What do you think?
Rate this book
The Transforming Power of Grace
How does an infinite God relate to finite human beings? How does the death of Jesus Christ bring about human salvation? How are Christians able to actively address the world's ills while maintaining their citizenship in the kingdom of God?
These are questions the church grapples with today, as it always has. Yet, according to Thomas C. Oden, contemporary theology has neglected the church's traditional answer to these the doctrine of grace. All too often modern theologians either ignore the doctrine of grace or relate it to the achievement of a particular political agenda. Oden asserts that only by reclaiming the centrality of grace--defined as God's self-giving through Jesus Christ in personal encounter with the individual human will--can Christian theology be true to the gospel.
In order to reclaim the doctrine of grace, the author reaches back, beyond the fragmentation of theology that took place during and after the Enlightenment. He draws upon the ecumenical consensus held by early Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant theologians, councils, and creeds regarding this cardinal Christian doctrine. By adducing this ancient unity, Oden challenges modern assumptions concerning the sources and methods of the theological enterprise and calls contemporary Christians to discern what their forebears in the faith knew to be essential to the that to be a Christian is to be formed, nurtured, and upheld solely by divine grace.
These are questions the church grapples with today, as it always has. Yet, according to Thomas C. Oden, contemporary theology has neglected the church's traditional answer to these the doctrine of grace. All too often modern theologians either ignore the doctrine of grace or relate it to the achievement of a particular political agenda. Oden asserts that only by reclaiming the centrality of grace--defined as God's self-giving through Jesus Christ in personal encounter with the individual human will--can Christian theology be true to the gospel.
In order to reclaim the doctrine of grace, the author reaches back, beyond the fragmentation of theology that took place during and after the Enlightenment. He draws upon the ecumenical consensus held by early Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant theologians, councils, and creeds regarding this cardinal Christian doctrine. By adducing this ancient unity, Oden challenges modern assumptions concerning the sources and methods of the theological enterprise and calls contemporary Christians to discern what their forebears in the faith knew to be essential to the that to be a Christian is to be formed, nurtured, and upheld solely by divine grace.
- GenresTheology
212 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1993
9 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Thomas C. Oden
159 books78 followersThomas C. Oden was Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Theology and Ethics at Drew University in New Jersey from 1980 until his retirement in 2004. He remained faculty emeritus until his death. He was the general editor of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture and the Ancient Christian Doctrine series as well as the author of Classic Christianity, a revision of his three-volume systematic theology.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 13, 2014
Don't be fooled by the title - although "The Transforming Power of Grace" sounds like the latest book by a celebrity pastor, it is really a rigorous exposition of the theology of grace. Oden, a leading paleo-orthodox scholar, copiously cites both the Bible and the wisdom of the classic Christian consensus in order to back up his points. He wrestles with the contentious questions of foreknowledge, predestination and election and effectively demonstrates the soundness of Arminian theology (though Oden himself does not explicitly state this). The first part of the book deals with philosophical and theological questions before investigating how grace was present in Biblical history and how it permeates through our world today. I have heard that Eastern Orthodoxy and Wesleyanism share some theological ideas and with Oden's fondness for the Eastern Church fathers, that appears to be the case. This book certainly makes me want to read some of the Church fathers! This is a gem of a book that should be read by any and all Christians. Truly, truly, it demonstrates that life is "all of grace."
December 6, 2013
Great book for understanding the non-Calvinist position on Grace! Never will I think they are man-centered again. Made me question the true historical continuity of the Calvinist position with the Vincentian method-"By the threefold test of ecumenicity, antiquity, and general lay consent, the believing community may distinguish between true and false teaching." p.24 Augustine did formulate some strong positions against the Pelagian heresy and those views were not accepted in there more extreme forms by the whole church of his time. I think Augustine was an amazing saint of the church, but his speculative theology should not trump dogma given by ecumenical consent. This book displayed a true love for the Grace of God while holding in balance a Sovereignty of God that respects the created freedom given to his creatures. In a way that gives Honor to God and not man. I think he should have read Bernard Lonergan's book on Aquinas to help with the relation of grace to freedom, but he combined the Molinist position with the Congruist position in a unique way. "Molinist teaching that God knows contingent futures remains a useful contribution to the defense of free-will. The Congruist teaching of the contextuality and economy of grace remains a useful clarification of how grace relates to variable circumstances." p.118 Aquinas offers more with his view of the permission of God toward evil.
