Charismatic Renewal and Pentecostalism
eBook - ePub

Charismatic Renewal and Pentecostalism

The Renewal of the Nigerian Catholic Church

  1. 244 pages
  2. English
  3. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

Charismatic Renewal and Pentecostalism

The Renewal of the Nigerian Catholic Church

About this book

The Holy Spirit is a sine qua non in the life of the church and in all Christian life and experience. The importance of the experiential and praxis-oriented theology of the Charismatic Renewal and Pentecostalism cannot be overemphasized in the realization of the potentials of a Spirit-animated church. In fact, Charismatic Renewal in the Nigerian Catholic Church is an essential part of the changing face of the Catholic Church in Nigeria.This work is, therefore, using Charismatic and Pentecostal theology and praxes to argue for the renewal of the Nigerian Catholic Church. It avers that the praxis-oriented and experiential theology of the Charismatics and Pentecostals, which characterize them as Spirit-filled groups and churches, are enabling the Nigerian Catholic Church to realize the potentials of a Spirit-driven church. It upholds that the Nigeria Catholic Church through the Nigerian Catholic Charismatic Renewal, which is an indispensable part of the changing face of the Catholic Church in Nigeria, has wittingly or unwittingly begun the renewal of her pneumatological, ecclesiological, and liturgical doctrines and practices in accord with those of a truly Spirit-animated church.

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Yes, you can access Charismatic Renewal and Pentecostalism by Isidore Iwejuo Nkwocha CSSp in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Theology & Religion & Christian Denominations. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
chapter 1

Charismatic and Pentecostal Theology of the Holy Spirit

Charismatic and Pentecostal theology in general is praxis-oriented and experiential. According to Warrington, “Pentecostals have always emphasized experiential Christianity rather than doctrinal confession. Rather than describe or explain doctrines in the mode of systematic or dogmatic theologians associated with the seminary and scholar, they typically explore them in the biblical narrative and by the testimony of those affected by them.”34
In their theology, charismatics and Pentecostals pay less attention to the speculative interpretations of their doctrinal beliefs. Rather than spend time thinking theologically, they prefer to live out their theology practically unlike their non-charismatic and Pentecostal counterparts. Warrington captures it in these words: “Pentecostals (traditionally) do not think theologically so much as live out their theology practically.”35 In other words, while Pentecostal theology does not neglect the detailing of Pentecostal beliefs and doctrines, it places more emphasis on discovering these beliefs and doctrines in the milieu of praxis.
Charismatic and Pentecostal theology is therefore a theology of encounter where charismatics and Pentecostals encounter God, the Bible, and the community in a lively and experiential manner. It is not a surprise then that Alan Anderson sees Pentecostalism in the Western world in its early stages as an “ecumenical movement of people claiming a common experience rather than a common doctrine.”36 Walter J. Hollenweger expresses in the same vein that “What unites the Pentecostal churches is not a doctrine but a religious experience.”37
In fact, what is fundamental and at the heart of charismatic renewal and Pentecostalism is not a set of doctrines or rules to be proved and defended against all odds, but “a personal, experiential encounter of the Spirit of God.”38 The members expect “a radical experience of the Spirit, and, in particular, as it relates to their identity as children of God, their perception of God, their worship and service, their mission and evangelism, their reading and application of the Bible and their relationships with other believers.”39
The experiential knowledge of God both through a rational recognition of his being and via an emotional or expressive appreciation of his character is the goal of charismatics and Pentecostals, which practically differentiates them from other Christian traditions.40 If other Christian faith traditions perceive revelation as something meant to affect only the mind, charismatics and Pentecostals see it as something intended to affect the mind as well as the emotions. They therefore explore theology not only in a rationalistic context “but also with a readiness to encounter the divine and be impacted by one’s discoveries in a way that will enlighten the mind but also transform the life.”41 They believe that these kinds of encounters have antecedents in the Bible. Hence, where an absence of creedal confession and formal ceremony have sometimes appeared in charismatic and Pentecostal spirituality, “there is the presence of experience, often spontaneous, emotional, heartfelt, intensely personal and life-transforming.”42
For these experiential encounters to take place, charismatics and Pentecostals sometimes allow fluidity in their praxis and thought “as they seek to locate a biblical framework that is sufficiently flexible for their spirituality, a spirituality that is, by definition, dynamic since it is pneumatic.”43 One would have thought that charismatics and Pentecostals would have been perturbed by incomprehensible divine a...

Table of contents

  1. Title Page
  2. Foreword
  3. Acknowledgement
  4. Abbreviations
  5. Introduction
  6. Chapter 1: Charismatic and Pentecostal Theology of the Holy Spirit
  7. Chapter 2: Charismatic and Pentecostal Ecclesiology
  8. Chapter 3: Charismatic and Pentecostal Theology of Worship
  9. Chapter 4: Charismatic Renewal and Pentecostalism within the Context of Nigerian Worldview
  10. Chapter 5: Charismatic Renewal and Pentecostalism: The Renewal of the Nigerian Catholic Church
  11. Conclusion and Recommendations
  12. Bibliography