Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit

Francis Chan’s Forgotten God confronts a pervasive theological and practical lacuna within modern evangelicalism: the functional marginalization of the Holy Spirit. While paying lip service to the Trinity, Chan argues, contemporary Christians often live as practical binitarians, relating to God the Father and Jesus the Son while treating the Spirit as a doctrinal footnote or an ambiguous force. This neglect, he contends, has produced a church that is doctrinally orthodox yet spiritually anemic, relying on human strategy, emotional manipulation, and cultural relevance rather than divine power.

Chan builds his case through a meticulous, scripture-saturated examination of the Spirit’s identity and purpose as presented in the Bible. He systematically moves from correcting the error of viewing the Spirit as an impersonal "it" to exploring the promises attached to the Spirit’s indwelling presence. The narrative is less a how-to manual and more a convicting exposition, challenging readers to measure their personal lives and church communities against the biblical standard of Spirit-empowered living. Chan avoids abstract theory, consistently tying the Spirit’s work to tangible outcomes: boldness in witness, profound love, genuine holiness, and a willingness to embrace sacrifice.

The book distinguishes itself by rejecting both charismatic sensationalism and cessationist rationalism. Chan navigates a middle path, acknowledging the supernatural gifts of the Spirit while emphasizing that the Spirit’s primary evidence is Christlike character and sacrificial mission. He delves into the uncomfortable implications of this theology, arguing that a life genuinely open to the Spirit will inevitably disrupt comfort, demand risk, and prioritize eternal matters over temporal security. This is framed not as a loss but as the gateway to authentic purpose and joy.

Forgotten God serves as a prophetic corrective aimed at individual believers and church leaders alike. Its significance lies in its call to move from a theoretical affirmation of the Spirit to a lived, dependent relationship. The book’s legacy is its ability to stir a holy discontent with a safe, predictable faith, pointing instead toward a dynamic, scripturally grounded spirituality where the forgotten member of the Godhead is restored to His central, empowering role.

The consensus finds Chan’s scriptural focus and personal humility profoundly compelling, praising the book for its convicting call to move beyond a comfortable, intellectual faith. Readers widely appreciate the challenge to re-examine a neglected doctrine. However, a significant contingent criticizes the work for a perceived lack of practical application, feeling it powerfully diagnoses the problem of neglect but offers insufficient guidance on the daily mechanics of living in the Spirit. The tone is generally received as earnest and challenging rather than preachy.