Summary Critique: The Science of God, Gerald Schroeder, Broadway Books, New York NY, 1998. 

Many thoughtful Christians agree that the need for revival is greater today than at any other time in history.  Further, Christians are not the only ones who recognize the need for “spiritual renewal.”  In fact, the entire non-Christian world seems ready to embrace nearly anything offering a spiritual answer that might carry them into a better future.  Unfortunately, though Christians may agree about the need for revival, there is often little agreement about what holds it back.  After diagnosing our need, The God Chasers is Tommy Tenney’s latest effort to motivate Christians to seek the very presence of God as the only solution adequate to that need.   

Tenney is most effective when challenging the believer to question the depth of his hunger for the presence of God.  Every growing Christian will experience a sense of dissatisfaction with status quo, but too often we measure progress by the presence of God’s blessings.  Here we are challenged to realize that the satisfaction of our hunger for God’s righteousness will not be found in the presence of God’s blessings, but only in God’s presence.  Tenney confronts us by saying:  

God isn’t looking for religious people: He’s looking for people who are hot after his heart.  He wants people who want him, who want the Blessor more that the blessings. (p.149)

This message will strike a true note in the heart of believers who long to see the miraculous effect of God’s presence in their lives and that for the benefit of an otherwise unbelieving world. 

Some of Tenney’s observations on the current religious malaise in the church are as follows:

•  We have been sidetracked by everything from prosperity to poverty.  (p. 3)

• When people get just a little touch of God mixed with a lot of something that is not God, it inoculates them against the real thing.  (pp. 20-21)

• Neither sinners nor saints feel the need to bow when they come into a worship service.  They don’t sense the presence of anything or anyone worthy of worship among us. (p.23)

•  We don’t know much about interceding today.  Many of us think it consists of screaming against evil spirits. (p.53)

• Like ancient Israel at the foot of Mt. Sinai, we prefer “distant respect over intimate relationship.” (p.71)

• Not one of the fifty largest churches in the world is in the United States. (p.119)

• The largest revivals in the last century have never been held on American soil. (p.78)

There is much to commend this book to the sincere seeker of God’s presence; however, there is also much reason for concern.  You see, when Tenney describes what he calls “presence evangelism” (p. 114) it has many, if not all of the symptoms of other movements that have been properly labeled the “Counterfeit Revival” (1).  The examples of model revivals he offers include the so-called “Toronto blessing,” the “Brownsville revival,” the “Latter Rain,” and the “Azuza Street revival” (2).  The effects that are supposed to be natural for revival are described in tentative terms; however, they are essentially the same as what are known in Charismatic circles as “dancing in the spirit” (p.8), “slain in the spirit” (pp.9, 39, 127), and “falling in the spirit” (p.7).  Other phenomena include “writhing on the floor” (p.41), shaking, “manifesting odd movements,” and “prophesying away” (p.94).  Then there are the leaders that are offered as models for ministry.  These include: John Wimber and his “power evangelism” (p.114); Aimee Semple McPherson who was preoccupied with the “slain in the spirit” phenomenon” (p. 52); William Seymour of the Asuza Street revival (p.146); and others.  In each of these cases it is necessary to know the background of the movements and their leaders, but when one takes the time to study the record a very troubling picture emerges. 

One of the more confusing aspects of this book relates to the consistent call to repentance.  A thoughtful Christian will be sensitive to anything that appears to be a sincere call to holiness.  And this is what Tenney appears to be doing.  Yet the context is important.  You see, though Tenney condemns those who portray Christianity as nothing more than “hype and manipulation” (p.127), he is often found in their company.  For example, at one point he appears to be describing his weariness of the TBN kind of “ministry” where he is a frequent guest (pp.87-88,121).  Some of this may be related to what they mean by “the anointing” (p.88).  According to Tenney, the “anointing empowers flesh—you preach or sing better” (p.88).  Such a “TBN anointing” includes faith healing, the power to “slay in the spirit,” flamboyant theatrics, theological gymnastics, and even heresy.  It may be that Tenney is weary of those trying to “have church” in this way and desires for those in his circle to repent (p.11).  Of course, we must all admit that much of this problem lies with the church as a whole, since we have failed to either challenge this false representation of the church; or worse, we have failed to testify of a genuine “sense [of] the presence of anything or anyone worthy of worship among us” (p.23).  Wherever we may stand on these issues, it should be clear that at this point in the history of the church, all Christians are being called to repentance before a holy God.

Then there are the doctrinal issues.  We can see that Tenney has a confused view of a key scripture on salvation when he explains his belief about the “rest” that God has offered.  The passage at issue is Isaiah 28:11-12: 

For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.  To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 

Tenney says, “I believe that the gifts of the Spirit (including tongues) are the “rest” referred to here” (p.141).  Yet the context makes it clear that this is a passage referring to Jesus as “a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste” (Isaiah 28:16).  It is the sure foundation stone of faith in Jesus that is the rest offered by God (Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20, Hebrews 4:10,11).  To be fair, a few pages later, Tenney makes the clearer statement, “Salvation is a free gift” (p.150) (also see note 9, p.33).   

Another issue relates to Tenney’s view of the glory of God, which he seems to believe, is a material substance that can “congeal itself” (p.40).  After reflection on John 1:3b, he defines the nature of God in the following way: 

God is everywhere in everything. He is the composite of everything, both the glue that holds the pieces of the universe together and the pieces themselves (p.36, emphasis added).  

Later he refers to the glory of God in the context of his definition of the “manifest presence of God.”

Whoever is exposed to the manifested presence of God begins to absorb the very material matter of God (p. 38).

This is clearly wrong on the basis of the very scripture upon which he called. Consider John1:1-3:  

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Scripture plainly teaches that God existed before all things and created all things. Therefore, God is not the composite of every thing. That would be pantheism, which is irreconcilably opposed to the most basic doctrines of the Bible. Further, the scriptures clearly say, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24, emphasis added).

Another puzzling matter relates to Tenney’s view of the New Testament and its place and power in revival, which he refers to as “dusty” “old love letters from Him to the churches” (pp.15,74).  It seems that Tenney believes that Christians who turn to the scriptures for guidance on revival are somehow limiting God by living in the past.  In his words, “Too often God’s people can be guided only by the written Word or the prophetic word” (p.37).  At one point he would have us see the omnipresence of God speaking more clearly to a drunken person in a bar than with the “benefit of a preacher” of the gospel (p.36).  There are many times that he seems to see the scriptures as an inadequate point of reference, yet at another, he affirms King David who “studied the history of past moves of God in the Word” (p.95).  Tenney would do well to be clearer on these matters by recognizing the role of the scriptures in the true repentance that precedes genuine revival.  As the Bible reveals, “The word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).  Again, in fairness, we must acknowledge Tenney’s thesis, “I’ve come to the conclusion that… there’s no need for me to preach if God shows up in His glory” (p.44) (3).

In summary, I believe that we can fully acknowledge Tenney’s central theme, which he seems to acknowledge was seen first in A. W. Tozer’s book The Pursuit of God, including the very theme verse— “My soul follows hard after thee” (Psalm 63:8) (pp.20, 33).  Where we should exercise Biblical discernment is in regard his description of the effects of a genuine visitation of the glory of God.  We can and should agree with Tenney when he says, “I am tired of reading about God’s visitations of yesteryear.  I want God to break out somewhere in my lifetime so that in the future my children can say, “I was there” (p.25, emphasis in original).  But we should exercise wise caution when Tenney says, “I am after an “out-of-control” revival!” (p.107) (4).  In regard to worship services, the Bible says, “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).  Our weary hearts can agree that, “In God’s manifest presence, you and I will need to do very little, yet great and mighty things will happen (p.45).” But we should be careful to “Believe not every spirit, but try (test) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).  Finally, we can fully agree with Tenney when he says, “It is very easy to begin chasing God and wind up chasing something else. Don’t be like that. Be a God Chaser.” (p.29)

Notes:

1. Counterfeit Revival, Hank Hanegraaff, Word Publishing, Dallas Texas, 1997.  See also the following online articles concerning some of the effects of the leading “Counterfeit Revivals.” The Pensacola Revival: Shaken or Stirred? World Magazine, 12/27/97, <http://www.worldmag.com/world/issue/12-20-97/cover_1.asp>.  The Counterfeit Revival (Part One): Rodney Howard-Browne and the “Toronto Blessing,” The Counterfeit Revival (Part Three): Separating Fact from Fabrication on the Pensacola Outpouring. Christian Research Journal, Spring & Fall issues of 1997, <http://www.equip.org/search>.
2. See the official God Chasers web page <www.godchasers.net> and the testimonial page <http://revival.godchasers.net> for the clear association of this “movement” with the “Brownsville revival,” the “Toronto blessing,” and more.  The results of these “revivals” also included effects such as “dancing in the spirit,” “slain in the spirit,” “writhing on the floor,” and “holy laughter.”
3. Note: The very passage cited by Tenney (1 Kings 8:11-61) in connection with his idea that preaching of the Word is no longer needed when the glory of God appears, actually reveals the opposite (p.49).  When King Solomon and all of Israel witnessed the glory of God, Solomon went on to “preach” or speak God’s Word at great length, in order to give praise to God who is worthy of all “glory honor and power.”  See also Rev 4:9-11. 
4. In regard to the concerns raised in this review, consider the following quote from Sammy Tippit:

Perhaps the church has been wounded from the higher critics and rationalists.  We seem to be struggling, groping in the dark. Occasional fires can be seen, but upon closer examination, many appear to be wildfire rather than heavenly fire.  It is not the fire of Luther, Wesley, Moody, Whitefield, or the great awakeners of past years. We have the technology, the knowledge, and the manpower, but not the fire, the fire from God that burns in the hearts of His people for a lost and dying world.  It is this fire that burns away the superficial and purifies that work which God has begun in the hearts of men. (Fire in Your Heart, Sammy Tippit, Moody Press, Chicago IL, 1987, preface.)

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