For the last two years, Southern Cross College and Hansei University (associated with Dr Yonggi Cho) have joined together for an Aussie/Korean theological symposium. Last year the Korean professors travelled to Australia, and in the first week of June this year Mark Hutchinson, Bruce Stevens, David Kwon and myself get to travel to Korea.
Hansei set the topic this year; Pentecotals and Ecology, and I must confess to some degree of surprise and anxiety. My first thought was that such a topic would be impossible – what more is there to say but that Pentecostals have not really expressed any interest in environmental matters? I almost suggested a change of topic, but ended up deciding not to take the cowards way out. After all, how would I deal with my conscience if I refused to consider such an important topic. So, I have drafted a paper, and I thought that, over the next few weeks, I might share a few sections, and get your comments and feedback to see whether I can develop it further. Below is an extract from my introductory section – more will follow
Preaching the “Full
Gospel” in the Context of Global Environmental Crises
The situation in the global Pentecostal academy is not much better,[iii] a fact that is noteworthy given that there has been a proliferation of academic publications by the wider church in the field of ecotheology in recent decades.[iv] Our purpose in this paper is to ask why this might be so; what is it about Pentecostal culture and praxis that has, at least to date, prevented the development of an ecological dimension to its understanding of the gospel? Thereafter, our concern is to attempt to locate symbolic dimensions of Pentecostal identity which might be used to facilitate such development, with the goal of helping twenty first century Pentecostals to continue to claim, along with their forebears, that they are proponents of the “full gospel.”
A critical ecological analysis
of Pentecostalism’s theology of creation
The place to begin in seeking to understand a Pentecostal theology
of creation is the recognition that the movement’s outlook on the creation is
coloured by its eschatological orientation. Commenting on the situation in early Australian Pentecostalism, Barry
Chant observes that the most popular theme of early Pentecostal preaching and teaching was
the second coming of Christ,[viii] and this end-times focus was common
to Pentecostal movements globally.[ix] Taking the premillennialist position,
Pentecostals read world events through literalistic interpretations of biblical
apocalyptic literature, looking forward to the immanent return of Jesus which
was to be accompanied by the rapture of the saints and subsequent global
devastation. While acting as a
motivating force for missionary activity, premillennial pessimism has been
blamed for the tendency of twentieth century Pentecostalism to ignore the
social responsibility of the church. As
Dwight Wilson observes, “since the end
is near, [classical] Pentecostals are indifferent to social change and have
rejected the reformist methods of the optimistic postmillennialists and have
concentrated on ‘snatching brands from the fire’ and letting social reforms
result from humankind being born again.”[x] This indifference extends to the movement’s concern for environmental
matters, since there is little point in focusing attention on a doomed
environment, made even less significant by the shadow of eternal life in heaven
(or death in hell).
Of course Pentecostals are not alone
in conceiving of the future of creation in apocalyptic terms. Also, the eschatological fervour that
categorised early Pentecostalism is, in the twenty first century, not as
entrenched as it once was.[xi] While this has given rise to some concern
about the motivation for Pentecostal missionary activity,[xii]
it does pave the way for a more positive attitude toward the future of
earth. What is noteworthy, however, is
that the changing eschatological outlook has not yet resulted in substantial
developments in the movement’s ecological ethos.
________________________
THUS ends the first section of my draft paper. More critique to come – and further down the
track, my reconstruction. Thoughts or
comments are welcomed.
[i] I am here borrowing
from Russell Spittler’s now classic observation that
the phrase ‘Pentecostal studies’ is oxymoronic. See Russell Spittler,
“Suggested Areas for Further Research in Pentecostal Studies,” Pneuma 5 (1983): 39-57, 39.
[ii] See the complete
collection of the Australian Evangel (in all its manifestations) available at
the Pentecostal Heritage Centre, Southern Cross College. Part of this collection has been digitalized,
and is available at http://aps.webjournals.org/.
[iii] Although this is
changing, as is apparent in this present conference. See also Augustinus Dermawan, “The Spirit in Creation
and Environmental Stewardship: A Preliminary Pentecostal Response Toward
Ecological Theology,” Asian Journal of
Pentecostal Studies 6, no. 2 (2003): 199-217; Amos
Yong, The Spirit Poured Out on All Flesh:
Pentecostalism and the Possibility of Global Theology (Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Baker, 2005).
[iv] It is beyond this paper to document
[v] Margaret
Poloma, The Assemblies of God at the
Crossroads: Charisma and Institutional Dilemmas (Knoxville: University of
Tennessee Press, 1989).
