One Faith: The Evangelical Consensus

The quarrels among evangelicals have led some evangelicals and most non-evangelicals to believe that a theological consensus is lacking within this group. The two authors, representing "two distinguishable [but] related wings of modern evangelical history" (p. 15) show that there is a core set of shared beliefs. Since both Packer and Oden are scholars, they carefully explain what they mean by "consensus" and "evangelical," and they delineate their methodology, their anticipated, audience and what they hope to accomplish. The book is structured around 16 chapters, each addressing a theological topic. For each topic, they offer numerous portions of various evangelical statements of faith that address that particular topic. Thus, one can see for oneself the broad agreement between these different groups. In their conclusion, they make several points concerning evangelicalism that do truly seem to flow from the statements of faith presented. One should not conclude that because the book is about evangelical consensus, that it will also address differences among evangelicals. While accepting the nature of theological diversity, it focuses on its chosen topic and does not depart from that topic. It is a simple and elegant book. It is thoughtful. It is irenic in tone. It is easy to read. It meets a significant need. It does exactly what it purports to do. It clearly adds to the body of literature. Thus, it is highly recommended.