Vol.25.2, 2022 by Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies and APTS Press
AJPS 27.1, 2024
Singapore is a small island city-state. With an area of approximately
72.1 kilometers and a popu... more Singapore is a small island city-state. With an area of approximately
72.1 kilometers and a population of about 5.7 million people, it serves
a vibrant melting pot of cultures, languages, and religions. Despite its
small size, Singapore has made a global mark as a financial, economic,
and technological hub. Because of its strategic location along major trade
routes, nestled at the crossroads of Southeast Asia, Singapore began as
a trading port. Over the years, its dynamic governance and pro-business
policies have fueled remarkable economic growth.
At the outset of the second year of the Asian Journal of Pentecostal
Studies’ existence, its co-e... more At the outset of the second year of the Asian Journal of Pentecostal
Studies’ existence, its co-editors, William Menzies and Wonsuk Ma,
wrote an editorial assessment of the journal’s first year. In their short
editorial they said, “It seems fitting that we review the intended character
and goals of this young publication.”1
Now, twenty-five years later, my
brother and I have been entrusted with a similar task, one that is equally
fitting for this silver anniversary edition. We were asked to outline the
theological motivations (the vision, if you will) that motivated our father,
William Menzies, to initiate, along with Wonsuk Ma, the AJPS.
We believe the answer to the question—Why produce the AJPS?—
reveals a lot about our father’s understanding of the Pentecostal
movement both in Asia and around the world. The answer also
illuminates the value he had placed upon theological reflection and why
he felt this noble undertaking was important for the life and vitality of
the church
When Christians from North America or Europe visit the Holy
Trinity Church in Kunming, China, the... more When Christians from North America or Europe visit the Holy
Trinity Church in Kunming, China, the architecture of this beautiful,
stately structure immediately reminds them of home, of traditional
churches in the West. It even has a steeple. The atmosphere of quiet
reverence will also seem familiar to western visitors, especially to those
with roots in mainline Protestant churches. They will also recognize
virtually all of the hymns. Of course, most Westerners will not
understand the Mandarin lyrics, but the music will immediately call to
mind the well-known verses of these historic songs. The choir will also
sing tunes that are comfortably familiar. The visitors will very likely hear
a clear, biblical message that reflects a more conservative theology than
that found in most mainline pulpits in the West.2
The closing prayer will
be uttered by a member of the TSPM clergy,3
a select group trained in
seminaries modeled after their western counterparts and appointed to
lead virtually every segment of church life. The worship service will
almost certainly end without any specific call for response on the part of
the members of the congregation apart from silent prayer.
While engaged in a master’s program at the Asia Pacific Theological
Seminary in Baguio City, Phil... more While engaged in a master’s program at the Asia Pacific Theological
Seminary in Baguio City, Philippines, I served in an Assemblies of God
church in the mountains surrounding the city. In order to minister there
effectively, I began to ask the following questions: What are the
worldviews of the people? How can churches and missionaries present
the gospel in a way people can understand? What kind of transformation
has the church brought? To answer these questions, I chose to focus on
the Kankana-ey tribes and Pentecostal ministry by the Assemblies of
God (AG). The first part of this article will focus on a brief explanation
of the historical and religious background of the Philippines and the
people of the mountain ranges of northern Luzon and a cultural exegesis
of the Kankana-ey. Comparison with the biblical text will then be
provided. The second part will explore the spiritual formation found
among Kankana-ey Pentecostals based on the basis of the work Julie C.
Ma, a noted scholar in the field
While the dominant religion in Isan is Buddhism, the whole belief
system is animistic. Animism is... more While the dominant religion in Isan is Buddhism, the whole belief
system is animistic. Animism is a ‘belief in personal supernatural beings
such as gods, spirits, and ghosts’, which can inhabit inanimate objects
such as trees, rocks and houses.1
The animist sees their world as being
ruled by many spiritual forces. Sickness is often explained as being
caused by a spirit, and a crop failure may be due to an angry ancestor. 2
This view can instil fear into their lives. Therefore, one approach to
overcome the inherent power of these forces is for the animist to search
for stronger powers to overcome the adverse effects of these spirits in his
life. There are other ways of dealing with evil spirits, such as ‘meritmaking’ (doing good to counteract evil) and performing various rituals
to appease these spirits.
The Assemblies of God (AG) was founded in Hot Springs, Arkansas,
by early Pentecostals who experi... more The Assemblies of God (AG) was founded in Hot Springs, Arkansas,
by early Pentecostals who experienced the Azusa Street revival in 1914.
8
The AG holds to the Finished Work tradition within classical Pentecostalism.9 In 1916, a meeting was held by the early founders of
the AG. AG pioneers decided to create a statement of faith “to regulate
both religious experience and doctrinal beliefs.” There was eventually a
statement of sixteen doctrinal beliefs for the AG that is consistent with
what is now known as the Statement of Fundamental Truths. It
emphasizes not only the fundamentalists’ basic beliefs but also “‘healing
by the atonement’ and tongues as ‘initial evidence’ of Spirit baptism.”10
The AG has become “the world’s largest Pentecostal denomination, with
over sixty million adherents and some 312,000 churches located in more
than two hundred countries and territories.”11
The first quarter of the twentieth century marked the high point for
missionary work in China. Ma... more The first quarter of the twentieth century marked the high point for
missionary work in China. Many missionaries and Chinese Christians
had sacrificed their lives for their faith as the new century dawned but
prior waves of Christianity had resulted in little or no remaining fruit.
What happened in the early years of the century testifies to the
miraculous work of the Holy Spirit.
J. Philip Hogan served as the executive director of Assemblies of
God World Missions (AGWM) USA from 1959 to 1989 and had a
special burden for China, based on his own experience as a missionary
there and Taiwan, from 1946 to 1949. During their first term, they were
caught in the ongoing civil war in China between the Communists and
the Kuomintang. On one occasion, Hogan saw dead bodies stacked on
top of each other by the side of a road and asked himself, “What is the
strange god of these young people that will cause them to make this kind
of sacrifice? It is going to cost us something to preach Jesus around the
world in this hour.”
Book Reviews by Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies and APTS Press
Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies 26.2, 2023
Those already well-versed in ongoing discussion and debate
surrounding Pentecostal hermeneutics w... more Those already well-versed in ongoing discussion and debate
surrounding Pentecostal hermeneutics will find here a convenient
compilation of Oliverio’s various contributions to such dialogue brought
together in a single volume for easy reference and use.
Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies 27.1, 2024
This book overviews the Pentecostal theology of worship with a
biblical, cultural, and community ... more This book overviews the Pentecostal theology of worship with a
biblical, cultural, and community focus. It is divided into two sections:
Profiling Renewal Worship and Renewal Worship in Context
Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies 27.1, 2024
This popularized version of Emmanuel Kwasi Amoafo’s PhD
dissertation is an exposition of Jude app... more This popularized version of Emmanuel Kwasi Amoafo’s PhD
dissertation is an exposition of Jude applied to Evangelical and
especially Pentecostal churches in Africa. With unambiguous language,
skillful exegesis, and vivid illustrations, Amoafo applies the message
of Jude to his readers in contemporary Africa and beyond. Although
Amoafo’s application is rooted in his extensive research of African
Pentecostal churches, this book is immensely valuable for the global
Christian community. His insights into the biblical text and his analysis
of its relevance for African churches will be beneficial to Christians
everywhere and serve as a model for similar contextually based projects
in Asia, Latin America, and elsewhere.
Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies 27.1, 2024
Christian theology is, always was and will always be—
the combustible effect of Pentecost. Especi... more Christian theology is, always was and will always be—
the combustible effect of Pentecost. Especially insofar
as it derives from the infinite diversities of global cultural-linguistic
phenomena of Pentecost our primal purpose through
Christian theologizing, is to understand the saving meaning that the
“tongues of fire at Pentecost” signifies.
Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies 27.1, 2024
1 & 2 Kings: A Pastoral and Contextual Commentary by Jesudason
Baskar Jeyaraj (Ph.D. University o... more 1 & 2 Kings: A Pastoral and Contextual Commentary by Jesudason
Baskar Jeyaraj (Ph.D. University of Sheffield) is an expository
contribution written with Asian Christians in mind, particularly in India.
It is part of the Asia Bible Commentary series, now with twenty-one
volumes across the Old and New Testaments. The series has endeavored
to fill a void in Christian teaching concerning an Asian worldview
and culture. Asian Christianity is a growing demographic, mainly
in the Global South, and has become a foothold for the church. With
that in mind, each author in the series is of Asian descent or has made
considerable investment serving within the region. The intention is
for each author and publication to be rooted in the Asian context and
equipped to engage culturally with issues unique to the region.
Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies 27.1, 2024
Joshua Iyadurai, founder, and director of the Marina Centre for
Interdisciplinary Studies in Reli... more Joshua Iyadurai, founder, and director of the Marina Centre for
Interdisciplinary Studies in Religion (Chennai, India), offers scholars
of theology and religion a valuable resource for research through the
textbook, Social Research Methods. As a social scientist and theological
educator, Iyadurai recognized the need for a pedagogical textbook
containing tools, components, and qualities needed to properly utilize
social scientific methods in theological or religious studies research
Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies, vol. 27.2, 2024
Paul Baker has written one of the most critical constructive
contributions to-date regarding how ... more Paul Baker has written one of the most critical constructive
contributions to-date regarding how Pentecostals might develop a
pneumatology of history that is not another history of pneumatology. Taking as primary conversation partner, Amos Yong and
Paul Ricoeur, Baker has offered a movement toward developing such a
pneumatological history and how one may test and assess such proposals.
In the five chapters of this volume, Baker opens with a discussion of
“Pentecostalism” (a notoriously difficult term to define) that proposes
“a Pentecostal theology as being grounded in Lukan hermeneutics, a
pneumatological framework, and experience. In the end, Baker
follows Amos Yong’s “pneumatological imagination” as foundational
for his project
Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies, vol. 27.2, 2024, 2024
In the past twenty years of academic study of global Pentecostalism,
the recent spiritual ferment... more In the past twenty years of academic study of global Pentecostalism,
the recent spiritual ferment, for example, North American neocharismatic
revivalism, seems presently unclear and understudied.
Against the backdrop of misinformation about North American neocharismatic
revivalism, Lora Angelina Embudo Timenia explores the
form of contemporary revivalism connected to the phenomenon dubbed
the “Toronto Blessing,” which first occurred on January 20, 1994, at
Catch the Fire Church in Toronto, Canada
Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies, vol. 27.2, 2024
I highly recommend it to scholars and pastors. This book should be interesting to Asian Christian... more I highly recommend it to scholars and pastors. This book should be interesting to Asian Christians. They live in predominantly non-Christian societies that can be hostile to Christians.
Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies, vol. 27.2, 2024
Willie James Jennings’ striking inaugural volume for the Theological
Education Between the Times ... more Willie James Jennings’ striking inaugural volume for the Theological
Education Between the Times series (After Whiteness: An Education in
Belonging) gave strong allusions to the need to retrieve a Pentecostal
vision. In many ways, that vision arrives in Amos Yong’s contribution,
Renewing the Church By the Spirit. Well-known as a leading and prolific
hermeneut, Yong advances a pneumatological imagination to guide
the renewal of theological education in an ecumenically and globallysensitive
Pentecostal perspective. Yong’s principal claim is, “The renewal
of theological education in a flat, connected, and networked world can
be found by reconsidering the primordial Pentecost outpouring of the
Spirit
Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies, vol. 27.2, 2024
In this book, Hadje Sadje proposes a fusion between two dominant
theological traditions in the Ph... more In this book, Hadje Sadje proposes a fusion between two dominant
theological traditions in the Philippines, Pentecostalism and Liberation
theology—Filipino style. Based on Simon Chan’s book, Grassroots
Asian Theology: Thinking From the Ground Up, the writings of Korean
Pentecostal scholar Wonsuk Ma, and the writings of Filipino Liberation
scholar Eleazar Fernandez.
Uploads
Vol.25.2, 2022 by Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies and APTS Press
72.1 kilometers and a population of about 5.7 million people, it serves
a vibrant melting pot of cultures, languages, and religions. Despite its
small size, Singapore has made a global mark as a financial, economic,
and technological hub. Because of its strategic location along major trade
routes, nestled at the crossroads of Southeast Asia, Singapore began as
a trading port. Over the years, its dynamic governance and pro-business
policies have fueled remarkable economic growth.
