that acts with his name? This is the question that increasingly nagged at Charles Kraft, first during missions work in Africa where other healers claimed spiritual power, and then later as he sat in on John Wimber's signs and wonders course at Fuller Seminary.

Kraft argues that there is no good case for the cessation of these works following the era of scripture, any more than there is a case for the cessation of preaching that announces the kingdom. These two go hand in hand. Rather he argues that our "powerless" Christianity is a consequence of our embrace of a Western worldview that partitions God and the supernatural from involvement in the physical world, contrary to the testimony of scripture and the experience of Christians in the two-thirds world.

Kraft narrates his own change of perspective and his beginning attempts to minister to people in the power of Christ. He compelling speaks of his realization that this is not a power trip (a pitfall in these kinds of ministries) but power wrapped in love and attentive to God. He speaks of learning this ministry and encourages people to engage in prayer ministry for healing 50 times unsuccessfully before giving up! He speaks with wisdom about not promising a healing but rather going together to the Lord to see what he wants to do. He gives practical instruction for a seven step process in this ministry. He also cautions against emotionalism while paying attention to the emotions that manifest during prayer.

This seems a biblically sound and pastorally sensitive approach. Reading this challenges me to be more open to what God might do when I'm asked to pray for the sick or for those facing other emotional or spiritual challenges.

[Wendy C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great explanation of worldviews and moving into the Spirit filled life. Gread explanations as to why people fear it and will challenge your thinking as it did mine. Loved this book.

[D.J. Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Kraft, a self-described dispensationalist Evangelical Christian, described how his encounter with healing Christianity rocked his world. That story is at the center of the book in every aspect, yet that's not the whole story. Kraft presents an exceptionally-well-argued description of how our western world view developed, how it limits our perception of the Gospel, and how a Christian world view opens our hearts and minds to what Jesus was really saying--namely that Christianity is not merely a philosophy, it is a relationship with the Holy Spirit that brings us into relationship with God in very powerful ways.

Kraft, who was then a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, was and remained a respected scholar of theology until his retirement. That's something to consider when you are tempted to discount the stories of the healings he's observed. It's also worth noting (as Kraft does) that missionaries to non-industrialized countries base their view of Christanity not on its philosophical value, but on its ability to produce miracles, which it does with abundance. One of my mentors, who worked in Indonesia, reports that Muslims there don't want to be converted, but when they need healing they don't go to the doctor, they go to a Christian!

Kraft begs the question: what happened to Christianity in this nation that claims it so loudly? Why doesn't our ministry look much like Jesus'? Where is our healing and deliverance? As he forcefully argues, it was eclipsed by secular thinking. But it's not lost, we just need to change our thinking.

[Aaron Bolin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the general topic, but Kraft spent way too much time on worldview stuff. Got it, worldview matters; move on already. Very good book, I recommend it but didn't really enjoy it.

[Darren Briggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book! I read it years ago, but I think I enjoyed it more reading it a second time, because it accompanied my research into the healing ministry of John Wimber, Jack Deere, and others. I have never read a more insightful book on understanding the influence of one's world view, especially on the subject of the miraculous or spiritual realm.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a classic written by a missionary anthropologist who has a deep grasp on both worldview and spiritual issues touching power, how the two things are related and the implications of that relationship.