History and Theology of Pentecostalism and Evangelicalism

In this paper, the author wants to demonstrate that the demise of Pentecostal dispensationalism along with some further contemporary factors are removing the bedrock upon which Pentecostal premillennialism was standing. For this reason, premillennialism is currently being downplayed as the core Pentecostal eschatological doctrine. By the end of this paper, it is proposed that Pentecostal eschatology should still remain premillennial.

In this MA dissertation, I  argue against the ‘latecomer to dispensationalism’ view on the eschatology of early Pentecostals. Following a ‘family resemblance’ method of discussing dispensationalism, I argue that the early Pentecostals may correctly be understood as proponents of a broader dispensationalism, a theological vision that gained popularity within Moody’s ‘interdenominational evangelicalism’. Following an introduction to the topic and a select literature review in which the popularity of the ‘latecomer’ view was shown, I examined the eschatological approaches available at the beginning of the 20th century in chapter one. In chapter two, I used four periodicals to argue that the early Pentecostals were dispensationalists in a broad sense of the term. They held to the main features of dispensationalism, such as a belief in the division of history into dispensations, the distinction between Israel and the Church, the rapture and a literal thousand-year millennium. In chapter three, I brought out several implications of this analysis.

This is my University of Toronto, Toronto School of Theology, Doctoral Dissertation.  I am putting it up for a limited period of time.  It deals with poppular interpretation of ROmans 7 from the Arminian controversy to tyhe year prior to the publication of Werner Georg Kümmel’s pivotal Römer 7 und die Bekehrung des Paulus (1929).

Endorsements:

DONALD W. DAYTON: “The heart of [Huggins’s work]…is given over to a history of the interpretation of Romans 7 over almost 340 years…This central section is an extraordinary achievement and constitutes as careful and detailed a theological analysis of these figures as one will find anywhere, on this or any other topic.”


MARION ANN TAYLOR: “…Huggins goes beyond the bounds of history of interpretation to include the social history of popular religion, the sociology of knowledge and biography.  However, his treatment of exegetical issues and modern critical scholarship also shows that he is able to engage effectively with modern as well as historical and theological issues….Moreover he sensitively judges the merits of the various interpreters and streams of interpretation past and present…He has shown impressive research and analytical skills.  His work is cross disciplinary in many ways.  It shows an expertise in New Testament Studies, with a special concern for the history of the interpretation of texts, in American Church History, and in theology with its keen sensitivity to theological issues relating to the interpretation of biblical texts.  Huggins’ thesis is also very creative…his style of writing effectively draws the reader into the subject matter in an engaging way.  His use of long but fascinating quotations from diaries, journals, sermons, tracts, commentaries and other pertinent materials as well as his ability to paint very life-like portraits of the individuals he is writing about also make his thesis fascinating to read.”

This study explores common ground and affinities between Christian Orthodoxy and Pentecostalism in theology, spirituality, cosmology, anthropology and the understanding of rites and sacraments. The focus is on the understanding and perception of the Holy Spirit, with regard to spiritual experience, personal transformation and the life of the Church. It also reflects on the African religious heritage of Christianity in the formation of these forms of spiritual experience and expression. The role and development of African Instituted Churches is taken into view, aware of their common heritage with Pentecostalism and of their distinctness. The context of ecumenical exchange between Pentecostalism and the Roman Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches in the 20th century is considered as background for the realization of convergences. The growing awareness in both Pentecostalism and Orthodoxy of their common ground, based in the hermeneutics and spirituality of early Christianity is recognized and recommended as field for further engagement. The common affirmation of both Churches of a spiritual world view in contrast to the positivistic ‘naturalistic’ world view of secular Enlightenment – as distinct from the spiritual branch of Enlightenment in which Pentecostalism is rooted through Pietism – is recognized as common ground for mutual understanding and critical difference to mainstream Western secularism. This study thus aims at fostering a better mutual understanding of Pentecostal and Orthodox Churches and of their epistemological agreements with regard to the challenges of secular cultures.

