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An Unfolding Vision Of Transformation: A Comparison Of The S/Spirit Motif In Romans 8 And Jubilees 1:19-26, Lemuel J. Godinez

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This study compares the role of the s/Spirit motif in Paul’s writing and that of a Second Temple Jewish theologian’s. The books of Romans and Jubilees, respectively, appear to develop their language of renewal within a developing trajectory motifs in the Hebrew Scriptures, including “heart circumcision,” “new covenant,” and “the s/Spirit.” One would be hard-pressed to prove intertextuality between Romans and Jubilees (which this study does not claim). Yet, the renewal description in Romans 8 is evocatively similar to Jubilees 1:19–26. Paul may therefore have developed his portrayal and narration of the Spirit in the vein of Second Temple thought. …

Hope, Liberation, And The Search For Shalom: Embracing A Spirit-Led Mission As The Cornerstone Of Hispanic Pentecostal Missiology, Misael Cornelio-Arias

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This study examines the critical missiological contributions of three influential Hispanic Pentecostal theologians: Eldin Villafañe, Samuel Solivan, and Sammy Alfaro. It also explores the work of two additional notable figures, Darío López and Bernardo Campos, whose impact extends beyond traditional missiology into practical faith application. Each of these individuals has uniquely fused his distinct cultural contexts and biblical understanding with the broader mission of the Hispanic Pentecostal faith, guided by the Holy Spirit. Their work has significantly shaped and expanded the landscape of Hispanic Pentecostal missiology, demonstrating a truly contextual approach to understanding and engaging in the kingdom’s mission. Through …

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

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.

Oral Roberts University’S Judaic-Christian Studies Program: A Reflection On Its History And Significance, Pamela L. Idriss

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Oral Roberts University’s (ORU) Graduate School of Theology and Missions offered the Judaic-Christian Studies Concentration (JCSC) of Master of Theology in Biblical Literature between the fall of 2007 and the spring of 2020. Under the supervision of Brad H. Young, the program flourished with academic excellence and distinct practical applications. Students learned to comprehend the teachings of Jesus in their Second-Temple Jewish context and to recognize the Jewish roots of Christianity. The program employed the comparative/associative methodology for exegetical work and utilized the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and primary Jewish sources, such as the Rabbinic literature and the Dead …

Review Of The Spirit Of God In The Torah: A Pentecostal Exploration. By Steffen G. Schumacher, Lora Angeline E. Timenia

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Then Peter Stood Up: A Dialogical Narrative Analysis Of Peter’S Preparation For Spokesperson At Pentecost, Rebekah Bled

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Dialogical Narrative Analysis (DNA) asks, in brief, what work a story does in the context in which it is told and on the teller of the story itself. In applying DNA to Peter, this article assumes the premise that Peter’s meaning-making, or construction of the dialogical self in dynamic relationship with Jesus, positioned him to be the spokesperson who narrated the events of Pentecost. Therefore, this article seeks to understand how Jesus’ naming and accompanying statement to Peter that “on this rock I will build my church” and the unfolding narrative of Peter’s discipleship uniquely prepare Peter for this role. …

What Does “Spiritual Anointing” Have To Do With Ministry To The Poor?, William L. Lyons

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

The Bible employs various tactics to draw readers’ attention to its message. When something new is about to happen, the clearest, direct track is sometimes preferable: “I [the LORD] am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it?” (Isa 43:19; emphasis mine). Similarly, in Jeremiah: “The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah” (Jer 31:31; emphasis mine). Another method employed by biblical writers repeats carefully chosen words to garner attention: “‘The LORD has done great things …

Full Issue Spiritus 8.1 (2023), [email protected]

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Review Of Apostles & Prophets: The Ministry Of Apostles And Prophets Throughout The Generations, David Osei-Nimoh

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Jimmy Swaggart: The Conflict Between Spirit-Empowerment And Human Weakness, Robert D. Mcbain

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article explores how Jimmy Swaggart fits the profile of a Spirit-empowered leader. It summarizes Swaggart’s life and ministry, focusing on his calling, role as a defender of the faith, moral failure, and demise. The article then reflects on Swaggart’s story within the context of Spirit-empowered leadership, exploring how Swaggart fits Lee Roy Martin’s paradigm of a prophetic preacher while demonstrating various negative leadership traits. Stuck between the convictions of his calling and his weaknesses, Swaggart appears as a conflicted individual not immune from making serious errors. The article discusses this aspect of Swaggart’s life to consider how his story …