January 8, 2021
Thomas Oden continues to be enjoyable despite being outside of my theological tradition. He lays out his case from patristics quite well but at times he seems to assume a knowledge of distinction between various views where you’re left with more questions than answers. To that; the point is well taken when it comes to the premise of consensus, yet, I have left the book unconvinced of Oden’s position for numerous reasons. All in all, I enjoyed the book and it will challenge you.
January 11, 2012
Here are a several of lines from Oden that lay out the trajectory of the book:
"The purpose of caregiving [the pastoral ministry] is to make the truth of grace plausible and appropriable in the inner life of the individual."
"Grace is God's way of empowering the bound will and healing the suffering spirit."
"The more we try to autonomously to ignite a moral imperative within, the more it turns to dust and ashes in our hands."
That God is powerful and sovereign and that we are held accountable to him, the Bible itself declares that we need no Bible to tell us. But that God is merciful and kind to sinners, good to us in his grace, is the message of the Bible. In this book, Thomas Oden, a Methodist theologian, roots the great vision of the Christian life in grace.
Oden is particularly concerned to restate the Arminian view of prevenient grace(though he never refers to himself as an Arminian), that grace which goes before, flowing from the work of Christ on the cross, enabling those who are lost in sin to not be so overwhelmed by the loss of original righteousness in the Fall that they have become totally inert and passive with respect to the free offer of the Gospel. All begins with grace, but this grace enables choice.
This stands in contrast to Calvinism which sees the will as totally captive to the sin nature in such a manner that it remains wholly passive and without any capacity to choose (in the normal sense of choose, which is the power of contrary choice). Because man is totally noncooperative in regeneration, grace is monergistic and irresistible. The very act of choosing, according to the Calvinist, is evidence that one has already been enlivened by Christ and made new. Because of such, he can now by faith and repentance receive the offer of the Gospel, is then justified by God and converted.
Oden sees this process as described by the Calvinist something remote, impersonal and fully contrary to the nature of persons in relationship, not to mention not only without full biblical support but outside the consensus teaching of the church. Grace is to his mind resistible, but it is gracious on the part of God to so restore us from our lost condition that choosing is a meaningful and personal act. That God would by fiat, apart from human choosing, elect to revivify some and pass over others whom he could save but chooses not to, would run contrary to the metanarrative of the biblical story as well as to human consciousness itself, not to mention the very character of God as good.
Calvinism appeals often to the writings of Augustine. In fact, Calvin's Institutes is essentially a restatement of Augustine. But, as Oden points out, the "early Augustine" is much more moderate and in keeping with the church fathers. The late Augustine with its rigid predestinarianism moves further away from consensus Christianity, and these views were never affirmed by the church councils, though Augustines stand against Pelagianism was fully embraced.
In these days there are few powerful descriptions of Arminian accounts of grace. For an explanation of this state of affairs, see Roger Olson's Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities.
"The purpose of caregiving [the pastoral ministry] is to make the truth of grace plausible and appropriable in the inner life of the individual."
"Grace is God's way of empowering the bound will and healing the suffering spirit."
"The more we try to autonomously to ignite a moral imperative within, the more it turns to dust and ashes in our hands."
That God is powerful and sovereign and that we are held accountable to him, the Bible itself declares that we need no Bible to tell us. But that God is merciful and kind to sinners, good to us in his grace, is the message of the Bible. In this book, Thomas Oden, a Methodist theologian, roots the great vision of the Christian life in grace.
Oden is particularly concerned to restate the Arminian view of prevenient grace(though he never refers to himself as an Arminian), that grace which goes before, flowing from the work of Christ on the cross, enabling those who are lost in sin to not be so overwhelmed by the loss of original righteousness in the Fall that they have become totally inert and passive with respect to the free offer of the Gospel. All begins with grace, but this grace enables choice.
