What is “let-go-and-let-God” theology? It’s called Keswick theology,
and it’s one of the most significant strands of second-blessing
theology. It assumes that Christians experience two “blessings.” The
first is getting “saved,” and the second is getting serious. The change
is dramatic: from a defeated life to a victorious life; from a lower
life to a higher life; from a shallow life to a deeper life; from a
fruitless life to a more abundant life; from being “carnal” to being
“spiritual”; and from merely having Jesus as your Savior to making Jesus
your Master. People experience this second blessing through surrender
and faith: “Let go and let God.”
Keswick theology comes from the early Keswick movement. Keswick (pronounced KE
H-zick) is a small town in the scenic Lake District of northwest
England. Since 1875, it has hosted a weeklong meeting in July for the
Keswick Convention. The movement’s first generation (about 1875– 1920)
epitomized what we still call “Keswick theology” today.
People who influenced Keswick theology include John Wesley, Charles
Finney, and Hannah Whitall Smith. Significant proponents of Keswick
theology include Evan H. Hopkins (Keswick’s formative theologian), H.
Moule (Keswick’s scholar and best theologian),
F. B.
Meyer (Keswick’s international ambassador), Andrew Murray (Keswick’s
foremost devotional author), J. Hudson Taylor and Amy Carmichael
(Keswick’s foremost missionaries), Frances Havergal (Keswick’s hymnist),
and
W. H. Griffith Thomas, and Robert C.
McQuilkin (leaders of the victorious life movement). People who were
influenced by Keswick theology include leaders of the Christian and
Missionary Alliance (
A. B. Simpson), Moody Bible Institute (
D. L. Moody and
R. A. Torrey), and Dallas Seminary (Lewis Chafer and Charles Ryrie).
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