Studies’ existence, its co-editors, William Menzies and Wonsuk Ma,
wrote an editorial assessment of the journal’s first year. In their short
editorial they said, “It seems fitting that we review the intended character
and goals of this young publication.”1
Now, twenty-five years later, my
brother and I have been entrusted with a similar task, one that is equally
fitting for this silver anniversary edition. We were asked to outline the
theological motivations (the vision, if you will) that motivated our father,
William Menzies, to initiate, along with Wonsuk Ma, the AJPS.
We believe the answer to the question—Why produce the AJPS?—
reveals a lot about our father’s understanding of the Pentecostal
movement both in Asia and around the world. The answer also
illuminates the value he had placed upon theological reflection and why
he felt this noble undertaking was important for the life and vitality of
the church
Trinity Church in Kunming, China, the architecture of this beautiful,
stately structure immediately reminds them of home, of traditional
churches in the West. It even has a steeple. The atmosphere of quiet
reverence will also seem familiar to western visitors, especially to those
with roots in mainline Protestant churches. They will also recognize
virtually all of the hymns. Of course, most Westerners will not
understand the Mandarin lyrics, but the music will immediately call to
mind the well-known verses of these historic songs. The choir will also
sing tunes that are comfortably familiar. The visitors will very likely hear
a clear, biblical message that reflects a more conservative theology than
that found in most mainline pulpits in the West.2
The closing prayer will
be uttered by a member of the TSPM clergy,3
a select group trained in
seminaries modeled after their western counterparts and appointed to
lead virtually every segment of church life. The worship service will
almost certainly end without any specific call for response on the part of
the members of the congregation apart from silent prayer.
Seminary in Baguio City, Philippines, I served in an Assemblies of God
church in the mountains surrounding the city. In order to minister there
effectively, I began to ask the following questions: What are the
worldviews of the people? How can churches and missionaries present
the gospel in a way people can understand? What kind of transformation
has the church brought? To answer these questions, I chose to focus on
the Kankana-ey tribes and Pentecostal ministry by the Assemblies of
God (AG). The first part of this article will focus on a brief explanation
of the historical and religious background of the Philippines and the
people of the mountain ranges of northern Luzon and a cultural exegesis
of the Kankana-ey. Comparison with the biblical text will then be
provided. The second part will explore the spiritual formation found
among Kankana-ey Pentecostals based on the basis of the work Julie C.
Ma, a noted scholar in the field
system is animistic. Animism is a ‘belief in personal supernatural beings
such as gods, spirits, and ghosts’, which can inhabit inanimate objects
such as trees, rocks and houses.1
The animist sees their world as being
ruled by many spiritual forces. Sickness is often explained as being
caused by a spirit, and a crop failure may be due to an angry ancestor. 2
This view can instil fear into their lives. Therefore, one approach to
overcome the inherent power of these forces is for the animist to search
for stronger powers to overcome the adverse effects of these spirits in his
life. There are other ways of dealing with evil spirits, such as ‘meritmaking’ (doing good to counteract evil) and performing various rituals
to appease these spirits.
by early Pentecostals who experienced the Azusa Street revival in 1914.
8
The AG holds to the Finished Work tradition within classical Pentecostalism.9 In 1916, a meeting was held by the early founders of
the AG. AG pioneers decided to create a statement of faith “to regulate
both religious experience and doctrinal beliefs.” There was eventually a
statement of sixteen doctrinal beliefs for the AG that is consistent with
what is now known as the Statement of Fundamental Truths. It
emphasizes not only the fundamentalists’ basic beliefs but also “‘healing
by the atonement’ and tongues as ‘initial evidence’ of Spirit baptism.”10
The AG has become “the world’s largest Pentecostal denomination, with
over sixty million adherents and some 312,000 churches located in more
than two hundred countries and territories.”11
missionary work in China. Many missionaries and Chinese Christians
had sacrificed their lives for their faith as the new century dawned but
prior waves of Christianity had resulted in little or no remaining fruit.
What happened in the early years of the century testifies to the
miraculous work of the Holy Spirit.
J. Philip Hogan served as the executive director of Assemblies of
God World Missions (AGWM) USA from 1959 to 1989 and had a
special burden for China, based on his own experience as a missionary
there and Taiwan, from 1946 to 1949. During their first term, they were
caught in the ongoing civil war in China between the Communists and
the Kuomintang. On one occasion, Hogan saw dead bodies stacked on
top of each other by the side of a road and asked himself, “What is the
strange god of these young people that will cause them to make this kind
of sacrifice? It is going to cost us something to preach Jesus around the
world in this hour.”
Book Reviews by Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies and APTS Press
surrounding Pentecostal hermeneutics will find here a convenient
compilation of Oliverio’s various contributions to such dialogue brought
together in a single volume for easy reference and use.
biblical, cultural, and community focus. It is divided into two sections:
Profiling Renewal Worship and Renewal Worship in Context
dissertation is an exposition of Jude applied to Evangelical and
especially Pentecostal churches in Africa. With unambiguous language,
skillful exegesis, and vivid illustrations, Amoafo applies the message
of Jude to his readers in contemporary Africa and beyond. Although
Amoafo’s application is rooted in his extensive research of African
Pentecostal churches, this book is immensely valuable for the global
Christian community. His insights into the biblical text and his analysis
of its relevance for African churches will be beneficial to Christians
everywhere and serve as a model for similar contextually based projects
in Asia, Latin America, and elsewhere.
the combustible effect of Pentecost. Especially insofar
as it derives from the infinite diversities of global cultural-linguistic
phenomena of Pentecost our primal purpose through
Christian theologizing, is to understand the saving meaning that the
“tongues of fire at Pentecost” signifies.
Baskar Jeyaraj (Ph.D. University of Sheffield) is an expository
contribution written with Asian Christians in mind, particularly in India.
It is part of the Asia Bible Commentary series, now with twenty-one
volumes across the Old and New Testaments. The series has endeavored
to fill a void in Christian teaching concerning an Asian worldview
and culture. Asian Christianity is a growing demographic, mainly
in the Global South, and has become a foothold for the church. With
that in mind, each author in the series is of Asian descent or has made
considerable investment serving within the region. The intention is
for each author and publication to be rooted in the Asian context and
equipped to engage culturally with issues unique to the region.
Interdisciplinary Studies in Religion (Chennai, India), offers scholars
of theology and religion a valuable resource for research through the
textbook, Social Research Methods. As a social scientist and theological
educator, Iyadurai recognized the need for a pedagogical textbook
containing tools, components, and qualities needed to properly utilize
social scientific methods in theological or religious studies research
contributions to-date regarding how Pentecostals might develop a
pneumatology of history that is not another history of pneumatology. Taking as primary conversation partner, Amos Yong and
Paul Ricoeur, Baker has offered a movement toward developing such a
pneumatological history and how one may test and assess such proposals.
In the five chapters of this volume, Baker opens with a discussion of
“Pentecostalism” (a notoriously difficult term to define) that proposes
“a Pentecostal theology as being grounded in Lukan hermeneutics, a
pneumatological framework, and experience. In the end, Baker
follows Amos Yong’s “pneumatological imagination” as foundational
for his project
the recent spiritual ferment, for example, North American neocharismatic
revivalism, seems presently unclear and understudied.
Against the backdrop of misinformation about North American neocharismatic
revivalism, Lora Angelina Embudo Timenia explores the
form of contemporary revivalism connected to the phenomenon dubbed
the “Toronto Blessing,” which first occurred on January 20, 1994, at
Catch the Fire Church in Toronto, Canada
Education Between the Times series (After Whiteness: An Education in
Belonging) gave strong allusions to the need to retrieve a Pentecostal
vision. In many ways, that vision arrives in Amos Yong’s contribution,
Renewing the Church By the Spirit. Well-known as a leading and prolific
hermeneut, Yong advances a pneumatological imagination to guide
the renewal of theological education in an ecumenically and globallysensitive
Pentecostal perspective. Yong’s principal claim is, “The renewal
of theological education in a flat, connected, and networked world can
be found by reconsidering the primordial Pentecost outpouring of the
Spirit
theological traditions in the Philippines, Pentecostalism and Liberation
theology—Filipino style. Based on Simon Chan’s book, Grassroots
Asian Theology: Thinking From the Ground Up, the writings of Korean
Pentecostal scholar Wonsuk Ma, and the writings of Filipino Liberation
scholar Eleazar Fernandez.
72.1 kilometers and a population of about 5.7 million people, it serves
a vibrant melting pot of cultures, languages, and religions. Despite its
small size, Singapore has made a global mark as a financial, economic,
and technological hub. Because of its strategic location along major trade
routes, nestled at the crossroads of Southeast Asia, Singapore began as
a trading port. Over the years, its dynamic governance and pro-business
policies have fueled remarkable economic growth.
Studies’ existence, its co-editors, William Menzies and Wonsuk Ma,
wrote an editorial assessment of the journal’s first year. In their short
editorial they said, “It seems fitting that we review the intended character
and goals of this young publication.”1
Now, twenty-five years later, my
brother and I have been entrusted with a similar task, one that is equally
fitting for this silver anniversary edition. We were asked to outline the
theological motivations (the vision, if you will) that motivated our father,
William Menzies, to initiate, along with Wonsuk Ma, the AJPS.
We believe the answer to the question—Why produce the AJPS?—
reveals a lot about our father’s understanding of the Pentecostal
movement both in Asia and around the world. The answer also
illuminates the value he had placed upon theological reflection and why
he felt this noble undertaking was important for the life and vitality of
the church
Trinity Church in Kunming, China, the architecture of this beautiful,
stately structure immediately reminds them of home, of traditional
churches in the West. It even has a steeple. The atmosphere of quiet
reverence will also seem familiar to western visitors, especially to those
with roots in mainline Protestant churches. They will also recognize
virtually all of the hymns. Of course, most Westerners will not
understand the Mandarin lyrics, but the music will immediately call to
mind the well-known verses of these historic songs. The choir will also
sing tunes that are comfortably familiar. The visitors will very likely hear
a clear, biblical message that reflects a more conservative theology than
that found in most mainline pulpits in the West.2
The closing prayer will
be uttered by a member of the TSPM clergy,3
a select group trained in
seminaries modeled after their western counterparts and appointed to
lead virtually every segment of church life. The worship service will
almost certainly end without any specific call for response on the part of
the members of the congregation apart from silent prayer.
Seminary in Baguio City, Philippines, I served in an Assemblies of God
church in the mountains surrounding the city. In order to minister there
effectively, I began to ask the following questions: What are the
worldviews of the people? How can churches and missionaries present
the gospel in a way people can understand? What kind of transformation
has the church brought? To answer these questions, I chose to focus on
the Kankana-ey tribes and Pentecostal ministry by the Assemblies of
God (AG). The first part of this article will focus on a brief explanation
of the historical and religious background of the Philippines and the
people of the mountain ranges of northern Luzon and a cultural exegesis
of the Kankana-ey. Comparison with the biblical text will then be
provided. The second part will explore the spiritual formation found
among Kankana-ey Pentecostals based on the basis of the work Julie C.
Ma, a noted scholar in the field
system is animistic. Animism is a ‘belief in personal supernatural beings
such as gods, spirits, and ghosts’, which can inhabit inanimate objects
such as trees, rocks and houses.1
The animist sees their world as being
ruled by many spiritual forces. Sickness is often explained as being
caused by a spirit, and a crop failure may be due to an angry ancestor. 2
This view can instil fear into their lives. Therefore, one approach to
overcome the inherent power of these forces is for the animist to search
for stronger powers to overcome the adverse effects of these spirits in his
life. There are other ways of dealing with evil spirits, such as ‘meritmaking’ (doing good to counteract evil) and performing various rituals
to appease these spirits.
by early Pentecostals who experienced the Azusa Street revival in 1914.
8
The AG holds to the Finished Work tradition within classical Pentecostalism.9 In 1916, a meeting was held by the early founders of
the AG. AG pioneers decided to create a statement of faith “to regulate
both religious experience and doctrinal beliefs.” There was eventually a
statement of sixteen doctrinal beliefs for the AG that is consistent with
what is now known as the Statement of Fundamental Truths. It
emphasizes not only the fundamentalists’ basic beliefs but also “‘healing
by the atonement’ and tongues as ‘initial evidence’ of Spirit baptism.”10
The AG has become “the world’s largest Pentecostal denomination, with
over sixty million adherents and some 312,000 churches located in more
than two hundred countries and territories.”11
missionary work in China. Many missionaries and Chinese Christians
had sacrificed their lives for their faith as the new century dawned but
prior waves of Christianity had resulted in little or no remaining fruit.
What happened in the early years of the century testifies to the
miraculous work of the Holy Spirit.
