Books: Revivals true and not

Charles Spurgeon strikes a careful balance needed today | George Grant

Recently a furor has erupted within the ranks of the evangelical world over the nature and character of revival. On one side is radio's "Bible Answer Man" Hank Hanegraaff. His eye-opening book Counterfeit Revival argues that all too often evangelicals look for God "in all the wrong places." More interested in sensational manifestations than in genuine repentance, more concerned with style than substance, more inclined to follow the broad way of emotional fashion and fancy than the narrow road of biblical obedience and discipleship, modern revivalism has actually become a caricature of true revival.

As a result, gross excesses mar the reputation of the church; flash-in-the-pan celebrities play fast and free with the sentimental and the vulnerable; and bizarre fads suddenly distract thousands of believers from their scriptural responsibilities. Filled with anecdotes-often naming names and laying blame-Mr. Hanegraaff's book is a sobering look at the very worst of shallow religious hucksterism.