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Book Review: Money Grubbing Charlatans – The Next Generation

May 13th, 2009 at 12:11pm Albert McIlhenny

Christianity In Crisis: The 21st Century – Hank Hanegraaff Thomas Nelson (March 3, 2009) Topic: Protestantism Summary: An update of his expose on the heretical teachings of the Word Faith movment Rating:

No one has managed to shed light on the heresy that is the Word Faith Movement in the Church as clearly and strongly as Hank Hanegraaff. As host of the popular Bible Answer Man radio program, he has used his “bully pulpit” to counter a number of movements he considers to foster aberrant beliefs and none has fallen in Hanegraaff’s sights as frequently as the Word Faith movement.

In Christianity in Crisis: 21st Century, Hanegraaff updates his earlier version of the book by turning his attention to a whole new generation of Word Faith figures. Hanegraaff has always been known as an effective communicator who is excellent at perfecting a particular message over time. His refinement of his work on the Word Faith movement makes the attack even more devastating than the earlier version and he now has the advantage that many reading the book will already know of the movement through his earlier work.

In successive chapters, the author introduces the major figures of the movement, describes the foundational issues it relies upon, illustrates its bizarre views on the nature of God and man, its perversion of the doctrine of the atonement, its emphasis on prosperity, and its false claims of health and healing. He then closes with an appeal to get back to basics with one of the mnemonic devices for which he has become famous.

The book is absolutely brutal and refreshingly honest in its no holds barred approach to dealing with this cancer on the Christian landscape. Hanegraaff has certainly been no stranger to controversy and whatever differences one may have with some of his views, he is to be commended for the frankness and refusal to compromise in dealing with these charlatans. Christianity in Crisis: 21st Century demonstrates both that the followers of the Word Faith movement have learned nothing and that there is no end to the parade of new personalities that are willing to preach this poison. This book is a must read for those interested in the current state of American Evangelicalism.

Entry Filed under: Hanegraaff, Hank, Protestantism