Blog post: With his brother, F.F. Bosworth, B.B. Bosworth played a significant role in divine healing revival meetings and Pentecostal church history. Unfortunately, there's little known about his contributions. When he and F.F. died in 1958, the Alliance Witness reported “there were many unusual instances of divine healing" in the meetings held by the Bosworth Brothers.

This theme could be said to cover all aspects of life and Al Tizon’s two articles, which lead off this edition, fit within that framework. However, the application of his two articles merges with the focus of the remaining four articles in that they have strong ramifications for ministry among the poor, oppressed and disenfranchised of today’s world—the segments of society from which the vast majority of Pentecostals and Charismatics are drawn.

In the 1920s, Swedish missionaries arrived in Spain, bringing the first Pentecostal experiences to the Iberian Peninsula. Pastors Julia and Martin Wahlsten, founded the first Pentecostal church in the city of Gijon. Other Swedish missionary families such as the Johansson’s, Stahlberg’s Armstrong’s, and Forsberg’s helped to found congregations throughout the country (Martín-Arroyo and Branco 2011, 165). However, by 1936, Pentecostals were forced out by the Civil War (1936–1939) and anti-evangelical sentiments grew afterwards, further hampering the evangelical efforts of a small number of missionaries struggling to withstand the atmosphere of repression and uncontested Catholic hegemony...

https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/browse/brill-s-encyclopedia-of-global-pentecostalism

Socio-Historians of Christianity from within and without white evangelical movements and churches have identified the place of Heterosexuality, family and sexual ethics as one of the central pillars of the Evangelical Church (e.g. Sophie Bjork-James, Kristin Kobe Du Mez, Frances Fitzgerald, Katherine Steward and Tanya Erzen). With the emergence of LGBTQIA+ exposure within the wider cultural landscape, evangelical faith leaders, academics and theologians have begun to call out the inculturation of evangelicalism with a heteronormative gospel. Amidst the ensuring culture war, visions and revisions for theology, pastoral care and cultural engagement has been lobbied in our cyber-spaces; shibboleths of orthodoxy has been set by denominational leaders; and the re-emergence of a politicised faith has caused major disruptions to the life and faith of every day believers. This paper is an evangelical practical theology that assesses and critiques key historical moments in the life of the Evangelical church in America from the rise of the religious right in the late 1970s to the emergence of Revoice. In so doing so, it aims to continue the investigation of whether churches are shaping culture or whether culture is shaping the church. Ultimately, it seeks to provide best practice through historical and theological analysis for Ecclesiology, pastoral care and missiology.

Oi Christianoi - Sezione moderna e contemporanea, n. 26 ----- L’autore ricostruisce la vicenda dei primi cinquant’anni del movimento pentecostale in Italia dall’arrivo dei primi italiani, migranti di ritorno dagli Stati Uniti, fino alle durissime persecuzioni patite dai pentecostali durante il fascismo anche a causa della famigerata circolare Buffarini Guidi che segnò una sistematica e violenta discriminazione. Gli effetti di quella circolare ministeriale si protrassero incredibilmente anche nel primo decennio della Repubblica italiana, dimostrando di essere più forti degli stessi diritti sanciti dalla Costituzione. Una vicenda grave e dolorosa nella quale emergono storie e figure di una resistenza religiosa esemplare che affronta aggressioni fisiche, arresti, carcerazioni e confino senza perdere la fede in una possibile e desiderata convivenza pacifica.
Con una prefazione di Walter J. Hollenweger, professore di Teologia nell’Università di Birmingham.

The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented need for innovations in churches around the world. Organizational innovativeness, a precursor of successful innovations in organizational contexts, is rarely studied in churches. This study of American church attenders (N = 244) found that perceived innovativeness of churches (conceived of as the elements of a church’s culture which promote innovation, specifically, creativity, organizational openness, future orientation, risk-taking, and proactiveness) was a very strong predictor of church commitment (conceived of as intentions to stay in the church, r = .60, p < .001). Of the moderators examined in this study (membership tenure, age of participant, church size, and gender), only gender moderated this relationship; the relationship between perceived innovativeness and church commitment was stronger for females than for males. This suggests that innovations that facilitated relationship development and relationship maintenance had th...

