‘They Call Themselves Apostles’ by PJ Hanley (Banner of Love Ministries/CreateSpace, 2017)

In this practical, passionate book, pastor PJ Hanley presents an uncompromising call to church leaders and lay believers to recognise the dangers of the ‘New Apostolic Reformation’ (NAR) movement, repent and come out. His core focus, as the title suggests, is the NAR’s emphasis on apostleship and how this contrasts the New Testament model of church leadership.

The book also usefully outlines the structure of NAR networks and the shadowy ways in which these have infiltrated the world of charismatic Christianity, under the guise of Spirit-led spontaneity.

Exposing Deception

One strength of Hanley’s writing is his extensive use of lengthy but well-chosen quotes from prominent NAR leaders, allowing them to hang themselves with their own rope (so to speak). ‘Founding father’ C Peter Wagner features heavily, but so do younger (though no less influential) leaders like Kris Vallotton.

Hanley’s analysis is, for the most part, cogent and biblical, exposing these leaders’ deceptive sleight of hand in elevating relational ‘alignment’ (i.e. congruence with the authority and teaching of NAR ‘super-apostles’ and prophets) over biblical doctrine, and extra-biblical revelation over scriptural truth.

Some Drawbacks

Hanley omits much discussion on the movement’s historical roots,¹ its trafficking in false prophecy and its over-emphasis on signs and wonders. This is not necessarily to the book’s detriment, but he would have done well to begin by clarifying the book’s scope, as well as its intended structure (which is not clear, causing confusion at times).

Another drawback is that part-way through, Hanley becomes mired in discussions of eschatology (end times theology). These middle chapters (and two of the book’s three appendices) lose their way as the author becomes diverted fighting his particular ‘end times’ corner. There is also an unnecessary and confusing over-use of jargon.

Hanley exposes NAR leaders’ deceptive sleight of hand in elevating relational ‘alignment’ over biblical doctrine, and extra-biblical revelation over scriptural truth.

That said, Hanley’s point that the NAR is grounded in unbiblical eschatology is important to make. He rightly recognises that NAR dominionism lends itself more to the false peace, false unity efforts of the Anti-Christ than to the true ‘end times’ Bride of Christ. Indeed, this is the ultimate ‘alignment’ that has yet to come to fruition, but which will sift and test all those who are currently embroiled in the NAR.

Evident Passion

Overall, this is a down-to-earth, zealous plea from a pastor who is desperate to alert the flock to imminent danger. Readers cannot help but warm to Hanley’s informal, engaging style and his evident heart for the Body of Christ. His charismatic credentials make this book a welcome contrast to critiques of the NAR from cessationist leaders (e.g. see below).

You may or may not agree with his eschatology, but this book still has much to offer to those seeking to educate themselves and others about the dangers of the NAR.

‘They Call Themselves Apostles: How Revival Churches Have Been Hijacked by the New Apostolic Reformation’ (246pp) is available from Amazon in both paperback and Kindle forms.

‘Defining Deception’ by Costi Hinn and Anthony Wood (Southern California Seminary Press, 2018)

‘Defining Deception’ has made more waves than PJ Hanley’s book – co-authored as it is by nephew of faith-healer and NAR proponent Benny Hinn. Costi Hinn’s testimony of being saved out of the prosperity gospel movement adds weight to his arguments.

Hinn and Wood, both California pastors, focus their critique around Bill Johnson and his Bethel Church (also California) as a particularly influential example of NAR teaching and practice. The authors write graciously and admit their need to approach such a case study biblically and in the right spirit.

The book is structured clearly and written carefully. Its first three chapters provide background information about the NAR: its cultural appeal (particularly to millennials), its emergence from the wider Pentecostal movement and its ancestry in the teachings of key historic individuals (held aloft by Bill Johnson as ‘generals’ of the faith).

The authors weigh and test these individuals, assessing whether they preached Christ, error or – even worse – another gospel. Whether or not you agree with all their conclusions, their approach helps give a potted history of the NAR’s development through the years.²

The ‘Mystical-Miracle’ Movement

Hinn and Wood then move on to the substance of their case study, starting by looking at the circles in which Bill Johnson and Bethel Church move and the clever entrepreneurialism that has helped them infiltrate mainstream charismatic/evangelical Christianity with little difficulty.

Costi Hinn’s personal insights into the connections between Bill Johnson and Benny Hinn are particularly illuminating. The authors stress that the NAR – which they term the ‘mystical-miracle movement’ – thrives off the same toxic combination of biblical illiteracy and spiritual desperation that fuels prosperity preaching.

Chapter 6 is perhaps the most helpful in the book, unpacking major ways in which Bill and Bethel depart from orthodox Christian doctrine, pairing concrete examples with biblical responses. The seventh chapter ends the book on a positive note with an exposition of the true person of the Holy Spirit and the primacy of Scripture, on the principle that “if we hope to offer true healing, we must offer people the true medicine” (p112).

No less than five appendices cover controversial topics such as being ‘slain in the Spirit’ and the question of whether false teachers can heal people.

The NAR thrives off the same toxic combination of biblical illiteracy and spiritual desperation that fuels prosperity preaching.

N.B.

The case study of Bill Johnson and Bethel could have been developed; in several places the analysis feels light and helpful background information is missing (needlessly, in this reviewer’s opinion).

It is also important to note that the authors are explicitly Calvinist in their theology and open about their belief in cessationism – that the spiritual gifts, and offices such as apostle and prophet, ceased after the days of the early Church. Hinn and Wood maintain that their goal is to critique the NAR’s blatant departure from orthodox biblical teaching on gospel issues (rather than to criticise Pentecostalism in general), a matter which ought to unite Christians of all backgrounds. They manage to achieve this in part (e.g. saving discussion of matters such as healing and speaking in tongues for the appendices), however, their beliefs still flavour their writing throughout.

As long as charismatic readers are aware of this, there shouldn’t be any surprises – in fact, it’s interesting to weigh an alternative viewpoint and use it to test the validity of one’s own position.

Gracious, Practical

Overall, the book is written in a gracious and sincere spirit, with practical, pastoral concern for everyday ways in which believers might struggle with the NAR.

A gentle but uncompromising defence of the truth, in the face of a modern takeover of Christianity “where people are made the centre of the Gospel rather than Christ” (p117). Not so much a ‘definition’ of deception, as the title suggests, but a welcome contribution nonetheless.

‘Defining Deception: Freeing the Church from the Mystical-Miracle Movement’ (200pp) is available from Amazon in both paperback and Kindle forms. Also available elsewhere online.

You may also be interested in Holly Pivec and Doug Geivett’s book ‘A New Apostolic Reformation?’, as well as Prophecy Today UK’s coverage of this issue here.

Notes

1 One wonders if this is because Hanley is unwilling to recognise the NAR’s historical connection to ‘revivals’ with which he himself admits to being involved (though he is not overt about what these were or his personal journey out of the NAR, only that he considers himself to have been part of the ‘revivalist’ movement in the past).

2 Like PJ Hanley, Hinn and Wood could have included a more thorough exploration of the NAR’s roots, but the connections they draw between its teachings and early Church heresies are nonetheless very helpful to read.