J. Philip Hogan served as the executive director of Assemblies of
God World Missions (AGWM) USA from 1959 to 1989 and had a
special burden for China, based on his own experience as a missionary
there and Taiwan, from 1946 to 1949. During their first term, they were
caught in the ongoing civil war in China between the Communists and
the Kuomintang. On one occasion, Hogan saw dead bodies stacked on
top of each other by the side of a road and asked himself, “What is the
strange god of these young people that will cause them to make this kind
of sacrifice? It is going to cost us something to preach Jesus around the
world in this hour.”
surrounding Pentecostal hermeneutics will find here a convenient
compilation of Oliverio’s various contributions to such dialogue brought
together in a single volume for easy reference and use.
biblical, cultural, and community focus. It is divided into two sections:
Profiling Renewal Worship and Renewal Worship in Context
dissertation is an exposition of Jude applied to Evangelical and
especially Pentecostal churches in Africa. With unambiguous language,
skillful exegesis, and vivid illustrations, Amoafo applies the message
of Jude to his readers in contemporary Africa and beyond. Although
Amoafo’s application is rooted in his extensive research of African
Pentecostal churches, this book is immensely valuable for the global
Christian community. His insights into the biblical text and his analysis
of its relevance for African churches will be beneficial to Christians
everywhere and serve as a model for similar contextually based projects
in Asia, Latin America, and elsewhere.
the combustible effect of Pentecost. Especially insofar
as it derives from the infinite diversities of global cultural-linguistic
phenomena of Pentecost our primal purpose through
Christian theologizing, is to understand the saving meaning that the
“tongues of fire at Pentecost” signifies.
Baskar Jeyaraj (Ph.D. University of Sheffield) is an expository
contribution written with Asian Christians in mind, particularly in India.
It is part of the Asia Bible Commentary series, now with twenty-one
volumes across the Old and New Testaments. The series has endeavored
to fill a void in Christian teaching concerning an Asian worldview
and culture. Asian Christianity is a growing demographic, mainly
in the Global South, and has become a foothold for the church. With
that in mind, each author in the series is of Asian descent or has made
considerable investment serving within the region. The intention is
for each author and publication to be rooted in the Asian context and
equipped to engage culturally with issues unique to the region.
Interdisciplinary Studies in Religion (Chennai, India), offers scholars
of theology and religion a valuable resource for research through the
textbook, Social Research Methods. As a social scientist and theological
educator, Iyadurai recognized the need for a pedagogical textbook
containing tools, components, and qualities needed to properly utilize
social scientific methods in theological or religious studies research
contributions to-date regarding how Pentecostals might develop a
pneumatology of history that is not another history of pneumatology. Taking as primary conversation partner, Amos Yong and
Paul Ricoeur, Baker has offered a movement toward developing such a
pneumatological history and how one may test and assess such proposals.
In the five chapters of this volume, Baker opens with a discussion of
“Pentecostalism” (a notoriously difficult term to define) that proposes
“a Pentecostal theology as being grounded in Lukan hermeneutics, a
pneumatological framework, and experience. In the end, Baker
follows Amos Yong’s “pneumatological imagination” as foundational
for his project
the recent spiritual ferment, for example, North American neocharismatic
revivalism, seems presently unclear and understudied.
Against the backdrop of misinformation about North American neocharismatic
revivalism, Lora Angelina Embudo Timenia explores the
form of contemporary revivalism connected to the phenomenon dubbed
the “Toronto Blessing,” which first occurred on January 20, 1994, at
Catch the Fire Church in Toronto, Canada
Education Between the Times series (After Whiteness: An Education in
Belonging) gave strong allusions to the need to retrieve a Pentecostal
vision. In many ways, that vision arrives in Amos Yong’s contribution,
Renewing the Church By the Spirit. Well-known as a leading and prolific
hermeneut, Yong advances a pneumatological imagination to guide
the renewal of theological education in an ecumenically and globallysensitive
Pentecostal perspective. Yong’s principal claim is, “The renewal
of theological education in a flat, connected, and networked world can
be found by reconsidering the primordial Pentecost outpouring of the
Spirit
theological traditions in the Philippines, Pentecostalism and Liberation
theology—Filipino style. Based on Simon Chan’s book, Grassroots
Asian Theology: Thinking From the Ground Up, the writings of Korean
Pentecostal scholar Wonsuk Ma, and the writings of Filipino Liberation
scholar Eleazar Fernandez.
Mayfield’s Ph.D. dissertation presented at the Boston University School
of Theology. The book is a historical account of the modern Pentecostal
movement in Hong Kong between 1907 and 1942.
understanding the development of the doctrine of eschatology among
Pentecostals, particularly in the Assemblies of God (AG). The book
covers an essential area of Pentecostal theology and faith from the
historical and theological perspective with a clear futuristic vision of its
vital role in the doctrine’s origin, articulation, and future development.
The lucid language, rigorous arguments, and astute analysis of the
debate on the doctrinal statements covering a century in AG, with clarity
in presentation and theological accuracy, make reading the book an
enjoyable experience.
Global Christianity, or to Asian Christians who need to reorient
themselves on the value of local histories, local theologies, and local
expressions of Christianity. Although the book is not as comprehensive
as a reference, the information given was concise and illuminating
enough for readers to grasp the complexities of the Asian Christian
expansion. Indeed, Uncovering the Pearl fills a significant lacuna in
Global Christian studies.
a wide range of topics on what Pentecostal political theology has been in
practice and its possibilities moving forward. This collection is divided
into four main sections covering historical analysis, biblical and theological
reflections and sociological/political engagement. Contributions include the
perspectives of Black and Latino men and women. This collection will
serve both ministers and scholars within and outside Pentecostalism in
understanding the challenges and gifts of Pentecostal political
engagement.
professor Frank D. Macchia’s 2023 Introduction to Theology book is the new defining benchmark for a college-level or seminary/graduate school
introductory textbook in systematic theology from Pentecostal
perspectives. For while we have many requisite voices presently shaping
the world Pentecostal theological tradition, this book currently stands as
the most promising single-volume for effectively initiating people into
the topic of systematic theology from Pentecostal perspectives.
away from an overt focus on epistemology, toward the much-overlooked
sanctifying Spirit-Word dynamic of Scripture. Reminiscent of ascetic
exhortation, the book argues for a sensibility, “an attitude toward
interpretation” (xii), espousing that the challenging, purgative process of
biblical interpretation sanctifies (xi-xii). His approach re-emphasizes the
Spirit’s role as the one who makes present the words and works of God
not just in the text but also through the lives of its message-bearers.
Being a second edition of his earlier monograph, Green presents the
same argument for a soteriologically inclined Bible reading and
interpretation through the lens of Christian identity and vocation, adding
textual case studies and practical guidance to make his proposition
clearer and more accessible. In broad stroke, he presents his arguments
in three parts of vocation, holiness, and Scripture.
beginning of the movement. Following the lead of early missiologists
like Alice Luce and Melvin Hodges, missionaries prioritized the
proclamation of the gospel through evangelism and church planting.
According to Ireland, however, (xxi) a shift began to take place in 1991,
with the publication of the widely read book, Called and Empowered,
edited by Murray Dempster, Douglas Petersen and Byron Klaus, who
have had extensive involvement in Latin America, as well as some of the
works of Amos Yong, Wonsuk Ma, Julie Ma and Andy Lord. (xxi)
Ireland contends that these authors call for a more holistic mission in the
sense of the broader Missio Dei.
specific sermons on the Samaritan woman in John 4, I inherited a
narrative that concentrated primarily on the life of a sinful and adulterous
woman. As I marched slowly through Reeder’s work, I decided to probe
social media friends for their sense of this story as it is proclaimed in
their Pentecostal churches. I was saddened by similar results. Though I
have long since abandoned the narrative of my youth, I saw Reeder’s
title, and I knew intuitively she would challenge the careless and abusive
history of interpretation!
mission initiative for our city. For several months this leader spent time
with a new missionary couple getting to know them as well as sharing
hopes and dreams for partnership to launch a new church, I could sense
his struggle. Who would be in the lead? How was this going to work?
He had heard stories about working with missionaries. Would this time
be different?
mountains and deep valleys.1However, what Eleanor G. Sebiano saw
were social issues caused by poverty, such as unemployment, abandoned
children, and domestic violence. 2 Michael D. Williams states that,
because human beings are created as images of God, they must reflect
his glory and lovingkindness into the world. 3 He also argues that
salvation is not only something that comes after death, but also includes
the restoration of the imago Dei and the flourishing of societies.4 Justin
Welby says that the original state of God’s creation is equality.5 In other
words, inequality is not God’s creation, but rather something broken and
distorted because of the fall of Adam and Eve. As bearers of the imago
Dei, Christians have a vital role to narrow the gaps among human beings
toward equality.
Bible school. According to Oswald Sanders, “leadership is influence, the
ability of one person to influence others to follow his or her lead.”1
Leadership influence is a powerful commodity with many roles or
functions which we should regard with much sobriety. One major
leadership role, according to Robert Clinton, “is that of selection of rising
leadership. Leaders must continually be aware of God’s processing of
younger leaders and work with that processing,”2
which is an apt
description of the key task of all Bible school educators—equipping the
next generation of leaders. This paper will explore the leadership roles
of administrators, faculty, and students and discuss guiding principles for
leadership growth in Bible school educators which will, in turn, increase
the efficacy of the Bible school’s training programs for developing
leaders.
is a
causative statement in the Scriptures regarding soteriology. Concerning
that, Rick Love affirms that a “power encounter needs to be an essential
factor to effectively evangelize folk Muslims and to plant the Church of
Christ in their midst.”2
However, in the same article, he recognizes that
the experience of some practitioners is that only around ten percent of
Muslims who had experienced divine healing are followers of Jesus,
since they were already familiar with healing and “magic” experiences.3
Pentecostal missionaries generally accept the importance of power
encounters in the evangelization of Muslims, yet intervention of the Holy
Spirit is broader than an initial experience of his power.
100 years. In some places such as some sectors of Malaysia and, more
recently, places like Cambodia, East Timor, some parts of Indonesia, the
minority groups in Myanmar and possibly Vietnam, they have enjoyed
some success. In places like the Philippines and Singapore, the growth
has been spectacular. However, among groups dominated by Islam and
Buddhism, they have not always done as well, although there are some
encouraging trends. In this edition, we will reflect on the work that God
is doing in three of these countries, the Philippines, Cambodia and
Indonesia. However, the application of these articles could be broadly
applied in other Majority World contexts.
Pentecostal missions in Southeast Asia h
was still almost entirely in its first generation at that time, so celebrating
Easter was a new idea for many fellowships. This particular church was doing so for the first time, after I had challenged the pastors in my Pentateuch class to develop culturally appropriate holidays that honored Scripture and connected them to the Church worldwide. When my student invited me to preach, I was delighted. When he asked me how to conduct an Easter service, I encouraged him to talk to a Cambodian pastor I knew who had already been celebrating Easter for a few years.
commitment to theological education remains strong. When schools and ministers from other organizations within the Pentecostal Charismatic (PC) traditions are factored in, 3 the impact of theological education on the global PC movement may well be beyond calculation.
supracultural, but differing worldview beliefs and resulting cultural
practices can easily limit a favourable outcome for theological training
of non-western students in Majority World theological education settings. Engagement with concepts that are new to the student can be hindered when the concepts are presented in ways with which some Majority World settings are comfortable but which are unfamiliar to others. Selfawareness on the part of both teacher and student can make a crucial difference in the teaching and learning process. Similarly, the uniting potential of Pentecostalism’s Spirit-awareness can be the starting point from which to facilitate courage to engage with new and creative ways of learning.
heart of any research culture, with their commitment to return to the Majority World to teach and develop their own programs. To date, more than 266 scholars have benefitted from this program. They returned home and have upgraded the quality of the theological institutions in their homelands and elsewhere. In the beginning, all scholars went to the West to study. In 2005, however, Langham began to sponsor students at theological institutions in the Majority World, many of which had been started by Langham graduates. Thirty-six percent of Langham scholars have now come from these institutions.
the Pentecostal theological institutions and educators in India who are
involved in serious research on pertinent issues. To this emergent context of theological research education, the writer examines current trends within the Pentecostal theological education and tries to provide
guidelines for nurturing a research culture at the postmodern turn. The Postmodern turn in theological education is characterized by the implication of postmodern tenets in the research education. For the same reason, this paper mainly argues that production of knowledge should be considered as one of the prominent vocations of Pentecostal theological educators, particularly in the Indian context.