This is paper is an introduction to Australian Pentecostalism. It covers its humble beginnings and three phases of growth through the twentieth century. It will cover the highlights of key names and places, specific arms of the Pentecostal Church, its reasons for growth and what this meant for Australian Pentecostalism’s development. Each section affords a basic evaluation of Pentecostal theology and ecclesiology whilst providing a basic synthesis of extra readings and footnotes, which are complimented in the bibliography. In my research I have learned that Pentecostalism’s growth in Australia is more accidental then intentional due to the fall out of both World Wars. My evaluation of Australian Pentecostalism as a movement concluded that it is shallow in its theology of the Bible, lacking or empty in its Church governance, left wanting in corporate-liturgical worship practices, insolvent of its understanding of the Trinity and bankrupt in its comprehension of the sacraments. Nailing down definitions to group Pentecostal sects together is similar to herding cats. In terms of what is clearer in one circle is completely ambiguous in another, making this movement all the more unclear, indistinct, ecumenically dis-unified, and therefore calls for hasty generalisations which may not always do each sect justice upon examination.

Copyright © 2018 by Roscoe Barnes III

#FFBosworth

This is a snippet of research on Evangelist William Marrion Branham (1909-1965) and the famous “Pillar of Fire” photograph that was taken in Dallas, Texas. This short article presents new information on the photographer behind the photograph and the possible source of the light that appears on Branham’s shoulder.

#ChristtheHealer

In this presidential address, I outline a history of pentecostal/charismatic reception. I explore different ways that pentecostal/charismatic believers have received, appropriated, and used Acts 8 throughout our history. I propose that a reception of more than one hundred years of pentecostal musings over Acts 8 provides a snapshot of our extended pentecostal family. I suggest up front that this family history exposes pentecostal/ charismatic notions about the nature of biblical interpretation. I conclude with general observations from my research and suggest further implications for students and scholars interested in reception history.

Since 2016 when the government of Uganda announced its intention to enact a policy about regulating religions and faith-based organizations, there have been contrasting responses from those this policy intends to regulate. The mainstream religious groups especially; the Moslem community, Anglican Church of Uganda, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Roman Catholic Church, Greek Orthodox church and generally all those that subscribe to the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda have welcomed the State's proposal. On the other hand, the proposal has met both stiff and liberal minded resistance from both the born-again churches and relatively newly founded religious faiths and groups. This is partly so due to the historical relationship between the State and Religious institutions which has been characterized by uncertainty at one time, and flowering at another. The contemptuous attitude of the born-again church towards the State's proposed religious and faith based organisations policy (RFBOs) calls for renewed interest in analysing church-state relations in Uganda. Using the institutional approach, this paper analyses the historical relationship that has subsisted between the state and religious institutions in Uganda, over the years, showing how this influences reaction of religious institutions to a State's attempt to provide a regulatory framework over them.

Emmett contributes to missional pentecostal historiography through bringing a pre-eminent figure in early British Pentecostalism into the limelight. He shows how Pentecostalism in Belgian Congo was pioneered by W.F.P. Burton alongside local agency. Central to Burton’s contradictory and complex personality was a passionate desire to see the emancipation of humankind from the spiritual powers of darkness believing only Spirit-empowered local agency would enduringly prove effective.

Burton’s faith believed for Spirit intervention in church communities converting lives, bringing physical healing and transforming regions. In the maelstrom following Congolese Independence, Burton’s belief in his own brand of indigenisation made him an outlier even among Pentecostals. Burton’s pentecostal faith engendered an idealism which frustratingly conflicted with those not sharing it in the way he pursued it. This book thus serves Pentecostals and historians by clarifying Burton’s ideals and revealing the reasons for his frustrations.

