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Review Of Tongues Of Fire: A Systematic Theology Of The Christian Faith. By Frank Macchia., Michael D. Young

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Tongues of Fire: A Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith. By Frank Macchia. Eugene: OR: Cascade Books, 2023. 478 pp.

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Michael Young ([email protected]) currently serves as an adjunct professor at Pacific Rim University in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

Review Of Pentecostal Orthodoxy: Toward An Ecumenism Of The Spirit. By Emilio Alvarez., Samuel Hogan

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Pentecostal Orthodoxy: Toward an Ecumenism of the Spirit. By Emilio Alvarez. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2022. xiv + 174 pp.

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S. Slade Hogan ([email protected]) is a PhD student in Contextual Theology at Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA, and Pastor of the Community Church of Milton, Milton, New Hampshire, USA.

Covid-19 And Church Attendance Behavior Trends: Evidence From Ghanaian Pentecostal-Charismatic Churches, Justice A. Arthur, Lydia Andoh-Quainoo

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

The concept of religious economy views churches as corporate entities, pastors as marketers offering a range of products, and church members as consumers whose preferences shape the goods and services provided by ministers. Within this framework, church members react quickly to changing economic, social, and cultural conditions. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only had an economic impact, with job losses and financial struggles, but has also brought about social and cultural changes that have affected consumer behavior in many areas of life worldwide. For instance, during the pandemic, church gatherings were restricted or prohibited, socializing was replaced with social distancing, …

Pentecostalism And Current Development In West Africa: Reimagining The Pentecostal Landscape, Politics, And Vision, Fred Cudjoe Adadey, Yisa Barnabas

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A growing body of literature on African Pentecostals in sub-Saharan Africa is highlighted in this article, highlighting a more defined contribution of African Pentecostals to the development landscape. Until recently, the African Pentecostal development landscape recorded little visibility at the national level, on the assumption that their experience only highlights cultural and theological relevance. However, this emerging visibility has identified, as a conceptual category, an imaginary social space with practical ramification. Based on a critical analytical review of literature, this article examines the shift from traditional Pentecostal theology to a more focused attention on the social transformation created by a …

Managing Financial Sector Crisis: Do “Faith” And “Leave It To God” Matter?, Rebecca Attah, Christine Avortri, Emmanuel Appah, Alexander Preko

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to elucidate the understanding of two religious concepts related to the financial sector clean-up among bank customers; and second, to explore how these concepts have been employed as strategies to mitigate the impact of financial sector clean-up shocks in Ghana. This qualitative research is anchored in the theory of belief and meaning-making theory, utilizing purposive and snowball sampling methods, with twenty-eight in-depth interviews for data gathering. The findings of this study revealed that financial sector clean-up customers understood religious faith as “aggressive faith,” “passive faith,” and “offensive faith,” which were found to …

Holiness As Wholeness In Afro- Pentecostal Tradition: A Theological Perspective, Ivan L. Hartsfield Dr

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Using the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) as the exemplar, I explore the theological rationale that undergirds the COGIC priority of holiness as a prescription for human wholeness. By wholeness, I mean human flourishing of the total person. For the COGIC, “Salvation is a deliverance from dangers and enemies.” Through the democratization of what was historically reserved for spiritual heroes, namely the designation of “saint,” common people of little means were immediately uplifted. They grabbed ahold of this moniker, which redefined them and identified their new place of spiritual residence in Zion. By faith, they expected to experience a …

The Prayer Tongue And The Jesus Prayer: The Witness Of Abbot David Geraets, Clyde Glandon

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

To my knowledge Abbot David Geraets (1935–2012) of the Pecos Benedictine Monastery has been the only Christian witness and writer, past or present, to join the practice of the ancient Jesus Prayer and the prayer tongue. He simply says that “repeating the name of Jesus can become a masterful art of glossolalia prayer.” Abbot David’s statement is not found as such in the centuries of Eastern Orthodox literature about the Jesus Prayer. Nor is such a joining found among classical Pentecostal Christians who, while fully familiar with the prayer tongue and with life and power in Jesus’ name, commonly have …

A Proposed Pentecostal Quadrilectic: Explorations For Asian Pentecostal Hermeneutics, Lora Angeline E. Timenia

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Developing a general framework for Asian Pentecostal hermeneutics is necessary for a continent where the Holy Bible is “Scripture among scriptures.” Although Pentecostal Christianity in Asia is growing, interpreting Scripture in a manner relevant to local contextual realities is necessary to propagate grassroots theologies. As such, the current Pentecostal hermeneutical triad of Spirit-Scripture-Community (Archer) or Spirit-Word-Community (Yong) needs further articulations of a reader’s tradition and cultural/ethnic contexts. The concept of an interpretive “Pentecostal community” needs clarification in the Asian setting where multiple interpretative communities exist. This study proposes a framework that recognizes the dialectical role of the text’s context and …

“Study To Show Thyself Approved”: An Analysis Of Oral Roberts’ Personal Copy Of The Commentary On Exodus By Umberto Cassuto, Daniel D. Bunn Jr

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Having happened upon what was previously Oral Roberts’ personal copy of the commentary on Exodus by Umberto Cassuto, I observed his active interaction with the volume by way of notes and underlines. I determined to analyze his interaction with it. This essay shares the results of the analysis of that book. It begins with a brief overview of his personal life during the time in which he possessed the commentary. Then, it makes observations about his interaction, showing specific examples. Finally, it will look more intently at a sermon in which his use of the commentary is made explicit.

