Product Description
Richard Lovelace gives a history of spiritual renewals in light of biblical models. Isolating the elements of live orthodoxy, he proposes a comprehensive approach to renewal. Lovelace looks at such practical issues as renewal of the local congregation, the ways revivals go wrong, the evangelical thrust toward church unity, and Christian approaches to the arts and to social concern. A book for all concerned to revitalize the church. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Pastor, You Don't Even Understand How Much You Should Read This Book. Seriously
People are always too enthusiastic about books and say silly things like, "Everyone should read this!" "It's A Must-Read!" So what can I say that hasn't already been said and won't just be written off as some misguided enthusiasm? I'm not sure, but after a personal conversation with Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in New York, who assured me that he has built his entire ministry on the foundation he found in this book, I am more convinced than ever that pastors and ministry leaders truly need to read the material in this book.

We all want God to renew the church and bring revival. This book is the most clear, balanced, Biblical, insightful, spiritually intelligent thing I have ever come across that truly gives me hope and splendid instruction for how to cultivate such renewal and revival.

Read it.

Wise and balanced treatment.
I first read this book in the mid 1980s.I then reread it in 2005 for a church history class I taught.It has since become one of my favorite books. Lovelace combines solid scholarship with unusually wise and perceptive insights about the Christian life.I couldn't recommend this book more enthusiastically.

Outstanding Theology of Holistic Reformation and Renewal
For four years in the early 1980s, I taught from this book in a year-long course I taught at the University of Oregon (Eugene), the third quarter of which addressed Christian social ethics and theology of culture. What a feast it was.

Dr. Lovelace approaches the theology of renewal as a church historian, who draws wisely from many movements and thinkers, of whom Jonathan Edwards features prominently. While Reformed theologically, Lovelace appreciates the best of the Protestant traditions and accept the ongoing power of the charismatic gifts. His reflections are deeply biblical, theologically rich, and spiritually heartening. To give just one example, his discussion of justification and sanctificatin is clear and cogent. It is also foundational to any Spirit-led renewal. Twenty years after I taught this material, one of my students email to say how helpful this was in her young Christian life.

The American church desperately needs renewal and reformation. This book, though written in 1979, can help chart the way. I cannot think of any book as profound, wise, and challenging on these matters. Yes, it is high time to reread this modern classic. Thanks to InterVarsity for keeping it in print all these years.

A spiritually rejuvenating book
This book has a riveting spell on me since I first read it a decade ago and has continued to shape the fundamental landscape of my understanding of theology and spirituality ever since. He traces his conversion from atheism to his reading of Thomas Merton's Seven Storey Mountain, that led him to a journey of spiritual inquiry, where he met Christians of different shades and backgrounds. It was however the Reformed tradition/Puritans that had the most profound impact on him and opened him up to the transforming power of the gospel.

He sees a missing link between justification and sanctification among many believers which he dubs the 'sanctification gap'. He sees how it is possible to have confessed Christ, continue a life of religiosity and remain spiritually dead. In fact, either an encounter with the grace of God without an ensuing commitment to sanctification or an exposure to the righteous demands of God's law without a concomitant experience of his grace can lead to aberrant forms of the Christian life. He offers a way forward by explicating how justification and sanctification are brought together conceptually and in practice.

Presenting his understanding from the Reformed perspective, he outlines the fundamental core of the gospel message that can truly set us on a vibrant course of growth and renewal. This includes depth conception of sin, and encounter with the life-transforming grace of God, justification as well as sanctification by faith, an experience of God's complete acceptance of us through the righteous achievements of Christ, claiming our authority through Christ's defeat over the diabolic, prayer and complete reliance on the Spirit, disenculturation (freedom from cultural binds)of our faith and theological integration.

He includes some additional musings on music, eschatology, live orthodoxy and Christian social concern, each of which is inspiring and thought provoking. I have found the book to be beautiful and succint in its expression and spiritually and theologically challenging. He has written a simpler version of this book with discussion questions more recently for the benefit of some who found this original work less accessible but I have found that it is nothing like reading and drinking in again and again Lovelace's very fine book 'Dynamics of Spiritual Renewal' in all its depth and beauty.

One of Chip's Top Ten (wordsntone.com)
This book was one of the first to reveal that my sanctification is part of a larger, grander scheme than my private, personal spirituality.Dynamics reaches back into Church history and outlines the spirit's work through men and events, culminating in a premise for renewal that is bigger than "I."This book is both history and spiritual journey, with a framework of theological reflection similar to the book of Acts mixed in.A book like this needs to be re-read in this generation of church-growth gurus and mega-church ideology.
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Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great book on spiritual formation...
I read Lovelace's "Dynamics of Spiritual Life", of which this is both a reduction and a development. The first book is very comprehensive, but slow at times. This one is more concise, but kept the essence that made the first great. Tim Keller has been influenced by Lovelace, and I can see why. Spiritual formation is a neglected principle in evangelicalism, and Lovelace frames the issue well; what is required is a deep sense of one's sin and a deep sense of the gospel of grace. He uses the same "third way" type of dialectic that Keller is famous for, and does it well. I recommend this book heartily, especially for potential leaders.

