Lloyd-Jones’s Reformed doctrine of Spirit baptism
The Welsh minister Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899–1981) was one of the most influential preachers of the twentieth century. His preaching was grounded in his view on the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but his pneumatology is often seen as a departure from his Reformed heritage.
In The Power of Revival, Dongjin Park explores how Lloyd-Jones’s preaching was kindled by his distinctly Reformed view of Spirit baptism. By tracing Lloyd-Jones’s writings and sources, Park shows how Lloyd-Jones’s theology of Spirit baptism was less an embrace of charismatic and Pentecostal theology than a reappropriation of Puritan emphasis on experiential faith. Lloyd-Jones’s revivalistic urgency, fueled by the Spirit’s power to ignite preaching and holy living, found its spark in Calvinistic revivalism. The Power of Revival sheds light on Lloyd-Jones and Reformed theology and encourages readers to follow his example of relying on the Spirit.
264 pages.
Most Reformed theologians have disagreed with some of the details and nuances of Dr. Lloyd-Jones’s interpretation of baptism with the Holy Spirit. But as Park demonstrates, Lloyd Jones’s doctrine was not a form of Pentecostalism so much as an adaptation of the doctrine of assurance as taught by one strand of Puritanism.
—Joel R. Beeke, president, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids, MI
An important study for both its historical reflection and the contemporary significance of the Spirit's work for church life today.
—Michael A. G. Haykin, chair and professor of church history, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, KY
The Power of Revival: Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Baptism in the Spirit, and Preaching on Fire is in the following collections:
