Recherche – Detailansicht
Ausgabe: | November/2022 |
Spalte: | 1120–1122 |
Kategorie: | Ökumenik, Konfessionskunde |
Autor/Hrsg.: | Black, Jonathan |
Titel/Untertitel: | The Theosis of the Body of Christ. From the Early British Apostolics to a Pentecostal Trinitarian Ecclesiology. |
Verlag: | Leiden u. a.: Brill 2020. XX, 265 S. = Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies, 37. Kart. EUR 55,00. ISBN 9789004412224. |
Rezensent: | William K. Kay |
Jonathan Black has written an original book on Pentecostal theol-ogy drawing upon untranslated Welsh texts as well as other writ-ings from British and American Pentecostalism. B., a lecturer at Regents, the Elim college in Britain, is a graduate of the University of Cambridge and well tutored in the history of reformation and patristic studies. As a result, he can construct an account of the theo- logy of the early Welsh Apostolic Church drawing both upon writ-ings dating to the years close to the Welsh revival of 1904/5 (as well as an appropriate selection of British and American sources) and to place them within the context of mainstream theological texts including those of Athanasius, Cyril, Augustine, Luther and Barth. The Welsh Apostolics in some cases had congregational or Calvinis-tic origins and so the placement of these early Pentecostals within the broad stream of church history is not forced or inappropriate.
Having translated little-known Welsh writings B. is able to show how the ecclesiology of Apostolic Pentecostals uses a doctrine of theosis which, in this context, is seen as the eternal love existing between the Father and the Son. What conceptually unites this doctrine of theosis with Pentecostalism is the distinctive Pentecos-tal belief and experience of baptism in the Holy Spirit. To be baptised in the Spirit is to be immersed in intra-Trinitarian love and thus be made a member of the body of Christ. The Welsh Apostolic understanding of baptism in the Holy Spirit differs from that of most Pentecostals who see post-conversion Spirit-baptism as de-signed to provide »power for service« along the lines of Acts 1:8 and the unfolding events of Acts 2. Essentially the traditional Pentecos-tal position sees Spirit-baptism as an individual experience that is almost mystical and which can be overwhelming and may fall within the range of revivalistic phenomena. It is derived from the pattern of events described in detail in Acts 2:1–4 and involves an engagement with the Spirit from heaven and (usually) speaking with tongues or glossolalia. It is primarily empowering. For the Welsh Apostolics, it is fundamentally an ecclesial experience, an experience of participation in the Godhead that fills the believer with the fullness of God and enacts being »in Christ« and being joined to the Head of the church.
Such a position requires a clear understanding of the functions of the Persons of the Trinity which, for many Apostolic leaders, was associated with a doctrine of the Eucharist like Luther’s. We feed on the crucified Christ not corporeally but sacramentally. Christ communicates himself through preaching, through charismatic gifts and through the spoken word (142). Unconditional election implies the cross and the incarnation are not a response to our human predicament but eternally determined. Consequently, the church must be theocratic and not democratic (116.117), and lack of democracy follows from the fact that the church is the body of Christ. Moreover, the church is not properly constituted without the ministry since ministers express the actions of Christ and are channels of grace in and to the body (124). Within the context of a restorationist vision the most important of such ministers are apostles and prophets whose governance of the church includes the calling and ordination of others. Prophets speak spontaneous utterances inspired by the Spirit and apostles interpret these to hearers, a practice which began in the early days when the prophet might speak in Welsh and the apostle would interpret and apply what was uttered in English. Although such an elevated role given to prophecy was strongly resisted by other Pentecostals and might and did cause pastoral and other problems, this is not B.’s concern at this point: he is focused on theology not history. The Apostolic vision led more than one of its leaders to claim the universe was brought into existence for the sake of the church: »the eternal purpose finds its locus in Christ the Head and His Body, the church, rather than ›in creation and Providence‹ as in the Reformed tradition« (149). Indeed, the world was created for Christ’s incarnation (155).
Theosis is accompanied by at least two theological problems. The first concerns those Christians who had not undergone baptism in the Spirit. For some Apostolics, these Christians were in the kingdom but not in the body of Christ. Such a solution B. rejects as he re-works their doctrine. The other concerns the relationship between theosis and justification. There are, indeed, various ways of explaining theosis which stop well short of assuming the be- liever is absorbed into the godhead and loses all personal ident-ity or is in some other way deified. The Lutheran theologian Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen (who was originally Pentecostal) has accepted the view that theosis can be found in Luther and, in doing so, is willing to move away from the forensic concept of justification. B. critiques such a departure from Reformation theology and sees no difficulty in reconciling theosis and traditional justification. Indeed, the objection that theosis is irreconcilable with human sin and depravity is countered by the assertion that theosis is to be found in Augus-tine.
The theological vision being presented here diverges from that of leading and creative exponents of Pentecostal theology like Frank Macchia and Amos Yong. Instead of constructing a theol-ogy round creation and kingdom this is a theology that takes a different trajectory. It reconceptualizes Pentecostal history and no longer sees it as an outcome of the 19th century holiness movement with its fervent evangelism and multiple Arminian revivals. Here is a Pentecostalism with different roots and an ecclesial vision with sacramental overtones. Baptism in the Spirit is an experience of sonship, and the Lord’s Supper or Eucharist draws the believer into divine love that will be perfected in glory. Indeed, »the Spirit’s sealing and assuring work now is a pledge and guarantee of the full experience of theosis in the age to come […] a prolepsis of the full baptism in the Spirit which is the ultimate full experience of theosis« (235).
The author is to be congratulated upon an original book contributing to Pentecostal theology and history as well as to other streams within the worldwide church. B.’s wide scholarship is articulated in clear and precise writing. The book is structured into manageable sections; judgements are made without fear or favour; new and hitherto linguistically inaccessible documents have been translated into English; and the concept of theosis, for so long overlooked, is confidently introduced into current discussion. B.’s voice is an important one and his contribution deserves to resonate in many theological circles.