In volume thirty-four of Brill’s Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies, editors Peter Hocken, Tony L. Richie, and Christopher Stephenson spearhead a collection of essays discussing varied interpretations and intersections of Pentecostal theology and Ecumenical theology. The editors and authors of the volume come from varied streams in the global Pentecostal/Charismatic movement and represent a collective of like-minded scholars, who’ve not only contributed to Pentecostal/Charismatic theology, but also supported ecumenical dialogues. Peter Hocken, who died before the final release of said volume, was himself an accomplished ecumenist and a Catholic Charismatic (ix).

In part I, essays were largely descriptive of historical and current Pentecostal interpretations on ecumenism. Notable among the essays is one from Pentecostal historian and ecumenist, Cecil M. Robeck, who chronicled early Pentecostal ideation and response to ecumenism. Robeck pointed out that early responses were of trepidation and misconception—the idea of ecumenism being correlated to the coming of the Antichrist (4). It was only in later years after efforts made by Pentecostal ecumenists like David du Plessis that Pentecostals opened to the viability of ecumenism and ecumenical theology (27).

Asian Pentecostal, Simon Chan, adds his position to this discussion by proposing that the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost (with the manifestation of tongues speech) inaugurates the Church as a “unity-in-diversity” (273). As a unity-in-diversity, the Pentecostal church can become an avenue for a confluence of traditions. Pentecostals can do this is by developing a more holistic charismatic worship in confluence with sacramental forms of Christianity (280). This confluence allows for the mutual engagement of both Pentecostal/Charismatic worship with liturgical/sacramental forms of Christianity.

I highly recommend this volume, Pentecostal Theology and Ecumenical Theology. The editors did a great job of collecting essays that not only inform readers of both theologies’ historical and current interpretations but also of the potential richness in their intersections. Each contributing author brings convincing propositions and evokes further reflection. It may also serve as a prolepsis to the future of Pentecostal/Charismatic scholarship.

Reviewed by Lora Angeline E. Timenia

Publisher’s page: https://brill.com/display/title/39536

Mel Robeck

Flyer about the lecture (available at the time of publication)

Breakfast with the Holy Spirit: The FGBMFI

In many countries of the world one can go to a fashionable hotel and find a Saturday breakfast meeting of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI).[1] There they will see businessmen raising their hands in adoration and praise to the Lord. A speaker, most likely not an ordained minister, would give a talk or Bible teaching, and others would be invited to witness to what the Lord has done in their lives. At times the emcee- facilitator of these breakfast meetings would ask those present to raise their hands in recognition as he called out the major denominations, such as Baptist, Methodists, Presbyterians, Catholics, etc. This ritual makes it clear to all that these breakfast meetings are ecumenical fellowships.[2]

An FGBMFI meeting in South Sudan.

The FGBMFI has brought the gospel to millions of men all over the world, and then immediately baptized many of them in the Holy Spirit–something few other churches or para-churches are likely to do. This has been done mostly by the thousands (and ultimately hundreds of thousands) of members taking the trouble to invite unbelieving friends, nominal Christians, and outright skeptics to the meetings with the lure of a free breakfast. In these meetings there have always been a steady stream of healings and deliverance prayers that occur either across the breakfast table, in a healing line, or in spontaneous prayer groups that form as the official meeting adjourns. This is evangelization as in the Hebrews 2:1-4 model at its best.

From Armenia to California

This grand and influential para-church ministry had its roots in the Shakarian family, which fled Armenia in 1900 and settled in California. In Armenia they had belonged to a congregation of believers that had roots in an 1850’s Russian revival which manifested some of the Gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. They worshiped in barns and homes and were independent from the majority Armenian Orthodox Church. In 1900, a local prophet warned the fellowship of impending doom, and he urged migration to America. Many did, including the Shakarian family. In fact, after World War I broke out, Turkey began a mass deportation of Armenians to the Mesopotamian desert (1916). This resulted in genocide of perhaps one million Armenians.

Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen is a Finnish Pentecostal who teaches systematic theology both in Europe and at Fuller Theological Seminary. He brings to his writing his vast ecumenical and extensive missionary experiences of worldwide Christianity. And arguably, Kärkkäinen is the most prolific Pentecostal theologian in the world today. Building on his dissertation research on the Pentecostal-Roman Catholic dialogues-two volumes: Spiritus Ubi Vult Spirat: Pneumatology in the Roman Catholic-Pentecostal Dialogue (1972-1989) (Luther-Agricola Society, 1998), and Ad ultimum terrae: Evangelization, Proselytism and Common Witness in the Roman Catholic-Pentecostal Dialogue (1990-1997) (Peter Lang, 1999)-Kärkkäinen has since produced a number of introductory texts on key theological topics in an amazingly short period of time. In the last year, two books have appeared: Pneumatology: The Holy Spirit in Ecumenical, International and Contextual Perspective and Christology: A Global Introduction (both from Baker Academic). Within the next year, a volume on the doctrine of God in global perspective will be available (also Baker Academic), as well as two other books on religious pluralism (InterVarsity Press) and the doctrine of the Trinity in relationship to theology of religions (Ashgate).

This background provides a window into the format and objectives of the volume under review. The material presented in this and much of Kärkkäinen’s other books have been shaped by his teaching, and the survey character of these texts make them eminently suitable for classroom use. And, of course, what is most valuable about Kärkkäinen’s introductory surveys is their global awareness, a feature practically absent from most evangelical treatments of these same topics. I gather that this global sensitivity has been nurtured in part because of Kärkkäinen’s background, but also in (perhaps larger) part because the Pentecostalism which nurtures his faith, spirituality and piety is now truly a worldwide movement. Thinking theologically as a Pentecostal today requires just this kind of global vision in order that justice can even begin to be done to the topics under consideration.