Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement. Donald E. Miller and Tetsunao Yamamori. Berkley: The University of California Press, 2007.
Progressive Pentecostals are having a positive social impact in the developing nations of the world. Of course, this statement has to be qualified. First, not all Pentecostals are successfully engaging the social culture of their nations. As a rule, the most progressive Pentecostals are those of indigenous Pentecostal denominations and the independent Neo-Pentecostal churches. Second, the term progressive must be defined.
Progressive Pentecostalism should not be confused with the Liberation Theology associated with traditional liberal Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. Progressive Pentecostals tend to be theologically (and politically) conservative. The authors define Progressive Pentecostals as “…Christians who claim to be inspired by the Holy Spirit and the life of Jesus and seek to holistically address the spiritual, physical, and social needs of people in their community” (2).
The root of this social engagement is the communal Pentecostal worship service in which believers encounter God and are transformed (132). Here the authors have missed an important theological marker in the discussion. What they speak of as progressive “holistic ministry” is nothing less than a mature Wesleyan-Pentecostal doctrine of sanctification. Salvation is more than a forensic declaration of righteousness. Conversion to Christ and Holy Spirit baptism are empowering salvific encounters that break the power of sin, deliver from demonic powers, restores human dignity, and lifts the believer out of the oppression of evil world systems. The Pentecostal community is fully engaged in the ministry of soul-care, which is, renewing the life of the convert. This is not self-help, nor is it social welfare. It is a synergism between the Spirit-empowered community and the Spirit-empowered individual.
Contrary to Liberation models of social engagement, Pentecostals are not trying to reform oppressive governments or social structures. Instead, they are seeking to “build from the ground up an alternative social reality” that has as its fundamental theological basis the conviction that all people – even women, children, and the poor – are created in the image of God and therefore have dignity and equal rights (5). This theological conviction acts subversively to confront oppression. Progressive Pentecostals are not content to offer assistance; instead, by following the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, they seek to develop individuals and communities by offering counseling, moral instruction, and mirco-economic opportunities that empower and enrich individuals and families.
The authors have sought to demonstrate the pragmatic consequences of spiritual transformation in the context of Pentecostal encounter. They have traveled the world and interviewed pastors, leaders and converts. Throughout the text they tell the stories of churches and ministries throughout the world that are having a profound transformative effect in the lives of broken souls and suffering communities. Included with the book is a DVD of interviews and reports that is very helpful in putting sinew, muscle, and flesh on the skeleton of the text.
This book is an informative and powerful presentation that should provoke serious reflection that could transform Pentecostal churches in the lukewarm and complacent Western world.