John Paul Ii: A Role Model Of Participative, Transformative, And Empowering Leadership, Tomasz Bialokurec

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article sets out to revisit charismatic leadership theory through the concepts of servanthood, participation, transformation, and empowerment. We will argue that only servant and participative leadership reflects the relational nature of the Holy Trinity and has a potential to transform and empower followers, offering a remedy to the issue of power in Spirit-empowered Christianity. We propose that this emerging paradigm of charismatic leadership is exemplified by Karol Wojtyła (John Paul II). The assessment employs the criteria of personal and socialized charismatic leadership, as well the apostle and teacher/scholar paradigms of leadership derived from Ephesians 4:11. The study also features …

Paradigms Of Global Spirit-Empowered Leadership, Eric N. Newberg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Spirit-empowered leaders employ different paradigms of leadership. The aim of the article is to identify, explain, and critique these paradigms. Spirit-empowered leadership is conceived of as belonging to the category of charismatic leadership. Following Max Weber, charismatic leadership is understood as flowing from charisma or giftedness, which is attributed to the leader by his or her followers. The article starts with the findings of theorists concerning charismatic leadership. Then it delineates five paradigms of Spirit-empowered leadership—the apostle, prophet, healing evangelist, pastorpreneur, and teacher/scholar. Examples are offered from global contexts. Last, a summative assessment of the paradigms is conducted, using criteria …

Against These Things There Is No Law: Spirit-Empowered Witness In Secular Uruguay, Rebekah Bled

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Uruguay is a country unique in Latin America for its secularism. It secularized early, thoroughly, and publicly, under the leadership of President José Batlle y Ordoñez, at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. A century later, Uruguay still boasts the highest percentage of atheists, agnostics, and nones in the continent. This is a country that seems to defy the sometimes triumphalist narratives of the pentecostalization of the global South. Yet, even amidst this backdrop, there are bright spots of Spirit-empowered witness. This article seeks to examine two of these bright spots of Spirit-empowered hope during …

Full Issue: Spiritus 7.2 (2022) - Missional Leadership, [email protected]

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Reviews, Robert D. Mcbain

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Reviews Wonsuk Ma and Kathaleen Reid-Martinez. Human Sexuality & the Holy Spirit: Spirit-Empowered Perspectives.

Robert D. McBain ................................................................................................333

Robert D. McBain. Depression, Where is Your Sting?

Cletus L. Hull, III .................................................................................................335

John R. Levison. The Holy Spirit Before Christianity.

William Lyons ......................................................................................................337

Andrew Ray Williams. Washed in the Spirit: Toward a Pentecostal Theology of Water Baptism.

Christopher J. King ..............................................................................................341

Makoto Fujimura. Art and Faith: A Theology of Making.

Martin Mittelstadt ................................................................................................343

Hannah R. K. Mather. Spirit, Scripture, and Interpretation in the Renewal Tradition.

Rick Wadholm, Jr. ................................................................................................345

Frank D. Macchia. The Spirit-Baptized Church: A Dogmatic Inquiry …

Expanding God's Redemptive Fractal: Spirit-Centered Counseling And The Transformative Wisdom Of Jesus, Bill Buker

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Using the image of a fractal, a Spirit-centered approach to counseling is proposed that conceptualizes the Spirit’s activity as seeking to replicate the patterns of God’s redemptive story throughout creation by facilitating deep second-order change. Involving an epistemological shift from ways of knowing shaped by the conventional wisdom of culture to a renewed mind grounded in the transformative wisdom of Jesus, this deep change is explored from the perspectives of science and Scripture. Integrating findings from systems theory with the ministry and message of Jesus, this approach to counseling emphasizes relational premises and values believed to be characteristic of the …

The Prophetic Servant: The Ideology Of Spirit-Empowered Leaders, Wonsuk Ma

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

The study examines two groups of Spirit-empowered leaders, David in his final words, and the Servant figures, to develop the ideal of the Spirit-empowered leader as understood by the Old Testament. One of the findings is the “prophetic” feature emerging as the most significant characteristic of the ideal leader.

Toward Spirit-Empowered Leadership Distinctives: A Literature Review, Daniel D. Isgrigg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This essay is a literature review that seeks to chart the landscape of leadership from a distinctively Spirit-empowered perspective. The topic of Spirit-empowered leadership distinctives is still in its infancy as few in the Spirit-empowered Movement have reflected deeply on the distinctive characteristics or competencies reflective of Pentecostal-Charismatic spirituality. This essay reviews the existing academic works related to definitions of Spirit-empowered leadership as a way of beginning the conversation among scholars.