很多基督徒將│靈恩派」與「福音派」當作對立的兩個陣營來看待，甚至雙方也都會以「你們」和「我們」來區分彼此，其實這是一個錯誤的觀念。正確說起來，應該說「靈恩派」是「福音派」的一份子。「福音派」是指一個包含許多不同宗派的信徒們，他們共同的信念就是基督信仰的核心真理以及聖經無誤論。因此，福音派中包含了在救恩論上各持己見的加爾文派和亞米念派，在末世論中有前千禧年派與無千禧年派，在洗禮方面有贊成浸禮與點水禮的兩種教會。其實在這些共識上，大部分靈恩派教會也都完全贊同，他們只是在對聖靈的恩賜、角色與表現方面，可能與多數傳統的福音派教會在看法上有出入而已。因此，大多數靈恩派教會是屬於福音派的一部分，但是也的確有少數靈恩派教會是屬於別異教派，甚至是異端。

Até aqui não temos falado nada acerca da mais controversa das afirmações pentecostais, a saber, que a prova do batismo com o Espírito é a possessão de certos dons espirituais, especialmente o dom de línguas.
O texto é uma tradução de um capítulo de Donald MacLeod, El Bautismo con El Espíritu Santo (San José, CLIR, 2002), pp. 49-6.

Introduction In examining the contribution of the seven Sunderland conventions to the development of the Pentecostal movement in Britain, I make a number of assumptions. These assumptions are that the pentecostal movement begins in a state of disorganisation and, through a process of networking, conferences, emerging consensus and organisational initiatives, gradually turned into a series of discrete and separate denominations incorporating recognisably Pentecostal distinctives. The eventual variations between the denominations are partly doctrinal and partly administrative, and these differences depend upon factors that lie outside Sunderland. Sunderland is therefore important in the transitioning stage from the initial disorganised state to the eventual organised state.

PURPOSE
• To enable the student to better understand the history, development and fragmentation of the Pentecostal movement in Latin America.
• To cause the student to reflect upon the positive and negative contributions that the Pentecostal movement has brought to the evangelical movement in Latin America as a whole.
• To equip the student to formulate a strategy for church planting in Latin America that will take into consideration the tremendous influence of Pentecostals.

Defining Moments Is a book of the record of encounters of great revivalists with the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ. These moments of powerful encounters totally shifted the course of the life of the individuals selected. Johnson and Miskov have chosen experiences in the lives of a selection of revivalists which are considered catalytic and did not just have a powerful Impact on the Individuals but usually on the spiritual life of the global Church of Jesus Christ. Johnson and Miskov point Is to place before the present day saints the possibilities of having encounters with the Holy Spirit which can be catalytic In producing a coming revival which will eclipse all previous revivals. Johnson and Miskov desire to Inspire the present day saints with a faith In the Impossible made possible by specific encounters with the Holy Spirit which define our destinies, destinies without limitation and which will have an Immense Impact on the earth for the kingdom of God.

In order to have a fruitful understanding of the nature of the Church, the Bible uses a variety of pictures, which when taken together form Church models by which believers live and act by. We have reviewed Church models in three categories: the first category is taken by Church models which are formed today by our everyday life; the second one are Church models which have been created by man throughout history; and third, the Church models which have a foundation in the Word of God.
Church models formed by everyday life and man-made Church models can be used as negative examples of models to be changed and avoided, especially models of the Church as an institution and as a denomination. The Bible shows a particular reality and nature of the Church by using numerous different pictures from everyday life. These include pictures from the ownership system; the picture of the way the human body works; pictures from premarital, marital, and family life; pictures from architecture, agriculture, cattle breeding, fishery, and citizenship and patriotism. Each of the used pictures communicates one or more God’s truths in a way that is experientially very close and familiar to the listeners and readers. These pictures reflect life and point towards life.
The 21st century Christianity needs to adopt and apply Biblical pictures of Church which, when taken together, form the Biblical Church model. As we establish this model, we need to focus on God and His purposes and plans for a specific time, place, and culture. Our communication with God needs to be completely open, and the Church needs to be prepared to follow God’s plans and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Biblical Church model contains God’s (immutable) and human (mutable) elements. God is immutable, which is why anything that is permanent and immutable in Church comes from God, and what can and needs to be changed is anything that came from people. The human elements need to be aligned with God’s Word and the Holy Spirit’s guidance, so that the Church would be able to obey God’s will fruitfully.

