Lee Siu Fan. / "May 2012." / Thesis (M.Div.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references. / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.5-7 / Chapter 2. --- Classical Pentecostal: Its Historical Roots --- p.8-13 / Chapter 2.1 --- The Holiness Movement Root --- p.8-10 / Chapter 2.2 --- The Black Oral Root --- p.10-11 / Chapter 2.3 --- The Catholic Root --- p.11-12 / Chapter 2.4 --- The Ecumenical Root --- p.12-13 / Chapter 2.5 --- Summary --- p.13 / Chapter 3. --- William Joseph Seymour --- p.14-24 / Chapter 3.1 --- Biography of William J. Seymour (1870-1922) --- p.15-17 / Chapter 3.2 --- Seymour's Writing in The Apostolic Faith --- p.17-18 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Baptism in the Holy Spirit --- p.18-19 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Speaking Tongues --- p.19 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Sanctification --- p.20 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Jesus Is Coming Soon --- p.20 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- Divine Healing --- p.21 / Chapter 3.3 --- Seymour's The Doctrines and Discipline of the Azusa Street Apostolic Faith Mission of Los Angeles --- p.21-23 / Chapter 3.4 --- Summary --- p.23-24 / Chapter 4. --- The Third Wave --- p.25-38 / Chapter 4.1 --- Third Wave --- p.25-27 / Chapter 4.2 --- Signs and Wonder --- p.28-33 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Power Evangelism --- p.28-31 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Power Healing --- p.31-33 / Chapter 4.3 --- Third Wave Theology Compared With Classical Pentecostal Theology --- p.33-37 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Similarities and Differences between Third Wave and Classical Pentecostal --- p.33-37 / Chapter 4.4 --- Summary --- p.37-38 / Chapter 5. --- Conclusion --- p.39 / Appendix I --- p.39-44 / A brief summary of the nineteenth sermons by Seymour in ''The Azusa Street Sermons by William J. Seymour´ح / Bibliography --- p.45-48

Lung Chun Ming. / "July 2012." / Thesis (M.Div.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.II / INTRODUCTION --- p.6 / DEFINITION OF THE TERMS --- p.8 / Chapter 1 --- EARLY PENTECOSTAL EXPERIENCE --- p.9 / Chapter 1.1 --- CHARLES FOX PARHAM --- p.10 / Chapter 1.1.1 --- BRIEF ACCOUNT TO CHARLES FOX PARHAM --- p.11 / Chapter 1.1.2 --- PARHAM'S VIEW ON PENTECOSTAL EXPERIENCE --- p.12 / Chapter 1.2 --- WILLIAM J. SEYMOUR --- p.16 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- BRIEF ACCOUNT TO WILLIAM JOSEPH SEYMOUR --- p.16 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- SEYMOUR'S VIEW ON PENTECOSTAL EXPERIENCE --- p.17 / Chapter 1.3 --- G. S. CASHWELL --- p.19 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- BRIEF ACCOUNT TO GASTON BARNABAS CASHWELL --- p.20 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- CASHWELL'S VIEW ON PENTECOSTAL EXPERIENCE --- p.21 / Chapter 1.4 --- CONCLUSION --- p.24 / Chapter 2 --- CONTEMPORARY PENTECOSTAL HERMENEUTICS --- p.26 / Chapter 2.1 --- MENZIES'S VIEW POINT TO PENTECOSTAL HERMENEUTIC --- p.28 / Chapter 2.2 --- STRONSTAD'S VIEW POINT TO PENTECOSTAL HERMENEUTIC --- p.29 / Chapter 2.3 --- LEWIS'S VIEW ON PENTECOSTAL HERMENEUTIC --- p.31 / Chapter 2.4 --- CONCLUSION --- p.32 / Chapter 3 --- CRITICISM OF BULTMANN'S PROGRAM OF DEMYTHOLOGIZATION FROM A PENTECOSTAL PERSPECTIVE --- p.33 / Chapter 3.1 --- CRITICISMS OF BULTMANN'S PROGRAM OF DEMYTHOLOGIZATION FROM HOWARD M. ERVIN --- p.33 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- BRIEF ACCOUNT TO HOWARD M. ERVIN --- p.33 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- FIRST CRITICISM WORLDVIEW OF MODERN MAN NO LONGER HOLDS --- p.34 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- SECOND CRITICISM: DEMYTHOLOGIZATION IS ONLY A TASK OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE. DEMYTHOLOGIZATION NEGLECTS DIVINE HERMENEUTICS DURING INTERPRETATION --- p.35 / Chapter 3.2 --- ANALYSIS OF BULTMANN'S PROGRAM OF DEMYTHOLOGIZING --- p.36 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- BULTMANN'S VIEW ON DEMYTHOLOGIZATION --- p.37 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- RICOEUR VIEW'S ON BULTMANN'S DEMYTHOLOGIZATION --- p.39 / Chapter 3.3 --- A CRITICAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN PENTECOSTAL HERMENEUTICS AND BULTMANN'S DEMYTHOLOGIZATION --- p.44 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- RESPONSE TO FIRST CRITICISM --- p.44 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- RESPONSE TO SECOND CRITICISM --- p.45 / Chapter 3.4 --- CONCLUSION --- p.46 / CONCLUSION --- p.47 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.48 / BOOKS AND JOURNALS --- p.48 / ONLINE RESOURCES --- p.50