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Churches and Some Classical Pentecostal Churches and Leaders 2014-2020
preserve their cultural heritage. However, less well known is the activity of the Spirit of God in Vietnam, especially over the past century. Despite intense persecution from family and government, as well as unrelenting opposition from the kingdom of darkness, the Holy Spirit has used the people’s near unbreakable spirit and tenacity to build the Church and advance God’s Kingdom throughout the nation.
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theological work from their own cultural perspective and understanding of Scripture. In addition, the dominance of this western theological perspective has crippled the church in its mandate to relate the gospel to its culture in an organic way. This has impeded discipleship, as believers struggle to understand scriptural concepts taught through a western framework.
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Historical records show that, in the global South, healing was a part of religious practices and expectations, both in Christianity and in other religions, even before arrival of the Pentecostal faith. The Pentecostals’ focused emphasis on manifestations of the supernatural power of God has rightly aligned with this general religious expectation. As a result, while Pentecostalism flourished among such a mindset, it has also influenced fellow Christians in expectation, theology, and mission
practices. As it steadily expanded its mission theology and practice to include social issues, Pentecostalism has been considered an important missions player, for example, in the south and Southeast Asia region.
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Without any desire to take away from the inspired work of Ramabai, and the historically noted influences of the Welsh Revival (as well as the unparalleled power of the Holy Spirit), this paper seeks to introduce another potential influence. Radical holiness representatives were present in Central India before the Mukti Revival, and evidence shows they had direct contact and interactions with Ramabai. While any lasting potential influence is still only speculative, the similarity of holiness Many scholars of Pentecostalism are familiar with the Mukti Revival of 1905. Many see this outpouring of the Holy Spirit on a girls’ orphanage in India as a precursor to the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles in 1906. Various accounts have tried to explain this experience. Some scholars connect it to the holiness revival inspired by the Welsh
Revival in the Khasi Hills, over 3,000 miles from the Mukti Mission. Others have explained it as a spontaneous outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Still others argue for the incredible influence of Pandita Ramabai herself, a spiritual intellectual perhaps unrivaled in her day and age. Without any desire to take away from the inspired work of Ramabai, and the historically noted influences of the Welsh Revival (as well as the unparalleled power of the Holy Spirit), this paper seeks to introduce another potential influence. Radical holiness representatives were present in Central India before the Mukti Revival, and evidence shows they had direct contact and interactions with Ramabai. While any lasting potential influence is still only speculative, the similarity of holiness
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diverse responses, especially by Christian leaders who have not always understood or appreciated these gifts. They also believe that the Holy Spirit, with his many charisms, has been poured out upon this modern movement at this point in history, in keeping with the promise of Joel 2:28-29 and Acts 2:16-21. They contend that this relatively recent outpouring of the Spirit has been instrumental in forming an eschatological “community of prophets” at this present time, which serves as a harbinger of the end of the age.
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zeal and others who focus on the essential role of knowledge has been a
tension in the churches of Myanmar for many years. While some,
especially Pentecostal churches, focus more on fire or a Spirit-filled life,
other churches, mostly non-Pentecostal, put more emphasis on
knowledge (academics or education). In seeking balance between these
point of disagreement, the teachings of Paul offer wisdom that points to
a solution. While examining Paul’s instruction, this research will answer
the questions: (1) What are the challenges of the tension between zeal
and knowledge in the churches of Myanmar? (2) What does Paul teach
in his letters regarding zeal and knowledge? (3) How can a balance be
found between zeal and knowledge in Myanmar’s churches today?
Part 2 is an examination of the balance between zeal and knowledge in the lives of two biblical characters, Moses and Paul, and a proposal on how a healthy balance between zeal and knowledge can be achieved in the churches of Myanmar today.
study.
Man’s world is limited by its physical qualities and knowable traits. Or is it? What has always made man a unique specimen of physical life is his belief in, and search for, something beyond the visible world in which he lives. He dreams and has ideas. He investigates the realms which are outside of his sense perception. He is aware of Being or beings separate from himself who cavort and command attention of those who inhabit the earth.
missionaries who founded and pastored my church. They faithfully taught us the Word of God, and enhanced our skills in studying the Scriptures. However, I could have gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of Scripture if I had seen it from the standpoint of my own worldview, which is quite similar to the worldview of the Mediterranean culture in the first century.
Greek, Stanley Porter states: “I firmly believe that matters of Greek language and linguistics are essential to understanding the Greek New Testament; in that sense, knowledge of Greek linguistics is a fundamental hermeneutical stance that should be pursued by every serious student of the New Testament.”
of Pentecostals. In this paper, I will argue that since the inception of the
Assemblies of God mission in 1931 in Myanmar, the leaders
themselves have seen the importance of theological education
regardless of anti-intellectualism among some of its ministers and
believers in Myanmar. This claim will be explained and supported by
tracing the development of the Assemblies of God Bible schools in Myanmar. Before proceeding to the history of theological education of Myanmar Assemblies of God, I will discuss a common Pentecostal attitude toward higher education and provide an overview the history of Pentecostal theological education in the context of American Pentecostalism with a special reference to the Assemblies of God.
We affirm our belief in one God, who exists eternally in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and we affirm our commitment that translations in which we are involved must give full access to this truth.
evangelical movement and the North American colonies’ Great Awakening. While I am not trying to say that the Great Awakening was a Pentecostal revival, I would like to look at one moment in time through Pentecostal eyes to see how that theological perspective might shed light on the spiritual development of the forerunner of modern itinerant evangelists.
race or African ethnocentric readings. In a similar manner it can be argued that Numbers 11 has often been read from a Pentecostal perspective. I would suggest that there are three modern Pentecostal
readings of this chapter that have appeared in recent academic literature.
that was a ‘shift’ from a previous paradigm indicative due to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In this essay, by ‘Pentecostal,’ I am referring to the Classical Pentecostal and those of the NeoPentecostal or Charismatic classification who uphold Classical Pentecostal beliefs and practices in relation to the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the concomitant glossolalia.3 It is not within the parameters of this essay to deal with the relationship of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and glossolalia, nor give an explanation of glossolalic activity; these will be assumed as the norm for ‘Pentecostals.’ This essay will consist of two main parts: First will be a discussion on the nature of ‘paradigms,’ ‘paradigm shifts’ and related material in reference to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The second section will look at specific elements of a ‘Pentecostal Paradigm.’ Following these some appropriate concluding remarks will be made.
uniqueness of Filipino Pentecostal preaching is the sensitivity to the needs of the congregation who are listening to the message spoken.
Eleazer E. Javier, who for many years the General Superintendent of the Philippines General Council of the Assemblies of God (PGCAG), perceives that “the needs of people in general and your people [in the local church] in particular provide rich data for appreciation of spiritual truths.” Furthermore, Javier maintains an important principle in
preaching: “Keep the individual and his needs in focus when you apply
truth to the life situations of your people.” The total dependence on
God‟s power in preaching is crucial. Javier also believes that there should be sensitivity in the part of the preacher to meet the needs of the people. The Spirit-baptism and the experience of the anointing of the Holy Spirit is the key in effective preaching.
deliverance from demonic influence or to intervene supernaturally in human affairs. We understand that this kind of power is the result of the gifts of the Holy Spirit manifesting themselves in supernatural ways in and through our ministries. One of the key biblical passages for Pentecostals is Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses . . .” (NIV) There is no doubt that the expression of God‟s power in these ways through Pentecostal pastors, evangelists, missionaries and laypersons is a major reason for the growth of the Pentecostal movement around the world.
and responsibility.
Rajasthan.
one of the Pentecostal antecedents, and yet in fact it was condemned as
a heresy by the early Christian writers and bishops such as Eusebius
and Epiphanius.1
Finally, the Synod of Iconium (A.D. 230) officially
rejected the Montanist baptism and excommunicated the movement.2
Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical History, fiercely attacks Montanus and his enthusiastic followers by considering their “New Prophecy” movement as the work of the devil “having devised destruction against those that disobeyed the truth, and thus excessively honored by them, secretly stimulated and fired their understandings, already wrapped in insensibility, and wandering away from the truth.”
easily imagined this misconception. Instead, they viewed Palestine (and its larger province of Syria) and what we call Asia Minor as parts of Asia.
Moreover, the one scene in which Acts could possibly describe the entrance of the gospel into Europe shows it originating from western Asia. The traditional division of continents has always been arbitrary (Greeks counted themselves as in Europe and distinguished themselves from "Asian" peoples to their east and later "Africa" to their south). Nevertheless, the division appeared significant to the many people in the Roman Empire who accepted Greek categories, and Greeks treated the Troad as the traditional entry point into Asia (the world to the west of the Greek homeland).
debated one. We mostly hear the echoes from a divided United States,
where public funding is at stake, but the reactions from the temples of
science are also apparent in Australia. There are clearly different
circumstances pertaining to place -- and so what I have to say here will
perhaps be more relevant to some people, and less to others. As Niall Ormerod has recently suggested, 'academic freedom will always mean
different things in different academic contexts. The relationship
between British and American systems, and now increasingly the
Bologna process in Europe, is complex in a global setting. Whereas the
systems once lived in proud isolation, they now influence one another, if only because of the significant exchange of students and the
monetary value which comes from educational services export. It is
suitable we are meeting today in Singapore, which is at the crossroads
of these confluences, which has expressed the growth of educational
export as a national priority, and which has experience of all the major
global educational systems. For churches such as our own, there are
additional layers of complexity which emerge from our own global
networks of church relationships, some of which have to do with local
conditions, but many of which have to do with historical missionary
links. This presents something of a challenge for our colleges into the
future -- as national education frameworks become increasingly
regulated and pitched against external quality markers, and as the larger
global theological players begin to pitch into what we once considered
was our own particular clientele, the issue of standards and the ability
to defend academic freedom in a theological context will become an
increasingly fraught issue.
priesthood has a core component that resists general application. In Num 3.6 the Levities are to stand (mu) before Aaron and serve him (>n~w> in^). His family becomes a priestly dynasty that receives special treatment (Num 3.2-3). They have exclusive rights to ministry (~nw), while others are prohibited to approach (2~~7). At the same time, there are some aspects within the narrative depictions ofAaron that can be applied without twisting basic exegetical principles, however they tend to be negative rather than positive.
1906, that a remarkable spiritual awakening occurred that many would call the birth of the modem Pentecostal movement. For the origin of this remarkable revival movement, some point to less known previous events
that were stepping stones along the way, but certainly it was at Azusa
Street that the modem Pentecostal revival became a world-wide phenomenon.
women. The magazines also contained testimonies of healing, opinions
on doctrinal controversies, and reports of the growth of the movement.
Naturally distinctive beliefs such as 'Baptism in the Spirit' are explained,
with a kind of creedal emphasis, and there is the occasional mention of a modernist (usually educated at a prestigious university) being converted (to Pentecostal faith). It is a valuable record of a vital spirituality finding a range of manifestations in the less than welcoming social environment of Australia.
theological obscurantism. The most recent fad is the study of leadership
in the church and parachurch. The problem that I perceive is not the field
itself, although others may question its cross-cultural applicability or
credibility from the perspectives of business education or the behavior
sciences. My issue is that a lack of in-depth biblical and theological
ground tilling has occurred in this field. In the following two-part essay, I
would like to at least make one firrow and thereby prepare the soil for
others to plant. I will plow in the Pentateuch, focusing especially on the
book of Numbers. I will also give a summary-application at the
conclusion of the second essay.
church and the fences of the mission compound. Hendrikus Berkhof
states, “The impact of the Spirit as the active presence of Jesus Christ in
the world is far wider than we are aware.”1
III of his book, Ethics. 1 For McClendon, the resurrection of Jesus Christ
is the sine qua non of the Christian life itself, offering a new way of construing the world and affecting a transformation of human moral life. Water baptism becomes the inception of resurrection morality. McClendon’s theoretical chapter shows the moral relevance of the
resurrection. The biographical chapter tells of Dorothy Day (1897-1980), founder of the Catholic Worker Movement and a shaper of eschatological peace through participation in life in the Spirit. The application chapter discusses the transformation of human life due to the resurrection, and the centrality of peacemaking for Christians in the light of the eschatological future.
since the first Protestant missionaries brought the gospel into Japan, the
percentage of Christians in all the population of Japan is less than one
percent.1 It seems that Christianity is totally ignored or rejected by most
Japanese.
charismatic movement, have been leading to new patterns of Christian
formation within the Roman Catholic Church. I will look first at the
overall context; secondly, at the first stage of reform and renewal in
Catholic formation (1965-85) This article examines how currents of renewal, particularly the charismatic movement, have been leading to new patterns of Christian formation within the Roman Catholic Church. I will look first at the overall context; secondly, at the first stage of reform and renewal in Catholic formation
considering its socio-religious context. It must be noted that the introduction of Christianity in the Philippines made a strong impact on
not only the religious, but also the social, economic and political aspects
of native Filipino culture. Ma. Elena Chiong-Javier (1991:19) wrote,
“The Spanish missionaries who first came to Christianize the Filipinos
also assumed other roles outside of their church roles. They played active parts as linguists, ethnologists, educators, estate administrators and public officials.” Thus, the interrelationships between culture and
religion in the Philippine society have had great impact in almost every
facet of community life.
meaningful to listeners in a specific context, be it special or temporal:
revelation, context and the theologizer-communicator. Revelation in
theologization refers to primary sources: the Scripture and a specific
theological tradition aroused in a particular socio-historical situation. The contextual component in theologization is again found in two major
categories: cultural and contemporary. The third, theologizer communicator, includes the individual’s experiential involvement in both
revelation and context and the method of presentation/communication of the fruit of the theological inquiry in a way that is understandable to and acceptable by the audience.2
the Philippines is located in Southeast Asia on the Pacific Rim, there are
both Asiatic similarities and differences in Pentecostal and Charismatic
phenomena. There are 313 million adherents of the Christian religion, of
which there are 199 million professing Christians and 135 million Pentecostal/Charismatics, out of a total population of 3,697 million, 1
indicating that classic Pentecostals in Asia are the smallest group out of the
three P/C groupings. It is inevitable that there are Asiatic geographical,
historical and cultural connections and commonalities between Filipino P/C movements and those of neighboring countries. As far as similarities are concerned in terms of the socio-religious and historical context, the Philippines shares many more similarities with Latin America than with other Asian countries, although the writer admits that there are great differences between the two regions when subjected to microscopic investigation.
Philippines, at that time, was still under the protectorate of the United States, with a Counsel General as the final seat of authority. A requirement for permitting any outside church denomination to operate in the Philippines was that it must seek registration with the United States Counsel General and have a duly appointed missionary or church leader from the home body in the United States.
useful reflection on the history of a Pentecostal body in country in its
more than half a century history. At the same time, I feel I have an edge
in that the observations were made from the perspective of both an
“insider and outsider.” There are personal anecdotes that can be corroborated by those who are still alive. These validate what has been
written and experienced by others. Not all correspondence, minutes, and
reflections that were published and presented in more formal settings are
available to this writer at the moment. This is a handicap of sorts.
However, this presentation should not be viewed as the end, but, rather
the beginning of our continued pursuit of our “roots”. We owe it to the
next generations, should Jesus tarry, to transmit to them our cherished
legacy. More materials ought to be written and the “stories” and other
oral recitals of how God brought us thus far “through many dangers, toils
and snares.” This small contribution of this writer begins with a quick
look at personal background to help the audience understand some
dynamics of this presentation.
Majority World. 3 According to Barrett and Johnson’s statistics, there were 1,227 million Christians in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Oceania in 2004, 62% of the world’s Christians, while those of the two northern continents (including Russia) constituted only 38%, dramatic evidence of how rapidly the western share of world Christianity has decreased in the twentieth century. If present trends continue, by 2025 69% of the world’s Christians will live in the South, with only 31% in the North.4 But it is not only in terms of numbers that there have been fundamental changes. Christianity is growing most often in Pentecostal and Charismatic forms, and many of these are independent of western “mainline” Protestant and “classical Pentecostal” denominations and missions. Pentecostal missiologists need to acknowledge and celebrate the tremendous diversity in Pentecostalism. The “southward swing of the Christian center of gravity” is possibly more evident in Pentecostalism than in other forms of Christianity.5 Most of the dramatic church growth in the twentieth century has taken place in Pentecostal and independent Pentecostal-like churches. Classical Pentecostal churches like the Assemblies of God, the world’s biggest Pentecostal denomination, have
probably only some 8% of their world associate membership in North America, with at least 80% in the Majority World. One estimate put the total number of adherents of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship in
1997 at some thirty million, of which only about 2.5 million were in North America.6 Larry Pate estimated in 1991 that the Majority World mission movement was growing at five times the rate of western missions.7 Half the world’s Christians today live in developing, poor countries. The forms of Christianity there are very different from western “classical Pentecostal” stereotypes. They have been profoundly affected by several factors, including the desire to have a more contextual and culturally relevant form of Christianity, the rise of nationalism, a reaction to what are perceived as “colonial” forms of Christianity, and the burgeoning Pentecostal and Charismatic renewal.
bother looking up in a dictionary, and yet precisely what it means, or what is not meant, is widely unknown. As an Asian Christian, I suppose
this is more so among Asian churches. There are several critical and
important concepts found in this book that all churches need to heed to.
world,” trumpeted the Missionary Manual of the Assemblies of God
published three decades later. More importantly, the evangelistic zeal of
“waiting, hungry-hearted people,” who had been baptized in the Holy
Spirit, signaled the resumption of “the Lord’s Pentecostal missionary
movement.” It had been halted at the end of the first century when the
Holy Spirit was “largely rejected and His position as leader usurped by
men.” Consequently, Spirit-led missions ceased and the Dark Ages
commenced.2 Now, in the remaining days before the imminent return of
Christ, Pentecostals would jubilantly carry the apostolic banner down the
parade route of modern mission.
abandoned in favor of partnership, or other newer strategies. It resulted as a reaction to the missionary paternalism that prevailed within the church and mission circles during that period and has carried forward to this present time.
missions for about a century,2 it seems timely to consider leadership transitions. As churches become indigenous, it is vital that there be smooth transition from missionary leadership to national leadership. It is also necessary for the future of the church that all leaders, both missionary and national, understand the process of leadership transition. There is a wealth of literature on leadership, styles of leadership, personalities in leadership, how to train leaders, developing the leadership potential of others and so forth, but in all this literature, there is virtually nothing on the subject of leadership transition. There appears to be an assumption that if you train and develop leaders properly, then the transition to the next generation of leaders will go smoothly. But little has been written on the process of transition itself.
criticized by those in non-Pentecostal circles, because they believe it does not have any biblical foundation. This study concerns the above issue and attempts to show that the practice of persistent prayer has a sound biblical foundation, in that it is an important part of the Lukan theology of prayer. The parable of the friend at midnight (Luke 11:5-8) will be dealt with in depth as a test case to prove my thesis.
experienced unprecedented growth. Once viewed as an essentially foreign faith, Christianity has taken root in the Chinese soil. And it has
blossomed. If the trends of the past two decades remain constant, by
2020 there will be more evangelical Christians in China than in any other
country in the world.4
It is also referred to as the “third force of Christendom.”3 The year
1914 was the birth year of the Assemblies of God church. 4 This Pentecostal movement was an instrument used by God to introduce the
Pentecostal message as far as the Pacific islands. Because of the location of these islands, some refer to them as the uttermost part of the earth. Thus some feel that the arrival of the Pentecostal movement in the islands has fulfilled Jesus’ command to his disciples that they ought to be witnesses unto him “even to the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
demonic and exorcism, they have fundamentally sought to maintain a
sanguine stance with regard to these issues. They have been reticent to
follow the latest trends and have generally sought to be guided by the
biblical narrative for their beliefs and praxis. This has often resulted in
very cautious assessments and assertions concerning exorcistic practices. After providing an historical survey of these beliefs and practices, this article will conclude with an assessment of the potential development of British Pentecostal demonology.
Smith’s Friends, as they are known to outsiders) was founded by a noncommissioned officer in the Norwegian Navy, Johan Oscar Smith (1871-1943). By 1996 this unique denomination claimed 211 churches in 50 different nations, and the Norwegian researcher Knut Lundby estimated its membership at 25,000 to 30,000 and growing.3 As much as two-thirds of the members live outside of Norway. The success of this Norwegian denomination in establishing itself on all continents of the world is in itself quite amazing.
Korean churches in the last thirty years. The Korean War devastated the country. The industrial, transportation, and communications infrastructure was virtually destroyed. Homes and businesses were
shattered. Families were torn apart; many died. Few countries suffered in the twentieth century as did Korea. Virtually all had suffered severely.
After the war, there was a great spiritual vacuum in the aftermath of this
colossal tragedy. Disillusionment and hopelessness prevailed. I remember my first visits to Korea in the early 1970s, less than twenty
years after the Truce. Few public buildings were heated in the bitter cold
winter; the cities were dingy and dusty. The marks of pov
a doubt that the doctrine of the Holy Spirit plays a very vital role in his
understanding of the Christian life and mission. Cho refers repeatedly to
the Holy Spirit throughout his writings.2 But his theology of the Spirit (in
the sense of reflecting on the Spirit and expressing these reflections in a
coherent framework) is largely implicit rather than explicit. My aim in this paper is to highlight some broad features of his teachings concerning the Holy Spirit, make explicit certain pneumatological motifs and offer a
critique.
working with Korean graduate students over eight years. Although Cho’s
books are devotional and inspirational rather than theological, I concentrate on those writings that deal with Cho’s own context of Korea
and attempt to draw out how his implicit theology may be regarded as
“contextual.” He writes mainly about his understanding of the Bible and
his own experiences as a pastor, but sometimes refers to the context in
which these experiences and understanding were developed. His books
abound with biblical illustrations and teaching, but he develops his
theology in a particular context. It is important that Pentecostals in
different parts of the world realize the important role of the “freedom in the Spirit” to formulate, often unconsciously, a theology that has meaning for people in different life situations, and Cho’s theology is a
leading example of this. This contextual pneumatology is one of the most important features of Pentecostalism and is often overlooked.
Spirit as essentially the same as the presence of the kingdom of God.
This is true for Paul, who understands the Spirit as the means by which
all may participate in the blessings of the kingdom (that is, the Spirit is
the totality of the blessings of the kingdom). However, does such an
assessment accurately reflect the Lukan perspective? If not, how does the Spirit function in relation to the kingdom of God in Luke-Acts?
his concern regarding the ignorance of Pentecostals toward environmental issues. He stated, “There has been very little attention
given by the Pentecostals to environmental issues, or how to care for
God’s creation.”1 He believes that traditionally Pentecostals have ignored these aspects.
Jubilee and the Diamond Jubilee, the number of baptized believers in
Nias increased from about 20,000 to 135,000. The great revival movement that occurred in the island caused this phenomenal growth.
Known as the Fangesa Dodo (“the Great Repentance”),1 it manifested a great conviction for and confession of sin.
beach, a bunch of mates huddled in the local pub having their beer for the night, a convict colony and/or last bastion of the British Empire. What may not be so readily apparent is that this fully independent, sparsely populated island-continent nation is one of the most multicultural havens in the world. It forms a juxtaposition for East Asia, the Pacific Isles and, yes, Antarctica, which is a mere five thousand kilometers away. Though clearly located in the South Pacific, Australia is firmly a member of “the West,” with all the attendant benefits and plagues of any other western nation.
in their tradition is seen in the lack of a “history” category at Pentecostal
Charisma House Books.2 Chan is especially concerned that the “failure of traditioning” is a large part of the problem of not passing on the authentic Pentecostal experience. 3 He cites nearly stagnant growth of the Assemblies of God in its American homeland to suggest that at least
there Pentecostalism appears to be stalling. He seems to believe that
many Pentecostals have lost confidence in some of the distinctive teachings of the movement, especially that glossolalia is the initial
physical manifestation of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Chan’s stated
goal is to reformulate the Pentecostal tradition so as to “recover” the
original experience and, hence, the original vigor. In all of this he is to be
commended.
reconsideration of the role of women in church and ministry. One of the
biggest and most controversial questions in the interpretation of the Old
Testament concerns the question of the position of women in the church
and society. Therefore, women began to question their role and function
in church and society assigned to them by men. The result has been a reexamination of many biblical passages and a dynamic process of
interpreting the scriptures from a feminist perspective, which has questioned and challenged many of the traditional male interpretations of the text.
beginning of time. Though Israel had no concept of the Trinity—God in
three distinct persons—they were familiar with the Spirit of God in their
midst. At this early point in the development of biblical pneumatology,
they viewed the Spirit of God as “God in action.” The ruach of Yahweh
was God working, moving in the midst of his people. Through reflection
on the Old Testament S/spirit tradition and through further revelation
from God, the writers of the New Testament further developed a
theology of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit, now seen as distinct from the
Father and the Son, was the agent of conversion, ongoing cleansing and
enablement for evangelism. When one reads the Gospel of John, LukeActs, and the Pauline Epistles, it is impossible to miss the pervasive
presence of the Spirit of God working in and through both the individual
believer and the community of Christ. But somewhere in the history of
Christendom, the role of the Holy Spirit became muddled, neglected and
often, even forgotten. Certainly, pockets of believers throughout the
church history have given focus to the Holy Spirit and have experienced
the fullness of His work and blessing. And certainly, the main sector of
the church has remained generally orthodox in its doctrine of the Holy
Spirit. Though this may be the case, the Holy Spirit has long remained
the bizarre third person of the Trinity; He has remained part of the creed,
but excluded from the daily Christian experience, as many wonder what
to do with him.
its postmodern successor. 1 Princeton philosopher Diogenes Allen
declared, “A massive intellectual revolution is taking place that is
perhaps as great as that which marked off the modern world from the
Middle Ages.”2 It is a shift that shapes every intellectual discipline as
well as the practice of law, medicine, politics and religion in our culture.
We can readily identify with Charles Dickens when he depicted the French Revolution in The Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”3
impacted by it in one way or another. This essay seeks to understand and reinterpret this movement from the perspective of the growth of the
Christian church in Asia, and to understand in a deeper measure its
strengths and weaknesses. It will conclude with some tentative
suggestions of what it would take for the movement to remain at the heart of God’s purposes for the Asian church in the twenty-first century.
Faith newspaper, published by the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles, California. 2 Indeed, “the Lord has given languages to the unlearned, Greek, Latin, Hebrew, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Zulu
and languages of Africa, Hindu and Bengali and dialects of India, Chippewa and other languages of the Indians, Esquimaux, the deaf mute
language and...the Holy Ghost speaks all the languages of the world
through His children.” 3 The best-known attempt to demonstrate this
proficiency came when Alfred G. (“A. G.”) Garr, pastor of the Metropolitan Holiness Church in the city, and his wife Lillian, left for the east coast in July 1906 to board ship for India, the first missionaries to leave Azusa for the “regions beyond.”4
Nigerian society and church life is not an overstatement. The “Spirit” movement in the Nigerian church and society in general is unprecedented. It is almost impossible for any one to say that there is a
Nigerian who has not heard the word of God. This is so, because of the Pentecostal spirit in the country.
profound social, cultural, political, economic, and religious changes. This
paper examines one of the most important aspects of these social
transformations with special emphasis on the autochthonous religious
characteristics of Pentecostalism, seeking to interpret them as well as
envision future consequences. It will begin with a brief general
exploration of the characteristics of Pentecostalism and later with general features of Pentecostalism throughout Latin America, while also
considering contributions made from communication and cultural
studies. This will provide a background and set a conceptual framework
for analyses of the characteristics of Latin American Pentecostal
communications.
prayer life. Some of them would leave their daily routine, find a secluded
place and have a period of prayer and fasting for particular occasions or
for the solution of serious problems. As sharers of this spiritual tradition,
spirituality of Korean Pentecostals would never be complete, once prayer
and fasting were removed. They are two of several key components to
build one’s spirituality and successful church work. Prayer is a direct
communication to and with a divine Being, through which one can keep
one’s spiritual life and obtain spiritual power to do God’s work. If prayer
is coupled with fasting, it intensifies one’s spiritual life. In turn, the
spirituality of individuals, especially of church leaders, directly affects
community ministry.
Johannine understanding of the church and the Spirit. 1 Although exhaustive investigations have been undertaken on the Paraclete sayings already with regard to the meaning of the Paraclete, its religious
background and its Sitz im Leben, 2 few have attempted to undertake an
extensive study on the relation of the Church and the Paraclete.
“MC510: Signs, Wonders and Church Growth” taught by John Wimber
and C. Peter Wagner at Fuller Theological Seminary in 1982. Wagner
appears to have been the first to describe a “third wave” of the Spirit.1 He understood the third wave of the Spirit to be engaged in the opening of “straight-line Evangelicals and other Christians to the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit,” in such a way that they did not have to become Pentecostal or charismatic.2 Since then some have included the Vineyard churches, originally started by John Wimber and other independent organizations.3
regarding my own development both spiritually and ministerially, as it
seems that life has revealed myself foremost as a teacher in spiritual
gifting and to spiritual oversight in calling. Every few years it seems that
through the process of ministerial experience and development, I have
learned a few new things about ministry, which for the most part has
naturally been in the areas of leadership, teaching or shepherding.
Regarding my involvement in various teaching ministries, I have sought
to integrate in ministry whatever new concept I have acquired in the
areas of curriculum design and development, learning taxonomies,
learning outcomes and competencies, and teaching and communicative
methodologies.
the author, Yee Tham Wan, bluntly and boldly deals with a subject that
has been forgotten or ignored at least by Pentecostal and Charismatic
scholars for many years. This subject is simply the Christian doctrine of
holiness. As Yee has pointed out, the subject has been ignored so much
that it has become a burning issue in the circle of Pentecostal and
Charismatic believers in recent years. Indeed, almost all Pentecostal and
Charismatic believers have been devastated by the news of moral failures
of some well-known tele-evangelists. In Asian eyes, moral failures of
religious leaders are naturally unacceptable. The religious leaders are
expected to live what they believe and preach. There is no dichotomy
between being and doing. Nobody wants to eat even the best and most
expensive food served on a filthy plate. When a leader has committed a
moral sin, this means the loss of his reputation and the end of his present ministry although he may be forgiven. Therefore, the being of a religious leader is part of his religious message.
gospel within the Latin American culture. Finally, it explores certain
opportunities afforded by some of the newly identified paradigms related to the Pentecostal mission of the church, its theological and ministerial formation and its social concerns.
of Elijah or Jeremiah. They are quoted from a speech given in 1999 by
Mamphela Ramphele, vice chancellor of the University of Cape Town.1
Her context was the silence that has so often fallen on African societies
once liberation has taken place. It is just such silent acquiescence, she
insists, that allows former “heroes of the struggle” to become despots and dictators.
twentieth century and continues to be one of the largest, if not the largest, Christian movement in the world today. It has impacted Japan, but the history of the movement in this country is almost entirely unknown to the scholarly world and even to Pentecostals themselves. In the two most relevant active fields of research, the history of Christianity in Japan and the worldwide history of Pentecostalism, the scholarly literature offers little information about the Pentecostal movement in Japan. My research has shown that the existing secondary literature about Pentecostals in Japan offers nothing more than a pale glimpse into the reality of this robust and multifaceted movement, and unfortunately appears to be based on unreliable secondary accounts and personal recollections recounted decades after the events took place. Modern sources, including official histories of the denominations themselves, tend to get facts incorrect and have omitted many key actors and events. Archival research utilizing primary historical documents reveals a vibrant Pentecostal movement in Japan dating from the time of the Azusa Street Revival, and involving dozens of missionaries, scores of Japanese “native workers” and thousands of Japanese believers.
on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west and India on the northwest. The estimated population by the year 2000 was
51,539,000 comprised of 135 ethnic groups in which 89.8% are Buddhist, 4.9% Christian, 3.9% Islam, 0.5% Hindu and 1.2% primal religions. 2 Catholic Christianity was introduced to the people in Myanmar around 1554, Protestant Christianity in 1807, 3 and Pentecostalism in the 1920s.
since the beginning of the nineteenth century, it was only at the
beginning of the twentieth century that Evangelical Pentecostalism began to register its presence. In spite of this late arrival, it is now by far the most important religious trend in Ghana today. The Pentecostals form the bulk of the Christian population of 62% in Ghana. It is also noteworthy that the largest Protestant church in the country is a Pentecostal denomination: the Church of Pentecost. Why has the growth of the Pentecostal churches outstripped the mainline denominations, which have been operating in the country for over two hundred years? This article attempts to address this and other related issues.
Christianity is shifting from the West to “the two-third world,” that is
Asia, South America and Africa.1 The reasons for this shift are varied and complex. However, the reasons for the growth of Christianity in Africa significantly include the way the Africans have attempted to deal with their threatening fears, especially witchcraft. Witchcraft has been a
prevailing belief in African cultures and has continually posed problems
for the African people groups.
phenomenon, the growth of Pentecostalism. Even non-Pentecostal
authors such as Decker recognize, “no movement has made more of an
impact on the church world than Pentecostalism.”1 Even though Pentecostal growth is a global phenomenon, Pentecostalism has
particularly impacted Latin America. According to Moreno, “nearly 40
percent of the world’s Pentecostals live in Latin America.” 2 This fact
makes Latin American Pentecostalism an excellent case study for
probing how Pentecostal beliefs have been integrated with local cultural
dimensions to produce a socio-cultural and spiritual phenomenon without precedents.
television, I used to have friends from overseas bring back videotapes of
Swaggart’s television programs so that I could show them to my church
members. I admired his singing and his strong preaching on maintaining
holiness and separation from the world. In fact, I even had a missions
team from Jimmy Swaggart’s Bible college visit my church and minister
at one of our annual church camps. I felt betrayed by these men who had
been so wonderfully gifted by God.
Reading the books, I had a somewhat unfulfilled feeling because there is
something ambiguous in them; it seemed as if something more than just
details due to brevity were missing. In reaction, my research started,
wishing to gain a bit more clarification of this history. But I was perplexed to find out other significant incidents which actually happened
but which are completely excluded from the two history books published
by the JAG.
1963 and 1966, the adherents to Protestantism increased dramatically
from five million to seven millions.1 In the following years it was reported that there were still many people who converted to Protestantism. Even though the political situation might have a significant contribution to this rapid growth,2 it cannot be denied that there were spiritual awakenings scattered all over Indonesia, such as in Java, Toraja (south Sulawesi), Minahasa (north Sulawesi), Borneo, Toba, Simalungun, and Karo Batak (north Sumatra), Moluccas, West Papua, and Timor.3
mountains in the world, seven are in Nepal. Because of these highest peaks, hills, valleys and wild life forests, Nepal has been one of the most
beautiful sites for tourism.
Pentecostalism retrieves the forgotten person of the Trinity, namely, the
Holy Spirit, in Christian doctrine and living.3 Nevertheless, the Pentecostal movement not only brings the churches to renewal, but also to schism.4 This ambiguity is a basic fact that we have to take seriously.
We have to be fair that schism is not what the churches (Pentecostal or
Evangelical) want or intend, but schism gives Pentecostalism a bad name, because schism is exactly a sign that the Spirit is not at work.5
Even though in recent years there is a better understanding and
communication between Pentecostals and Evangelicals,6 this does not
enhance our understanding of the work of the Spirit. What I mean is that
they may be more open to one another and less critical toward one another than before, but their basic framework of understanding the work of the Holy Spirit remains unchanged. The thesis of this paper is to argue that the task of Pentecostalism does not lie in improving the relations between the Pentecostals and Evangelicals, but depends upon recalling its identity, namely, the eschatological sign of the outpouring of the Spirit. This sign is the nature of the church. Such a concern is involved in a shift from the apostles’ paradigm of understanding of the Spirit to Isaiah’s paradigm. This proposal is not to neglect the significance of any particular charismatic experience, but to recover the central message of the outpouring of the Spirit whom the Pentecostals are dependent upon.
where you come from, where you belong, or, what your purpose is, no
longer create an immediate reality and recognizable identity. Postmodernism 2 has created a somewhat universal amnesia. The
postmodern worldview, with its narcissistic individualism, pluralism,
deconstructionism, and loss of common consciousness, has gradually
reduced the essential means by which we have identified ourselves in the past. The lack of common “identifiers” has often found an expression in the now global question, “Who in the world am I?”
(1996-2000) between the World Alliance of Reformed Churches
(WARC) and leaders from some classical Pentecostal churches.
through this movement Korean Protestantism experienced the powerful
gifts of the Holy Spirit for the first time. The Christians who had entered
the church with various motives now came to know what true repentance was and what it meant in Christian life. They also came to feel the
excitement of their faith. The Great Revival of 1907 not only made the
Korean church exuberant but it also energized the already existent
Christian traditions and brought about the exceptional growth of the
Korean church.
approximately 33.5 million strong, ranking fifth in the world (behind
Brazil, the United States, China, and Nigeria) for total numbers in the
renewal. Included in this total are 1,253,041 classical Pentecostals;
5,032,741 Charismatics; and 27,234,219 Neocharismatics.1 It is not the
purpose of this essay to provide a comprehensive history of Indian
Pentecostalism. Rather, it will examine pre-twentieth century examples
of Pentecostalism in India, followed by a brief overview of the emergence of the classical Pentecostalism, the Charismatic and the
Neocharismatic movements, together with four illustrative case studies
illustrative of the several waves of the Indian renewal.2
great leaders. The late Reverend Hau Lian Kham, often referred to as the
“John Wesley” of Zomi (Chin) because of the similar characters and
patterns seen in his leadership, is a noted pastor-evangelist and teacher
among the evangelical Pentecostal believers in Myanmar. From the early
1970s until his death in 1995, he was the key figure and leader of a
renewal movement among the Zomis. The renewal began on a small
scale in the early 1970s and has spread throughout the region to many
parts of the country through evangelism and cross-cultural mission
efforts.1 It has resulted in the planting of new churches in both rural and
urban regions and to the establishment of leadership training schools.
Kham has left his legacy as a revivalist, equipper, and transformer.
in Thailand, the first resident missionaries having arrived in 1828. It also
marked fifty-two years of Pentecostal work in the country. Overall the
growth of the church in Thailand has been very slow. Initial Christian
presence dates back to 1511 when the Catholic Church first began
sending priests into the country, but in its first three hundred years of
existence in Thailand, the Catholic Church was able to plant only six
churches.1 Likewise, it took the efforts of Protestant missionaries within
the country twenty-one years before leading the first ethnic Thai to
accept Christ,2 although there had been some success among the Chinese population.
facing theological education in a predominately African American United States branch of a global Pentecostal denomination, the Church of God in Christ.
discerned? These are the kinds of questions that Christians the world over are intrigued by and are asking today. Resolutions to these questions are relatively easier to formulate within the confines of the Church. The questions are oftentimes dismissed, and otherwise not even seriously considered when relocated to the arena of the world at large. Or, even if they are posed in this latter context, the answers are much more elusive. To articulate and respond to these questions about who the Holy Spirit is relative to the world as a whole and what the Spirit is doing in the world is to plunge into the subject matter of foundational pneumatology.
healing from a Pentecostal/Charismatic perspective and to learn whatever lessons we can gather from both the strengths and weaknesses of the tradition. Just who are “Pentecostal/Charismatics” anyway? Following the great Catholic scholar, Kilian McDonnell, my broadest definition would be “those Christians who stress the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit toward the proclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.” This would include all Christians who have been called “Classical Pentecostals,” (Assemblies of God, Church of God in Christ, Pentecostal Holiness Church, Church of God, etc.), and both Protestant and Catholic Charismatics.” All together they accounted for over 500,000, 000 members in 1998 and are by far the second largest family of Christians in the world after the Roman Catholic Church.
accepting Western ecclesiastical institutionalism as indicated by the
stagnation of church growth in Japan. Many things found in the Japanese church are alien to the Japanese socio-cultural context. The general recognition among the Japanese that Christianity is a foreign religion fatally hinders the penetration of the gospel into them. Song considers the fact that Christians in Japan are still composed of one percent of the whole population as the failure of acculturation of Christianity.
in its infancy. Researchers are just beginning to examine the implications of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity as a global movement. Most
studies have focussed on local Pentecostal histories. To date research has attempted to establish that Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity is a global movement, even if its origins are debated.1 While it is not my concern to enter into the debate about the origins of Pentecostalism here, I do want to examine precisely how Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity is interconnected on a global scale.2 In this paper I examine some of the transnational ties between Pentecostals in Asia and Canada. What I show is that these transnational networks between the “home” country and the “host” country are increasingly important for Asian migrants. Also, while ties between migrants have previously existed, what is new is the proliferation of social ties among migrants. My findings are based on a larger research project of ethnic Pentecostal congregations in Canada.
people by the end of the century. Thus, many church historians have
called the twentieth century the “Pentecostal Century.”
higher education, and justifiably so. Intellectual and spiritual formation
of the next generation of ministers and lay persons is imperative. So it is
a hopeful sign that, while many churches have surrendered their schools
to an increasingly secular education culture, for the most part Pentecostal churches have worked to keep the Pentecostal academy vitally connected and institutionally responsible.
teachings arise to continually batter the gates of our Christian faith. Long ago, Paul already waged war among the false teachers and false teachings in the Corinthian church. Our text in 2 Cor 10:2b-6, which is an excerpt of Paul’s encounter with the false apostles in Corinth, gives us valuables insights concerning the nature of Christian ministry as warfare.
as a carry-over from pre-conversion days or can fall under Satan’s power
after conversion and become progressively demonized, even seriously.”2
The “clinical evidence” referred to here appears to be impressive. People
like Mark I. Bubeck, C. Fred Dickason, Kurt Koch, Charles H. Kraft,
Merrill Unger and C. Peter Wagner all give numerous examples of bornagain Christians who have been diagnosed as suffering from
“demonization.”3 The official Assemblies of God position,4
on the other hand, has rejected their view and maintains that it is not possible for Christians to be demon-possessed.
we look at the numbers. Whatever reservations one might have with
regard to the calculations of D. Barrett2 and of others,3 there is no denying the fact that the advance of Pentecostal/Charismatic mission
work has been astonishing. “A growth of from zero to 400 mission in
ninety years is unprecedented in the whole of church history.”4
Luzon Island, Philippines. These tribes, collectively known as Igorots,
are primarily animists. They have continued the practice of animism from one generation to another. In fact animism plays a significant role in bonding and consolidation among these tribes. In 1565, the Roman
Catholic church launched its missions among the Igorots, and several
other Christian groups, such as the Anglicans, United Church of Christ of
Philippines (UCCP), and the Baptists, followed shortly after the Catholic
work had begun.
characteristics can be analysed according to the various tasks and skills
that jobs require and a profile of different kinds of employment can be
constructed.
growth and the emergence of the mega-churches, which attracts the focus of scholarly investigation. The number of Protestant churches increased from 3,279 in 1920 to 5,011 in 1960 and to 33,897 in 1996. The Protestant population in Korean society has grown significantly since the 1960s. As can be seen in Table 1, the number of Protestant population had an enormous increase from 623,072 in 1960 to 8,760,000 in 1995.2 In 1995, with Korean Protestants (19.7%) and Catholics (6.6%)
combined, Christians have leveled out at about 26% of the whole population.3 Christianity, in spite of its short history in Korea, has become the major religion, together with Buddhism, in Korean society
today.
fallen to Kenneth and Gloria Copeland who, through the magazine “Believer’s Voice of Victory,” promulgate a similar message concerning
healing.2 Because of the impact of his teaching concerning healing,3
with its attendant reactions,4 it is appropriate to analyze his beliefs and practices. Despite his attempts to prove that Christians may emulate the
healing ministry of Jesus, he assumes major differences that undermine
such a link. These will now be explored.
movement. Not surprisingly, it is also ideologically in motion. The
theologizing of Pentecostals is a result of experiences they have come to cherish and reflections in view of these experiences, relating them to the religious and other traditions they are acquainted with. As their ideas on the significance of Spirit baptism and speaking in tongues (glossolalia) developed, they were at the same time interacting with cultural trends, social changes and new worldviews. From that point of view, it can be expected that Pentecostals in different parts of the world would put different emphases and generate a variety of reflective material on an experience they believe they have in common.
Spirit is increasingly under scrutiny, first by Evangelicals and now by
younger Pentecostal scholars. McGee’s edited book, Initial Evidence and
articles in Pentecostal journals epitomize this on-going discussion.1
The need for this new reflection is well justified for two reasons: 1) to reexamine the validity of the doctrine from a proper hermeneutical
perspective; and 2) to re-articulate the belief in a changing socioreligious environment. The globalization of the age and Pentecostalism
particularly calls for this new reflection. Asian thought processes are
different from traditional western logical process. This needs to be
considered when communicating in areas related to belief or matters of
faith. Several scholars have pointed out the unique religious context from which the doctrine of “initial evidence” was born,2
and this further justifies attempts to re-articulate the significance of the belief utilizing expressions with which the hearers can personally identify.
difficult to interpret and apply. In 1 Cor 14:22 Paul makes the curious
claim that “tongues” constitute a “sign” to unbelievers, while prophecy
is a sign to believers. But the meaning of his statement is not clear in its
context. Paul illustrates his assertions in vv. 23-25 by saying that
unbelievers visiting the Christian assembly will think those speaking in
tongues are mad. The question is: How is “tongues” a “sign,” if it
prevents understanding and thus conversion? Paul’s next illustration
describes unbelievers hearing prophecy and confessing God’s presence.
How, then, is prophecy a sign to believers, if Paul only depicts its
impact on unbelievers? Though several answers to these questions have
been offered, none maintains the structural integrity of the entire
passage in its context. One way or another, v. 22 does not seem to match the illustrations or Paul’s broader argument. Like a tightly tied knot of many strands, different solutions have loosed some strands while leaving others tied. My goal is to untie every strand, that is, to offer one solution that explains every part of the passage.
larger spiritual tradition, it would be the doctrine of glossolalia as the
initial evidence of Spirit-baptism. Although more recent studies like
McDonnell and Montague’s have given the Pentecostal-Charismatic
experience a wider historical grounding, glossolalia particularly in the
way that Pentecostals have understood it, remains highly problematic. It
is one thing to show that there was some historical evidence of
occurrences of prophetic gifts including tongues,1
but quite another to
show from history that it had the same significance that modern
Pentecostals have given to it. No wonder theologically it is becoming
something of an embarrassment, even while classical Pentecostals
continue to maintain its special place of importance. Increasingly, even
ordinary lay people are questioning if it is really that important. When
we have no strong theological underpinning for a practice, it will
eventually fall into disuse. Signs of its practical abandonment are
already apparent in Pentecostal churches.2
tongues as the initial evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. At this
stage of my ministry, pastoral responsibilities more than take up my time
and energy, and they prevent me from doing more research to interact
with the literature and to do extensive footnoting or bibliography
normally related to a scholarly article. Beyond that, other Pentecostal
scholars have arisen that are better able to debate the issues and
creatively come up with insights.
advised to nominate only those who had received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. This was supposed to be in accord with the selection of church officials in Acts 6:3. As I began my pastoral ministry I followed without reservations the pattern I learned in Bible school. When the time came to organize the board of deacons, none of the people I thought were best qualified to assist me were Spirit-filled. They were good people and I thought they were full of wisdom—but they were not full of the Holy
Spirit!
solution to the problem.
Pentecostal/Charismatic churches in Singapore grew because of the manifestation of God’s power in the Sunday services and mid-week house fellowships. Hundreds came to the Lord through the house fellowships. Whether individually or as a family, they testify
of the power of God in their lives.
Asian Evangelical theology. It will also serve to enlighten Asian Pentecostal thinkers concerning their unique capability and calling to engage in theological reflections within their context; and then to communicate their reflections in relevant ways to Asian recipients.
finds itself at a strategic crossroads of self-definition, the direction it takes will inevitably impact the broader Evangelical world. The following essay will seek to describe the origin and nature of this self-identity crisis, outline the central questions which have emerged, particularly as they relate to evidential tongues, and suggest how Pentecostals might constructively face these challenges.
what I experienced among these students could be repeated throughout many of our colleges and churches. It seems that the decades of polemics defending tongues as the "Bible evidence" of Spirit baptism have failed to allow for sufficient energy to reflect constructively on the possible meaning of this understanding of tongues theologically and how the "gospel intention" of the doctrine may be preserved without the dogmatic
rigidifications that only serve to detach one from the living meaning of this in-depth response to God.
Christian community with whom we dialogue. Such theological humility is important. This would help to prevent doctrinal and experiential differences to disrupt our basic unity as the body of Christ. Since "tongues" is integral to our denominational selfunderstanding and religious life, we need to develop a sustainable theology of glossolalia.
Only in this way can we recognize in the difference, the wealth and depth of the whole of our Christian reality and experience.
this special edition, it is impossible to contain all the pertinent information in one article. Therefore, historical data are used to illustrate the complexity of the discussion which I hope to continue at a later date.
it may be unrealistic in the context of missions programs and realities as we approach the beginning of a new century. It is the purpose of this paper to evaluate some of the observable, though perhaps unintended, effects of the indigenous principle and to argue that a different conceptualization of the missionary task may be needed in some situations--one that places an emphasis on the interdependence of the ministry of missionaries and the national churches they serve.
