On February 11^th and 12^th 2015, Amos Yong delivered a two-part series of lectures at Ambrose University for the annual Murray W. Downey Lectureship. Ambrose University is a Christian institution of higher education in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, composed of a denominationally diverse community seeking to represent Christ in their respective fields. Yong is currently Professor of Theology and Mission and Director for Missiological Research at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is a prolific author who has written, edited, and contributed to scores of publications. At this lectureship, Yong explored the impact of Pentecostalism on Christianity in his lectures titled, “The Coming Global Christianity: Pietistic-Pentecostal Challenges and Opportunities.”

Murray W. Downey was a founding member of the faculty of the Canadian Bible College in 1941 and taught there for 31 years. An Academic Dean for six years, he was also Director of Christian Service for 30 years. In 1982, the Canadian Theological Seminary along with the Canadian Bible College established the Murray W. Downey Chair of Evangelism. The Downey Endowment and Scholarship Fund and Lectureship Series honours Mr. Downey’s service, passion, and commitment, and assists future M.Div. students.
From the Ambrose University page introducing the 2015 Downey Lectures.

In his first lecture, Yong introduced the issues at hand by defining his terms and then presented the challenges facing Pietistic-Pentecostalism. This stream of Christianity is “coming” in the sense that it is a present reality that has not yet arrived in its fullness, as seen in its continual growth. It is “global” in that it is affecting communities all over the world. Yong noted that some prefer the term “World Christianity” rather than “Global Christianity” because the former emphasizes not only the expanse of Christianity around the world (as the latter does) but also the diversity seen among the different Christianities. Pietistic-Pentecostalism is one of these expressions. While Pietism and Pentecostalism are not identical, they are related in many ways. In fact, a Pietistic form of Pentecostalism has emerged. The merging of strands from these two traditions into one unique expression of Christianity can be traced to the Azusa Street Revival in the twentieth century, where many of those involved in this Pentecostal movement came from Pietistic backgrounds. Thus, while not the same thing, these two traditions are organically interrelated and may be regarded as spiritual and historical cousins, perhaps even siblings.

After defining his terms, Yong identified two characteristics of Pietistic-Pentecostalism: first, its place within evangelicalism (in that it is committed to a born again experience, Christ-centered spirituality, a focus on the cross, and a commitment to evangelism a la David Bebbington’s definition) and, second, its emphasis on orthopathos (right feeling) and orthopraxis (right behavior). While it does not neglect orthodoxy (right thinking), it defines it differently—primarily in its necessary relation to both orthopathos and orthpraxis—rather than primarily in its relation to creeds and confessions. In order to illustrate this understanding of orthodoxy, orthopraxis, and orthopathos, Yong explained what a conversation between Pietistic-Pentecostals looks like. He said it is only after the two parties agree that they “love Jesus” that they would get into a discussion of other theological issues. None of the emerging theological issues, however, would ever be seen as being as important as the already established fact that they both love Jesus. While “loving Jesus” may need to be defined, this defining must not take precedence over the fact that love must be displayed in one’s actions. In fact, Yong proposed, this is exactly what theology is—a reflection on how one has experienced the risen Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not, primarily, abstract hypothesizing.

Desperately Wicked is a philosophical exploration of who we are. As the subtitle suggests, Downey seeks to uncover the magnitude of the wickedness in the human heart. His analysis is sobering, exposing that what is wrong with us is more than merely the fragility of human fallibility.

After six chapters of exploring philosophical writings on sin, he concludes in chapters seven to nine by demonstrating the necessity of the coming of the Christ King. The solution to wickedness is the conversion of the human conscience, a transformation that only Christ can bring.

The book under review is also helpful for scholars since it is also probably written with the goal of complementing the resurgence of analytical philosophical theology. While Downey is not explicit about the connection with analytical philosophical theology, the motif is evident, both in this volume as in his other work, Serious Comedy: The Philosophical and Theological Significance of Tragic and Comic Writing in the Western Tradition.

Humanity, Downey postulates, wears a Dionysian mask that conceals the criminal intent to perform dark deeds aimed at satisfying our ‘wicked’ desires often invisible to others. Behind the concealments are fears and anxieties of wanting to appear just and be just, and people often seek to overcome fear through coercion. The erotic and thumotic desires relate to the intent of wanting to possess and keep our private property. To satisfy these erotic and thumotic desires, and to protect our possessions, we blame or deceive others, or exaggerate our superiority over others. These primordial desires in humankind are carried to full term in the social arena of politics exactly the way such was portrayed in the Greek tragedies.

We need the miracle of the King. He knows us. He possesses all of the virtues shared by none. And He offers a gift that overturns what is impossible to correct in humanity. He turned the body politic of survival and the invisible quest for erotic and thumotic desires so rooted in humanity, and makes us “Good.” No longer must we mistake who our enemies are. No longer must we treat our brothers and sisters as rivals. No longer must we hold with a tight fist our discontent and malaise but learn the spirit of loving, sharing, and accepting others. Friendship with God becomes then friendship with the world in service to God and the world, with justice and equality. The old bondage of fear, rooted in displaced desires, and manifested politically in the search for excellence and happiness by means of deception, cruelty and self-enrichment through impoverishing others has been replaced. The taboo of others reading through our “invisible” Dionysian mask of wickedness no longer has a hold of us!