Pentecostalism is a movement born from an egalitarian community, even from the very beginning. The earliest believers in Jesus’ message were mostly the marginalized: women, slaves, the poor, lepers and other outcasts, Samaritans (the contemporary equivalent of ethnic minorities), widows, the lonely and forgotten. Who else would be so eager for a gospel of hope and redemption?
What is Pentecostalism?
Pandemic Pentecostal: Panic Attacks (Part 2)
I defended my dissertation one week before the pandemic shutdown. Five years of focused work finally concluded. The plan was to take some time, perhaps work on turning my research …
Pandemic Pentecostal
One of the central aspects of “Engaged Pentecostalism” is engagement. Of course, the pandemic caused us to forfeit our interactive engagement in order to save lives. Over the past year, …
You Don’t Have the Right! Religious Freedom and COVID-19
If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it is that everyone is keen to protect what is theirs. We hoard toilet paper, stockpile ammo, and demand our rights. Yet, perhaps this pandemic is also an opportunity for some Christians to relearn and relive a core gospel truth: that real freedom only comes when we cease fighting for ourselves and start living for others.
Leviticus 25, Covid 19 and the triumph of Hope
Originally posted at Radical Impact Covid19 shook most assumptions we have held about the proper functioning of our world. It affected how we relate with our loved ones, when and how …
Basics: What do we do with other religions?
Pentecostalism grew due to the work of enthusiastic believers, spreading the message of God’s liberating Spirit around their communities and world. At its core, Pentecostalism is evangelical, professing salvation through …
Pentecostal History 101 : Tongues
Pentecostal History 101 is a thematic dive into the history of the pentecostal movement. Each post picks up a historical theme and asks what that history means for today. At …
Basics: Have we gotten evangelism and missions wrong?
With mission trip season in full bloom, we’d be wise to step back and survey Pentecostal-Christian faith related to evangelism and missions. What is the “Great Commission” and why do …
Basics: Do Christians have to tithe?
This series of posts is dedicated to (re)considering basics of Christian faith, and today we examine one regularly misconstrued topic: tithing. Tithing Mandate? The Church persistently preaches that Christians must …
Dear Rachel
Last week, the world lost one of its most powerful and needed voices for truth. Rachel Held Evans gained prominence as a progressive Christian blogger, author, and speaker who abandoned …
Global Pentecostalism – Of, For & By the Poor: Final Thoughts
Harvey Cox and others have observed that Pentecostalism’s gift to the world was the gift of the poor. Perhaps something of the inverse can also be said: A gift from the poor to the world has been the Pentecostal movement.