Thesis (D. Min.)--Trinity International University, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 141-144).

This study explores how gay Christian men in the pentecostal/charismatic movement reinterpret their spirituality as a reaction to the discourse about homosexuality in this movement. The spiritual experience of gay men is contextualized within the particular emphasis on individual experience found in pentecostal/charismatic spirituality. Practical theological research is conducted within a postmodern discourse set in context of a Participatory Action Research project. A narrative therapeutical approach served to identify harmful discourses and encourage the continuing deconstruction of such discourses. The extent to which power/knowledge relationships affect gay Christians' spiritual relationships became apparent. Conflict between the church's discourse about homosexuality and the gay Christian appears to start a process of deconstruction of fundamentalist pentecostal/charismatic hermeneutical approaches to the Bible. The research process facilitated a process of reconstruction of gay spirituality and created opportunities for spiritual and social growth. This research may inspire gay Christian voices in pentecostal/charismatic circles to become heard. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M.Th.

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Die Pinkster Protestante Kerk (PPK) is deel van die wereldwye Pinksterbeweging en het op I 0 Oktober 1958 ontstaan uit die Apostoliese Geloofsending (AGS), die grootste Pinksterkerk in Suid-Afrika. Verskeie redes kan toegedig word vir die ontstaan. Eerstens was daar die doelbewuste poging van die AGS om die struikelblokke uit die weg te ruim ten einde as kerk deur die Nederduitse Gereformeerde kerk erken te word. 'n Tweede hoofrede was die party-politieke bedrywighede van pastoor Gerrie Wessels, 'n lid van die Uitvoerende Raad van die AGS. Die skrywer toon aan hoedat rassisme en Apartheid beslag gekry het in die ekklesiologie en missiologie van die PPK. Daar is tans vier aparte outonome rassekerke. Rassisme is die hoof oorsaak vir 'n onverenigde kerk. Deur die loop van die kerk se geskiedenis was daar vyf konstitusionele opsette ten einde eenheid te laat realiseer, maar sender veel sukses. 'n Sesde konstitusionele opset, een PPK, word tans beding. / The Pentecostal Protestant Church (PPC) is part of the worldwide Pentecostal Movement and originated from the Apostolic Faith Mission (AFM), the largest Pentecostal Church in South Afiica, on October 10, 1958. There are various reasons that contributed to the birth of the church. Firstly, the AFM removed on purpose the obstacles that stood in the way in order to be acknowledge as a church by the Dutch Reformed Church. The party-political involvement of pastor Gerrie Wessels, an Executive Council member of the AFM, was the second main reason. The writer indicates how racism and Apartheid took root in the ecclesiology and missiology of the PPC. At the moment there are four separate outonomous race churches. The main reason for a not united church is racism. The church had five different constitutions in the course of her history in an attempt to bring forth unity, but without success. A six constitutional design for one PPC is currently being negotiated. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / M. Th. (Sendingwetenskap)

Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-10T14:24:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-07-16. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-12-10T14:30:59Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000851874.pdf: 2671150 bytes, checksum: a48431a1a9e0f0ef931fde844b9d2a35 (MD5) / A Igreja Assembleia de Deus é o segundo maior grupo religioso do Brasil de acordo com os últimos Censos demográficos. Fundada em Belém do Pará em 1911, sua expansão se deu em consonância com diversas transformações sociais ocorridas no Brasil durante o século XX. Dentre tais transformações, ganham destaque os processos complementares de industrialização e urbanização do país, em evidência de modo especial a partir da segunda metade do século. Foi a partir deste período que as Assembleias de Deus bem como as demais denominações de orientação pentecostal começaram a chamar a atenção no campo religioso brasileiro. Desde a década de 60 estudos acadêmicos apontam como as igrejas pentecostais beneficiaram-se das massas de migrantes que chegavam às metrópoles para fornecerem a mão-de-obra para as indústrias em expansão, concluindo existir uma ligação direta entre a urbanização e o crescimento pentecostal. No entanto, embora inseridas no mesmo contexto, nem todas as denominações tiveram o mesmo ritmo de crescimento. As Assembleias de Deus, por exemplo, hoje contam com seis vezes mais membros que a segunda maior igreja pentecostal, a também centenária Congregação Cristã no Brasil, esta tendo a vantagem de já ter nascido no espaço urbano. Desta forma, partimos da hipótese de que o crescimento assembleiano no mundo urbano deve ser entendido não apenas à luz das transformações sociais externas, mas também a partir da dinâmica interna de organização da Igreja. Um dos fatores preponderantes neste item é a forma sui generis como as Assembleias de Deus conseguiram agregar suas diferentes cisões internas em torno de uma mesma plataforma denominacional sem que isto representasse a desestruturação ou o esfacelamento da Igreja, em um processo de esgarçamento institucional não observável em qualquer outra igreja pentecostal brasileira. Além disso, também... / The Assembly of God Church is Brazil's second largest religious group according to the latest Demographic Census. Founded in Belem in 1911, its expansion took place in line with a number of social changes in Brazil during the twentieth century. Among such changes, are highlighted the complementary processes of industrialization and urbanization of the country, evident especially from the second half of the century. It was from this period that the Assemblies of God and other Pentecostal denominations of orientation began to draw attention in the Brazilian religious field. Since 1960 academic studies point to the Pentecostal churches benefited the masses of migrants who came to the cities to provide the manpower for expanding industries, concluding there is a direct link between urbanization and the Pentecostal growth. However, although inserted in the same context, not all denominations have the same growth rate. The Assemblies of God, for example, now have six times more members than the second largest Pentecostal church, also centenary Christian Congregation of Brazil, is having the advantage to have been born around the city. Thus, we start from the assumption that the church member growth in the urban world must be understood not only in the light of external social, but also from the internal dynamics of the Church organization. One of the preponderant factors in this item is a sui generis way Assemblies of God were able to combine their different internal divisions around the same denominational platform without it represented the disintegration or the disintegration of the Church in an institutional fraying process unobservable in any other Brazilian Pentecostal church. Moreover, we also took into account their own cultural codes of the name, born in the overlapping of the Swedish experience of its early leaders, the migratory experience of its members and their own responses developed...

Submitted by Paula Quirino (paula.quirino@ufpe.br) on 2015-03-11T18:05:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO Cleonardo Gil de Barros Junior.pdf: 1931785 bytes, checksum: 3c0c805ea814bd6bb4118d09a2a6a07d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-11T18:05:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DISSERTAÇÃO Cleonardo Gil de Barros Junior.pdf: 1931785 bytes, checksum: 3c0c805ea814bd6bb4118d09a2a6a07d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / CNPq / Este trabalho tem como objetivo entender a formação dos pastores pentecostais: o processo da constituição de suas subjetividades, bem como as práticas e representações envolvidas na definição daqueles que seguirão a carreira de pastor pentecostal. Apresentarei dois processos que entendo serem essenciais para a formação do pastor: o primeiro é a construção da narrativa do chamado, na qual o líder pentecostal consolida sua vocação e mostra que foi escolhido por Deus para exercer um ministério específico no mundo. O segundo processo consiste na necessidade – e obrigação - que os vocacionados têm de serem “usados por Deus”, ou seja, agirem direcionados pela unção de Deus, termo por eles designado para representar o poder transcendental, especial e principalmente, na performance da prédica direcionada ao restante dos fieis. As análises aqui apresentadas baseiam-se em trabalho de campo conduzido, primeiramente, na Escola de Líderes da Associação Vitória em Cristo (ESLAVEC), realizada na cidade de Águas de Lindóia, em São Paulo, em dezembro de 2012. Após o congresso, acompanhei jovens pastores e candidatos ao pastorado pentecostal em algumas igrejas, principalmente nas filiais da Assembleia de Deus Vitória em Cristo no Recife, nos bairros de Boa Viagem (a sede pernambucana) e Cordeiro. Tendo percebido a dimensão interdenominacional da ESLAVEC, também acompanhei e entrevistei jovens pastores pentecostais das igrejas Vida e Paz, na cidade de Camaragibe (PE), e a Igreja Batista Missionária Palavra Viva, no bairro da Várzea, em Recife, como contraponto reflexivo, no intuito de testar os limites de minhas generalizações no campo pentecostal a respeito da constituição do líder pentecostal.

