Papers

Constructing a charismatic ontology of evil: a critical examination of Nigel Wright

grsmith — 2011-02-09T13:21:57Z

Charismatics have been accused of a dualistic approach to spiritual warfare, giving too high a status to Satan and developing a ‘demon-consciousness’. In the 1970s and 80s, a number of books and ministries developed demonologies that gave a detailed hierarchical description of the demonic world, and suggested that such demonic infestations were behind a range of sicknesses and sinful habits. In reaction to this, even some commentators sympathetic to charismatics have written critiques of such approaches to evil and spiritual warfare; for example Andrew Walker, concerned as to the fear that such approaches can engender, coined the term ‘paranoid universe’ for this worldview. Frank Peretti’s works of popular Christian fiction were said to have reinforced the distortions of such a paranoid worldview. Nigel Wright has sought to counter charismatic ‘remythologising’ through an ontological account of evil that highlights its deceptive and shadowy nature. His ‘non-ontological realist’ analysis of the devil and demons seeks to deny them ontological substance without reducing their reality. He challenges traditional views of the devil as personal, and of the fall of angels as the origin of demonic forces. Through dialogue with Karl Barth, Jürgen Moltmann, Walter Wink and others, he defines evil as a godless emptiness that nonetheless has complex ways of taking form in the experience of societies and individuals. I have in my own research firstly sought to discover the views of a number of pioneers involved in the Anglican charismatic renewal in the 60s, 70s, and 80s in relation to spiritual warfare, and secondly conducted a case study in 2007/8 in a charismatic Anglican church (pseudonymously called St George’s) where there was well developed theology and praxis of spiritual warfare. In this paper I shall use some of these results to examine and critique Wright’s proposed ontology, and begin to construct a charismatic ontology of evil that seeks to remain faithful both to their experience and to the biblical data.

Presence and Impact of Pentecostalism in Nigeria

frdona — 2006-11-20T12:09:01Z

What is Pentecostalism? Some Historiographical Considerations

ysuarsana — 2015-05-21T20:10:23Z

Discussion Paper submitted to the Workshop "Studying Pentecostalism in a Transcultural Perspective" at the Cluster of Excellence "Asia and Europe in a Global Context" at Heidelberg University (3–5 April, 2014).

"Líbranos del mal." Estructuras simbólicas y funciones políticas del protestantismo en Centroamérica.

hschaefer — 2006-10-25T13:28:05Z

The article positions pentecostalism in the context of Central American societies. (1992)

Fundamentalism: power and the absolute.

hschaefer — 2006-07-26T18:48:21Z

An article about fundamentalism that examines some pentecostal practices from this angle.

En el camino

wilmagwd — 2009-02-16T16:52:41Z

Case study report of Classical Pentecostal church in Buenos Aires

Luis Orellana: El fuego y la nieve. Historia del movimiento pentecostal en Chile: 1909-1925.

hschaefer — 2006-07-26T18:59:55Z

A master thesis in theology of a student of mine at the Universidad Bíblica Latinoamericana that I am proud to present in this forum. The E-Mail of the author is: "Luis Orellana ".

The Mukti Revival and Pentecostal Historiography

ysuarsana — 2015-05-20T08:52:10Z

Paper submitted to the GloPent Conference “Pentecostalism and Politics” in Heidelberg (1/2 February, 2013).

Fundamentalismo entre los pentecostales?

hschaefer — 2006-10-25T13:27:42Z

Is there some fundamentalist practice among pentecostals?

Guerra espiritual de baja intensidad: el abuso del protestantismo por la contrainsurgencia.

hschaefer — 2006-10-25T13:27:32Z

An article about political abuse of churches -- pentecostals and others -- in the Central American conflict.

El reino de la libertad: los milenarismos.

hschaefer — 2006-07-26T18:49:38Z

Some brief distinctions on different millennialist practices in conflict environment.

"Oh senhor de los cielos, dános poder en la tierra!"

hschaefer — 2006-07-26T18:50:25Z

Latin American Protestantism is frequently identified as fundamentalist whereas, however, the definition of what is fundamentalist often lacks clarity. This article proposes a definition of the concept and examines Central American Protestantism on fundamentalist tendencies. Fundamentalism absolutizes one's own religious (and social) position against other's in order to (re-) conquest "fields of affirmative action" in situations of crisis and to execute power. According to the social position of the actors, this strategy results to be a technique of social survival or, on the other hand, of domination. The article considers  based on two years field study and abundant empirical data  different currents of Central American Protestantism and portraits nuances of what could be called fundamentalism in that specific social context. Facing the new situation of the religious field, the article finally draws some concusions for the theological task on the continent.

Charismatic Renewal, Denominational Tradition and the Transformation of Ethiopian Society

jhaustein — 2011-06-29T11:01:34Z

This article contains a brief introduction to the rise of the Pentecostal movement in Ethiopia and the Development of the Charismatic Movement within the EECMY, ending with a theological outlook. It is based on a presentation given at a consultation of the German Church Development Service (EED) regarding Pentecostalism and development in Africa.

Charismatic Renewal and Ecumenical Progress

revcliff — 2009-02-25T11:53:10Z

Paper presented at the GloPent Conference in Birmingham, February 2009

Macchia, Frank D. - Signs of Grace in a Graceless World: The Charismatic Structure of the Church in Trinitarian Perspective

webmaster — 2007-03-07T00:18:27Z

This paper was presented in Heidelberg, July 2006, at a workshop on Pneumatology from Pentecostal perspectives, alongside Amos Yong's paper, published in PentecoStudies 6/1.