William L. De Arteaga, Forgotten Power: The Significance of the Lord’s Supper in Revival (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), 287 pages.

This is an important book for Pentecostal and charismatic readers. De Arteaga, a former Roman Catholic who became a Pentecostal over thirty years ago, has drawn from the wealth of his experiences in both traditions to present a well-written and convincing presentation of the need to reintegrate sacramental worship and charismatic spirituality. His chief concern in the book is to restore the importance of the Lord’s Supper in the worship of the church, though his insights can be applied to other types of sacramental ordinances according to one’s tradition.

De Arteaga affirms that sacramental worship and charismatic spirituality are not antithetical. True and long lasting revival must be a three-dimensional and integrated experience represented by the preaching of the Word, the presence of sacraments during worship, and the presence of the gifts of the Spirit.

In the twentieth century the inclusion of the Lord’s Supper in the worship of the church has been greatly diminished. Today we see either a sacramental worship without revival (Roman Catholicism), or revival without sacramental worship (Evangelical/Charismatic). In light of these glaring deficiencies, De Arteaga presents a historical retrospective of the important place that the Lord’s Supper once held within the Reformed and Wesleyan traditions.

Father Bill De Arteaga is a regular contributor to PneumaReview.com.

This story begins with the Puritans and Scot-Irish Presbyterians who, influenced by the Eucharistic theologies of the Reformers, found a prominent place for the Lord’s Supper within their worship. In these movements the celebration of the Supper, whether viewed as a sacrament to strengthen the faith of believers or as a converting ordinance, was a catalyst to revival. Those same sacramental traditions were carried over to North America producing some of the most intense and profound revivals in American religious history.

The Lord’s Supper came to lose its centrality in the Reformed Tradition due to the opposition of those who objected to its use as a converting ordinance. It soon became relegated to a quarterly sacrament and no longer produced the powerful conversions and commitment once seen the past.

The Supper played a central role in the revival and renewal of faith in the Wesleyan movement. Influenced by their Anglican background and Moravian contacts, John and Charles Wesley understood the Supper and accompanying love feasts as measures of renewing the faith of believers and bringing in new converts into the church.

Over time, as the Methodist church became detached from its Anglican roots in the United States, its focus remained preaching the gospel to the poor and those in need, but the Supper faded into the background. Later evangelists influenced by the Wesleyan tradition such as Charles Finney and others placed more emphasis on conversions, leading to what is commonly known as the “sacrament of the altar,” which viewed public confessions of faith as central to a convert’s salvation. While recognizing the tremendous success that modern evangelists such as Rinehard Bonnke and Billy Graham have seen in producing mass conversions and the impossibility of incorporating the Lord’s Supper into these massive meetings, De Arteaga still affirms that the Lord’s Supper should play an important role in the revival of the church. In his view, it is the Wesleyan emphasis on sanctification along with its holistic model of Christian life and discipleship—including the Word, the sacraments, small group meetings, presence of the Spirit, robust hymnology, practical ministry to the poor, and goal of Christian perfection—which will produce and sustain revival.

Reinerio Arce, Manuel Quintero and Elizabeth Carrillo, eds., Carismatismo en Cuba (Quito, Ecuador: CLAI, 1997).

This book is made up eight essays written by Cuban clergy and university faculty, which provide a panoramic view of the Pentecostal/charismatic movement inside Cuba. Six of the essays provide us with the understanding that in spite of forty years of communist rule the Pentecostal/charismatic movement is alive and well in Cuba. This is further supported by the excellent interviews with a Catholic layperson, a Methodist minister and Pentecostal pastor found at the end of the book. The remaining two essays address the doctrine of Spirit baptism and the creative and renewing work of the Spirit.

In keeping with the intense missionary emphasis of the early Pentecostal movement, various denominations established churches in the Cuba at the beginning of the 20^th century. Many of the major North American denominations such as Open Bible Churches, Church of God, Assemblies of God and the Foursquare Church established churches throughout the island.¹ The first major period of Pentecostal expansion (1930-1960) was due to widespread temple building, public evangelistic and healing services. It was during this period that many Cuban Pentecostals leaders separated from their parent churches to establish their own denominations. During the 1970s and 1980s the difficulties brought about the Communist government led to a decline in membership and the inability to educate leaders. There was, however, the continued establishment of Cuban national Pentecostal churches.

From the late 1980s, till present, Pentecostalism in Cuba has seen a revitalization and increase in its membership. The disillusionment experienced by the Cuban people with the atheistic and materialistic Communist government has led many to seek spiritual answers to life’s problems. The churches during this period have had some success in establishing positive relationships with the government.

Cuban Pentecostalism shares many of the doctrinal and liturgical emphases found in Pentecostalism throughout the world. Its doctrines of salvation, baptism in the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues and healing are similar to what is found in most Pentecostal churches internationally. Its worship services, which follow an informal liturgical program, are open to spontaneity and the participation of members through public prayer and testimonies. It is this freedom of expression within the worship service that attracts new converts.

The influences of modern society have made inroads in Cuban Pentecostalism, which is seen in the adaptation of modern dress, and activities once prohibited such as mixed bathing (swimming). Cuban Pentecostals are also involved in many ecumenical organizations within Cuba, Latin America, and beyond. The essays also point out the interest shared by Pentecostals and Charismatics about the social and political implications of the gospel message for Cuban society.