[vi] Harvey Cox, Fire From Heaven: The Rise of Pentecostal Spirituality and the Reshaping of Religion in the Twenty-first Century, Mas: Perseus Books, 1995, 310.
[vii] Cox, Fire From Heaven, 310.
[viii] Barry Chant, “The Spirit of Pentecost: Origins and Development of the Pentecostal movement in Australia, 1870-1939,” PhD dissertation, Sydney: Macquarie University, 1999) 476.
[ix] See D.
William Faupel, The Everlasting Gospel:
The Significance of Eschatology in the Development of Pentecostal Thought
(Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1996).
[x] Dwight J. Wilson, “Pentecostal Perspectives on Eschatology,” The New
International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, ed.
Stanley Burgess (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002), 601-605, 605.
[xi] See Shane
Clifton, “An Analysis of the Developing Ecclesiology of the Assemblies of God
in Australia,” Sydney: Australian Catholic University, 2005), 262-264.
[xii] Mark Hutchinson, “The New Thing God is Doing: The Charismatic Renewal and Classical Pentecostalism,” Australasian Pentecostal Studies 1 (1998): 5-21, 17.
Great stuff! I've posted about this on my blog just now, and will post another later on tonight.
I'm really looking forward to seeing this blog develop, so I hope you enjoy the experience.
Chris
Posted by: Chris Tilling | May 06, 2006 at 04:23 AM
I'm glad to see a site that operates from a charismatic framework. I look forward to future posts from this site.
Posted by: Chris Petersen | May 07, 2006 at 03:26 AM
This is an excellent start. I am excited to see this kind of reflection. I wonder how helpful it would be to explore dimensions of eschatological hope within the apocalyptic frameworks of Pentecostalism. It is there that we might find some language to remove the sense of fatalism towards the current ecological crisis. I'll keep my eye on this blog for sure.
Posted by: Frank Emanuel | May 07, 2006 at 07:00 AM
I like the hint of hope here: just as social concern has edged its way up on the Pentecostal agenda, concern for the environment may be able to follow the same path :) But we need people like you (and whoever picked the topic for Hansei) to give it that momentum-starting nudge...
Posted by: Deborah Taggart | May 08, 2006 at 11:02 PM
I discovered a 1975 book "The Blueprint" by George Otis which did speak to the Pentecostal/Environmental issue. He mocks reactions to concerns of David Wilkerson in his "The Vision" and says that USA must pursue a policy of resouce usage in a vital (military) competition with USSR. And the amazing thing is that this became US policy. In one line he calims when Jesus returns resouces will be miraculously replaced.
Speaking now as a Brethren (Plymouth) I would claim that we find ourselves in the consquences of following the false teaching of one of our elders the late John Nelson Darby. We love Darby but Jesus tells us to look at the fruit of a man's ministry. Put simply this "rapture" theology produces pride and selfishness and exclusiveness while among us Brethren Darby brought the division between Open and Exclusive Brethren. (Bethsada 1846) As a believer in One Book I look to Adam to define for us man's relationship with the earth (his mane is the Hebrew word for earth -Adamah) and thus the "sins" of Australia resulting in disasterous climate change you are now experiencing are sins of resouce misuse and abuse. However I doubt if you being based on a "personal salvation" model see the current and future judgements as being anything to do with "your" church.
Finally I want to conclude with Rev 6:6 and to say that in Sept 05 I predicted that the Northern Hemisphere was in for a record breaking cold winter. Now I am predicting that in this Southern Spring and following Northern Spring 07 we wil see drought wiping out the earths grain reserves and the price of bread doubling and doubling again. Here in NZ we may go to potatoes as our key Stable diet or maybe we can produce our own grain to replace the Aussy grain that will no longer be availiable.
These are exactly the issues which concerned David Wilkerson in the 70s.
Posted by: Paul Darroch | October 01, 2006 at 04:03 PM
Dear beloved in Christ
Greetings to you in the wonderful name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God has given to me to be in touch with you in this way.
Please pray for our church building construction in PONNUR and monthly help small gift.
We want your kind fellowship and your fervent valuable prayers
yours Brother in His Service
Bro Jesuspadam
INDIA
Please check my ministry web site: -
http://newjerusaleminc.blogspot.com/
[email protected]
Posted by: Jesuspadam .k | May 26, 2008 at 12:45 PM
Thanks for your blog
Posted by: Clifton | June 20, 2009 at 03:51 AM
The good thing about your information is that it is explicit enough for students to grasp. Thanks for your efforts in spreading academic knowledge.
dissertations
Posted by: dissertation | December 16, 2009 at 04:47 PM