Books Refuting Oneness Pentecostal Beliefs

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Jesus Only Churches by E. Calvin Beisner- To read an excerpt of this book click here. A UPC response to this book is found here. From Amazon: "Unlike Jehovah's Witnesses, who deny the Trinity by demoting Jesus to a mere man, the 'Jesus Only' churches deny the Trinity by claiming that there is only one God, and that Jesus is the Father and the Holy Spirit. 'Jesus Only' churches not only require baptism for salvation, but also stipulate that it must be baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ only, and not in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thus, these churches distort the gospel and the historic, orthodox understanding of Jesus."

Oneness Pentecostals & The Trinity by Gregory A. Boyd- Gregory Boyd was formerly involved in the United Pentecostal Church. A number of former Oneness Pentecostal members have been helped by this book. To read what he wrote about the book on his web site, click here. A UPC response to his book is found here. From Amazon: "A world-wide movement is assessed by a former oneness Pentecostal who warns that the time has passed for ignoring this small group. Boyd clarifies misconception that the early church believed a "oneness" gospel and carefully distinguishes the views of oneness believers from trinitarian Pentecostals and charismatics."

Definitive Look At Oneness Theology: In the Light of Biblical Trinitarianism by Edward L. Dalcour- Edward Dalcour operates the Department of Christian Defense ministry, an apologetic site. To view a sample of the 2005 version of the book on Google, click here. A fourth edition of the book is available directly from the author here or read it in PDF format here. He also has a number of articles about Oneness Pentecostalism on the site. From Amazon: "This book critically examines the claims of Oneness theology in light of biblical exegesis. Specifically, it affirms the biblical presentation of God existing as three distinct co-equal, co-eternal, and co-existent Persons or Selves." On April 1, 2020, David Bernard, the UPCI General Superintendent, released a review of this book, claiming in part inadequate scholarship. See his review on Facebook.

The Trinity & Eternal Sonship of Christ: A Defense Against "Oneness Pentecostal" Attacks on Historic Christianity by Bob L. Ross- Bob Ross is the director of Pilgrim Publications. To read a little more about this book, click here. This book is basically a response to David Bernard's book, "The Oneness of God." David Bernard is now the General Superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church, being elected in the fall of 2009. Mr. Ross does make some personal attacks in his book and this will probably cause some to have difficulty reading it. Ross has also written a book called Acts 2:38 And Baptismal Regeneration, (read about it here), though directed at Campbellites.

Oneness Pentecostal Churches by Bruce Tucker- He also wrote a book called Twisting the Truth that mentions Oneness Pentecostalism. From Amazon: "There are approximately 111 separate sects and denominations that are classified as 'Oneness Pentecostal Churches.' These congregations are found in nearly every city and town in the United States. They get their distinctive name from the fact that they do not believe in the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity. They believe that all who do believe in the Trinity are spiritually lost because they have adopted a pagan doctrine. They differ from other Pentecostals and the rest of the historical church on several important issues, earning them the title of a Pseudo-Christian cult by established cult watching organizations. Are they a cult? What do they believe? The book, 'Oneness Pentecostal Churches,' examines the claims, doctrines and practices of these fellowships. It addresses the issues in a manner comprehensive enough to satisfy the professional minister, yet clear enough to meet the needs of laypeople who are seeking answers about this significant movement."

Kiss the Son: A Christological Apology in Response to David K. Bernard's The Oneness of God by Michael Burgos Jr.- "David K. Bernard codified the Oneness Pentecostal doctrine of God in his book The Oneness of God. Since its release it has become a centerpiece in Oneness studies and apologetics. Kiss the Son is a Christ centered, exegetically driven refutation of The Oneness of God. Michael Burgos has provided a relentless and overwhelming defense of both the eternal nature of the Son of God and the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. Burgos also interacts with arguments made by a number of other Oneness writers thereby leaving no stone unturned."

Against Oneness Pentecostalism: An Exegetical-Theological Critique by Michael Burgos Jr.- A second book by the author addressing Oneness beliefs, released in July 2016. "In the near 25 years since the publication of Gregory Boyd's Oneness Pentecostals and the Trinity there has been a dearth of critical interaction with the arguments and exegetical underpinnings of Oneness Pentecostal theology. Michael Burgos has taken up this task in Against Oneness Pentecostalism. Here Burgos interacts with the top Oneness Pentecostal and expositors of our day and finds their arguments wanting. This volume has practical implications beyond the debate that exists between trinitarians and Oneness Pentecostals because if popular piety is any indication, then many professing trinitarian Christians are Oneness in practice and Burgos' work will help to show how such thinking is wrong as well as offering an exegetical alternative that is faithful to what God has revealed about himself in Scripture."

