Rethinking Holiness - by Bernie A Van de Walle (Paperback)

About the Book

Offers an approachable theological introduction to the Christian doctrine of holiness, which is grounded not in ethics but in the basic nature of God.

Book Synopsis

Holiness is experiencing a renaissance both within and beyond the church today. Based on years of conversations with students, this approachable theological introduction to the Christian doctrine of holiness challenges the commonly held idea that holiness is primarily a moral category. The author explains that holiness is grounded not in ethics but in the basic nature of God; it is essentially and exclusively a divine property. The book highlights the Bible's necessary and corrective role in defining holiness and shows how individual holiness is grounded in the community that is the church catholic.

From the Back Cover

"Holiness is a nearly forgotten concept in my church. That's a great pity. The Wesleyan conviction that God is able to draw us into ever closer fellowship with the Trinity and that our thoughts and deeds are transformed in the process--holiness--is the force that drove the Methodist revival. Holiness is what a living, loving God is and does. Van De Walle has written a remarkable book that gives fresh, contemporary, practical significance to the idea of holiness. Here's a book that my church needs to read, ponder, and inculcate now that we may go with God into God's future."
--Will Willimon, Duke Divinity School; United Methodist Bishop, retired

"Van De Walle speaks to a church confused about how salvation shapes one's life in Christ. He gives us a fine introduction to a belief once so core to the Christian faith, but now so forgotten. After reading it, I came away with fresh eyes for what it might mean not just to be saved in Christ but to be transformed in Christ."
--David Fitch, Northern Seminary; author of Faithful Presence

"Rethinking Holiness brings forward an important conversation that addresses how the Christian community can demonstrate the holiness of God in the present cultural context. Recovering the concept of holiness--not as insider jargon but as good news for the world for which Jesus died--Van De Walle supplies theological reflection that invites the reader to better articulate and proclaim the scriptural witness to the God made known in Jesus. I've been waiting for this conversation, and Rethinking Holiness brings it front and center."
--Joy J. Moore, Wesley Seminary, Indiana Wesleyan University

"The power of holiness as a description of God's nature captivates the heart and compels us to participate. It's almost as if we are seeing holiness for the first time. Bernie carefully and thoughtfully strips away the layers of insulation that have kept holiness locked in a time warp of irrelevance and lays before us the glory of God's transcendence in life-changing clarity. He does all of this with the implicit nudge to participate in God's holiness so that we are transformed. Holiness has never been more compelling, life giving, and desirable."
--Kevin W. Mannoia, Azusa Pacific University; former president, National Association of Evangelicals

About the Author

Bernie A. Van De Walle (PhD, Drew University) is professor of historical and systematic theology and theology program convener at Ambrose University in Calgary, Alberta, where he has taught for over fifteen years. He is also author of The Heart of the Gospel and a contributor to the Dictionary of Christian Spirituality. Ordained in the Christian and Missionary Alliance, he previously served as a pastor for a number of years.