Pentecostals Doing Church: An Eclectic and Global Approach
Pentecostal-type Christians today make up close to 25% of the worldwide number of Christians of all creeds. On any given Sunday morning, they represent an even higher proportion of all Christian worshippers. They are people who intensively “do church” in its every aspect. This work investigates how they do it, from everyday fellowship through leadership to styles of worship. It balances established Western research into Pentecostalism with information and perspectives from the global stage, engaging a wide spectrum of theological and social disciplines. Analysing how Pentecostals have understood themselves, it explores the biblical, historical, practical and missiological material they have utilised to establish both their implicit and explicit notions of “church.” Aimed at both scholars and lay people, the style, presentation and scope of the material are especially relevant to thinking Christians of all vocations, and will also be useful for social scientists and historians intrigued by this recent Christian phenomenon.
Mathew Clark, DTh, entered Southern African Pentecostal ministry in 1973. After some years in local church ministry, he served for 34 years as theological lecturer and researcher, first at Auckland Park Theological Seminary, South Africa, and then at Regents Theological College, UK. His publications include the book What is Distinctive about Pentecostal Theology? (1989) and over 30 internationally published articles and book chapters.
“Pentecostals Doing Church is a brilliant pointer to Pentecostals doing theology. It relates the writer’s spiritual and theological formation, given socio-cultural and politico-economic context, formal theological discipline, and front-line ministerial practice to the biblical, historical, theological and missiological dimensions of being church. The book will impact not only how Pentecostals “do” church, but also how they “do” theology.”
Wonsuk Ma, PhD
Distinguished Professor of Global Christianity, Oral Roberts University, USA.
“Provocative, learned and eloquent, Mathew Clark has written a stimulating and informed appraisal of Pentecostalism—its theology, practice and church government. His conclusions lead him to support the democratic and communitarian nature of Pentecostalism against an authoritarian and ‘anointed leader’ conception. The case he makes needs to be widely studied.”
William K Kay, PhD
Emeritus Professor of Theology, Wrexham Glyndwr University, UK; Honorary Professor of Pentecostal Studies, Chester University, UK
Buy This Book