Scholars and interested believers. This ability to attract attention, derives from both its Old Testament context and significance along with its New Testament usage’s (Acts 2:17-21; Mark 13:24; Rom 10:13). Yet beyond its intra-testamentality it challenges the way we understand our relationship with God and those special “transformational moments” we experience and call spiritual.
differing responses. Esther was not found among the biblical texts from
Qumran, nor is it mentioned in the New Testament. It does not appear in
the canonical list of Melito of Sardis.2 Martin Luther wished the book
had not survived.3 Calvin only referenced it once in the Institutes.4 Yet
a number of the Church Fathers mention the story with approval, and by
the Middle Ages it had already become a Jewish favourite (there are
more fragments of Esther from the Cairo Geniza than any other book
outside the Torah)
the Old Testament writings. The experience of the Judeans is captured in
various expressions from narrative to poetry, including lament, historical
testimony, autobiography, prophetic oracle, and prayers. These diverse
writings each contribute to create a picture of exile and to frame what it
might have looked like as part of the Judean experience. “Exile,” is a
loaded term. It can refer to geographic displacement, psychological
dislocation, religious separation, and/or political or social isolation.
However, I would suggest that it is the character portrayal of Esther that
captures most vividly the reality of exile with all of its diverse meaning.
Esther is introduced in the narrative as an example of ultimate
marginalisation. She is an orphan girl exiled from her homeland and into
the harem of a Gentile king—thereby doubly exiled.2 Yet despite her
disadvantage, she utilises all her resources to reverse her situation. The
narrative describes the movement of Esther from social marginalisation
to being at the centre of the Empire.
Prayer Fellowship camp in Davis, Oklahoma. At first, there seemed to
be nothing distinctive about it as a Christian camp—e.g., everyone
speaking English, singing popular evangelical songs, and listening to
dynamic preaching, as would be the case at any charismatic gathering1—
except for one striking exception. Almost all the participants were of
Indian descent, and more specifically of Malayalee Indian descent.
It was indeed surprising to see some 500 ethnically Indian young
people assembled in a majority-white Oklahoma town; however, such a
sight represents the racially diverse nature of American Christianity.
Simultaneously, this gathering, being under the banner of Inter-
Collegiate Prayer Fellowship (a Kerala-based Pentecostal para-church
organization), points to the importance of mapping the cultural and
religious nature of Kerala Pentecostalism in America.
American Assemblies of God (AG). When the first General Council
gathered for business on Monday, April 6, 1914, all delegates knew the
primary discussion points. The primary reasons for meeting had been
listed in the December 1913 issue of Word and Witness: (1) establishing
unity in the faith, (2) discussing the work, both at home and abroad, (3)
gaining a better understanding of and methods for doing foreign mission
work, (4) legalizing the work, and (5) providing for training of future
leaders.2
A subsequent council meeting later that same year at the Stone
Church in Chicago, Illinois, reaffirmed the AG priority for world
evangelization. The commitment to the “greatest evangelism the world
has ever seen” was exemplified by statements from early leaders of the
movement. J. Roswell Flower in his missionary treasurer report in 1920
said, “We have a distinctive mission in the world. . . . An apostolic
ministry in apostolic power and fullness is the aim of our Pentecostal
missionaries.”3 In 1923, John Welch stated: “The General Council of the
Assemblies of God was never meant to be an institution; it is just a
missionary agency.
witnessed phenomenal growth across the globe and has spread in all
directions like wildfire. The precise pattern of its global spread might be
difficult to trace (though not impossible!), but we can enumerate several
vital factors responsible for its growth. Besides their missionary zeal, the
operation of charismatic gifts among Pentecostals, and their
eschatological orientation and quest to experience God through the Holy
Spirit, the revelation of the Scripture they gained has played a very
significant role in their story. In the movement’s history, Pentecostal
interpreters embraced a spectrum of interpretive approaches, spanning
from the literal reading of the text to the current postmodern tools of
hermeneutical engagement. Pentecostal hermeneutics has much to
contribute to the broader academic fraternity in its ongoing discussion,
but it is not free from its textual interpretation and self-articulation
struggles. While Pentecostal interpretive praxis is potent to award a free
hand to an interpreter to read into the text with one's unique spiritual
experiences, scholars in practice have cautiously defined the scope and
limits of its interpretive practice.
prominently in chapter 11, where the term x:Wr appears four times (v. 2).
While the charismatic role of Yahweh’s spirit in Isaiah 11 has captured
much attention, its non-charismatic role deserves further exploration.2
Thus, by employing syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic analyses,
this essay will investigate how Yahweh’s spirit in 11:1-5 not only
empowers the recipient for Yahweh’s given task (charismatic), but also makes him to delight in the fear of Yahweh (non-charismatic).3 That
reverential fear is the essential virtue of a just ruler and the foundation
of Israelite wisdom, so that the recipient’s attitude, thoughts, and
behavior may be fully congruent with Yahweh’s intention. In the
following, we will examine the role of Yahweh’s spirit in Isaiah 11:1-5
within its co-texts
early stages. Although leadership plays a significant role in the growth
and globalization of the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement (P/CM), a
comprehensive model for SEL has yet to be developed by those in the
academic ranks of the tradition.1 Daniel Isgrigg’s literature review on
SEL reveals a “discernable gap in defining the nature of SEL.”2
Most studies on SEL tend to be non-empirical; also, most fit a North
American context. For instance, Timothy Geoffrion’s The Spirit-Led
Leader focuses on spiritual development by offering principles and
practices to cultivate spirit-oriented leadership.3 Myles Munroe’s The
Spirit of Leadership proposes the attitudes of effective leaders in a
pragmatic and pastoral manner.4 Other works follow the same trend of
being written for pastors and/or those in pastoral ministry. Together with
scholarly studies on SEL, like Truls Akerlund’s A Phenomenology of
Pentecostal Leadership, John F. Carter’s article “Power and Authority
in Pentecostal Leadership,” and Wonsuk Ma’s “The Prophetic Servant:
The Ideology of Spirit-Empowered Leaders,” Isgrigg recommends
further exploration on individual leaders in the worldwide P/CM to help
develop a definite SEL model
conviction that Spirit baptism and subsequent ongoing empowerment of
the Spirit is for the purpose of mission propels Pentecostals into crossing
all kinds of barriers including national, economic, socio-political, and
language.3 The Pentecostal understanding of Christ as the soon-coming
King 4 propels this eschatological urgency to fulfill the Great
Commission. This article will survey how Spirit-empowered
communities in the Global South are living out strategies to complete the
remaining tasks of the Great Commission. Recently published volumes
stemming from Empowered21’s Scholars’ Consultations will serve as
the primary resource for this article as they represent current research in
this area.5 Other sources include seminal works on the theme of Spiritempowered
mission and social action, including Mission in the Spirit by
Ma and Ma, and Global Pentecostalism by Miller and Yamamori.
towards the majority Muslim population in Indonesia. As the owner of a
small factory, he had done his best to show the love of Jesus to his
Muslim employees by granting sick leave, loaning money for
emergencies, obeying labor laws, and genuinely caring for his workers.
In return, they took advantage of him, stole from him, lied to him, and
generally made the factory a battleground. “I know I am supposed to love
them,” he said, “but honestly, I just can’t.”
perceives itself as a custodian of the Theravada Buddhist tradition.
Whether in rural life or urban life, the grip of Buddhism is clearly visible.
Visitors will be awestruck with the nation’s 30,000 temples; 200,000
Buddhist monks making daily rounds; millions of ‘spirit houses,’
popular shrines, and meditation centers, plus ubiquitous Buddhist
iconography. On the other hand, Thai Christians number only 490,000
or roughly 0.75 percent of the population.2 This comparatively small
number of adherents coupled with just a 4 percent Christian conversion
growth in Thailand 3 challenge Thai Christian denominations and
churches to reflect on their current educational institutions and
ministerial training.
deposit of spiritual capital and other capital that contribute to the overall
well-being and happiness of an individual, organization, and perhaps
even a nation. If spiritual capital can be defined as "the power, influence,
and dispositions created by a person or an organization's spiritual belief,
knowledge, and practice" (Palmer and Wong 2013, 8), how do megachurches
generate spiritual capital for their congregants? What attracts
and predetermines vibrant, healthy, and growing Megachurches in the
Philippines? While there have been increasing studies on spiritual capital,
very few studies have been undertaken about the nature of the spiritual
capital within mega-churches.
recognized scholarship guild focusing on the movement’s historiography
and biblical studies to argue its beliefs about Spirit baptism and
glossolalia. Yet at that time, Pentecostal scholarship ‘father’ Walter
Hollenweger2 posited a thesis which history has proved true—that the
most important contribution of Pentecostalism to world Christianity lies
not in any theological stress, such as pneumatology, but in its oral
liturgy.3 However, only within the past decade have Pentecostal studies
embarked on a notable liturgical turn focusing on the tradition’s
liturgical life and generating a growing corpus of liturgical theologies.
Unfortunately, there seems to be no published work assessing this
production.
mediating the sacred to their adherents in the context of rapidly changing
urbanization, secularization, and globalization of metropolitan cities.
Therefore, how megachurch leadership thinks, behaves, and practice
spiritual leadership in their environment is a question that is worth
answering.
Spirit in the inspiration of prophetic arts; (2) define what is “prophetic
arts.” To provide clarity to the discussions, in this paper, “prophetic arts”
refers to the artworks, while “prophetic painting” refers to the act of
painting the artworks.
places such as graves and shrines of saints, trees, wells, and rocks.”1 More
narrowly, the term “specifically designates grave visitation, or ziyarat
al-qubur, which is recorded in the prophetic tradition (hadith).”2 In
Indonesia, this practice is called ziarah kubur. As practiced by Javanese
Muslims, ziarah kubur goes beyond classical Islam and has taken on
elements of animism in light of the Folk Islam practiced by the Javanese.
festivals in Myanmar. When Anawrahta, the great king of the ancient city
of Bagan, unified all of Burma into one kingdom in the eleventh century,
he made Theravada Buddhism the state religion. However, there
were several animistic religions already in existence at that time.
Seminary (APTS), then known as the Far East Advanced School of
Theology (FEAST) and located in Metro Manila, first opened its doors
to a total of six students. It began by offering only bachelor’s degrees
because the Assemblies of God Bible institutes in the Asia Pacific
and Pacific Oceana regions, which the school was designed to serve,
offered only three-year diplomas at the time. As Bible school teachers
updated their credentials, FEAST/APTS upgraded to master’s degrees
and, eventually, added post-graduate programs.
Federation (LWF) and the Pentecostal World Fellowship (PWF)
would engage in ecumenical dialogue. On the surface, they appear
to be so different that they would have little in common. Lutheran
churches are confessional; Pentecostal churches are not. Generally
speaking, Pentecostal worship is exuberant while Lutheran worship
is more subdued.
the life of the Triune God. The Triune God, the one God who is eternally
three, makes both the unity and diversity of divine persons absolute. The
diversity of Triune persons is not to be dissolved into divine unity (as
with modalism, which denies the relations of persons in God). Neither
is the unity of persons to be dissolved for the sake of diversity (as with
Subordinationism which views the Father alone as divine and the Son
and the Spirit as separate natures not “truly” divine). Communion in
fact requires both unity and diversity and embraces both as essential
to personal existence.
megachurches in the Philippines with special reference to Victory
Christian Fellowship (VCF) and how VCF engages its Christian
witness in the business hub centers of Metro Manila. We used an
extensive review of literature, series of field visits, and interviews of
its leadership to investigate what makes a megachurch mega and how
they replicate themselves as a megachurch in the metropolitan cities.
This study presents qualitative evidences of the secrets of their growth
manifested in the historical evolution, model of discipleship, belief
and culture, leadership development, social engagement, and passion
for global missions.
on choosing and empowering leaders. The world of the judges may not be
exactly like today, but for contemporary Christians (spiritual Israelites),
the need for ideological leaders endures. Yahweh is still our sovereign
Lord. He remains the final arbiter of ideological leadership
in Pentecostal theological education in Asia Pacific. I begin with a
discussion and critique of some approaches to striking a healthy balance
between theory and practice. Then I propose a pedagogical model
that takes a third element into account—calling. Finally, I offer some
practical applications from the proposed model for teaching Pentecostal
theological education in Asia Pacific.
from a holistic perspective on the effectiveness of leadership formation
within undergraduate programs at Bible schools to foster ongoing
reflection and the enhancement of educational practices for equipping
Christian leaders in ministry
Seminary (APTS), then known as the Far East Advanced School of
Theology (FEAST) and located in Metro Manila, first opened its doors
to a total of six students. It began by offering only bachelor’s degrees
because the Assemblies of God Bible institutes in the Asia Pacific
and Pacific Oceana regions, which the school was designed to serve,
offered only three-year diplomas at the time. As Bible school teachers
updated their credentials, FEAST/APTS upgraded to master’s degrees
and, eventually, added post-graduate programs.