Customer Reviews (2)

Wonderfully written
Harry Tennant is a master of prose and this books is wonderfully written. The beliefs of the Christadelphians are
outlined and explained. I loved reading this book.

Summary of Christadelphian beliefs
The Christadelphians (Brothers and Sisters in Christ) are a small Christian denomination numbering only around 5,000 members in the USA and consequently are not widely known there. The movement is much more widespread in Britain, Australia, Canada, Africa and India. Although the movement in its modern form dates back to the 1850s Christadelphians point to groups with the same characteristic beliefs (pacifism, adult baptism, death being sleep, physical resurrection at the second coming, non-trinitarianism) going back to the Reformation. In theological terms they not fully Unitarian, but are Socinian, believing in the virgin birth, but not the literal preexistence of Jesus in heaven, nor any role for him in creating Adam and Eve. As regards the Bible text they are fundamentalist (rejecting all other authorities) and mainly literalist (the exception being the devil which is taken as an extended parable).

Given the absence of any formal hierarchy or leadership among Christadelphians, this book is as near as one can come to a 'representative' introduction to Christadelphian beliefs by a middle of the road Christadelphian. The author, a retired UK Civil Servant, is well known as a speaker and writer in the church, and has served on several of the informal preaching and publishing committees which characterise the movement.

Contents as follows:

PREFACE
FOREWORD
1. THE FAIR EARTH
2. MAN: GOOD OR BAD?
3. DEATH: FRIEND OR FOE?
4. THE BEGINNING OF THE PROMISES OF GOD
5. GOD'S COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM
6. WHO IS KING?
7. WHO WILL BE KING?
8. WHAT WILL THE KINGDOM OF GOD BE LIKE?
9. HOW CAN THIS BE?
10. THE LORD WHO BOUGHT ME
11. THE CHRIST: WHOSE SON IS HE?
12. THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH
13. A PRIEST FOR EVER
14. THE HOLY SPIRIT
Appendix I: Holy Spirit Gifts and Spirit Guidance
15. A WORLD OF EVIL
16. JESUS AND THE DEVIL.
Appendix II: "Fallen Angels" and Satan
17. DEMONS
18. ANGELS
19. RESURRECTION AND JUDGEMENT
20. REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION
21. WHY SHOULD I NOT BE BAPTIZED?
22. WALKING WITH GOD
23. THE DISCIPLE AND THE WORLD
24. FELLOWSHIP
25. THE ENIGMA OF ISRAEL
26. SIGNS OF CHRIST'S RETURN
27. FAREWELL
SUBJECT INDEX
SCRIPTURE INDEX

To this reviewer the book is a little dry and starchy, but anyone who is interested in finding out what this denomination believes really has no alternative book to go to which covers so many areas with such clarity. There are a few things in Appendix 1 and Chapter 26 which some Christadelphians might debate, but by and large this is as representative and straightforward a description of Christadelphian belief as you will find.

Since this book is published in the UK it may occasionally be more easily obtained from Amazon.co.uk than in the US.

A search on Amazon.co.uk shows 94 other titles in print from the same publisher. Authors include W H Boulton, J Thomas, R Roberts, J Carter, H A Whittaker, Peter Watkins, A D Norris, Islip Collyer, Dennis Gillett, L G Sargent, Neville Smart, etc. ... Read more

Book Description
The ebooks in our Cults series compares the teaching of various major religious groups with basic fundamental Biblical doctrine.They are not designed to ridicule or scorn the teaching of those who differ in their faith and doctrine, but to examine the teaching of groups who claim to either hold to orthodox Biblical Christian doctrine or who claim that their movements accommodate Biblical Christianity. Available material was researched and leading people interviewed, where possible.The conclusions drawn in this ebook about the Christiadelphinas are based on information made available and every effort has been made to present the material as accurately as possible. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Informative
Very well written and researched and most useful to anyone wanting to know about what various cults believe.

Val Waldeck's Books are Inspirational
I have read all of Val Waldeck's book and have to say that I find them so Inspirational & Spiritual.She is an amazing teacher and has special insight into everything that she writes.
I look forward to more of her wonderful books being published.

Val Mitchell
Durban, South Africa ... Read more

Product Description
A Manual For New Christadelphians, Young Christadelphians, and Prospective Christadelphians ... Read more

Product Description
For worship and for witness. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Survey of little known non-Trinitarian denomination
Christadelphians (Brothers and sisters in Christ) are barely known in the US. This is probably due to their small numbers and lack of any formal organisation. Their principal distinguishing belief is that Jesus is the Son of God, not God the Son.

The author, Charles H. Lippy, Professor of Religion, Clemson University, South Carolina is a graduate of Dickinson College, Union Theological Seminary, NY, and Princeton University.

This book (1989) remains one of only two surveys of Christadelphian history, belief and practice by a non-Christadelphian. The other is Sects and Society by Brian Wilson (1961). As the title indicates the book is heavily focussed on the 10,000 or so Christadelphians in the USA and Canada, just as Wilson's is on the 25,000 or so Christadelphians in the UK. The main difference between the two books is that Lippey does not indulge in the often questionable sociological observations recurrent in Wilson's thesis. Quote:

"I do not offer a social or economic portrait of the people who are Christadelphians. My sense is that Christadelphians in socio-economic terms are virtually indistinguishable from the bulk of the population of the United and Canada ¡ª they are essentially middle-class folk who work hard for an honest living.I have met Christadelphians who are medical specialists, social workers,college professors, corporate executives, motel owners, dentists, accountants, and homemakers. I know Christadelphians who are employed in a variety of other occupations and professions. Virtually all that distinguishes Christadelphians from other Americans is their commitment to their understanding of religious truth. And it is that truth that I seek here to explicate."

In introducing the table of contents, as follows, it is worth explaining two terms.An "Ecclesia" is the word by which most congregations describe themselves rather than church. However Lippey's use of the term "founder" relating to John Thomas M.D., while arguably the case in a historical sense, would not be used by Christadelphians themselves (due to 1 Corinthians 3:11) who tend to refer to Thomas and other early brethren only as "pioneers". Lippey, by taking a historical view inevitably overstates the relevance of Thomas, Williams, Roberts, Wilson and other early brethren to modern Christadelphians. Some of their writings hold interest, much as Luther's do to a Lutheran, or St. Augustine to a Roman Catholic, but they hold no authority beyond that of fellow Bible students.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. The Religious Ethos of the Early Nineteenth Century
2. Christadelphian Beginnings: The Life and Work of John Thomas
3. Christadelphians Since the Founder's Death.
4. Ideology: An Exposition of Beliefs That Constitute "The Truth"
5. Ideology: Relations and Links to Other Religious Traditions
6. Commitment and Cohesion: The Local Ecclesia
7. Commitment and Cohesion:Extra-Ecclesial Agencies, Organizations and Activities
8. Commitment and Cohesion: Behavior and Ethics
9. Assessing: Locating the Christadelphians on the American religious landscape
10. Assessing: Christadelphian contributions to Religion in North America.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX

As to the content it is generally well written, well referenced, objective and accurate. The only reservation, inherent in the subject, is that 'the Christadelphians in North America' inevitably does not really give the reader a picture of the denomination worldwide.

... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

History of non Trinitarian movements
This is in print, but has to be ordered from Amazon.co.uk. Protesters, The Alan Eyre Our Price: £3.90 Paperback (December 1975) Christadelphian; ISBN: 0851890873

The author starts with the Apostle's Creed, then considersnon-Trinitarians such as the Waldenses, Geneva-Anabaptists, Socinians,Non-conformists and finally Christadelphians. An interesting read. Afollow-up, "Brethren in Christ" was published by CSSS inAustralia. ... Read more