Creation Care As Caring For Human Beings: An Environmental Justice Case Study, Jeffrey S. Lamp, Kathryn J. Moder, Megan R. Munhoffen, Cade A. Rich, Nathan B. Von Atzigen

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A special ORU Student study directed by Dr. Jeff Lamp.

Caring for God’s creation is a burgeoning area of interest among Christians in recent decades. In many Christian circles, however, caring for creation is not given high priority in rankings of the duties of Christian disciples in the world. This article will argue that caring for creation is a biblically mandated call for God’s people in the world and derives from the role of human beings as caretakers of creation, creation’s status as a recipient of God’s salvation in Christ, and the connection between human beings and the other-than-human creation. …

Pentecostal Collaboration: A Pragmatic Necessity Or A Spiritual Principle?, Arto Hamalainen

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

Healing For All Races: Oral Roberts’ Legacy Of Racial Reconciliation In A Divided City, Daniel D. Isgrigg

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article explores Oral Roberts’ legacy of racial reconciliation in the backdrop of the racial history of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Oral Roberts was a pioneer of racial integration of his meetings during the Healing Revival of the 1950s. But his racial vision came to maturity as Oral Roberts University became a center for social uplift for African Americans in the Spirit-empowered movement. Today, that legacy continues to shape Oral Roberts University as a shining example of racial diversity among Christian universities in America.

Reviews, Holy Spirit Research Center Oru Library

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Book Reviews

South German Anabaptist Ecclesiology And Its Present-Day Pentecostal Counterpart, Mathew Clark

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Th is article accepts that twentieth-century classical Pentecostalism originally shared a similar ethos to that exemplified among the South German Anabaptists, and investigates some resonances in ecclesiology between the two. Scrutiny of a selection of early sixteenth-century documents relating to Anabaptism identifies the following: a radically consistent application of sola scriptura, a rejection of the state-church synthesis, a revisioning of sacramental belief and practice that subverts the clergy-laity divide, commitment to the teachings of Jesus as the primary and central guide to discipleship, a sacrifi cial pilgrim mentality of “just passing through this world,” individual choice and responsibility to …

A Student Response To Craig Keener’S Talk On Spirit Hermeneutics, Pamela L. Idriss

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

A Student Response to Craig Keener’s Talk on Spirit Hermeneutics by Pamela L. Idriss.

The Spirit And Biblical Interpretation, Craig S. Keener

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

We can hear more clearly what an author wishes to communicate when we understand what the author is addressing. In secondary communication—hearing what an author was saying to someone else—knowing the background of that conversation is important, especially if the culture differs from our own. But knowing the voice and spirit of the author is an important element of background, and with the Bible, we must consider an Author additional to, and working through, the human authors. It is important, insofar as possible, to study the ancient contexts that put the message in its cultural perspective. Yet it is no …

Spiritus 4.1 (Spring 2019) Full Issue, Holy Spirit Research Center Oru Library

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

An Overview Of The Theology Of Oral Roberts, R. Samuel Thorpe

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

Oral Roberts’ life and healing ministry were shaped by his theology of God. Roberts viewed God as good, who personally worked in the lives of people in the present, and who had good plans for each believer. The manifestation of these plans depended, however, on the faith of the individual believer. God was affected by events in time, was limited in his ability to act by the cooperation of the believer, and suffered emotional distress even as people do. The overriding element in all of Roberts’ message is that “Something good is going to happen to you.” Christians should expect …

Book Reviews, Arden C. Autry Phd, Edward E. Decker Jr, Christopher G. Foster, Robert W. Graves, Daniel D. Isgrigg, Jeffrey S. Lamp, Wonsuk Ma, Peter A. Reynolds, James B. Shelton, Andrew R. Williams

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

No abstract provided.

A Historical And Hermeneutical Approach To The Vice-Lists: A Pauline Perspective, Mark Hall

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

The subject of homosexuality is controversial in the Church, even among Pentecostals; consequently, there has arisen a need for a historical and hermeneutical examination of the topic, especially in the Pauline corpus. The vice-lists of ancient literature along with the ones in the Pauline epistles provide insight into the apostle’s understanding of their purpose and function. Of the ones where Paul lists sexual sins, three specifically mention homosexuality: Romans 1:26–27, 1 Corinthians 6:9–10, and 1 Timothy 1:9–10. Th is article discusses Paul’s understanding of the connection between homosexuality and idolatry and provides an in-depth analysis of the Greek words μαλακοί …