Apostolic Faith by Eugene W Emmerich III- "Who is Jesus of Nazareth, the person that taught the Apostles? What is baptism and why did He command us to be baptized? How did the Apostles administer that baptism and how does it relate to the salvation of those who place their trust in Him? Patristic literature holds the key to correctly understand scripture the way in which the writers intended. Therefore, "Apostolic Faith" addresses these questions in light of the interpretation of scripture held by the earliest disciples of the Apostles. This method will greatly assist in correctly understanding what Jesus meant when He said, "I and my Father are one" and what Peter meant when he said, "Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.""

The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit or Oneness- Jesus Only by Vel Hobbs- This is a self-published book. Vel Hobbs, in the first two paragraphs of chapter one, basically quotes from my site's page on UPC beliefs (see my paragraphs 6-9- this may have since changed as I have updated the page) without giving reference, which is interesting since it is stated that "the author guarantees all contents are original and do not infringe upon the legal rights of any other person or work." She simply changes the wording a little in places, thus losing some credibility in my eyes as those two paragraphs are definitely not original to her. However, she doesn't fully understand what was shared on my site as her rewording distorts what was stated about UPC church members and the Manual quote. Due to this, I cannot help but wonder if she took similar liberties with the writings of others. Though she claims no church affiliation, the author is Pentecostal in beliefs as is seen in her references to being "slain in the Spirit" and to whom she gives thanks in the opening pages. The book is written toward Oneness Pentecostalism beliefs and specifically the United Pentecostal Church. The book was prompted by her involvement with a man who was from the United Pentecostal Church as the differences in their beliefs created a problem in their relationship going farther than it had at the time the book was written. The author covers the subjects of the Godhead, water baptism and speaking in tongues and is in clear disagreement with these UPC beliefs.

The Godhead Oneness or Trinity by Frankie Greene- From Amazon: "'The Godhead: Oneness or Trinity' is a book of clarity of doctrine for the student of the Word who is able to rightly divide the "Word of truth". Oneness: "Dear Trinitarian friend, surely you do not think that two Persons raised Jesus from the dead? that two Persons answer prayer? that two Persons draw us to God? that two Persons are the Alpha and Omega? that two Persons are 'coming?'" (Magee) Trinitarian: "I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name him ye will receive." (Jn. 5:43) "And I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a son." (Heb. 1:5)"

The "Godhead," How Many? by Bartley Joseph Linder- Covers three beliefs concerning the Godhead without the author sharing his personal view, which is Oneness. From Amazon: "'The "Godhead", How Many?' is a unique, thought provoking textbook which explores mankind's perception of the varied nature of God, existing in forms of Oneness, Duality, or Trinity. To tackle the question of the composition of the figure God, which you explain has been debated for centuries. You break down each stance of the argument and use commentaries, true and false questions, and extensive Biblical examples to thoroughly support each position. You also present the opinions of many church leaders to augment your exploration. Your in-depth research into such a complex and controversial subject may serve as an informative tool for the lay reader and clergyman. Your repetition of the true and false tests along with your clear style may offer the reader a fresh insight into his or her own beliefs." Elizabeth H. House, Managing Director, Dorrance Publishing Company, Pittsburg, PA."

The Modern Day Modalists: A Brief Examination of the False Teachings of the United Pentecostal Church by Jim Pierce- Jim is a former licensed UPC minister. I believe what is in his book can be found on his blog posts here (there are several posts after this one).

The "Oneness" Doctrine of Pentecostalism and The Bible Doctrine of the Godhead by Gene Frost- This is a two-part study on Oneness Pentecostalism. To read an article on the subject by the author, go here.

An Evaluation of the Oneness Pentecostal Movement by Mark A. McNeil- Mark is a former member of the UPC, being a graduate of their Texas Bible College and 1990 Valedictorian. This is a small 16 page booklet. To read about Mark's spiritual journey, go here. To read several articles by him dealing with UPC teachings, go here. In 2018 he released a new book, All in the Name: How the Bible Led Me to Faith in the Trinity, where he writes about UPCI beliefs, mainly water baptism and the Trinity.

Oneness Pentecostalism: New Truth or Old Heresy An Easy to Understand Guide to the "Jesus Only" Movement by Steve Lagoon and Thomas Sheehey- You can read parts of this at the RAS Discerner Archive here, here and here.

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Updated January 27, 2024

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