This study investigates the spirituality of the emerging African Pentecostal churches in the development of the church and the theology of mission in Zambia’s Christian and traditional religious context. Of equal importance is the contribution of traditional African spirituality to Christianity in Africa. Attention is also drawn to the way in which African traditional religion and culture are treated by the African Pentecostal churches. The effect of both culture and Christianity in shaping modes of relationship and in bringing to light a liberative spirituality which this study examines is an issue in focus in African Pentecostal churches. Hence, this study has consciously appealed both to traditional spiritually and Pentecostal spirituality for a liberative theology which is both African and Christian. The study therefore proposes a change in terms of interpretation in our understanding of spirituality. The term “spirituality” in this study is defined as “the abiding presence of God the Holy Spirit” in the Church and its mission. From a predominantly scientific and dichotomous approach to spirituality, the study suggests that the paradigm shift should be in the direction of a supernatural approach as opposed to the Western worldview approach which is influenced heavily by secular science. The new approach advocates the need to understand the images of God the Holy Spirit from an African point of view. In this regard, the comparison between an African cosmology and a Biblical world-view (theologia Crucis) determines theodicy. Inter alia, the metaphor “Immanuel” (Mulungu Alinafe in Chichewa, meaning “God with us”) plays a crucial role in a metaphorical approach to supernatural “manifestations” of the abiding presence of God the Holy Spirit in the midst of the people of African Pentecostal churches and their mission. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Science of Religion and Missiology / unrestricted

The main purpose of this research is to explore and analyze the ecclesiology of the emerging charismatic or apostolic churches with a special reference to their church polity based on the fivefold ministry of Ephesians 4:11. The survey of the traditional church government is done as a basis and directional guide for church government and polity. Since the Classical Pentecostals and Charismatics form a sizeable part of evangelical Christianity, their ecclesiology is explored and it is discovered that this is generally not formulated into certain cohesion. This mainstream evangelical Christianity does not formulate dogma, but adds pneumatological dynamism to their faith. However, the ecclesiastical understanding of the emerging apostolic movement is endeavored as a way of trying to understand the premise of ecclesiological understanding. There is a historical survey of the fivefold ministry since the dawn of the twentieth century, especially starting with the Latter Rain Movement. As in all researches of this kind, the marks of this phenomenon are identified and the different terms used to refer to it explored. These marks are highlighted in view of their theological and hermeneutical approaches to doctrinal conclusions. The rationale behind the movement’s fivefold ministry hangs on the doctrine of restoration, whereby the church is believed to be prepared in the last days for a great eschatological realization, and that to accomplish this, the restoration of church government structure based on the fivefold ministers is to be applied. It is believed that the church can only fulfill its mission here on earth when it operates under the guidance of apostolic structure as laid out in Ephesians 4:11. The research argues the theological bases and the roots of the fivefold ministry and compares this with the current scenarios found among the apostolic churches. This is examined in regard to the leadership in the early church, the principles of ecclesiality and contextuality, phenomenology, Realpolitik and vox populi. The argument is enhanced by the fact that the Charismatic theology lacks cohesion and synergy because of the lack of catechesis and apostolic paradosis. The Ephesians 4:1-16 exegeses acts as a precursor to understanding the fivefold ministry and the charismata in the church as supported by history and the application of domata that the fivefold ministry was intended for ecclesia’s growth, life and nourishment. The domata of Eph 4:11 were intended for maturity, not for the government of the church. The climax of the research endeavours to answer the hypothesis if the fivefold ministry can be a theologically legitimate application for church government. The apostolic churches are reviewed and their distinctive characteristics surveyed. The fivefold ministry is critically discussed and the arguments against if for church government brought forth. These arguments are evaluated by comparing them with the contemporary participative ecclesiologies. Some further valuable deductions can be made from research: <ol><li>There is disparity and lack of synergy regarding the fivefold ministry among the Charismatics.</li> <li>Ephesians 4 passage cannot be used to justify the church government structure based on the fivefold ministry.</li> <li>The ecclesia is a charismatic fellowship.</li> <li>The church needs structure for the sake of order and effectiveness in the world.</li> <li>Most of the fivefold ministry promoters are not scholarly or theologically elite.</li></ol> A few constraints have been encountered which have a limiting effect on the research. The research highlights a number of important areas which can be further researched. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Dogmatics and Christian Ethics / unrestricted

A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in Development Studies by coursework and research report to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, 2018 / Nigerian charismatic Pentecostalism has become a permanent feature of South African urban society. This Pentecostalism has had considerable influence on local churches in South Africa. Nigerian Pentecostal churches have also greatly influenced how other churches in South Africa respond to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. This study sought to understand how these South African churches that are linked to Nigerian Pentecostalism are responding to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. To achieve this objective, the researcher conducted an ethnographic study at the Church for Christ Ministries (CFC) based in Johannesburg. This church has strong connections to the famous Nigerian charismatic leader TB Joshua. Results from this study show that, the use of media technology has become an integral part of the CFC’s efforts against the HIV and AIDS epidemic. The CFC combined together their doctrinal teachings and HIV and AIDS programmes with the use of media technology, to address the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Johannesburg. These doctrinal teachings and programmes have been merged with the use of video-media technologies to come up with a formidable response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic in Johannesburg. The study combined together Michel Foucault’s concept of biopower and Erving Goffman’s concepts of stigma and the dramaturgical perspectives, to come up with a framework that can be used to understand the impact of merging video media technology to existing church strategies against the HIV and AIDS epidemic. This study made use of a qualitative research design. Data was collected using interviews, participant observations, document analysis, reviewing of video footage and review of the church’s Facebook page. Snowball, purposive sampling and Facebook sampling were utilized as sampling techniques by the researcher. Finally, the study made use of thematic content analysis as a way of analysing data. / TL (2019)

Magister Theologiae - MTh / Although there were various small Pentecostal experiences (like baptismsin the Holy Spirit accompanied by glossolalia utterances) just before and after the beginning of the twentieth century, the origin of the Pentecostals is generally traced back to two incidents very early in this century (Frodsham 1946:15-17; Kendrick 1961 :34-36). Some writers prefer to linkthe origin of the Pentecostal Movement to Charles Parham's Bible Collegeat Topeka (Kansas) (Nichol 1966: 26). Others prefer to link thisMovement's origin to the Azusa Street revival of William J.Seymour (Nichol 1966: 32).

This ethnographic study examines the organizational structure, formation of community and ritual performance of a Catholic charismatic prayer group in the United States. Heavily influenced by the Protestant Pentecostal movement, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) began as a grassroots movement among the Catholic laity in the late 1960s and proposed a personal connection with God through "baptism in the Holy Spirit" and reception of "charisms," spiritual gifts, such as glossolalia (speaking in tongues), healing and prophesying. Earlier studies suggested that such groups would fade out due to the inherent tension with Catholic institutions. Nevertheless, this dissertation presents the case study of a rapidly growing Catholic charismatic group at the suburbs of Boston, with a charismatic leader who is also a priest. The research methods include participant observation of all the meetings, retreats, and rituals, formal and informal interviews of the leader, his clerical associates and members, and review of the groups' publications and the leader's own radio program, during a period of twenty months from December 2001 to August 2003. I have also visited and interviewed priests and lay people of non-charismatic Catholic churches and two Protestant Pentecostal churches in the greater Boston area. Building upon Max Weber's theory of charisma, this dissertation examines how the charismatic leader maximizes his authority by integrating both personal and institutional charisma. The vertical ties the community members cultivate with the leader and the horizontal ties they establish among themselves through narratives of conversion and healing experience reinforce group cohesion and resilience. By analyzing ritual language and bodily movement, this study argues that ritual is a communication system in which the charisma of the leader and the religious experience of the followers are embodied. This study of the actual workings of a charismatic group within the hierarchical structure of the church not only advances the relationship between charisma and institution beyond the Weberian paradigm but also situates the case study of charismatic leadership within the social and historical context of American culture at large.