Rick Wadholm Jr. shares his highlights and reflections from the Society for Pentecostal Studies 2018 Annual Conference held at Pentecostal Theological Seminary, on the campus it shares with Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee.

The day before the meetings officially commenced for SPS in Cleveland, Tennessee, I took four of my students from Trinity Bible College & Graduate School in Ellendale, ND, on a historical tour of Church of God sites organized by the The Dixon Pentecostal Research Center and led by Dr. Henry Smith.
We traced the early history of the Church of God beginning with the organization of the Christian Union in 1886 at Barney Creek. A mill used to be present at the site and functioned to fund the ministry of R. G. Spurling. We then found ourselves at the site of the Shearer Schoolhouse where an early holiness revival contributed to the growth in 1896. Another site that is marked (though not at the original location even as it is near) is the log church site where worshippers experienced Spirit baptism and opponents eventually succeeded in burning the church to the ground. We also toured the Fields of the Wood Biblical Park (http://cogop.org/fow/) where the Holiness Church at Camp Creek was organized in the home of W.F. Bryant (1902) and where A.J. Tomlinson joined (1903). There we saw the world’s largest 10 Commandments and traveled the trail of markers dedicated to the doctrines and teachings of the Church of God of Prophecy. From that location we traveled to the house where the first General Assembly met (1906) and I posed for preaching (it seemed a fitting pose). To wrap up the tour we visited R.G. Spurling’s gravesite and then A.J. Tomlinson’s home in Cleveland. It was a welcome learning experience for myself and the students I brought along to discover Pentecostal stories outside of our own specific fellowship (Assemblies of God).

Yesterday was Father’s Day. I am grateful for my father. He has always been fully present in my seven siblings’ and my life. We certainly credit his involvement, as well as mom’s participation for any good that we have experienced.

Thank God for parents!

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education convened a group of faith, education, and governmental leaders to discuss the national situation of fathers, families and education. I was humbled to join the conversation on behalf of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conferences’ Faith and Education Coalition.

In our conversation, it was evident that social scientific research and sacred texts agree that fathers are crucial figures in the life and development of children. Indeed, there is an opportunity for private-public partnerships (faith-based and governmental organizations) to address the dismal reality of absent fathers in our society.

The National Center for Fathering points to our society’s appalling extent of fatherlessness:

More than 20 million children live in a home without the physical presence of a father.  Millions more have dads who are physically present, but emotionally absent.  If it were classified as a disease, fatherlessness would be an epidemic worthy of attention as a national emergency.

To add to this research, a few years ago Prison Fellowship re-published a very thought-provoking article concerning children with fathers in prison. The article points out, in part:

There are 2.7 million children with a parent in prison or jail. Ninety-five percent (95%) of all inmates will eventually be released. Ninety-two percent (92%) of parents in prison are fathers. Most — 2 out of 3 inmates — will re-offend and be back in prison.

When it comes to fatherhood and prison, we are locking too many dads in jail with little to no help.

Yesterday, I preached the Father’s Day Sermon at Victory Church in Yorktown, Virginia. The title of the sermon was “Rise Up and Walk,” based on Acts 3:1–10.

1. The message explained that the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in Acts 2was the Jesus’ name power in Acts 3 that Peter and John offered to the lame man;
2. The message challenged men to get up and get moving with their lives in the name of Jesus;
3. The message showed how in the text, the lame man needed other men to help him. Peter and John commanded the man to get up and walk and then gave the man a hand up.

They reached out to grab the man’s right hand because in Hebraic tradition, the right hand is the hand of power.

The lame man needed men to empower him to do what they commanded him to do. As a result, the lame man was able to do what he had never been able to do but always wanted to do.

I always enjoy the opportunity to listen to what world-class Pentecostal scholars are producing and it is a real pleasure to reconnect with PneumaReview.com writers. This year’s convention provided many memorable meetings.

I experienced a spirit of unity during the powerful worship service that opened the 2017 convention. There is nothing like celebrating God’s goodness together with Pentecostal scholars from all over the world. You would not know from my pictures how involved this crowd of academics and professors was in dancing before the Lord, raising their hands in praise, singing, or praying in the Spirit—but it was wonderful.