An Integration of Faith
This book is divided into three main sections.The section first focuses upon the "normal Christian life," presenting an ideal to which Christians are called to attain. The second section deals with the problems of the flesh, the world and the devil. The final three chapters bring it all together in the dynamics of spiritual life. This is the practical "how to" section which looks at Christ's victory, our individual victory and our corporate renewal. This is essentially a simplified version of Lovelace's earlier work, Dynamics of Spiritual Life which included a great deal of historical background in the church's search for spiritual growth. As such, we are treated to the meat of the subject with all of the fat trimmed away.

It is not until the end of the book that we come to understand from where Lovelace is coming. As a product of Yale philosophy, he found himself as a new Christian amid a flotsam of conflicting theologies and therefore sought to build up his own system which would balance the leading of the Holy Spirit with the Word of God. Along the way, he seems to have come into contact with writings of the early Moravians and was influenced along those lines. It is here that he calls for a theological integration of theory and practice and, as such, he decries theologians as those who amuse themselves by making "generations of students jump through systematic hoops" (pg 187).This is not a call away from theological training. To the contrary, he suggests that laypersons invest in formal theological training so as to bring the church to a point where it can counter the ideas of modern culture.

Lovelace quotes Pope John Paul 2 in reminding us that we in the western world are the rich man while much of the rest of the world is Lazarus at our gate (Page 39). As such, we are called to be a blessing to the nations which, left to themselves, are pictured as rival gangs whose corporate selfishness drive them to war upon one another or, at best, to neglect one another. When the church does not take action or is even a part of the problem, "God sometimes raises up prophets among unbelievers" (page 86). Perhaps one such prophet is Zoltan Kodaly who remarks, "Capitalism is the oppression of man by his fellow man, and communism is the reverse" (page 91).

Renewal of Lovelace's Renewal
Lovelace's thesis of spiritual growth is that it is a continuous renewal with precondition and fulfilment of the primary and secondary elements (appendix 1).

Firstly, Lovelace highlighted that renewal began with an awareness of God's holiness and our sinfulness. Without these basic conditions, there will be no renewal. However Lovelace seems to use the word `renewal' and `spiritual growth' interchangeably. Compared to his earlier workin which he was clear in writing about renewal in spiritual life, in this book he was rather vague in the use of his terms. He seems to imply that spiritual growth is equivalent with renewal. While this is true to a certain extent, spiritual growth is more than renewals. Renewal is reworking the same territory repeatedly while spiritual growth should be progressive towards a definite goal.

Secondary, I agree with Lovelace made is that renewal is both individual and corporate. Too often, books on spiritual growth emphasised on the individual or inner life alone. Spiritual growth has to be done in the context of a community.

Thirdly, Lovelace gave the impression that there is a progression in renewal by his primary and secondary elements. Renewal should happen individually and corporately simultaneously. There should not be a dividing line between individual and corporate elements. And both elements should be Christo-centric, not just the primary elements.

Fourthly, authority in conflict as a primary element is an important step in renewal. This is where an individual decides who is in command of his/her life- self or God. Unfortunately Lovelace concentrated instead on spiritual warfare rather than responsible decision making.

Finally, Lovelace made a good point about the theological integration of revealed truth and cultures. Too often, our spiritual growth models are very western in its approach without being in the context of our pluralistic Asian cultures.


Appendix 1
Lovelace's thesis can be summarised as :
I. Precondition of renewal (individual)
a. Awareness God's holiness ( his justice, his love)
b. Awarenessthe depth of sin ( in yourself, in the world)
II. Primary Element of Renewal (individual)
a. Justification.
b. Sanctification. in Jesus
c. The Holy Spirit within.
d. Authority in conflict.
III. Secondary Elements of Renewal (corporate)
a. Mission (proclamation, social work)
b. Prayer (individual, corporate)
c. Community (micro, macro)
d. Theological integration ( revealed truth, culture)

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Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from the publisher's website (GeneralBooksClub.com). You can also preview excerpts of the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Publisher: London, J. R. Smith; Publication date: 1864; Subjects: English poetry; Poetry / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in ca. 190-.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

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Studies in the life and work of Richard Lovelace. ILLUS.

