Gary B. McGee, “Taking the Logic ‘A Little Further’: Late Nineteenth-Century References to the Gift of Tongues in Mission-related Literature and their Influence on Early Pentecostalism” Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies 9:1 (2006), pages 99-125.

No one interested in early Pentecostal history or in the history of the development of the doctrine of tongues should miss this important article by historian Gary McGee. http://www.apts.edu/ajps/06-1/06-1-GMcGee.pdf [URL no longer working as of July 27, 2014]

Anthea Butler, “Pentecostal Traditions We Should Pass On: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” PNEUMA: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies 27:2 (Fall 2005)

This edgy presidential address to Pentecostal/charismatic scholars was given at the Society for Pentecostal Studies annual meeting held in Lexington, Kentucky in March 2005. This is a provocative introduction to the history of Pentecostal/charismatic scholarship (or at least of the Society for Pentecostal Studies) and the challenges it faces in order to fill a prophetic role in the future.

More on Azusa Centennial

Enrichment (Spring 2006) features numerous articles under the theme “The Azusa Street Revival: 100 years of Pentecostal Power and Passion.” Articles include: Cecil M. Robeck, Jr., “Azusa Street: 100 Years Later;” Daniel Woods, “‘Signs’ and the Azusa Revival;” Leonard Lovett, “William J. Seymour: Peril and Possibilities for a New Era;” Vinson Synan, “The Lasting Legacies of the Azusa Street Revival.”

Charisma and Christian Life has articles focused around the cover theme: “100 Years of Pentecost, 1906-2006: The Azusa Street Revival Rocked our World in 1906. It Can Happen Again” including historic articles by Pentecostal/charismatic pioneers William Seymour, Florence Crawford, Aimee Semple McPherson, Dennis and Rita Bennett, and John Sherrill.

Rob Moll, “Missions Incredible: South Korea sends more missionaries than any country but the U.S. And it won’t be long before it’s number one” Christianity Today (March 2006), pages 28-34.

This cover story is an informative and encouraging introduction to the place Koreans are taking in global missions. No one that is interested in what God is doing in the majority world or the changing face of missionary effort will want to miss this article. At the time of printing, the full article was available online at http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/003/16.28.html along with numerous links to other articles on Korean missionary effort and missions.

Dale M. Coulter, “Pentecostal Visions of the End: Eschatology, Ecclesiology and the Fascination of the Left Behind Series” Journal of Pentecostal Theology 14:1 (October 2005), pages 81-98.

Lee University professor Dale Coulter says that there is a connection between classical Pentecostals’ understanding of the end times and their doctrine of the church. This intersection of bible prophecy and how the church should function was influenced by early Pentecostals’ understanding of divine authority and today influences Pentecostal ecumenical outreach or isolation.

The full article may be available at this internet path: www.brill.com/journal-pentecostal-theology

Stephen Hunt, “The Alpha Program: Charismatic Evangelism for the Contemporary Age” PNEUMA: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies 27:1 (Spring 2005), pages 65-82.

An introduction to the internationally successful Alpha evangelism program.

Greg Ogden, “Breaking Free from Caregiver to Equipper” Enrichment (Winter 2006), pages 34-40.

Is this how things work at your church? “Pastors do the ministry and God’s people receive their pastoral care” (35). Discipleship pastor Greg Ogden challenges church leaders to close the gap between the promise of the priesthood of believers and the spectator reality of everyday church life.

At the time of printing, the full article was available here: http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/200601/200601_034_BreakFree.cfm

Image: Sudiono Muji

from the editor’s desk

Has anyone ever asked you, “Are you one of them tongue-talkers?” After you get your eyes to stop rolling, you have to decide whether or not to do a witty comeback (no, this is not the kind of response I usually choose, but it appeals to my flesh to think about it) “Well, yes, aren’t you? I know if the early church needed it, I sure do.” Or, you may decide to calmly and lovingly offer a defense for what you believe about praying in the Spirit and tongues with interpretation. But what about the out-of-the-blue statement, “All you [insert your “label” here] ever talk about is tongues”? Your mouth drops and you say, “Wait, didn’t you just bring it up?”

In the love of the Father,

— Raul Mock, Executive Editor

The Secret Codes in Matthew: Examining Israel’s Messiah. Messianic teacher Kevin Williams continues his Messianic Foundations Series with part 22 of his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Kevin examines the Passion of Messiah, putting the events in historical and Jewish perspective  

The Power of the Cross. The Pneuma Review is reprinting chapters from The Kingdom and the Power,which asks: “Are Healing and the Spiritual Gifts Used by Jesus and the Early Church Meant for the Church Today?” The Fall 2006 issue will feature “A Biblical View of the Relationship of Sin and the Fruits of Sin: Sickness, Demonization, Death, Natural Calamity” by Peter H. Davids.

Some of the book and periodical reviews you will see:

“Wolves or Tares?” William De Arteaga responds to Edward S. Little, “Living with Tares: Why I stay in a Church that has seriously strayed from biblical teaching” Christianity Today (March 2006).

Tony Richie reviews Frank D. Macchia’s book Baptized in the Spirit: A Global Pentecostal Theology.

John Lathrop reviews The Azusa Street Mission and Revival by Cecil M. Robeck.

Wolfgang Vondey reviews the book Violence, Hospitality, and the Cross: Reappropriating the Atonement Tradition by Hans Boersma.

The Secret Codes in Matthew: Examining Israel’s Messiah. Messianic teacher Kevin Williams continues his Messianic Foundations Series with part 21 of his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Kevin examines Messiah’s night-time trial before the Sanhedrin, pointing to the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy and the travesty of justice that took place.

William L. De Arteaga, “Agnes Sanford: Apostle of Healing, and First Theologian of the Charismatic Renewal” Part 2 of 2. Discover Agnes Sanford’s important influence on the charismatic movement in this article by historian William De Arteaga.

The Power of the Cross. The Pneuma Review is reprinting chapters from The Kingdom and the Power which asks: “Are Healing and the Spiritual Gifts Used by Jesus and the Early Church Meant for the Church Today?” The Summer 2006 issue will feature “Old Testament Foundation: Signs and Wonders in Prophetic Ministry and the Substitutionary Atonement of Isaiah 53” by Jeffrey Niehaus.

Eric Wilbanks, “The Portable Preacher: A guide to joining the podcasting revolution … without getting lost in the crowd.” Ministries Today (Jan./Feb. 2006), pages 75-76.

This “Ministry Tools” article is an introduction to the expanding universe of podcasting (downloadable internet radio) and a guide to help you join this media revolution. Sidebars include links to podcasting software and existing directories as well as innovative “bridge strategies” to seed ideas to make your internet radio show grab attention and “narrowcast” to keep your audience interested.

http://ministrytodaymag.com/index.php/ministry-today-archives/66-unorganized/12234-ministry-tools86 [Available as of August 22, 2014]

“The Apprentices” Leadership (Summer 2005), pages 20-25.

This interview with philosophy professor Dallas Willard and pastor Dieter Zander asks, “What is spiritual formation? And how does a church do it?” Find the interview online at:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2005/003/2.20.html [Available as of August 22, 2014]

The Kingdom and the Power. The Pneuma Review has received permission to reprint chapters from this important work that asks: “Are Healing and the Spiritual Gifts Used by Jesus and the Early Church Meant for the Church Today?” Contributors to the volume include J. I. Packer, Jeffrey Niehaus, Stanley M. Burgess, Charles H. Kraft, and John White. This series begins with the introduction by editors Gray S. Greig and Kevin N. Springer.

The Secret Codes in Matthew: Examining Israel’s Messiah. Messianic teacher Kevin Williams continues his Messianic Foundations Series, part 20 of a mini-series on the Gospel of Matthew. Kevin will be looking at Matthew 26, the Last Supper and its overarching relationship with Passover.

Rightly Understanding God’s Word: Context of Genre by Craig S. Keener concludes with a study of the Reader’s Social Location. Learn important principles for approaching God’s Word: reading, teaching, and doing what it says.

Philip Yancey, “A Quirky & Vibrant Mosaic” Christianity Today (June 2005), pages 36-39.

Who are evangelicals? They are not so easily defined as a gang of moralists allied with conservative American politics. Four distinctives may summarize what evangelicals identify with: “Conversionism: the belief that lives need to be transformed through a ‘born again’ experience. Activism: the expression of the gospel in missionary and reform efforts. Biblicism: a particular regard for the Bible as the ultimate authority. Crucicentrism: a stress on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross as making possible the redemption of humanity.” Yancey identifies with the broad spectrum of evangelicalism while gently calling them to a closer following in the footsteps of Jesus.

This article may be found on the Christianity Today website at this location: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/006/24.37.html

Jon Mark Ruthven, “Are Pentecostal Seminaries a Good Idea?” PNEUMA: The Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies 26:2 (Fall 2004), pages 339-345.

Jon Ruthven questions the way Pentecostal and charismatic leaders are trained in today’s institutions and calls educators to turn to a biblical pattern of training leaders how to live by the revelatory “hearing of faith.”

Joseph L. Castleberry responds in this dialogue, “Pentecostal Seminaries are Essential to the Future Health of the Church,” pages 346-354. Castleberry says the question should not be “‘how can we stave off institutionalization?’ but rather, ‘how can we keep charisma alive in the midst of the institutions we have founded to perpetuate it?’” (350-351).

Read Ruthven’s paper on the Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship website: http://www.tffps.org/docs/Are%20Pentecostal%20Seminaries%20a%20Good%20Idea.pdf

Tim Stafford, “The Pentecostal Gold Standard: After 50 years in ministry, Jack Hayford continues to confound stereotypes—all to the good.” Christianity Today (July 2005).

Pastor Jack Hayford is one of North America’s best known Pentecostals. He remains unashamed of his Pentecostal distinctives and whose conciliatory demeanor continues to disarm critics.

At the time of printing, the full article was available online at: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/007/18.24.html

The Speaking in Tongues Controversy. Robert Graves continues his review essay, “A Narrative-Critical Response,” Part 2. Graves asks if authorial intent is the doom of Pentecostal theology.

John Alexander Dowie. Pastor Derek Vreeland introduces us to revivalist John Dowie and his ministry of divine healing.

The Secret Codes in Matthew: Examining Israel’s Messiah. Messianic teacher Kevin Williams continues his Messianic Foundations Series with the nineteenth chapter in a mini-series on the Gospel of Matthew. Kevin will be looking at the Hebraisms and Jewish background found in Matthew 24, and the signs of the “Son of Man.”

Rightly Understanding God’s Word: Context of Genre by Craig S. Keener continues with a study of the book of Revelation. Learn important principles for approaching God’s Word: reading, teaching, and doing what it says.

One of the book and periodical reviews you will see:

Wolfgang Vondey reviews Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen’s Christology: A Global Introduction. An Ecumenical, International, and Contextual Perspective (Baker Academic)