Grant Wacker: Heaven Below
There is one curiosity about this otherwise excellent book; one senses at times that Wacker, given his background as an ex-Pentecostal who yet feels kinship with Pentecostals (ix-x), runs away from evaluation of and interaction with the cardinal doctrine that defined early Pentecostalism. Wacker insists that this is because his is a cultural history, and not a doctrinal history, listening “less to formal theological debates and more to the conversations that took place around the kitchen table.” (p.9) Granted, such an approach opens the door to examining life as it was lived, which helps to understand why Pentecostalism survived when other radical Evangelical movements (like John Alexander Dowie’s Zion Illinois community) did not. But without the theological background, the effect is at times like sitting in a car, marveling at it’s ability to move while studiously never engaging the engine and doing so.
However, let the reader be indulgent, the reward for doing so is great. As Pentecostalism enters its second century, perhaps the best way to celebrate the past is to read this book and be encouraged. The church faces change with each generation. For with each change the Spirit whispers the words of Christ, “Be not afraid little flock; it is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” We have an example set down in print in Heaven Below; let’s get to it.
Reviewed by Steven J. Brooks
Publisher’s page: http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674011281
Preview Heaven Below: http://books.google.com/books/about/Heaven_Below.html?id=BtWSkPO4y48C
Category: Church History, Fall 2002
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