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Preaching With Spiritual Power: Calvin's Understanding of Word and Spirit in Preaching
The nature of the relationship between the Spirit of God and the Word of God has been debated among believers for centuries. Is the Spirit present wherever and whenever the Word is preached?
Ralph Cunnington explores this and in particular the narrow historical theological question of what the Protestant Reformers, in particular John Calvin, actually taught on this topic. With careful and incisive scholarship, and writing that is both clear and cogent, we travel through this question.
Ralph Cunnington explores this and in particular the narrow historical theological question of what the Protestant Reformers, in particular John Calvin, actually taught on this topic. With careful and incisive scholarship, and writing that is both clear and cogent, we travel through this question.
144 pages, Paperback
First published August 20, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 28, 2016
A short book with a narrow focus: Does the Spirit always attend the preaching of the Word and does the Spirit work through the Word 99.9% of the time to save people? Or can the Word be preached and the Spirit be absent and does the Spirit work outside of the preached Word? The author affirms the former and denies the latter and argues that Calvin does as well. The author looked at some historical background, which I felt was bit unnecessary. But then he looked at some modern interpretations of Calvin, which the author thought were incorrect.
The main upshot of the book was that Calvin teaches that the Word and Spirit go together, but not necessarily for salvation. But the Spirit is always present when the Word is preached. What this really made me think about was Dr. Lloyd Jones' perspective on preaching, where he states that sometimes the Spirit attends the preaching of the Word and sometimes he doesn't. While appreciate Dr. Jones' preaching, he is wrong on the point. Where the Word is the Spirit is present.
If you are interested in this topic then the book will be of interest, but honestly the focus is very narrow and will only appeal to a select few readers. Still I found it interesting.
My Rating System
1 Star-Terrible book and dangerous. Burn it in the streets.
2 Stars-Really bad book, would not recommend, probably has some dangerous ideas in it or could just be so poorly written/researched that it is not worth reading. Few books I read are 1 or 2 stars because I am careful about what I read.
3 Stars-Either I disagree with it at too many points to recommend it or it is just not a good book on the subject or for the genre. Would not read it again, reference it, or recommend it. But it is not necessarily dangerous except as a time waster.
4 Stars-Solid book on the subject or for the genre. This does not mean I agree with everything in it. I would recommend this book to others and would probably read it again or reference it. Most books fall in this category because I try not to read books I don’t think will be good. There is a quite a variety here. 3.6 is pretty far from 4.5.
5 Stars-Excellent book. Classic in the genre or top of the line for the subject. I might also put a book in here that impacted me personally at the time I read it. I would highly recommend this book, even if I do not agree with all that it says. Few books fall in this category. Over time I have put less in this category.
The main upshot of the book was that Calvin teaches that the Word and Spirit go together, but not necessarily for salvation. But the Spirit is always present when the Word is preached. What this really made me think about was Dr. Lloyd Jones' perspective on preaching, where he states that sometimes the Spirit attends the preaching of the Word and sometimes he doesn't. While appreciate Dr. Jones' preaching, he is wrong on the point. Where the Word is the Spirit is present.
If you are interested in this topic then the book will be of interest, but honestly the focus is very narrow and will only appeal to a select few readers. Still I found it interesting.
My Rating System
1 Star-Terrible book and dangerous. Burn it in the streets.
2 Stars-Really bad book, would not recommend, probably has some dangerous ideas in it or could just be so poorly written/researched that it is not worth reading. Few books I read are 1 or 2 stars because I am careful about what I read.
3 Stars-Either I disagree with it at too many points to recommend it or it is just not a good book on the subject or for the genre. Would not read it again, reference it, or recommend it. But it is not necessarily dangerous except as a time waster.
4 Stars-Solid book on the subject or for the genre. This does not mean I agree with everything in it. I would recommend this book to others and would probably read it again or reference it. Most books fall in this category because I try not to read books I don’t think will be good. There is a quite a variety here. 3.6 is pretty far from 4.5.
5 Stars-Excellent book. Classic in the genre or top of the line for the subject. I might also put a book in here that impacted me personally at the time I read it. I would highly recommend this book, even if I do not agree with all that it says. Few books fall in this category. Over time I have put less in this category.
February 26, 2023
What did Calvin think about the doctrine of unction?
Really helpful book that I used for a school paper on the topic of the doctrine of unction. The author really helps spelling out the Reformers position (especially Calvin who seemed to be the more articulate on the topic) on how the Spirit works through the Word (in preaching especially). This is not an exegesis study, nor a full systematic study on the topic of unction but a very helpful presentation of the opposite position of those of Lloyd-Jones or Azurdia. Not for everyone maybe but definitely useful to me!
Really helpful book that I used for a school paper on the topic of the doctrine of unction. The author really helps spelling out the Reformers position (especially Calvin who seemed to be the more articulate on the topic) on how the Spirit works through the Word (in preaching especially). This is not an exegesis study, nor a full systematic study on the topic of unction but a very helpful presentation of the opposite position of those of Lloyd-Jones or Azurdia. Not for everyone maybe but definitely useful to me!
January 2, 2024
As others have noted, this is a very narrowly focused book. It does not boast a broad appeal, yet it is an important topic. By the authors own description, this is a bit of an historical theological approach to the topic of the Word and Spirit in preaching. The book’s subtitle is a bit misleading, as this is less a book about Calvin’s understanding, and more a review of the early Reformers’ understandings of the topic, and where they differed from each other.
The whole middle of the book, covering the ideas of Luther (primarily), Zwingli and Bullinger, seems more like an aside than an organic, logical outworking of the book’s premise. These Reformers are not tied into Calvin much at all, let alone for the author to provide some reason for their inclusion at all, other than historical curiosity. Reading chapters 1 & 4 will provide everything necessary to comprehend the work. Chapters 3 & 4 feel more like filler, than actual connected argumentation.
Overall, I liked the book, and was encouraged by Cunnington’s review of Calvin’s position.
The whole middle of the book, covering the ideas of Luther (primarily), Zwingli and Bullinger, seems more like an aside than an organic, logical outworking of the book’s premise. These Reformers are not tied into Calvin much at all, let alone for the author to provide some reason for their inclusion at all, other than historical curiosity. Reading chapters 1 & 4 will provide everything necessary to comprehend the work. Chapters 3 & 4 feel more like filler, than actual connected argumentation.
Overall, I liked the book, and was encouraged by Cunnington’s review of Calvin’s position.
June 23, 2019
More helpful on this topic is Tony Sargent's Sacred Anointing.
February 17, 2024
A correction to a series of essays written that misunderstood Calvin’s (as well as other Reformers’) view of the relationship between the operation of the Holy Spirit and the means of grace, and ultimately (as the title says) about Calvin’s understanding of the Word and Spirit’s role in preaching. A good lesson on how taking one or two statements out of context changes one’s interpretation of the whole of Calvin’s thought. Rather academic.
June 6, 2019
Great content, well argued. My main enjoyment in reading this however was finding something so academic (though accessible) and thoroughly rooted in the historic Reformed tradition coming from a minister in the FIEC. We need more like it!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews