The Pentecostal and Neo-Pentecostal movements propose a subsequent to salvation Spirit baptism. This baptism is viewed as an experience in which the Spirit either confers or awakens gifts within the life of the believer. The thesis ofthis paper is that Spirit baptism occurs at conversion. Spirit filling on the other hand is one of many metaphors to describe the work of the eschatological Spirit subsequent to salvation. This distinguishing of Spirit baptism and Spirit filling is different to the Pentecostal and Neo-Pentecostal idea that Spirit baptism and Spirit filling are synonymous experiences that occur at some point subsequent to salvation. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / Th. M. (Systematic Theology)

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. / Practical Theology / M.Th.

The aim of this qualitative research study has been to investigate seven young adult Pentecostals conceptions about religious evil, that is Satan, demons and hell. The purpose has also been to analyze how these conceptualizations are formed. The method that has been used in this study is individual semi-structured interviews. The result of the study show that conceptions of Satan, demons and hell are strong in most of the individuals’ life but one. Berger & Luckmanns theories of socialization has been applied to the results and the discussion shows that conceptions about religious evil are formed in the primary socialization or the secondary socialization if the person goes through the process of alternation. Bultmanns argument that modern man can’t accept the world view that is presented in The New Testament has also been discussed and the discussion reveals that modern day people can believe in the New Testament worldview.

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)

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Despite the excessive mineral wealth, the underground deposits of gold, diamonds, copper and cobalt and other valuable minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo which are coveted by many countries, the majority of the population is still destitute and lives in dire poverty. However the country itself prospered during the colonial period 1885-1960 and it became the second most industrialized state in Africa after South Africa (Petit & Mutambwa, 2005). Unfortunately it is now ranked among the world's poorest countries in the world. Since the Democratic Republic of the Congo gained independence in 1960 it has not experienced development that benefits the whole population. The country is experiencing continuing and pressing problems of poverty and human suffering. Thus the purpose during this study is to analyse the position of the Pentecostal Church in the Congo (30ème CPCO) concerning the situation of poverty in the city of Lubumbashi and to design a pragmatic approach that can assist the denomination to find ways to effectively address the problem of poverty. Findings reveal that the city of Lubumbashi is riddled with complex socio-economic challenges, but the 30 ème CPCO is not equipped practically or theologically to address these challenges. Poverty in the city of Lubumbashi is pervasive, it is therefore structural and historical. It comes a long way, from the slavery, to colonization, to dictatorship, neo-colonization and globalization. Sin and lovelessness have been identified as the roots causes of poverty in the DRC in the sense that sin which is the opposite of love is the driving force behind the oppressive structures that have impoverished millions of people in the DRC and around the world. Furthermore findings also disclose that the understanding of the soteriology within the Pentecostal denomination theology is problematic. Salvation is understood as being spiritual only, the physical aspect is misapprehended. In addition there is a heretical prosperity gospel in the denomination which teaches that poverty is the result of personal sin and unfaithfulness to tithing. They believe that giving large amounts of money will release blessings and prosperity. This view has skewed the denomination's approach towards the eradication of poverty. As a result the 30 ème CPCO’s involvement in poverty eradication is described as rudimentary, it is limited to sporadic assistance to the poor. Although the 30 ème CPCO station of Lubumbashi as a whole has been sporadically giving assistance to the poor, there are many factors that have restricted its ability to effectively engage in poverty eradication amongst which is poor understanding of the root causes of poverty. This in fact is influenced by the perception of poverty which is subject to features such as the mentality of the people or the level of literacy, the environment, the world view, the circumstances, the culture etc. The inability of the 30 ème CPCO to address poverty is also due to lack of enough education, poor administration, financial issues, lack of partners to help with the development and cooperation between congregations. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ten spyte van groot minerale rykdom, die ondergrondse bronne van goud, diamante, koper kobalt en ander minerale, wat deur ander lande begeer word, leef die oorgrote meerderheid van die bevolking van die Demokratiese Republiek van die Kongo in armoede. Tydens die koloniale tydperk (1885–1960) het die Kongo tog vooruitgegaan en die tweede mees industrieë in Afrika, na Suid-Afrika, besit. Dus was dit die doel tydens hierdie studie om die posisie van die Pinkster Kerk in die Kongo (30 ème CPCO) betreffende die armoede stiuasie in die stad Lubumbashi te bepaal en om maniere te vind waarop ’n pragmatiese benadering tot armoede gevolg kan word. Daar is bevind dat die stad Lubumbashi baie komplekse sosio-ekonomiese uitdagings in die gesig staar, maar dat die 30 ème CPCO nie bevoeg is om daardie uitdagings op ’n praktiese wyse of ’n teologiese wyse aan te spreek nie nie. Die armoede in die stad kan oral gesien word, dit is struktueel en histories. Hierdie armoede gaan ver terug, na slaverny, kolonisasie diktatorskap, neo-liberalisme en globalisasie. Sonde en liefdeloosheid word gesien as hoofoorsake van armoede in die Demokratiese Republiek van die Kongo in die sin dat sonde wat die teenoorgestelde van liefde is, die dryfveer is agter die onderdrukkende strukture wat miljoene mense in die DRK en elders in die wêreld in armoede gedompel het. Daar is ook bevind dat die begrip van soteriologie in die Pinkster denominasie se teologie problematies is. Net die geestelike aspek van redding is in ag geneem en die fiesiese aspek is misken. Daar is ook diegene in die denominasie wat verkeerdelik glo in die voorspoeds evangelie waarvolgens armoede die gevolg is van die persoon se eie sonde of ontrouheid wat betref die gee van tiendes. Hulle glo dat die gee van groot hoeveelhede geld sal lei tot seëninge en voorspoed. Hierdie siening het ’n effek gehad op die denominasie se houding teenoor die uitroei van armoede. Daarom is die 30 ème CPCO se betrokkenheid by die uitwissing van armoede rudimentêr. Dit is beperk tot hulp aan die armes. . Alhoewel die 30 ème CPCO stasie van Lubumbashi as geheel sporadies hulp aan die armes verleen het, is daar baie faktore wat die kerk se vermoë om effektief te wees in die uitroei van armoede, beperk het. Een daarvan is ’n begrip van die grondoorsake van armoede. Die begrip word beïnvloed deur die persepsie van armoede, en aspekte soos die mentaliteit van die mense, die graad van geletterheid, die omgewing, die siening van die wêreld, die kultuur ens. Die onvermoë van die 30 ème CPCO om armoede aan te spreek is die gevolg van ’n gebrek aan opvoeding, swak administrasie, finansiële probleme en gebrek aan vennote, asook ’n gebrek aan samewerking tussen gemeentes.

This thesis is essentially an ethnographic examination of the instrumentalist and functionalist reading of African evangelical Christianity that is prevalent in a section of Western scholarship. Thus, it sets out to achieve two primary objectives: to investigate, describe and analyse Christian theological and socio-political consciousness within the context of oil and conflict in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria from Baptist and Pentecostal perspectives; and to use the data to test the veracity of the prevalent account on African evangelical Christianity regarding social witness. This account is succinctly represented by Paul Gifford who claims, among other things, that such Christianity lacks social responsibility and is anti-development and a-political. In order to achieve these objectives, the thesis adopts approaches from practical theology, particularly the burgeoning field of congregational studies, with its focus on qualitative research, and African Christian Theology, with its emphasis on grassroots theology, or ‘theology from below’. Also, achieving these objectives requires an analysis and description of Nigeria’s political economy of oil and conflict, which forms the secondary goal of the study. Consequently, two local Baptist churches and a Pentecostal congregation were selected on theological, geographical, and pragmatic grounds. The thesis is in two parts. Part I, comprising Chapters One to Three, gives the background to the study. Chapter One is the introductory chapter. In Chapter Two an analysis of Gifford’s account of African evangelical and ‘fundamentalist’ Christianity is provided. Chapter Three identifies and critiques the prevalent perspectives on oil and conflict in Nigeria. Part II covered in Chapters Four to Eight comprises the core ethnographic data from the case studies and their description and analysis. Chapter Four is essentially a thick description of the three congregations. In Chapter Five the first set of theological themes from the case studies – God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit – are discussed. Also included in the chapter is their theology of prayer. Chapter Six focuses on the theme of ecclesiology and also addresses their perspective on Christian socio-political role, as well as their theology of conversion. Chapter Seven offers a detailed analysis and description of their experiences, response and understanding of oil and conflict. Chapter Eight, which is the concluding chapter, sets the research findings against Gifford’s claims and concludes that most of them are at variance with the reality in the three congregations. Possible explanations for this discrepancy are offered, as well as some implications the study has for the scholarship on African Christianity and for the three churches. The chapter also includes the description and proposal of a contextual political theology for the Niger Delta.

Tesis para optar al grado de Magíster en Historia / A través del presente estudio pretendemos analizar el comportamiento del movimiento pentecostal en la ciudad de Santiago de Chile en el período de 1952 a 1970, considerándolo como fenómeno urbano en que sus miembros se ven enfrentados a las variables de metropolización, observando las formas simbólicas y materiales que se desarrollan en torno a la subsistencia general y que le otorgan una fisonomía particular a este movimiento religioso. Para ello queremos responder las siguientes interrogantes: ¿Cuál es el comportamiento del pentecostalismo y cuáles sus comportamientos religiosos y sociales en su interacción con la ciudad? Nuestra hipótesis es que el movimiento pentecostal chileno enfrentó el proceso de metropolización configurando un concepto de ciudad apartado de lo signos que propagaba el desarrollo desde los estratos de poder político partidista y económico, confrontándolo con uno que fortalecía la comunidad como espacio de acción social y política, aún cuando no era plenamente consciente de ello, que otorgó las herramientas simbólicas para enfrentar la problemática vivencial de los sujetos populares en su lucha por vivienda, trabajo y subsistencia.

Peru of the 21st century is characterized by an atmosphere of progress and upward social mobility among its different social classes. An economy growing at a rate of approximately 8% annually is reflected in all of Peru but especially in the capital city of Lima. Greater Lima, with more than nine million inhabitants, represents approximately 30% of the Peruvian population and a multicultural mix of people from the country’s different provinces. Due to the existing centralism, Lima is the place where the Peruvian upper class live and the upwardly mobile migrate. / Tesis

Chan Chiu-yuen Lawrence. / Thesis (M.Div.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-65). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Introduction / Chapter Chapter One / Chapter A. --- Root of Pentecostalism: the Black Heritage / Chapter B. --- Transcending Race & Class / Chapter a. --- History of the Marginalized Black Slave in America / Chapter i. --- Social Context in America: Slavery & Racism / Chapter ii. --- Formation of Black church / Chapter b. --- The Outpouring of the Spirit: Transcending Race and Class / Chapter Chapter Two --- Transforming Christianity: Inculturation / Chapter a. --- The Concept of Inculturation / Chapter b. --- Worship in the Azusa Street Revival / Chapter c. --- African Heritage / Chapter d. --- Worship / Chapter e. --- Spirit Possession / Chapter Chapter Three --- Yielding Detraditionalization / Chapter a. --- Marginalization of Women in Mission / Chapter i. --- Masculine Domination of Missionary Societies / Chapter ii. --- Traditional Roles of Women / Chapter iii. --- Opposition of a Single Woman as a Missionary / Chapter iv. --- Resistance of Setting-up of Women's Board / Chapter v. --- Unjust Criticisms from Masculine Organizations / Chapter vii. --- Widow Case / Chapter b. --- Patriarchal Christian Tradition / Chapter c. --- Pentecostal Women in Mission / Chapter d. --- The Power of Holy Spirit: Detraditionalization / Conclusion / Bibliography

Orientador: Milton Carlos Costa / Banca: Karina Kosicki Bellotti / Banca: Dario Paulo Barrera Rivera / Banca: Edin Sued Abumanssur / Banco: Áureo Busetto / Resumo: 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... / Abstract: 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... / Doutor