Pentecostal Power: Expressions, Impact and Faith of Latin American Pentecostalism, reviewed by Tony Richie
I suppose it is natural that I, as a theologian, would be especially interested in the theological section. Calvin Smith does well surveying specific emphases of Latin American Pentecostal theology. He highlights pneumatology and eschatology as most distinctive. It is understood that other areas are important but that these areas are particular emphases. This broad assessment doesn’t appear too different to me from that of Pentecostals in North America or elsewhere. He includes under the first, manifestations of the Spirit, such as Spirit baptism and speaking in tongues, and under the second, the timing of the kingdom of God and its impact on evangelism, social engagement, and Pentecostalism Zionism. Again, this is familiar territory for Pentecostals outside of Latin America; but, the Latin American context adds interesting details.
In fact, a key issue is the extent to which particular theologies have developed either under the influence of American missionaries or from more indigenous sources. (In section one, Sepúlveda had already argued that Chilean Pentecostalism derives more from an Indian precedent than from Azusa.) This is an important conversation for Pentecostals even beyond Latin America because the origins of a movement (or part of it) may directly or indirectly and sometimes dramatically affect its future course and development. However, even many American Pentecostals do not see Azusa Street so much as the origin of their movement as a catalyst for its global expansion (or explosion). In the history of my own denomination, the Church of God (Cleveland, TN), widespread Pentecostal experiences predated Azusa by twenty years. So then, a most pertinent question might not be so much where did we come from but rather how did we get here and where are we going? Of course, those questions are not altogether unrelated.
Yet in the first section of the book Everett Wilson insisted that Pentecostalism in Latin America “must be recognized as an authentic product of Latin Americans themselves, a further expression of a people’s quest for meaning.” This concurs with Juan Sepúlveda’s description of “the distinctly indigenous character” of Chilean Pentecostalism. Sepúlveda in particular argues that “Chilean Pentecostalism’s independence from North American classical Pentecostalism gave it great autonomy in the shaping of its Pentecostal identity.” Later, it becomes apparent that some differences he has in mind are the traditional doctrine of initial evidence, which he suggests is less rigid, and attitudes toward ecumenical movements, which he suggests is more open. However, he admits that Chilean Pentecostals are not uniform in their beliefs about these issues. Furthermore, I suppose that since some North American Pentecostals are wrestling with these and similar issues today, it is a bit difficult to determine if they alone indicate some sort of fundamental difference in the genus of global Pentecostalism. Also, it is uncertain to what extent the at least somewhat unique experience of Chilean Pentecostals transposes over into other Latin American Pentecostal groups.
Back in the theology section and in perhaps the most constructive chapter in the book, Virginia and Eloy Nolivos argue that many victimized and dehumanized Latin Americans have begun to recover their authentic identity through the experience of Pentecost. They stress that “a holistic fivefold encounter with the Word of God, the resurrected Christ, the Spirit of God, the community of God, and the mission of God” has dramatically impacted perceptions of God, which, in turn, has impacted perceptions of their own self-identity. Families and individuals are finding freedom from categorical debilitation through this theological reconstruction. Underlying the Nolivos study is the profound truth that theology proper and anthropology are inextricably intertwined—hence the need for a category of theological anthropology. Our view of God affects our view of others and of our selves, positively or negatively, that is, either in ways that edify and liberate or in ways that diminish and oppress. Latin American Pentecostal families appear to be demonstrating this theological principle in the day to day practice of living in very positive ways.
Category: Church History, Fall 2012, Pneuma Review
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