Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity

Not only did Gregory Boyd do a great job at exposing the many fallacies within the doctrine of the Oneness Pentecostal Doctrine, but he also shows, (by the responses in these reviews) that there are more than one belief within the UPC church. As an Ex-UPC person for almost 20 years, I'm here to say that Gregory Boyd hit the cental nerve of the UPC doctrine. This is a must read book for those who came out or is coming out of the UPC.

There are a number of well-meaning individuals found in UPC and Apostolic churches who have an immense hatred for the Trinity. "It's not a word found in the Bible," adherents often cry, begging the question that words they use to describe the Godhead are not found there either (i.e. "oneness"). In this book, Boyd does a good job explaining why the Trinity is true, as the concepts are clearly taught in scripture. But UPC people often don't end up with merely rejecting the Trinity; they also say a person must be water baptized (by them, of course, in Jesus' name only) and abide by their numerous rules and regulations. They are, leaders will say, the only true church. Meanwhile, justification and sanctification--important terms in soteriology--are mixed up in a hodgepodge, as there is no distinction. This is a perfect environment for a legalistic mindset and, if I may be so bold, creates a cult. Thus, anyone who has ears, let him hear what the Word of God truly has to say about the subject. Boyd's work is a big help in explaining the prooftexts used by UPC advocates so that answers may be given to all.

As in Letters to a Skeptic, Dr Boyd presents both a scholarly and Biblical approach to the doctrine of the Trinity. This book really opened my eyes to the unbiblical doctrines of the UPC. Oneness is only one of the heretical doctrines taught by the UPC. This book also shows how Oneness Pentecostals have a basic misunderstanding of what the doctrine of the Trinity really teaches.This book has also strengthened my belief in the Trinity. Dr Boyd quotes extensively from accepted Oneness doctrine and Oneness writers, so I think it's unfair to say that the Oneness position is misrepresented. I read this book after reading "Christianity Without the Cross" and found that Dr Boyd's book describes very well what Oneness Pentecostals believe. I highly recommmend this book to anyone who wants solid Biblical support for the doctrine of the Trinity or to refute Oneness doctrine.

Gregory A. Boyd is a Professor of Theology who clearly has done his homework on Oneness Pentecostalism. As a former Oneness Pentecostal myself, I found that Boyd convincingly cuts through the smoke and mirror rhetoric of Oneness, probing the underlying problems inherent in their theology and the often damaging psycho-spiritual baggage that results. Somehow, he pulls this off without gratuituously attacking Oneness believers themselves. He seems to truly understand the inner-working psychology of the people behind the movement. Even one of the leading apologists for Oneness Pentecostalism, David K. Bernard, has acknowledged that Boyd has handled Oneness belief fairly, even if a bit roughly. I think that says it all. If you can only get one popular book on Oneness Pentecostalism, this is it!My only complaint is that I wish it had been published much earlier - it would've saved me from much needless pain and aggravation in my own "spiritual journey".

Due to a new relationship in my life, I have been spending time learning about Oneness Pentecostalism. I have a master's degree in theology, and I have read several books written by Oneness theologians (David Bernard, Mark Bassett) and these authors have only suceeded in adding to my confusion over a subject that I already think makes little sense. It was refreshing to read Boyd's presentation of Oneness theology and be able to comprehend it. And while I still do not believe that this approach to understanding the realtionship between God, Jesus and the Spirit has any real merit, I am able to now appreciate/better understand those who do subscribe to this line of thought. I was curious to read the one negative review posted on this site concerning Boyd's book, and was disappointed that if the reviewer truly felt Boyd misrepresented Oneness Pentecostalism, he was unable to site one single example to support his statements. Unfortunately, this seems to be the same way other Oneness Pentecostals I have spoken to apologize their faith. Boyd's book should be read by all who desire a clear understanding of this topic.