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The goal here is NOT to compare preachers/pastors, and create arguments.

This question came from the following:

  • I found a book on Amazon on a topic on Christianity that I like
  • the author is Derek Prince
  • I know nothing about the person
  • I looked at Wikipedia, it's not obvious to me if this person is mainstream christianity or heretic

To a first approximation, I don't know how to judge a book besides by the reputation of the author.

Thus, I'm curious of how Derek Prince is viewed in mainstream Christianity (as compared to the likes of John Piper, John MacArthur, Paul Washer).

Thanks!

Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE
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When I was young I was tormented by many false teachers so I looked the guy up for you. Derek Prince looks like a not so bad guy among some pretty bad ones.  Yet he also seems pretty bad under the names you provided.

As an Arminian with a very strong almost hyper Charismatic bent and bizarre over emphasis and horrible obsession with demonic activity, you can be sure people like John Piper and John MacArthur would throw up red flags all over.

To show how this guy is at his worst he claims to have cast seventy some demons out of a woman and each demon had a name of a false doctrine, and one was called 'eternal security.' Well that is more or less saying Calvinism is demonic and Piper and MacArthur are in bondage to demonic heresies.

Anyway safe to say, I would stick to more mainstream people as you mentioned. They would not get along with this guy. To supplement people like Piper and MacArthur I would also find out what older Bible commentaries they like to read and read one. Christian books are ok, but Christian Bible commentaries are generally much, much better.

Note: I found almost your same question and a few insightful responses here while I was looking.

Mike
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  • Derek Prince is NOT an Arminian, just to correct Mike's comments - he was born to British parents in India and was raised in England until going to Africa in WWII in his early twenties. Derek Prince displays a very gracious manner and an attitude in keeping with the fruit of the Spirit, unlike some other teachers mentioned above who may be equally scholarly, but whose attitude in the pulpit lacks the grace and deference that Mr Prince's did. –  Sep 25 '12 at 09:32
  • I agree. I'm not aware of the points @Mike raises. I have heard of Derek Prince and heard recorded sermons by. I find his style rather dry, but I'm sure he would be considered "sound" by mainstream Christianity. – Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE Sep 25 '12 at 09:44
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    @Nikki Welcome to our Q&A site. FYI: Arminian != Armenian. I'd like to hear more about your impressions of him as a preacher, especially when it comes to his theology. – Jon Ericson Sep 25 '12 at 20:20
  • @Wikis I'm sure this is a case of huge diversity and depends on your circles, but at the least one would have to say he is only accepted by some parts of mainstream Christianity. All the circles and traditions I am aware of rate him somewhere between shaky and outright charlatan -- with a few exceptions mostly from stay-at-home-watch-christianity-on-tv folks. At the very least, Mike's observations about how a few specific names would likely view the guy is pretty right on. I wouldn't call those guys representative of all of mainstream Christianity, but they are certainly major players in it. – Caleb Sep 26 '12 at 12:14
  • @Caleb: are we talking about the same guy? – Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE Sep 26 '12 at 12:25
  • @Wikis: Yup, it seems so. – Caleb Sep 26 '12 at 12:33
  • @Caleb: wow, I've never heard anything bad about him before... – Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE Sep 26 '12 at 13:01
  • @Wikis: Anybody who believes, practices and promotes the idea that daemons are more than just active in the world but that they can possess and captivate born again Christians is bound to run foul of a large swath of Christianity. Add that to how many controversies he came down on the wrong side of, and even if he switched positions the right way on some of them, he changed positions several times on a few things leaving even people who wanted to accept him skeptical about where his anchor was floating. – Caleb Sep 26 '12 at 13:07