I love books and was glad to browse the many offerings from the numerous publishers present for the conference. Standing at the Eerdmans table, I was able to personally thank Craig Keener for doing an interview with us about his recent book Spirit Hermeneutics. I also learned that it is Harrison House’s new imprint, Empowered Life, that is publishing Robert Graves‘ expanded and revised Praying in the Spirit (the earlier edition was reprinted in full in The Pneuma Review).

To see a list of papers and panels presented during the convention, see the SPS website. As always, there were many presentations I missed because I could not be in more than one place at a time.

I will be adding more pictures to the Pneuma Review Facebook page if you would like to connect with me there. Update: I’ve been able to add a direct link to the Facebook album on the third page of this article.

From left to right: Tony Richie, Mike Dies, Raul Mock, and Martin Mittelstadt. Lee Roy Martin.

From left to right: Craig S. Keener and Raul Mock. Raul Mock and Antipas Harris.

Some Official Assessment

The wonderful folks of Life Pacific College (International Church of the Foursquare Gospel), located in beautiful San Dimas, California, were exceptionally gracious hosts. It was a special pleasure to be greeted in the first plenary by Jim Adams, LPC president, and the famous Jack Hayford (King’s University). LPC facilities were perfect for the needs of the Society, with ample space in a compact setting. And what a gorgeous campus! Aside from aesthetics, the statistics are impressive as well. Kim Roebuck, Assistant to the Executive Director, reports that there were 331 in attendance. Zach Tackett, SPS Secretary/Treasurer, informed the membership at its annual business meeting that the SPS 2015 figures represent the best membership roll in 5 years and that the Society is financially solvent. Certainly these appear to be signs that SPS continues to flourish as a vital venue for Pentecostal scholarship.

SPS could not happen without the diligent work of a great team of Interest Group Leaders: Scott Ellington, Daniela Augustine, Christopher Stephenson, Leah Payne, Sarita Gallagher, Doug Olena, James Bowers, Clifton Clarke, and Sammy Alfaro. As well, the work of Diversity Committee leader Meghan Musy, Librarians and Archivist chair, Derrick Rosenior, and other session leaders such as Dale M. Coulter and Daniel Tobin (Roman Catholic-Pentecostal dialogue) provided spiritual refreshing.

The plenary sessions with Linda Ambrose, John Goldingay, Teresa Berger, the Latino/a Pentecostalism session with Daniel Ramirez, Urias Mendoza, and Sammy Alfaro, and the great presidential address by Michael Wilkinson, were invigorating. Further, the artistic expressions by Carlynn Reed and Carlos Zapata, Jennifer Miskov and team, and Steven Felix-Jager were a refreshing innovation that ministered to all.

Lois Olena

Outgoing Executive Director Lois Olena (Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Springfield, MO) noted in her closing remarks at the SPS banquet that of its current membership of 557, SPS enjoys representation from 18 nations, 30 U.S. states, and 41 Christian denominations/traditions.

To me, in spite of its challenges, SPS has been to me “little taste of heaven,” because it has served in my life as a place where brothers and sisters in Christ, of diverse ethnicities and denominations, can experience “the other” in rich fellowship, mentorship, learning, collegiality, and laughter, as well as engage in times of challenging one another, searching and discovering, sharing ideas, celebrating one another’s accomplishments, and supporting friends through their struggles—not only once a year but all throughout the year as we continue to interact. SPS has been a place of vocational nurture, as our late president, Brother Jeff Gros, said in his 2012 presidential address: “The Pentecostal scholar in whatever church has a calling to be of service to the whole people of God and to the churches in their task of preaching, handing on the faith and nurturing the faithful. This Society has been a place where this ecclesial vocation has been and can be nurtured” [Pneuma 34, no. 2 (2012): 167.]