Editorial - Spiritus 9.1 (Spring 2024), Jeffrey S. Lamp

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Front Matter Spiritus 9.1 (Spring 2024), [email protected]

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Full Issue Spiritus 9.1 (2024), [email protected]

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Spiritus 9.1 (Spring 2024) full issue. Edited by Jeff Lamp, Ph.D.

Naturalist Thomas Hardy's Inadvertent Support Of The Gospel Narrative When Portraying Sexual Abuse And Shame In Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Hannah Carmichael

Master of Arts in Classical Studies

In his novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles, the naturalist author Thomas Hardy attempts to critique the 19th-century Christian perspective on sexual abuse. Instead, he inadvertently critiques legalism, exposing it as the antithesis of true Christianity. Secular scholars believe that Hardy’s novel is blaming the Victorian era’s sexual ignorance for the stigma and shame surrounding sexual abuse. Christian scholars believe that Hardy’s naturalistic worldview simply lacks a moral standard. However, I believe that Hardy’s novel exposes an issue far deeper than sexual ignorance and lacks something far more substantive than a moral standard; his novel addresses the devastating consequences of …

History In The Margins: Paratextual Notes In Codex Koridethi (Θ 038), Jonathan Campbell

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

In this article I examine the paratextual features of the ninth- century four-Gospel manuscript Codex Koridethi (Θ 038). I argue that a thorough study of this manuscript’s paratextual features gives fascinating insight into its history. There are thirty-three marginal notes contained within this manuscript, nine of which are in Greek, and twenty-four in Georgian. These notes are unusual because they do not relate to the biblical text. Instead, they attest to various prayers, endowments, and laws which the community found important enough to record in this holy book. The notes are broken down into three categories. First, several give historical …

Pioneer Women Administrators In The Interamerican Division Of The Adventist Church (1906–1940), Daniel Alberto Mora

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This article focuses on previously unpublished data concerning pioneer women who helped establish and govern different levels of the Adventist Church between 1906 and 1940 in what is now the Inter-American Division. The article begins with information obtained from different yearbooks, and then traces the identity and work of pioneer Adventist women in documents such as General Conference minutes, newspapers, civil registries, and through information provided by their descendants. It also highlights the contributions of these women as the first local missionaries and founders of the Sabbath School (1880s) and Young People’s Missionary Volunteer (YPMV) (1900s) departments. It also highlights …

An Appeal To Mystery Without "Punting": Revisiting Molinism’S Biblical Problem In Light Of Ephesians 1:4–11 And Romans 11:33–36, Jeffrey S. Kennedy

Liberty Theological Review

Molinists maintain that middle knowledge is the best candidate for settling the historical debate on God’s sovereignty and man’s free will. The philosophical sophistication of the view can be alluring, and the efforts of Molinists to rationally defend it against criticisms have been impressive. But does Molinism still have a biblical problem? Proponents argue that the doctrine is compatible with the Bible's teaching on God's knowledge of counterfactuals, though admittedly, it is not explicitly taught in Scripture. But this claim is more problematic than advocates for the theory have alleged. The present study maintains that in the absence of a …

“You Have Become To Me A Deceitful Brook” – Jeremiah’S Challenges To God

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

Jeremiah’s reproaches against God are exceptional in Old Testament prophecy. No other prophetic speaker dares to confront God so harshly and so often. The main passages considered in this article are Jer 4:10; 12:1–6; 15:15–18; 20:7–10; and 32:24–25. Jeremiah’s accusations cover a wide range of motifs: deception (נשׁא ) with false messages, a lawsuit (ריב) about the success of evildoers, unreliability (root כזב), seduction (פתה), and absurd commands. Several times God responds to his prophet—a sign that he respects Jeremiah’s complaints and tries to overcome his queries. The dialogues between YHWH and Jeremiah mirror questions and problems of a believing …

Editorial, Martin F. Hanna, Oliver M. Glanz

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is the Editorial for Vol 60.1

Table Of Contents Vol 60.1, Auss Auss

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is the Table of Contents

"Bloody, Brutal, And Barbaric?:Wrestling With Troubling War Texts" [Review] / Webb, William J., And Gordon K. Oeste., Byungwoo Park

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review

"Love Divine: A Systematic Account Of God’S Love For Humanity" [Review] / Wessling, Jordan., Silvia Canale Bacchiocchi

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review

"Politics After Christendom: Political Theology In A Fracturedworld" [Reivew] / Vandrunen, David., Nicholas P. Miller

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review

"Planting A Church Without Losing Your Soul" [Review] / Morey, Tim., Michelet William

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review

"Five Things Biblical Scholars Wish Theologians Knew" [Review] / Mcknight, Scot., Gerardo Oudri

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review

"John Through Old Testament Eyes: A Background And Applicationcommentary" [Review] / Jobes, Karen H., Stanislav Kondrat

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review

"The Church In The Latin Fathers: Unity In Charity" [Review] / Lee, James K., Denis Fortin

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review

"Together On God’S Mission" [Review] / Hildreth, D. Scott., Michelet William

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review

"Aramaic: A History Of The First World Language" [Review] / Gzella, Holger., Zdravko Stefanovic

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review

"Mercy And Justice: A Challenge For Contemporary Theology, Brill’S Studies In Catholic Theology 9" [Review] / Hahn, Judith, And Gunda Werner, Eds., Denis Fortin

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review

"Die Dreieinigkeit In Bibel Und Adventgeschichte" [Review] / Gehring, René., Denis Kaiser

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review