This stands in contrast to Calvinism which sees the will as totally captive to the sin nature in such a manner that it remains wholly passive and without any capacity to choose (in the normal sense of choose, which is the power of contrary choice). Because man is totally noncooperative in regeneration, grace is monergistic and irresistible. The very act of choosing, according to the Calvinist, is evidence that one has already been enlivened by Christ and made new. Because of such, he can now by faith and repentance receive the offer of the Gospel, is then justified by God and converted.
Oden sees this process as described by the Calvinist something remote, impersonal and fully contrary to the nature of persons in relationship, not to mention not only without full biblical support but outside the consensus teaching of the church. Grace is to his mind resistible, but it is gracious on the part of God to so restore us from our lost condition that choosing is a meaningful and personal act. That God would by fiat, apart from human choosing, elect to revivify some and pass over others whom he could save but chooses not to, would run contrary to the metanarrative of the biblical story as well as to human consciousness itself, not to mention the very character of God as good.
Calvinism appeals often to the writings of Augustine. In fact, Calvin's Institutes is essentially a restatement of Augustine. But, as Oden points out, the "early Augustine" is much more moderate and in keeping with the church fathers. The late Augustine with its rigid predestinarianism moves further away from consensus Christianity, and these views were never affirmed by the church councils, though Augustines stand against Pelagianism was fully embraced.
In these days there are few powerful descriptions of Arminian accounts of grace. For an explanation of this state of affairs, see Roger Olson's Arminian Theology: Myths and Realities.
December 28, 2019
I found this book enormously helpful, as there seem too few books out there offering a non-Calvinistic view on Biblical grace (and I had never read one before). To hear Calvinists referring to Reformed Theology as a Theology of Grace, as if any other position in the history of the church neglects grace, makes me wince. Oden does a magnificent job of drawing thoroughly on the historical ecumenical consensus regarding Biblical grace in order to celebrate how grace has long been emphasized throughout church history. Oden is clearly Arminian in his convictions, and having read this book, I will never again think of Arminianism as man-centered or works-based. This book very capably explains a God-centered grace-based theology that allows for the exercise of our free wills to receive it or reject it, and documents how the Church has held such positions (with notable exceptions) since the early Church Fathers. Make no mistake, this is not a devotional book, but one more tilted toward academic use, but I found it truly edifying.
March 13, 2010
Thomas C. Oden has written an excellent, readable book on the grace of God. We have all read books that talk about God's grace and at least I have had some confusion about what in the world they were talking about or the distinctions between various graces of God.
This book is the best exposition of God's grace that I have read. It also talks about John Wesley's prevenient grace by going way back to the comments of the early church.
The book is divided into five sections. The first is Grace in spiritual formation, the second is The reach and depth of the forming work of Grace, the third is how grace becomes freedom, the fourth is on predestination and the permissionof recalcitrance and the last is where the history of grace meets the mystery of personal choice.
This is an excellent read for anyone who is interested in learning about the different graces of God.
J. Robert Ewbank, author, "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
This book is the best exposition of God's grace that I have read. It also talks about John Wesley's prevenient grace by going way back to the comments of the early church.
The book is divided into five sections. The first is Grace in spiritual formation, the second is The reach and depth of the forming work of Grace, the third is how grace becomes freedom, the fourth is on predestination and the permissionof recalcitrance and the last is where the history of grace meets the mystery of personal choice.
This is an excellent read for anyone who is interested in learning about the different graces of God.
J. Robert Ewbank, author, "John Wesley, Natural Man, and the 'Isms'"
May 24, 2016
Very, very thought provoking. Many beautiful points made. However, although I understand it is mainly a history, I would have preferred more Scriptural basis.
December 30, 2021
First of all, this book is way denser than I anticipated it being. The title really only gets at part of what Oden covers. Oden really dives into the history of grace viewed theologically, ecumenically, and spiritually. And this man is through. It’s similar to his systematic theology in that sometimes the sub-sections are titled questions I didn’t know anyone was asking. This can be a little annoying, but it also means it's very easy to move around the chapters. His writing on prevenient grace is particularly helpful. He did a great job showing the history of interpretation and how widespread the doctrine of prevenient grace is. He delineated common grace from human conscience which is a question that comes up occasionally. The last third of the book focuses on grace and freedom and he systematically traces the theological idea major thinkers have brought and the most common questions. Oden is not at all hostile to Calvinism and quotes Ausutine probably more than anyone, but he is firm in what he believes the evidence shows. He shows why double predestination never gained ecumenical consent. He also spends a lot of time on predestination and election.