This thesis explores the reasons for religious change to Pentecostal Christianity in urban Java during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. It investigates the conversion trend to Pentecostal forms of Christianity that has taken place in recent decades in the cities of Java. Why some of Java’s Muslim urbanites, particularly young traditionalist Javanese Muslims of lower and middle class status, have converted to this ecstatic expression of Christianity since 1980 is the focus of this study. The thesis considers the utility of current social science theories that emphasise social, cultural, political and selected religious factors, to understanding this conversion trend in urban Muslim Java. Socio-political factors, particularly political and social crises, rapid urbanisation, and state support for monotheistic religions; and selected religious factors, mainly delimited religious pluralism and reaction to Islamic extremism, produced a climate in urban Java conducive to conversion to this indigenous, moderately strict, this-worldly focussed and modern Christian movement. While this thesis demonstrates the utility of current social science explanations, it argues that these explanations, which rely solely on socio-political and some religious factors external to the converts, do not fully explain why some of the Muslim inhabitants of the cities of Java have converted to Pentecostal Christianity over other religions, and over other forms of Christianity. I argue that existing social science theory be extended to be more inclusive of specialised aspects of the Pentecostal movement. These specific characteristics are considered under the schema of ‘religious experiences and movement specificities’ (REMS), and are particularly concerned with the role of Pentecostal worldview, religious experiences, community and institutional aspects in conversion. This thesis demonstrates the value of an integrated approach to the scientific study of the reasons for religious conversion, one that considers the contribution of external socio-political forces and inner subjective religious experiences, personal faith aspects and specificities of movements.

<p>Did the early Pentecostals regard themselves as servants to the wider church, bearers of the gifts of the Spirit, sent to bring a renewed focus on love, unity, holiness, and justice to all parts of the church? Or did they see themselves as the only true believers in the midst of apostates, heretics, and reprobates? What can be found among the early Pentecostals, as a people whose primary self-identity was as a people of the Spirit, that carried the Spirit's mission forward in unique or significant ways? Can the loss of such practices help explain the decline of the Pentecostal movement? Narrating the Pentecostal movement through the lens of the Spirit's mission to the world is an attempt to give a normative account of Pentecostal liminality, to describe certain communitas commitments as ones that gave rise to the movement and propelled it forward. This study describes in detail how this understanding itself came to be something else, something quite damaging. Still, the general principle was that the Holy Spirit comes in power and blesses work that aligns with the Spirit's own mission. That is the primary presupposition at work here as well, that through understanding the mission of the Holy Spirit, we may find ways to align ourselves with that mission, to co-labor with the Spirit by privileging the liminal moment. Implicit in this claim is the denial that such alignment is automatic, guaranteed, or even self-sustaining. The argument here is that the incompatibility of the Pentecostal ethos represented by these communal commitments with the uncritical acceptance of evangelical-fundamentalist theological accounts on the part of the second and third generation Pentecostals resulted in a loss of what constituted the Pentecostal movement as such. This dissertation begins with an exegesis of John 16.8-11 in an effort to articulate Pentecostal ethics in terms of participation in the Spirit's mission of convincing the world with regard to sin, righteousness, and power. The conclusions of this exegesis are that the entire world is in view throughout this passage; that the Spirit convicts all with regard to sin, defined as not believing in Jesus, righteousness, defined as following Jesus' example in a life of holiness, and power, defined as the Spirit's judgment on all forms of power that are self-aggrandizing as opposed to the cruciform mode of authority that must characterize the Christian life; and that the Spirit accomplishes this convincing work primarily through the life of the communitas the Spirit forms, embodies, and empowers. These results are then carried to the Pentecostal movement in its earliest instantiation and as it exists as a Christian subculture today, asking what Pentecostal liminality might look like, if the rubric of the Spirit's mission to the world is applied as a moment we are to participate in enduringly.</p> / Dissertation

This thesis critically evaluates the experiential missionary practice of Breakthrough International (BCI), an African charismatic Church, from a perspective of Missio Dei, a modem paradigm of mission conceptualized by ecumenical missiology. BCI, within its African world view, where the spiritual is tangibly real, has grown out of its experience of the Spirit, the divine principle of origin and normal experience of faith. Theological academic discourse, bound to an enlightenment concept of truth within a modem Cartesian world view, can reasonably access and evaluate BCl's experience of the divine as proper source for theological discourse through BCl's narrative. Missio Dei, a response to the old church centered paradigm of mission, redefines mission as an activity of God, in which the mission centered church participates. God's mission unfolds in (post)modern history transformed through Christ's coming to an eschatological reality. It is realized as such by the local congregation in (post)secular times, acknowledging God's preferential option for the poor and aims to humanize and liberate the world. God's mission is mediated through culture, and through contextualization creates a polycentric cultural identity of the gospel modeled after Christ's incarnation. It is in as much contextual as it is culture critical. BCI resembles Missio Dei in a very limited fashion. The difference in world views, and its focus on personal experience, creates an uncritical paradigm of mission aiming to save the believer not the world. With little regard for the history of mission BCI wants to rewrite personal (hi)story without involving itself in world history imposing a spiritual agenda upon the world from the perspective of those who are victimized by history. Though it represents the poor it doesn't grasp Christ's incarnation and its implications for an understanding of the struggle of the poor as an issue of theology proper. Poverty is spiritualized to a matter of personal piety. BCI does not appreciate the contextuality of the gospel but understanding it as above culture. It creates a Christian subculture in limited corrilliunion with the church universal, very reluctant to involve itself in the public domain. Our dialogue with BCl's narrative form of theology acknowledges that modem, ecumenical missiology needs to rediscover the experience of the Spirit as source of mission; yet BCI needs to develop a theology which makes use of scripture, tradition, and reason in order to find a broader and sustainable understanding of its experience of the divine. As required by university regulations, I hereby state unambiguously that this study, unless specifically indicated to the contrary in the text, is my own original work. In accordance with the regulations of the University I request to take note that this thesis exceeds the recommended length for a doctoral dissertation. This has been unavoidable since the central question of this study deals with the experience of the Spirit in an African world view and assesses this experience from a modem Cartesian academic world view with special reference to Missio Dei. I have spelled out in detail (cf. pages 11-15 "The plan of the thesis") how incompatible those two world views are and that this incompatibility requires an intensive discussions with respect to the central issues of this thesis (especially Epistemology and Missio Dei). I therefore request the reader to bear with me as I try to move through the problems posed by the complexity of the main question. / Thesis (Ph.D)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

The purpose of this study was to investigate what view of humans that emerges when priests/reverends talk about man in relation to baptism. The study consists of qualitative interviews with four priests/reverends. There were two representatives from the church of Sweden, and two from the Pentecostal church. The aim and questions in the study focus on what view of humans that emerges. Will there be similarities and differences in the view of humans, and is it possible to refer the result to the respective church. The theory that is being used focusses on so called components of how humans are viewed and these components can be seen as building blocks in how a view of humans is formed. The background comes from the varying view of the baptism tradition that exists in Christianity. The church of Sweden mainly baptizes children, whereas the Pentecostal church practices believer´s baptism. The result demonstrates that the reflected view of humans in different ways can prove what each church of the interviewee represents.

This thesis explores the reasons for religious change to Pentecostal Christianity in urban Java during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. It investigates the conversion trend to Pentecostal forms of Christianity that has taken place in recent decades in the cities of Java. Why some of Java’s Muslim urbanites, particularly young traditionalist Javanese Muslims of lower and middle class status, have converted to this ecstatic expression of Christianity since 1980 is the focus of this study. The thesis considers the utility of current social science theories that emphasise social, cultural, political and selected religious factors, to understanding this conversion trend in urban Muslim Java. Socio-political factors, particularly political and social crises, rapid urbanisation, and state support for monotheistic religions; and selected religious factors, mainly delimited religious pluralism and reaction to Islamic extremism, produced a climate in urban Java conducive to conversion to this indigenous, moderately strict, this-worldly focussed and modern Christian movement. While this thesis demonstrates the utility of current social science explanations, it argues that these explanations, which rely solely on socio-political and some religious factors external to the converts, do not fully explain why some of the Muslim inhabitants of the cities of Java have converted to Pentecostal Christianity over other religions, and over other forms of Christianity. I argue that existing social science theory be extended to be more inclusive of specialised aspects of the Pentecostal movement. These specific characteristics are considered under the schema of ‘religious experiences and movement specificities’ (REMS), and are particularly concerned with the role of Pentecostal worldview, religious experiences, community and institutional aspects in conversion. This thesis demonstrates the value of an integrated approach to the scientific study of the reasons for religious conversion, one that considers the contribution of external socio-political forces and inner subjective religious experiences, personal faith aspects and specificities of movements.

This thesis explores the reasons for religious change to Pentecostal Christianity in urban Java during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. It investigates the conversion trend to Pentecostal forms of Christianity that has taken place in recent decades in the cities of Java. Why some of Java’s Muslim urbanites, particularly young traditionalist Javanese Muslims of lower and middle class status, have converted to this ecstatic expression of Christianity since 1980 is the focus of this study. The thesis considers the utility of current social science theories that emphasise social, cultural, political and selected religious factors, to understanding this conversion trend in urban Muslim Java. Socio-political factors, particularly political and social crises, rapid urbanisation, and state support for monotheistic religions; and selected religious factors, mainly delimited religious pluralism and reaction to Islamic extremism, produced a climate in urban Java conducive to conversion to this indigenous, moderately strict, this-worldly focussed and modern Christian movement. While this thesis demonstrates the utility of current social science explanations, it argues that these explanations, which rely solely on socio-political and some religious factors external to the converts, do not fully explain why some of the Muslim inhabitants of the cities of Java have converted to Pentecostal Christianity over other religions, and over other forms of Christianity. I argue that existing social science theory be extended to be more inclusive of specialised aspects of the Pentecostal movement. These specific characteristics are considered under the schema of ‘religious experiences and movement specificities’ (REMS), and are particularly concerned with the role of Pentecostal worldview, religious experiences, community and institutional aspects in conversion. This thesis demonstrates the value of an integrated approach to the scientific study of the reasons for religious conversion, one that considers the contribution of external socio-political forces and inner subjective religious experiences, personal faith aspects and specificities of movements.

Sustainability has become a prominent global project through which peoples and nations are seeking to alleviate poverty and stop environmental degradation. This thesis explores the contribution that Pentecostalism, a global religious movement of some 500 million people, can make to this project at the several levels of practice, political economy and philosophy. After an initial chapter where the challenges and dimensions of the sustainability project are outlined, the development and characteristics of Pentecostalism as a dynamic global movement are reviewed. This sets the context for a central empirical case study of Citipointe Christian Outreach Centre (a Pentecostal megachurch in Brisbane, Australia). Survey data, content analysis of sermons, and in depth interviews show how one particular congregation is engaging with the social, economic and environmental issues of sustainability. I conclude that although Citipointe’s engagement with sustainability issues at a practical level is weak, their demonstrated commitment to community building and the congregation’s shared worldview indicate potential for a more constructive engagement. In light of global Pentecostal praxis I suggest that Pentecostalism holds greater potential to engage with sustainability than is being realised at Citipointe. This thesis contributes to our understanding of how and why Pentecostals are already engaging in social, economic and environmental issues. More broadly, it develops our understanding of the role Pentecostal Christianity can play in sustainability. This thesis proposes that while Pentecostalism can contribute to sustainability at the level of practice, it can make a deeper contribution by addressing the worldview challenge of sustainability. Pentecostal Christianity does this because it can keep the sustainability discourse open to a wider discussion about God, truth and the purpose of life, rather than limit it to matters of science, technology and public policy.

Applied research project (D. Min.)--School of Theology and Missions, Oral Roberts University, 2005. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 309-321).