Ken Archer

For the Theology Interest Group on Thursday afternoon, Ken Archer presented a paper laying out three decisive moves of the “Cleveland School” as well as four key thinkers beginning in the 1980-1990s (Stephen Land, Cheryl Bridges Johns, John Christopher Thomas, and Rickie D. Moore) whose writings and contributions to Pentecostal studies were the catalyst of this “School”. The three moves were:

1. Pentecostal spirituality was distinctly embraced
2. A linguistic turn to context extradited understanding
3. An adaptation of postmodern theory from Pentecostal perspective was adopted

As part of the distinctly Pentecostal spirituality the foundational significance of five-fold gospel (Jesus saves, sanctifies, baptizes in the Holy Spirit, heals, and is soon coming king) seems always to be present in their work. Further, their Pentecostal spirituality thus belongs to the more Wesleyan stream and therefore also tends to be more Eastern/Catholic in orientation.

The “Cleveland School” (a name given to this particular approach to theology and biblical reflection) explicitly self-claims a Pentecostal identity with even its negative effects. These thinkers and their students are unapologetic about being Pentecostal.  While they were early on marginalized it gave cohesion for the development of a distinct group identity. This group also works distinctly for the Church and advancement of the kingdom rather than specifically for academia. According to Archer, M. Cartledge may have been one of the first to write of the “School”, though James K.A. Smith may actually have been the first to use the term.

As part of their theological and biblical work, those associated with the “School” have taken up W. Hollenweger’s emphasis on the early Pentecostals and their literature as being the heart of the movement. Their work is often informed by an early Pentecostal Wirkungsgeschichte (history of effects) approach which pays careful attention to the early literature of Pentecostals and how they heard the various theological and biblical issues being studied.

Chris Green

Chris Green (in typical fashion) offered a work in progress as one who is always trying to continue discerning. He delivered (part of his) thirty-nine theses on Christology. Chris used G. Hunsinger’s typology of low, high, and middle Christologies as a more helpful categorization that the normal bifurcated low and high categories. He offered numerous points at which he contended Pentecostals have tended (typically) toward forms of Christology that treat the deity as overly distinct from the humanity of Christ. He offered that there is a pastoral danger of an exemplar Christology that sees Jesus as little more than an example to be followed in his humanity. Further, he contended that Pentecostals should not be overly quick to embrace J. Moltmann’s theology of God suffering (see his “Crucified God”) which may simply be a low kenotic Christology in how one conceives of Jesus’ life, but a high Christology for his death on the cross.

Pastor Cletus Hull tells us about the International Society of Biblical Literature meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Puente de la Mujer (“Women’s Bridge”) rotating footbridge in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

I am back from my trip to Argentina and I had a great experience.

The Meeting was held from July 19-26, 2015 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The paper was titled “The Pneumatology of Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:9-16 Grounded with his Christology in 1 Corinthians 1:18-25.”

Presenting my paper on the cross and the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 1and 2.

About the paper: The cross of Christ crucified symbolized the central theme of Paul’s ministry. In his letter to the Corinthians, the apostle commenced his correspondence with “the message about the cross” and “power of God” (1 Cor. 1:18, NRSV). The proposal for this paper utilizes the method analogia scripturae. Set within the wisdom motif of the Greco-Roman world, this study is dedicated to the examination of the apostle’s Christology in the context of 1 Cor. 1:18-25 and the Pneumatology in 1 Cor. 2:9-16 as both pericopes are juxtaposed in his epistle. Essentially, the thesis concerns the grounding of the Pneumatology of Paul with his Christology in 1 Corinthians. The Corinthian church required clarification and pastoral wisdom with their pneumatic experiences; thus, Paul recognized that a strong theology of the cross complemented their encounters with the Spirit. The question for biblical studies involves a lively tension of the Pneumatology of the Spirit with a robust Christology. Because the power of God throughout this passage has the cross as its paradigm, the structure of the paper leads to the significance of the apostle’s pneumatological contribution of the cross and Christ crucified (1 Cor. 1:18; 2:2). For this reason, a strong Christology must ground the Pneumatology of the Pauline corpus. This study in biblical literature commences a new discussion in ecumenical dialogue between pneumatic experiences in the church and christological issues in scripture.