Overall I enjoyed what I learned from the book, but I wish it was a little less dense. That’s probably why it’s out of print, but a book like this that was more accessible would be so valuable to the church.
“Nobody has ever come into existence by writing a letter to their parents asking them for life….similar is the new birth from above.”
Overall I enjoyed what I learned from the book, but I wish it was a little less dense. That’s probably why it’s out of print, but a book like this that was more accessible would be so valuable to the church.
“Nobody has ever come into existence by writing a letter to their parents asking them for life….similar is the new birth from above.”
April 12, 2021
Oden does a masterful job of summarizing the consensual teaching on salvation during the first 500 years of Christian history. (There are hundreds of quotes from early church fathers.)
As a theology teacher I loved this book, but some phrases were off-putting even to me. Here's one example: "The language of foreordination becomes problematic at the point at which it yields the impression of unilateral divine omnicausality - implying that all secondary causes are negated, or that free human agency is obliterated by divine decree, which amounts to an assault on the Christian teaching of creation."
Fortunately, those types of phrases are few and far between. This is an excellent book for digging deeper into the meaning of grace. It's much more than "undeserved favor." As Oden states, "Grace is an overarching term for all of God's gifts to humanity, all the blessings of salvation, all the events through which are manifested God's own self-giving." (p. 33)
As a theology teacher I loved this book, but some phrases were off-putting even to me. Here's one example: "The language of foreordination becomes problematic at the point at which it yields the impression of unilateral divine omnicausality - implying that all secondary causes are negated, or that free human agency is obliterated by divine decree, which amounts to an assault on the Christian teaching of creation."
Fortunately, those types of phrases are few and far between. This is an excellent book for digging deeper into the meaning of grace. It's much more than "undeserved favor." As Oden states, "Grace is an overarching term for all of God's gifts to humanity, all the blessings of salvation, all the events through which are manifested God's own self-giving." (p. 33)
October 3, 2025
Excellent synthesis of early church thought and the areas of consensus from more modern theologians on the role of grace in christian faith and practice. Very well cited. Although this is a consensus oriented book, Oden takes a more Wesleyan/Arminian view by emphasizing God's dispensation of prevenient grace, which enables (but does not force) all mankind to respond in faith to Christ, thus making election conditional on God's foreknowledge of our affirmative response.
August 12, 2017
At times the wording seems pretty academic, however, the content in this book is wonderful. It takes the sometimes difficult topic of grace and presents it beautifully. Though it was required reading for school, I was hooked after the first chapter. The entire book was one I was excited to read weekly. I learned a lot from it.
January 7, 2023
A fantastic exposition on grace from a non-Calvinist perspective.
February 23, 2016
Oden is outstanding in this seminal work on grace. Not an easy read in some parts, and you may need a dictionary handy to define his scope of vocabulary, but worth the trouble.
January 5, 2018
Not an easy, or even enjoyable read, but weighty and impactful for those willing to pay the price of reading it.
March 24, 2017
The theology was solid, but the writing was just so DRY. Not my favorite.
April 12, 2017
Grace, grace, God's grace!!!
Oden masterfully surveys grace from the perspective of the consensus of the ancient church. This is the finest book I have ever read on the topic of election and freedom. This is not easy reading, in fact it is quite academic. However, if you take the time to listen and digest what Oden is giving here, you will no regret it.
Oden masterfully surveys grace from the perspective of the consensus of the ancient church. This is the finest book I have ever read on the topic of election and freedom. This is not easy reading, in fact it is quite academic. However, if you take the time to listen and digest what Oden is giving here, you will no regret it.
April 23, 2017
Really good. A bit dated regarding "Grace" and the NT, but deeply devotional and historically relevant. Highly recommended!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews