Over the last decade Wolfgang Vondey has ascended the ranks of Pentecostal theologians, writing several important monographs, and his book Pentecostal Theology only enhances his stellar reputation.  In short, Vondey principally argues that “Pentecost is the core theological symbol of Pentecostal theology, and its theological narrative is the full gospel” (1). Pentecost is a historical event, but it is also much more. Vondey hopes to demonstrate that Pentecost can also function as the foci of a theological system. Pentecost symbolizes a direct encounter with God through the Holy Spirit and manifests in various signs that point to God’s redemptive activity. Ultimately, a theology of Pentecost is an ecumenical vision. It can reach beyond Pentecostalism to make a valuable contribution to the broader theological horizon.

In the opening chapter, Vondey argues that doctrine is not the end for Pentecostal theology; rather, its primary goal is to encounter God. Thus play, inasmuch as it is an encounter with God, is an alternative way to frame worship. Vondey writes, “Play is therefore a way of engaging the world not exclusively through doctrine but also materially, physically, spiritually, aesthetically, morally, and socially. Theology as play has the character of spontaneity, enthusiasm, improvisation, and the free engagement of others in an unbounded movement of God’s Spirit” (13). Through play, Pentecostals become participants in the narrative of Pentecost and the anticipation of encountering God in this manner fuels Pentecostal experience.

In part two, Vondey applies a Pentecostal understanding of the full gospel to creation, humanity, society, church, and God by committing a chapter to each of these topics. He argues that “the full gospel can function both descriptively and constructively for developing a systematic Pentecostal theology” (156). By structuring his text in this manner, Vondey implies that Pentecost begins and ends with the worship of God. In this sense, Pentecostalism is a liturgical movement. Furthermore, Vondey shows that Pentecostal theology invites all to the altar, even as the altar is located everywhere.

A handbook of Pentecostal Christianity is an important addition to the growth of recent literature introducing Pentecostal beliefs and practices. Twenty-four scholars provide concise essays on fifty topics in a format of a Reader or Introduction suitable for a general audience and students of religion (and Pentecostalism). Stewart has assembled an illustrious group of well-known scholars on Pentecostalism with strong and concise essays on topics matching their subject expertise. The result is an engaging explanation of various phenomena characterizing the global Pentecostal movement, from standard entries, including the Azusa Street mission and revival, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, the full gospel, exorcism, prophecy, and divine healing, to theological topics, including ecclesiology, eschatology, and dispensationalism, to important figures, such as William J. Seymour, William Howard Durham, and Aimee Semple McPherson, this handbook is a “handy” resource when more exhaustive dictionaries and encyclopedias of Pentecostalism are not available.

The book serves two objectives: (1) to assist college, university, and seminary students interested in Pentecostalism, and (2) to serve the general reader as a concise resource. Although the book resembles a reference-style dictionary, it is not intended as an exhaustive resource but rather as a collection of concise entry-points by Pentecostal scholars to the history, theology, practices, and contemporary forms of Pentecostalism. A brief introduction precedes the essays and highlights the purpose of the book, the selection of entries, and perspectives of the authors, and concludes with a sample course outline for using the book in the classroom. At Stewart’s own admission, the entries of the book are heavily weighted toward North American classical Pentecostalism. The essays are written from what could be considered a broadly critical perspective, with the intention to provide ten lead essays from a largely normative perspective (which appears identical with the classical Pentecostal perspective): Acts of the Apostles, Baptism of the Holy Spirit, exorcism, healing, hermeneutics, Holy Spirit, initial evidence, salvation, spiritual gifts, and suffering. The main objective is undoubtedly to cover topics of Pentecostal Christianity that most (classical) Pentecostals would consider essential.

Adam Stewart

The choice of topics is certainly debatable, and disagreement might be expected. Nonetheless, the fifty topics selected are a sound basis for this introductory text. Perhaps more significant is the identification of normative essays anchoring the selection on particular doctrinal themes. A different option would be to identify several key contextual essays on the global nature of Pentecostalism: African Pentecostalism, Asian Pentecostalism, Australian Pentecostalism, European Pentecostalism, Latin American Pentecostalism, Native American Pentecostalism, North American Pentecostalism, and Oneness Pentecostalism. In contrast, the identification of Pentecostalism as an “American” religion (4) is unfortunately counterproductive to the purposes of the book, to many of the topics, and several authors included in the collection. The proposed course outline reflects this choice in a manner that should essentially be reversed: two segments on global Pentecostalism are sandwiched between historical, practical, and doctrinal explanations that portray Pentecostals as a revival movement which has migrated from North America. Awareness of origins, institutions, and developments outside of North America (and predating the American revivals) can be found in the essays but is not widely represented. The fact that the ten normative essays are written by only three scholars from the global North adds to the challenges to portray Pentecostalism as a global Christian phenomenon. These features are not likely readily apparent to the general reader or beginning student of religion and unfortunately perpetuate the idea that Pentecostalism is an American product. When this limitation is understood, the book should serve well readers in the North American market. For a global perspective, however, other supplementary texts should be consulted.

Wolfgang Vondey, ed., The Holy Spirit and the Christian Life: Historical, Interdisciplinary, and Renewal Perspectives, Christianity and Renewal – Interdisciplinary Studies 1 (New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillan, 2014), v + 240 pages.

Wolfgang Vondey is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Director of the Center for Renewal Studies at Regent University. He has authored and edited numerous publications on Pentecostal, charismatic, ecumenical, and theological interests. In this title, 12 scholars from philosophical, theological, historical, and biblical disciplines join to discuss the transforming work of the Spirit in the Christian life. These individual essays are held together by a focus on the exploration of the relation between the work of the Spirit and personal, ecclesial, and social transformation, discipleship, and Christian formation. The title points toward interdisciplinary integration of theory and practice and theology and spirituality.

In the Introduction, Vondey notes that the biblical images for the Spirit (including wind, breath, fire, water, and love), which are all metaphors that capture not only the basic elements of the world, but also the fundamental necessities of creation. Yet, as Vondey reminds us, Basil of Caesarea tells us that the “Spirit is not brought into intimate association with the soul by its local approximation.” Indeed, the Spirit may drive all of creation toward God, but this does not guarantee that we shall see the Spirit’s work in all of creation, for we must still discern the spirits (2). In this title particularly, and all of this Series generally, Renewal is a “journey by way of the Spirit into and transcending the full range of classical expressions and core symbols of the faith toward their transformation” (11).

The origin of these essays was the 2013 Annual Conference in Renewal Studies at Regent University, titled the same as the book. Most of the essays in this collection were presented at this venue, or other similar venues. With the remaining space for review, I would like to mention some of the more impactful chapters from the text. Starting the text off in chapter 1 is Steve Sherman’s, “Mapping the Hermeneutical Waters,” wherein he argues that only a robust, Spirit-filled hermeneutic will be apropos for the Evangelical community. Sherman maps five hermeneutical territories, and suggests that although there is general agreement regarding the necessity of pneumatic hermeneutics, Spirit-filled hermeneutics takes on vastly different form from model to model. In chapter 5, Cheryl M. Peterson participates in “A Lutheran Engagement with Wesley on the Work of the Holy Spirit.” In this chapter, she asks what a Lutheran can learn from Wesley about the Spirit in the Christian life. Peterson’s study shows ways in which they can reclaim a more complete historical understanding of the Spirit’s work in the Christian life as well as get an assist from their theological neighbors, the Wesley’s, regarding the fullness of salvation given through Christ in the Spirit.

At a time where books on the first one hundred years of modern-day Pentecostalism are published with frequency, Alexander reminds us of the important heritage of African American Pentecostals. African and African American origins of classical Pentecostalism remain a neglected topic of study, and even African American Pentecostals often know little of their own heritage. Despite the influence of the black preacher William J. Seymour and other African American leaders on the origins and development of Pentecostalism in North America, few scholars have traced the story of African American Pentecostal origins or developed a comprehensive account of the racial landscape of Pentecostals. The recovery of African American contributions was hindered for many decades by the dominance of two competing theories of Pentecostal beginnings that identified either white or black origins. Interracial origins and the diversity of influences within different racial traditions are only recently becoming a topic of study, and the much larger questions of the relationship of particular racial theories of Pentecostal origins to the racial composition of global Pentecostalism are only in their infancy. Black Fire closes this gap with a rich account of the untold story of African American Pentecostalism.

In ten lucid chapters, Alexander recounts Pentecostal retentions from African Spirituality, the legacy of the nineteenth-century Black Holiness Movement, the impact of William J. Seymour and the Azusa Street revival, the rise of African American trinitarian Pentecostal denominations, development of Black Oneness Pentecostalism, the presence of Black Pentecostals in predominantly white denominations, women’s leadership in African American churches, African American Neo-Pentecostals and Charismatic Movements, and the theological challenges of African American Pentecostalism. Two bibliographies of historical and contemporary sources complete the work.

While first impression might suggest that Black Fire is a historical work, Alexander’s study blends historical presentation with theological arguments. Never dispassionate in her writings, she has recently produced a number of works on African American Pentecostals, including a focus on Afro-Pentecostalism, in general, and women leaders in African American Pentecostalism, in particular, that confront the lack of attention given to African American Pentecostalism. At the core of Black Fire are the twin concerns of gender and race that characterize North American Pentecostal denominations. Interrogating the racial divide and gender paradox that affected the formation and ongoing development of African American Pentecostalism, Alexander explores the racist attitudes of black and white Pentecostals and attempts to repair the damaged relations. Similarly, the challenges of sexism and the suppression of women in positions of leadership are confronted in various accounts of black, Holiness, women evangelists, women as denominational leaders and organizational innovators woven throughout the historical and theological discussions. The black Pentecostal consciousness Alexander endeavors to instill is egalitarian and ecumenical, not without self-criticism, and always protecting the genuine validity of the variety of voices emerging from Pentecostals.

The book does not offer a continuous story, as one might expect, of one hundred years of African American Pentecostalism. Each chapter stands on its own, with some inevitable connections emerging from the historical and theological voices. This choice has its advantages, since the reader can follow the development selectively and with emphasis on the key themes of the century. Each chapter carries its own inherent argument, connected by the interwoven theme of African spirituality, Africanisms, and African American characteristics that influenced theological, practical, political, organizational, and denominational choices. The disadvantage of this approach is mostly evident on the macro-level historiography and felt most likely by those who look for a standard account of a century of Pentecostal history. Here, the reader will not be able to find quick references to events and figures or other historical markers without engaging the text itself. The name and subject indexes are surprisingly short and offer less direction than most historians desire. Alexander’s strengths are in the thematic presentation and analysis as well as the theological observations throughout the book.

From the Conversations with Readers department appearing in the Spring 2011 issue.

A Reader writes about a review that appeared in the Winter 2011 issue:

In his review of Brad Harper and Paul Louis Metzger, Exploring Ecclesiology: An Evangelical and Ecumenical Introduction (Brazos, 2009), Wolfgang Vondey writes, “At least in their understanding of the church, Pentecostals in North America cannot consider themselves to be evangelicals.” I do not disagree with what he is saying in this instance about how the Pentecostal/charismatic working definition of ecclesiology does not fit the book’s description of what “Evangelical” ecclesiology is. However, I have always considered myself a Protestant (identifying with the Great Reformation and Radical Reformation) that is an Evangelical (with a capital “E” to identify with what I understand of Evangelicals historically) that is a charismatic (or choose a similar label: non-classical Pentecostal, postcharismatic, etc.). Maybe I would approach this differently if I had not grown up in a Baptist tradition and “came into the fullness of the Spirit” as an adult. But am I wrong in wanting to retain my connections to these “older” yet living expressions of Christianity even though I have significant theological and practical differences with them? Are we not defeating the idea of the unity we share in Jesus and the real purpose behind developing an robust ecclesiology when we seek to exclude ourselves from other traditions?