Rev. Dr. Cletus Luther Hull, III  D.Min.
PhD Student, Biblical Studies
Regent University
www.cletushull.com
July 29, 2015

The Society of Biblical Literature, according to their website, was founded in 1880 to foster biblical scholarship. The 2016 annual meeting will be held in Seoul, South Korea from July 3-7, 2016. For more information about their annual international meetings, see: https://www.sbl-site.org/meetings/internationalmeeting.aspx

Candy Gunther Brown speaking during the plenary session.

Meeting highlights

Pentecostal/charismatic scholars in worship.

This year’s meeting was themed, “Global Spirit: Pentecostals and the World.” Via plenary sessions, symposiums, panel discussions, and paper deliveries through the varied Interest Group sessions, I with more than 350 people from across the USA, Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe, and Canada, were gathered to explore, dialogue, and address relations between globalization, Pentecostalism worldwide, and the missional movements of the Holy Spirit throughout the global Church and world today. In doing so, we thus identified and conceptualized theological frameworks most conducive for both assessing the present transformation of world Christianity through global renewal movements, and envisioning directions of worldwide renewal over the coming decades.

SPS co-founder, Vinson Synan, and Ken Archer.

Founded in 1970, the Society for Pentecostal Studies (SPS) has grown into an international scholarly community comprising 500-plus members, who represent more than 60 theologically diverse church traditions and denominations and 190 institutions. Hence, while centered on Pentecostal and Charismatic studies, SPS has evolved into an effective ecumenical forum, which has enabled Pentecostals to participate in theological dialogues within or with other bodies such as the Faith and Order Commission of the National Council of Churches (USA), the Wesleyan Theological Society, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, as well as with the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions.

The 2015 Latino delegation.

This year’s conference was graced by four plenary speakers whose respective deliveries provided complementary reflection on the themes of global Pentecostalism, globalization, and the transformation of world Christianity through charismatic renewal worldwide. First to note was Dr. Ivan Satyavrata’s opening plenary address titled, “‘The Wind Blows Where It Wills’: Celebrating the Spirit’s Free Movement in a World without Borders.” Dr Satyavrata leads the Assemblies of God church and its ministry networks in Kolkata, India, much of which was founded by the late Mark Buntain. Speaking for the Friday morning plenary session was Dr. Candy Gunther Brown, Professor of Religious Studies at Indiana University, USA, whose address was titled, “Healing and the Growth of Global Pentecostalism.”

The 2015 Women’s caucus.

The keynote conference speaker was Dr Allan Anderson, Professor of Mission and Pentecostal Studies at the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. His address was titled, The Transformation of World Christianity: Challenges and Opportunities for Pentecostalism.” Anderson argued that the globalizing power of Pentecostalism is fuelled by an inherent tension it comprises, between a global charismatic, media-driven “meta-culture,” and a countervailing localization impulse that coupled with its supernatural worldview, makes Pentecostal spirituality naturally contextual with the common Majority Word holistic worldview, which perceives daily life as thoroughly pervaded with spiritual forces and realities.

Rob Wilkerson resonates with a recent article.

Robin Williams as Mr. Keating in Dead Poets Society

Jeffrey Overstreet, “How I Got Dead Poets Society Wrong: And how a great professor changed my mind” ChristianityTodayOnline (September 16, 2014).

Overstreet’s article brought back memories. A lot of them, to be honest. To some degree, the feelings the movie evoked returned to me like I saw it yesterday.

First, there were the memories of how I felt as a high school graduate, the same year the movie was released. I remember identifying intensely with Keating, a mentor every kid wished was his dad. I remembered thinking how much of Neil was in me, both the joyous freedom to be me, mixed with the insanity of conformity to cultural norms and standards.

Second, there were memories of how I felt about rules and standards. Growing up on the legalistic side of Christianity, I could understand the concerns of Neil’s father and Keating’s administration. Rebellion is built into every fiber and DNA strand of every human being. This was probably true of me when I watched it. The movie was like a pinball inside my soul, thrashing around, ringing bells, sounding noises, while smacked by the paddles of my legalistic upbringing and the taste of free grace.

