Renewal Journal 1: Revival

Updated publication of Renewal Journal 1: Revival, with articles on revival: Praying the Price, by Stuart Robinson, Prayer and Revival, by Edwin Orr, Pentecost in Arnhem Land, by Djiniyini Gondarra, Power from on High, by John Greenfield and Revival Fire, by Geoff Waugh

Rev Dr Lewis Born wrote:
 
Renewal is no longer a matter of speculation.  It will be recorded as one of the most significant faith history phenomena of all time.  The Global Village factor makes this revival the most comprehensive international social and religious phenomena ever known.
 
To those who remain untouched or unexposed to renewal theology and events may I suggest that Geoff Waugh's editorship of the Renewal Journal is a good step towards being more informed and possibly persuaded to the point of being involved, even to being a corrector of its course.
 
Future students of both social and church history will be surprised, both at the facts and at those who slept through them.Professor Walter Hollenweger (Missiology, Birmingham) has stated, 'a movement which represents more or at least as many members as all other Protestant denominations taken together can no longer be considered a fringe topic in church history, missiology and systematic theology.'
 
Among those who still sleep are members, clergy and leaders of orthodoxy who see themselves as defenders of the faith against this threat of enthusiasm and 'unnecessary extremes' to traditional faith, practice and theology.  Tradition and orthodoxy need to be re-defined.  If New Testament Christianity is the orthodox, then what claims to be twentieth century orthodoxy may be labelled by future theological historians as in fact deviant.
 
No doubt some of the renewal theological emphasis runs into error, if not enthusiastic heresy.  Some of its worship forms and practice are too subjective and unbalanced for my limited taste.  There are many charlatans.  But who would claim that contemporary 'orthodox' faith and practice were free of phonies and heresy?
 
Contemporary renewal is one of the most significant events in the history of Christianity.  Don't do a 'Rip Van Winkle'.
 
 
Rev Prof Dr James Haire wrote:
 
Dr Geoff Waugh, an expert in Renewal Studies over many years, has begun editing an important Australian Journal which is unique in that it gathers together renewal material from the many church groups throughout Australia and overseas.
 
The first issue was published in the summer of 1993 and has articles ranging from an historical view of revival movements throughout history by Geoff Waugh himself to more specific accounts or revival experiences in Arnhem Land among the Aboriginal people of Australia by Dr Djiniyini Gondarra.
 
There are also significant articles by Stuart Robinson, J Edwin Orr, and material from John Greenfield.  In this issue all of them are centred on the theme of revival.In addition, there is material on Renewal Studies in Australia and reviews of recent books on Pentecostal and Charismatic movements.
 
The Journal is breaking important new ground by linking renewal with ecumenical fellowship primarily throughout Australia.For that reason it is quite a new contribution in this area.
 
I warmly commend this fresh and ground-breaking enterprise.  It looks as if it will play an important part in the Christian Church throughout this country.