Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal

“Here is more evidence of growing Evangelical concern with renewal, spirituality and the historic witness of Christianity. Dynamics of Spiritual Life is a major new contribution to our understanding of God's action in the church and in history. While writing from an essentially Reformed perspective, Lovelace remains open to other traditions, including contemporary Neo-Pentecostalism, and is sensitive to God's renewing action historically within Roman Catholicism as well as in Anabaptism, Pietism and other Protestant renewal movements.” Howard A. Snyder, author of The Problem of Wineskins and Liberating the Church

“We need a book like this at this time. Lovelace has done the job in a sensitive, insightful, readable way. His work deserves a readership far beyond the Evangelical tradition out of which it grows.” Mark J. Link, S.J., author of hese Stones Will Shout and he Seventh Trumpet

“Disciples of Jesus Christ who know the cost of discipleship, heirs of grace who treasure its costly gifts, and men and women of taste and scholarship and civil impulse have good reason for wishing the author luck. No, put that not 'luck' but 'steadfastness' and 'grace.'”- Martin E. Marty, University of Chicago

"Dynamics of Spiritual Life by Richard Lovelace is rarely far from my thoughts. The same is true for certain works by Jonathan Edwards, Francis Schaeffer and my dad. These writers have shaped how I see the gospel, life and ministry at a level as deep as perception itself.Lovelace’s Preface defines his book as a manual of spiritual theologyin my view, a rare and precious genre. On page 58 he boldly asserts that virtually all of the problems in the church, including bad theology, issue from defective spirituality. I wonder what you think of that. My hunch is, some of us doubt that analysis. But I get ahead of myself. Lovelace’s Table of Contents alone deserves thoughtful contemplation. (Page 75 reproduces this outline in briefly expanded form.) It sets a compelling agenda for pastoring and church planting."- Ray Ortlund, from Between Two Worlds by Justin Taylor

"Twenty-five years ago, when church planters came to me and asked me what should I read? I always gave them two booksLovelace’s Dynamics of Spiritual Life and Michael Green’s Evangelism through the Local Church. The former gave them a way of using the gospel in people’s lives that not only brought them to saving faith but also kept renewing them individually and corporately. The Green book was a practical how-to book on getting that gospel out in a hundred different ways. Dynamics of Spiritual Life is somewhat long and a bit repetitiousbut it’s still a book that I think we can’t do without. It was amazingly prescient and will be found still quite relevant to many of today’s debates."- Tim Keller, from Between Two Worlds by Justin Taylor

"I took several courses with Richard Lovelace at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, including the first course Dynamics of Spiritual Life in Fall of 1972 that eventually became Lovelace’s book. Along with that course I also took a course he did on Evangelical Awakeningsa history of revivals. To say that these courses were seminal to my thinking and way of doing ministry is a pretty big understatement. Anyone who knows my ministry and reads this book will say, So that’s where Keller got all this stuff!