Harry Lindblom of Chicago worked alongside Lewi Pethrus of Stockholm on both sides of the Atlantic and became Pethrus’s preferred interpreter. But who was Harry Lindblom, and how did he become a trusted colleague of Pethrus? In addition to examining Lindblom’s life and ministry with the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA), this study highlights his collaboration with Pethrus, including the American’s role as the interpreter of the first European Pentecostal Conference, held in 1939. Together Lindblom and Pethrus strengthened ties between Pentecostals in Sweden and Swedish Pentecostals and evangelicals in America.

General William and Catherine Booth accomplished in practical ways what many social reformers merely dreamed of.  They had 'buy-in' from the residents of East London who 'owned' their own spiritual and social revolution.  Societal changes occurred, involving combatting child sex-trafficking, and bringing match factories to stop using toxic yellow phosphorus.

Streszczenie: Ruch zielonoświątkowy w Polsce od samego początku nie był jednolity. Jedna z różnic dotyczyła interpretacji chrztu w Duchu Świętym. Czy musi być potwierdzony glosolalią? Czy jest on konieczny do zbawienia, czy tylko dla wzrostu duchowego? Na podstawie tych spekulacji uformował się rady-kalny nurt przywiązujący wielką wagę do charyzmatów i traktujący je jako rzecz niezbędną dla Kościoła. Z drugiej strony uformował się nurt, który nie lekceważył charyzmatów, ale nie traktował ich na pierwszym miejscu. Drugi nurt zwracał uwagę na potrzebę przygotowania teologicznego. Pierw-szy nurt był antyekumeniczny, drugi natomiast był ekumeniczny, przynaj-mniej w odniesieniu do protestanckich ugrupowań. Początkowo dominował w Kościele radykalny nurt i jego dominacja trwała do roku 1956, kiedy to ustąpił nurtowi umiarkowanemu, by ponownie dojść do głosu w roku 1988. Abstract: From its very beginnings the Pentecostal movement in Poland has not been a uniform movement. One of the differences concerns the interpretation of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Must that experience be accompanied by glossolalia or not? Is it necessary to achieve salvation or only for spiritual growth? On the basis of these speculations, two trends were formed: one 1 Dr Leszek Jańczuk jest wykładowcą w Wyższej Szkole Teologiczno-Społecznej w Warszawie i duchownym Kościoła Zielonoświątkowego. s. 63-79

A review of Dan Barker's tome, godless, how an evangelical pastor abandoned fundamentalist faith and embraced so-called New Atheism. Mr. Barker is now codirector of Freedom From Religion Foundation. Barker's justifiable excoriation of his evangelical easy believism seems trite on the surface, but for him it was critical, life changing. How religious experience is not reliable and there is even in the most sincere theist experience a vacuum for something bigger than a movement, a belief, a faith even in the resurrected Christ. I read and reviewed this during my own period of agnostic experience, weary from the divisions in Christianity. From whence I rose, returned, and re-embraced "the Church of the firstborn... the pillar and foundation of the truth." I found my doubts embraced by love. In my own experience, as many Evangelicals who have not experienced Christian orthodoxy in its historic expression, we have only our experience from which to judge something entirely mysterious as the Church revealed from God who gives the Bible its authority. Bible fundamentalism was not enough to keep Barker and it almost lost me to skeptical agnosticism. Individual liberty from religion may be the epitome of Barker's New Atheism, while for me Orthodox Christianity is the epitome of life in Christ.

Evan Roberts is a key historic figure, deeply involved with the remarkable Welsh revival of 1904.  This paper analyzes how 10% of the Welsh population became involved in the revival within two years.  It also looks at the social impact on Welsh culture, particularly in terms of crime, alcohol abuse, and the court system.