THIS TITLE IS CITED AND RECOMMENDED BY:Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature. ... Read more

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This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's large-scale digitization efforts. The Library seeks to preserve the intellectual content of items in a manner that facilitates and promotes a variety of uses. The digital reformatting process results in an electronic version of the original text that can be both accessed online and used to create new print copies. The Library also understands and values the usefulness of print and makes reprints available to the public whenever possible. This book and hundreds of thousands of others can be found in the HathiTrust, an archive of the digitized collections of many great research libraries. For access to the University of Michigan Library's digital collections, please see http://www.lib.umich.edu and for information about the HathiTrust, please visit http://www.hathitrust.org ... Read more

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The Lucasta Poems is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Richard Lovelace is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Richard Lovelace then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good
Richard Lovelace is an ancestor of mine so I am a little biased. I have not read the entire text but have enjoyed it so far. ... Read more

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Rich sampling of more than 120 works—characteristically charming, witty and graceful—by poets associated with the court of Charles I of England: Robert Herrick, Thomas Carew, Sir John Suckling and Richard Lovelace. Includes such gems as Herrick’s "To the Virgins to Make Much of Time," Suckling’s "Why so pale and wan, fond lover?" and many more. Reprinted from standard editions.
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Customer Reviews (4)

Engrossing
THE CAVALIER POETS is an anthology that explores the triumphalism and eroticism of professional soldiers.Herrick, Carew, Suckling, and Lovelace portray the sensibilities of patriotic officers torn between their loved ones and military service.The text itself is in big easy-to-read print with just enough explanatory material to inform without distracting.I heartily recommend this inexpensive and entertaining volume.It resurrects a neglected genre and makes it accessible to virtually any reader.

King Charles' Favorite Classical Poets.
Ben Jonson was the ideal Cavalier poet and died in 1637.Robert Herrick was one of his ardent followers.This was a great era for 'carpe diem' poetry.Herrick added 'joie de vivre' to amorous songs, and some of his poetry don't sound like they were written by an Episcopal minister.

Thomas Carew was an admirer of John Donne who fathered the metaphysical form of writing poems.His society verses were popular with the nobility, prized for their petulant wit.He made an important contribution to the 17th century genre of poems about country homes, an important aspect of the Cavalier poets repertoire.

Most of John Suckling's poems were published in a posthumous volume after he committed suicide in 1642.His verse smacks of the court, being witty, decorous, sometimes naughty; all requisites for the courtier poet.Though his 'oeuvre' is comparitively small, he is an exemplary lyric poet, as well as one of the most vivid personalities of his age.They all prevaricated and exaggered, as was common at the time, but they were favorites of the court of King Charles, the essential Cavalier of them all.

Richard Lovelace spent much time in prison but he wrote lovely, lyrical poetry and uniquely philosophical views which saw him to his untimely death in poverty.His poems display the poet's subtle sense of humor and eye for natural imagery.This is a nice little volume for the student of literature.

A perfection of light elegance
This is how the back book-jacket describes the book, " In the mid- seventeenth century, the poets associated with the court of Charles I of England, kinown as the Cavaliers, were strongly influenced by the Cassicism of Ben Jonson. Their verse , often concerned with the vagaries of love, is characteristically charming, witty, graceful and elegant. This volume contains a rich sampling of more than 120 works by four Cavalier poets: Robert Herrick, Thomas Carew, Sir John Suckling and Richard Lovelace.
The work also contains brief biographical sketches of the four poets. Among the works are such well- known often anthologized pieces as Herrick's ' Gather ye rosebuds while ye may' , Suckling's'Why so Pale and Wan Fair Lover? ' Carew's ' A Cruel Mistress' Herrick's ' Delight in Disorder', Lovelace's 'Lucasta poems'.
Enjoyable reading.

Poems of Europe
Great collection of the works of many authors in Europe.Herrick, Lovelace, and more. ... Read more

Product Description
Designed for those who have problems managing stress in their personal or professional lives, this volume argues that stress is often caused by inaccurate thinking rather than outside influences. It explores the management of moods, as well as physical exercises and diet that can relieve stress. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A scholarly, sympathetic portrayal of Cotton Mather's thought.
This is a well-written overview of Cotton Mather's thought, setting it in the context of New England Puritanism and Reformed theology. It gives good attention to the historical, cultural, intellectual and spiritual currents of the time, setting them in a larger historical context. Dr. Lovelace also discusses Cotton Mather's contacts with the contemporary German Pietists of the time. Dr. Lovelace has the added advantage, as a committed Evangelical Christian, of being able to comprehend Mather's viewpoint, not as something strange and inexplicable, but as that of a committed, if flawed, fellow believer. Yet he does so with full awareness of the intellectual objections to Mather's work.

I had the privilege of having Dr. Lovelace as a professor when I was studying church history at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. This book was written several decades ago, but is still fresh and well worth reading. It provides a balanced view of Cotton Mather, devoid of the unfair caricatures that have often been leveled against Puritans in general and Cotton Mather in particular. ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

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This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature. ... Read more