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PCTII Newsletter #11

Spring 1998

"The Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements in California: Historical and Contemporary Perspective" will be the theme October 9-10, 1998 at the Southern California College (Costa Mesa, CA). The event is co-sponsored by the Lewis Wilson Institute for Pentecostal Studies, Southern California College, and the David J. Du Plessis Center for Christian Spirituality, Fuller Theological Seminary, For more information, contact Dr. Augustus Cerillo, Jr.

The Association of Full Gospel Women Clergy invites you to the Third "Women with a Word for the Times" Conference to be held September 10-12, 1998 in Founders Inn, Virginia Beach, BA. Contact Rev. Suzanne Vance or Rev. Estrelda Alexander at AFGWC for more information about this event co-sponsored by Regent University School of Divinity.

A Conference of Pentecostal Theologians will be held May 21-23 at the New Life Bible College, Bangalore, India. Contact Dr. Paulson Pulikottil. Participants include Dr. Issac Vayalithara Mathew (Assemblies of God, India). Summary of Papers proposed  A. The Development of Pentecostal Theology and Ethics- A Historical Perspective: M. Stephen M.Th. The back ground of the emergence of Pentecostal theology and ethics and their specific features would be one of the major attentions of this paper. This paper also focuses on the major theological and ethical issues and concerns. An appraisal also would be made to evaluate Pentecostal theology and ethics in the modern context.
B. Contemporary Feminist Hermeneutics and Its Impact on Pentecostal Theology and Interpretation: Joseph Abraham Ph. D
Broadly speaking, the contemporary feminist debate is centered around the main issue of whether the biblical text is androcentric or egalitarian. In this discussion, approaches vary from hermeneutics of recuperation to hermeneutics of resistance. Contrary to many feminist readings, we argue that this does not in fact address the question of egalitarianism or androcentrism, even though the context in which the text emerged is patriarchal. A better question is whether the text is positive to woman in general or not. In our view, the biblical text can be made positive to woman if we recognize the effect on interpretation of cultural tendencies towards male domination, in the same way that we recognize and critique other cultural tendencies towards oppression. We also would discuss the impact of feminist readings on Pentecostal hermeneutics.
C. The Holy Spirit who Communicates: John Thanickal D. Min Holy Spirit as a paraclete, teacher and guide who continues the ministry of Jesus is a communicator of meaning and purpose. He is not a silent observer of things happening in our life or in the world, but He speaks to witness and to judge. Holy Spirit is not like Brahman who brings only self-awareness but is actionless and speechless (nischala and nisabda). The present paper is intended to promote communication in order to strengthen the body of Christ.

On February 12, Bishop Ithiel Clemmons received a proclamation from the Council of the City of New York for his contributions to the African-American community on the occasion of the Council's special Black History Month Celebration. Bishop Clemmons, 77, is one of the first seminary-trained, Black Holiness Pentecostal theologians, earning a master of divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in the 1950s, and later a doctorate of ministry from New York Theological Seminary. He sits on the Church of God in Christ 12-member General Board of Bishops and also serves as Church of God in Christ historian.

The Christian Biblical Church in Argentina joined the World Council of Churches.

The Association of Pentecostal and Charismatic Bible Colleges of Australasia (PCBC) recently launched the PCBC Journal. For more information contact Michael Chant. Dr. Barry Chant, author of Heart of Fire,  is near completion of a Ph.D. on early Australian Pentecostalism.

Among the books on exhibit by or about Pentecostals at AAR/SBL in San Francisco November 22-25 were the following: American Congregations, Volume 1, edited by James P Wind and James W. Lewis (University of Chicago Press); Diane J. Austin-Broos, Jamaica Genesis: Religion and the Politics of Moral Orders (University of Chicago Press); R. Andrew Chestnut, Born Again in Brazil: The Pentecostal Boom and the Pathogens of Poverty (Rutgers University Press); Christopher Forbes, Prophecy and Inspired Speech: In Early Christianity and its Hellenistic Environment (Hendrickson);  Francis Kimani Githieya, The Freedom of the Spirit: African Indigenous Churches in Kenya (Scholar's Press); R. Marie Griffith, God's Daughters: Evangelical Women and the Power of Submission (University of California); Walter J. Hollenweger, Pentecostalism: Origins and Developments Worldwide (Hendrickson) ; Graham W.P. McFarlane, Christ and the Spirit: The Doctrine of the Incarnation according to Edward Irving (Paternoster Press); More than Opium: An Anthropological Approach to Latin American and Caribbean Pentecostal Praxis, edited by Barbara Boudewijnse, Andre Droogers and Frans Kamsteeg (Scarecrow Press); Caleb Oluremi Oladipo, The Development of the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit in the Yoruba (African) Indigenous Christian Movement (Peter Lang); John Michael Penney, The Missionary Emphasis of Lucan Pneumatology (University of Sheffield Press); Juan Sepulveda, The Andean Highlands: An Encounter with Two Forms of Christianity (WCC Publications); Mark A. Shibley, Resurgent Evangelicalism in the United States: Mapping Cultural Change since 1970 (University of South Carolina); Teologia en Conjunto: A Collaborative Hispanic Protestant Theology, ed. by Jose David Rodriguez and Loida I. Martell-Otero (Westminster).  Another volume that should not be missed is Unity or Division? The Unity Struggle of the Black Churches Within the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa by Japie J.  Lapoorta (1997). Among similiar papers read at San Francisco were those by David Tuesday Adamo, Gaston Espinosa, Daniel Ramirez, Arlene M. Sancez-Walsh, Manuel Vasquez, William Tabbernee. Thomas Paul Thigpen, Iain S. MacLean, Elizabeth Groppe.