The existence of, and previous conversations within, the wider Vineyard Movement (such as those in the Society of Vineyard Scholars), lend an ear to the radical impact of such a body-part on wider ecclesiology. A key attraction of Vineyard Theology has been its ability to welcome both established scholars and emerging voices from within the movement, as well of those representing radically different perspectives on key and related theological issues. One recent topic that has demanded a specifically Vineyard epistemology is the complex ‘LGBT*’ question. Publications by a range of Vineyard pastors provoked a response from the VUSA Leadership in the form of a major, longest-ever Position Paper.

This paper considers the way in which the three pastors, and the Position Paper, present themselves as seeing and following the Spirit, in order to consider a question of Vineyard ecclesiology. By considering and taking seriously different definitions of theology, and recognising the profound questions at stake in the recognised discussion, this paper takes seriously the concept of forging a ‘Radical Middle’ on a question that has brought a huge range of issues, emotions and actions to the forefront.

"Trouble Coming for Oswego. The 'Fire Baptized Holiness association' has been organized at Oswego." Thus read the advertisement in the Kansas newspaper, the Baxter Springs News, in 1904.  It was not without warrant either. This strange organization was spreading like wildfire in the South and Midwestern states. It was known for one thing: craziness. Five years earlier in 1899, the Alexandrian Gazette reported:
"[A farmer named] Musser is so taken with the fire baptized doctrines that he believed he could fly by faith, and in the attempt had a disastrous fall on the barn floor. At one of the meetings Musser asserted that he had buried the devil in a hole, but that the evil one was not yet dead." 
Yet out of this organization birthed one of the largest churches of all times, the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC), which has shaped much of Christianity today. And much of the IPHC's doctrine is rooted in the theology produced by the Fire Baptized Holiness Church (FBHC) over one hundred years ago. It is the purpose of this paper to explore the history and theology of the FBHC and contrast it with the IPHC today.

The Protestant pope of evangelical unity, outward facing conversion ethic, and social engagement, John Stott led global evangelicals, most notably through the Lausanne Covenant (1974), during a time of awakening and efforts to mend the divide between gospel and emerging justice.

He is credited with more creativity than deserved as he simply reasserted conservative Anglican (Augustinian) Protestant doctrines as 'themes' and 'messages' in his sermons and published versions of the same. His insistence on an evangelical version of the substitutionary atonement, rejection of global charismatic influences, and populist insistence on preaching as the core of Christian communication were his way of owning the Anglican evangelical tradition thought lost to modernity's liberalism. In this way, he buttressed the conservative reaction among global Anglicans in their own version of the fundamentalist-modernist controversy (just 50 years later).

This theological biography was published in Walter Elwell's 2d edition of the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology and revised subsequently. Instead of a typical hagiographic puff-piece on Stott (read almost every single evangelical assessment since Stott's death in 2011), this piece gives some context and legacy to Stott's undeniable significance.

In 2013 the Canadian Pentecostal Symposium at SPS focused on the plight of Canadian Pentecostal Conscientious Objectors (CO). As Murray Dempster began to rehearse their struggles as “the ironic, the tragic, and the heroic,” I was moved to tears.  I was particularly shaken to hear that such atrocities had occurred in “my” Winnipeg. As a “cradle” Pentecostal, I felt betrayed. Why had I not heard these stories? In this essay, I proclaim what I believe deserves to be called the Pentecostal “testimony” of young David Wells and probe deeper into the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death. To do so, I begin with the context for conscientious objection in Canada, Pentecostal allegiance, and immediate scene in Winnipeg. Then, I retell the story of Wells. I conclude with implications for further research and an exhortation for Pentecostals (and all Christians) to remember and somehow embody the life of David Wells, for his story is indeed our story.

John G Lake, founder of the Healing Rooms in Spokane, had 100,000 documented healings within just five years, making Spokane the healthiest city in the nation.  This article analyses John G Lake's lasting impact both in North America and in Southern Africa.