—TS

Response from Wolfgang Vondey:

I am thankful for the response to my small review and for the engagement of wider ecclesiological issues as they are discussed in the book. The comment on my review is particular valuable because it connects questions of ecclesiology with concerns about ecumenism, that is, our understanding of the church with our desire for Christian unity. Even more important is the fact that such issues are now raised in the context of Pentecostalism. Today an increasing number of scholars and pastors are engaging in both ecumenical and ecclesiological conversations.¹ At the same time, an ecumenical Pentecostal ecclesiology has not yet been proposed. My conclusion at the end of the review suggests that when such a proposal will be submitted, it will unlikely be the evangelical ecclesiology we see in the book under review. My conclusion therefore relates exclusively to the issue of ecclesiology and in the limited context of Pentecostalism. While I do not deny that Pentecostals in North America have been widely influenced by Evangelicalism, I suggest that a classical Pentecostal ecclesiology, if it were fully formulated, would not be synonymous with a contemporary evangelical ecclesiology.² I have similar doubts about the potential range of global Pentecostal views on the nature and purpose of the church.

This book is a collection of critical essays that addresses issues of ecumenism from a variety of Pentecostal perspectives. It is primarily the outcome of papers contributed to meetings for the ecumenism interest groups of the Society for Pentecostal Studies. Since the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement is one of the fastest growing sectors of Christianity within the world today, this volume presents a number of important works in contemporary Christian thought. The volume’s implications for global Christianity are further emphasized by Vondey’s observation that “In its current form, [this interest] group represents the only organized ecumenical think-tank among Pentecostals in North America” (ix). Therefore, the work of these authors deserved significant attention by Pentecostals and non-Pentecostals alike.

The editor, Wolfgang Vondey, begins the volume by contributing a brief history of the ecumenical movement that includes an overview of methods employed by ecumenical projects and the author’s own critical reflections. He does not assume that the reader possesses prior knowledge of the ecumenical movement, so readers who are new to the field can feel comfortable using this as an introductory text.

This volume is divided into three major sections. The first contains a variety of essays from several internationally renowned Pentecostals scholars which include Harold D. Hunter, Carmelo E. Álvarez, Paul van der Laan, Raymond R. Pfister, and Cecil M. Robeck Jr. These contributions address the history of ecumenism within the Pentecostal movement along with unique Pentecostal perspectives on the progress of ecumenism to date. Here views are drawn from different parts of the world, including North America, South America, and Europe.

Part two includes five final reports of ecumenical dialogues, featuring Pentecostal representation. These documents include conversations between leaders of Classical Pentecostals, Roman Catholics, the Alliance of Reformed Churches as well as Charismatics and Anglicans. Each final report includes an introduction that readers will find beneficial for contextualizing the contents of the document. The editor of this volume provides no commentary on these reports, thus allowing each final report to speak on their own terms. Readers can evaluate the merits of this approach, but, regardless, those doing research on ecumenism will find this to be a valuable and practical reference of primary materials.

The last part of this book includes three essays dedicated to Pentecostal reflections on The Nature and Mission of the Church published by the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches. No official response to this document has been issued by the Society for Pentecostal Studies, thus the responses of prominent Pentecostal scholars Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, Frank Macchia, and Wolfgang Vondey are featured here. These essays are critical responses that point out the strengths and shortcomings of this document. Each theologians provides a unique perspective on the future of ecumenism within the Pentecostal movement.