A World Council of Churches-Pentecostal Consultation was held November 10-14 at Bossey, Switzerland. The highlight of the event was a morning session that featured Dr. Konrad Raiser. Among other things on the horizon, plans were made regarding Pentecostal participation in the 8th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches to be held December 3-14 in Harare, Zimbabwe. Pentecostal participants included: Dr. Cheryl Bridges-Johns (Church of God), Ms. Anthea D. Butler (Foursquare), Dr. Harold D. Hunter (International Pentecostal Holiness Church), Rev. Pavel Borisov Ignatov (Bulgarian Church of God), Dr. Ronald Kydd (Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada), Dr. Japie Jimmy Lapoorta (Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa), Sra. Maritza Leon (Iglesia Evangelica Pentecostal Koinonia, Venezuela), Dr. Julie Ma (Korean Assemblies of God), Dr. Wonsuk Ma (Korean Assemblies of God), Dr. Issac Vayalithara Mathew (Assemblies of God, India), Revdo. Gamiel Lugo Morales (Comision Evangelical Pentecostal Latinoamerica), Mr. Ronald A. Nathan (UK), Dr. Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. (Assemblies of God), Dr. Juan Sepulveda (Pentecostal Mission Church, Chile), Pasteur Christian Seytre (Federation Protestant de France), Rev. Giovanni Traettino (Chiesa Evangelical dela Riconciliazione, Italy). Papers were presented by Dr. Bridges-Johns, Rev. Lugo, Dr. Julie Ma, and Dr. Sepulveda.A pentecostal worship service was held at the WCC headquarters in Geneva with Dr. Lapoorta as preacher.

Dr. Brett Knowles is author of "'Vision of the Disinherited?' The Growth of the Pentecostal Movement in the 1960s, with particular reference to the New Life Churches of New Zealand."  In "Be Ye Separate": Fundamentalism and the New Zealand Experience. Waikato Studies in Religion, Vol 3, pp. 107-141. Edited by Bryan Gilling. Hamilton: University of Waikato and Colcom Press, 1992.  Currently in progress: New Life: The History of the New Life Churches: 1942-1978.

JUBILEO: FIESTA DEL ESPIRITU. Encuentro Pentecostal Latino Americano - EPLA-98. 23 al 28 de Septiembre 1998, La Habana, Cuba. Comision Evangelica Pentecostal Latinoamerican (CEPLA).

The 18th Pentecostal World Conference will be held September 22-25 in Seoul, Korea. This will be preceded by a one day event sponsored by the Asia Pacific Theological Association. Confirmed speakers include: Dr. Cho Lak Yeow (Singapore), Cin Do Kham (Burma), Mahesh Tanju (Nepal), Dr. Simon Chan (Singapore), Dr. Matthew Clark (South Africa), and Dr. Harold D. Hunter (USA). For more information about the APTA event using the theme "Aspects of Asian Pentecostalism," contact Dr. Young Hoon Lee (Korea) or Dr. Wonsuk Ma (Philippines).

Dr. David Maxwell, Department of History Keele University (UK), is an insightful commentator on Pentecostalism in Africa. among his recent publications are the following: "Witches, Prophets and Avenging Spirit: The Second Christian Movement in North-East Zimbabwe," Journal of Religion in Africa 25,3 (1995) 309-339; "New Perspectives on the History of African Christianity," Journal of Southern African Studies 23:1 (March 1997) 141-148; "The Spirit and the Scapular: Pentecostal and Catholic Interaction in Northern Nyanga District, Zimbabwe in the 1950s and early 1960s," Journal of Southern African Studies 23:2 (June 1997) 283-299.

A good resource is Philip J. Hughes, The Pentecostals in Australia (Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1996).

A summary report is available from the World Council of Churches - African Instituted Churches Consultation and Office of the African Instituted Churches Assembly held August 24-20 in Limuru, Kenya.

The Pentecostal Charismatic Churches of North America met October 1-3 in Washington, DC at the National Church of God. PCCNA commissioned Dr. Harold D. Hunter and Dr. Cecil M. Robeck, Jr., as editors of a magazine named Reconciliation that will launch with a an initial run of over 30,000. A press release is available online.

ALERT! Dr. Manuel J. Gaxiola-Gaxiola suffered a fractured vertebra from a car accident near Guadalajara. His age (70) does not allow surgery. However, he is determined to complete work on his latest book, Rostros de los Pentecostalismos Latinoamericanos. His physician has approved the use of a laptop computer. If someone has such a computer that could be donated for this cause, please contact Dr. Gaxiola directly or the PCTII webmaster.

The Theological Stream of the International Charismatic Consultation on World Evangelization (ICCOWE) and the European Charismatic Consultation (ECC) ran Prague '97 from Sept 10-14, 1997. One of the highlights was the strong presence of Orthodox leaders from eastern Europe. Featured speakers were Professors Hollenweger, Lochman and Volf. For information about a forthcoming publication of all the papers, contact Dr. Jean-Daniel Pluss. ICCOWE has prepared a press release on the entire conference.