How can we grow closer to God? Is there a secret to spiritual life? Do we need a second blessing? Is sanctification God's work or ours? Is it instantaneous or is it a process?

The nature of Christian spirituality has been widely debated throughout the history of the church. The doctrine of sanctification was one of the main fissures separating Luther from the Catholic Church. Even today different groups of Protestants disagree on how we draw closer to God. What distinguishes the different positions and what exactly is at stake in these recurring debates?

To answer these questions Donald L. Alexander, professor of biblical theology at Bethel College, has brought together five scholars that represent each of the main historical Protestant traditions:

Gerhard O. Forde on the Lutheran vew

Sinclair B. Ferguson on the Reformed view

Laurence W. Wood on the Wesleyan view

Russell P. Spittler on the Pentecostal view

E. Glenn Hinson on the Contemplative view

With an introduction by Alexander and responses to each of the main essays by the other contributors, this Spectrum volume provides a helpful and stimulating introduction to an important doctrine of the church.

Spectrum Multiview Books offer a range of viewpoints on contested topics within Christianity, giving contributors the opportunity to present their position and also respond to others in this dynamic publishing format.

One of the most popular current views on spirituality is that there are varied paths to God. In this new Ancient-Future series book, Bob Webber evaluates this common misunderstanding of spirituality as separated from God's story, extremely self-focused, and shaped by our surrounding culture. This challenging work offers a corrective, calling us to an alternative Christian spirituality, one that reveals two sides-that of God's "divine embrace" of us and our passionate response. The Divine Embrace is a fresh, grounded look at true spirituality that will be embraced by pastors, thinking Christians, and anyone looking for an engaging and thorough treatment of this topic.

Christians generally recognize the need to live a holy, or sanctified, life. But they differ on what sanctification is and how it is achieved.

How does one achieve sanctification in this life? How much success in sanctification is possible? Is a crisis experience following one's conversion normal--or necessary? If so, what kind of experience, and how is it verified?

Five Views on Sanctification--part of the Counterpoints series--brings together in one easy-to-understand volume five major Protestant views on sanctification:

Wesleyan View - represented by Melvin E. Dieter

Reformed View - represented by Anthony A. Hoekema

Pentecostal View - represented by Stanley M. Horton

Keswick View - represented by J. Robertson McQuilkin

Augustinian-Dispensationalism View - represented by John F. Walvoord

Writing from a solid evangelical stance, each author describes and defends his own understanding of the doctrine sanctification and then responds to the views of the other authors.

The Counterpoints series presents a comparison and critique of scholarly views on topics important to Christians that are both fair-minded and respectful of the biblical text. Each volume is a one-stop reference that allows readers to evaluate the different positions on a specific issue and form their own, educated opinion.