Third, there are memories of my parenting. I’m a father to four awesome kids. Too often I’ve parented like Neil’s father. At least, that’s what I fear. More often I’ve wanted to parent like Keating, loosening the ropes, the guides of culture (including Christian culture) from the fragile sapling of grace I saw growing inside my children. Overstreet said it best. “Looking back at authority figures who have inspired my respect, and at those who have been driven by ego and a desire to control, I’ve come to suspect that anyone who seeks to instill character in another person by force will produce an equal and opposite reaction.”

There is a root found in both men in this movie. It is fear. Plain and simple. Neil’s father was fearful that his son wouldn’t fit into his tiny little world, that his son would find a type of happiness that he had talked himself out of years earlier. He was fearful of freedom, so he couldn’t let his son enjoy it. Then there’s Keating. Overstreet believes that “Mr. Keating models a healthy balance of freedom and responsibility. He descends into that world of order, accepting the form of a servant, and makes all things new. He shows them what the imagination, taking the shape of love, makes possible.” Perhaps. Probably. But undoubtedly obvious in Keating, as well as in his real life character, was this tinge of immaturity.

From left to right: Byron D. Klaus, President, Assemblies of God Theological Seminary. Raul Mock and Monte Rice. Frank Macchia and Raul Mock.

From left to right: Estrelda Alexander, President of the William Seymour College. David Daniels, Henry Winters Luce Professor of World Christianity, McCormick Theological Seminary. Daniel Ramírez, Assistant Professor, North American Religious History, University of Michigan.

From left to right: Exhibits. Andrew Gabriel and Raul Mock. Panel discussion of Craig Keener’s Acts: An Exegetical Commentary: Introduction and 1:1 – 2:47.

From left to right: Matthias Wenk, InstitutPlus and Craig Keener, Asbury Theological Seminary. Discussion of “Theological Pre-Cursors for Pentecostalism.” Craig Keener and Raul Mock.

From left to right: Raul Mock and Bill Faupel. Peter Hocken. Wolfgang Vondey, Regent University.

From left to right: Raul Mock and Tony Richie. Ken Archer, Dale Coulter, and Raul Mock. David Roebuck, Lee University.

From left to right: Raul Mock and Lee Roy Martin. Raul Mock and Lois Olena. Lisa Long and Kim Alexander.

From left to right: Timothy Creemens, Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese and Grace Graduate School of Ministry. Ecumenism discussion. Raul Mock and Robert Graves.

From left to right: Exhibits. Paul King, “Come Up Higher: The Higher Life Historical and Theological Roots of the Pentecostal Movement.”  Blaine Charette, Northwest University.

From left to right: Tony Richie, Pentecostal Theological Seminary. Pentecostal ecumenism panel. Linda Miller and Raul Mock.

From left to right: Bernie Van De Walle, Ambrose Seminary, “Getting ‘Redemption Right’ Wrong: The Inconsistency of Aspects of A. B. Simpson’s Doctrine of Divine Healing with the Theology of the Fourfold Gospel.” Mark Roberts, Paul King, and Raul Mock. Ecumenism discussion.

The 41st meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies was held at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, from February 29 to March 3, 2012. The theme of the convention was “Pentecostalisms, Peacemaking, and Social Justice/Righteousness.”

As a doctoral student, I found the 2012 Society for Pentecostal Studies conference to be nothing less than exceptional. Previously, my academic conference experience has been limited to the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature meetings. I was intrigued by the inclusion of clergy within a more academically recognized conference. I had the opportunity to present a paper critiquing the precedent analysis of women in the Church of God in Christ by former president Anthea Butler. The majority of session participants were men who readily engaged in further conversation on the paradox of power within the women’s department of the Church of God in Christ raised within my presentation.

Regent University

I attended the meeting with a little knee injury that prevented me from attending some of the morning sessions. But the networking at an SPS event is invaluable. The level of scholarship amidst the conference attendees is comparable to any academic conference in the world. The conference was not without a myriad of valuable representations from publishers, archivists, universities, and software technology for today’s scholar.

For more information about past meetings of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, visit www.sps-usa.org.