Theme: The Holy Spirit and the healing of the body.

On behalf of the Center for the Study of the Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit Today, we are inviting you to submit research paper proposals pertaining to the theme of the 2023 symposium. Our vision is for this interdisciplinary discussion to traverse the landscapes of the psychological, neurological, spiritual and biblical-theological (although not limited to these areas), culminating in a collective exploration of the Holy Spirit and the healing of the human body.

This conversation within the guild of pneumatology will be showcased at the upcoming Fall 2023 Holy Spirit Academic Symposium. The selected scholars, along with Biola’s five faculty fellows chosen to engage in this research, will present their findings at this time. Keynote speaker, Dr. Craig Keener, and responses by Dr. Candy Gunther Brown, will provide the biblical-theological foundation for a deeper discovery of the healing work of the Holy Spirit. We encourage you to submit an abstract (300 words) to the committee by completing this form no later than January 31st, 2023. 

Join the already accepted research from the following scholars: Dr. Carmen Imes, Dr. Leon Harris, Dr. Richard Gunasekera, Dr. James Johansen, and Professor Helen Mitchell.

The research produced for the symposium will serve students across diverse disciplines, including theology, business, social science, and biological science, integrating the work of the Divine Spirit with those areas of study. Additionally, pastors and leaders will also obtain a wider breadth of knowledge and understanding regarding healing within the Church. We truly hope you will consider sharing at this academic event.

Oscar Merlo
Director, Center for the Study of the Work and Ministry of the Holy Spirit Today

Global Renewal Christianity: Latin America, provides a broad lens that not only captures the breath and the renewing influence of the Holy Spirit in the region, but also the historicity of Latino/a Pentecostalism being experienced for the last 100 years. The volume is skillfully edited and written with the goal of approaching the context and connecting the reader with specific regions such as; Cuba (99), San Pedro Sula, Honduras (44), the Andean Region (157-217) and the Southern Cone (239-295) in Latin America.

This remarkable volume also provides robust historical evidence of the Christian renewal movement in the region. The writers eloquently addressed Pentecostalism from their own context and traditions. The collection of essays utilizes various enquiry and academic styles to bring forth into the Guild of Pentecostal studies, what Bernardo Campos describes as; Pentecostalidad (Pentecostality) Latino-Americana (XXXii). For Campos, Pentecostalidad Latino-Americana is a new collective dynamic evangelical identity that is defined as the Spirit’s Empowerment upon a new generation of leaders. These new leaders from across the region are not only united through Pentecostalidad as new Latin American evangelical faces but are also a generation greatly concern with the pressing social issues of their countries. Hence, Pentecostalidad is redefining what it means to be part of a renewed Christian movement and is creating space for new actors that have begun to reshape the landscape of Latin American evangelicalism.

The volume also highlights the work of Pentecostal women like Elena Laidlaw in Chile. Numerous women in Latin America were key figures in the spreading of Pentecostalism at the beginning of 20^th century. However, many pioneer women were also persecuted, erased from history books, and silenced because of their gender (301). Yes!