Pentecostal Identity, Beliefs, and Praxis: A Review Essay

Review by Caleb Courtney, Independent Scholar, Sarnia, ON

Pentecostal Historiography in Canada: The History Behind the Histories

2019 is the centenary year of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC), and therefore it is both timely and appropriate to reflect on the historiography of denominational histories that have been produced for and promoted by this, the largest of Canadian Pentecostal denominations. Between 1958 and 2018 five different books were published about this denomination, with the PAOC’s endorsement. The authors of these books were clear about the purposes they hoped their work would accomplish, including inspiration for current and future members of the PAOC churches. Writing denominational histories is no easy task. Bruce Guenther, a Canadian Mennonite Church historian and past president of the Canadian Society of Church History, critiques denominational histories in general, saying that many “are poorly written works of triumphalistic hagiography in which well-intentioned amateur historians have copiously compiled as much detail as possible concerning the people, places and events they wish to celebrate or commemorate.” Guenther concedes that while such histories are “an invaluable source of information,” they usually fail to “situate a denominational story within larger social-cultural, national or theological trends.” Pentecostal history books suffer those same weaknesses identified by Guenther. Yet by exploring officially endorsed histories published by the PAOC, one can trace identifiable trends in those books over time. The historiographer’s task is to analyze what has been written and to explain why the presentation of the narrative changes over time. This paper analyzes each of the history books published by PAOC to identify the messages behind the narrative. The paper also provides some context for each book to explain why particular approaches to the history were taken and what the denomination hoped those history books would accomplish

Canadian Pentecostal Studies: A Retrospectus and Agenda for Post-Pentecostal Research

Canadian Pentecostal studies is a specialized multidisciplinary area of study shaped by a range of disciplinary assumptions from anthropology, biblical studies, history, religious studies, sociology, and theology. In Canada the development of Pentecostal studies was quite late and largely emerged in the 1990s. Over the past thirty years a significant amount of research has developed through the efforts of the Canadian Pentecostal Research Network, the Canadian Pentecostal Symposium, numerous research projects and publications, and the Canadian Journal of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity. In the past number of years, scholars of Canadian Pentecostalism have engaged main stream scholarly societies and published with major presses, demonstrating a maturing of scholarship. However, there are still some questions to be addressed about the future of Pentecostal studies, most notably, what questions are appropriate for post-Pentecostal research

Canadian Pentecostal Studies: A Not-So-Final Farewell

Editoria

The Prosperity Gospel and Money: Plundering the Devil's Den?

The charismatic stream popularly called the “prosperity gospel” lives uncomfortably on the edge of the Pentecostal movement. Its location is in part due to controversy surrounding its teaching and practices. It is scorned by non-Pentecostals and Pentecostals alike for its apparent shameless appeal to material wealth. The animus against the prosperity gospel by mainstream Pentecostals in particular is judged in part due to weak biblical exegesis, over-claims for results, temptation to greed, and absence of a theology of suffering. This essay is a brief case study of Kingdom Covenant Ministries, Toronto, and its Jamaican founder and pastor, Pat Francis. The purpose is to explore her understanding of the prosperity gospel and how it is lived out in her ministry in Canada’s largest multicultural city. I begin by reviewing the two historical movements which have shaped the prosperity gospel: its Pentecostal roots and neoliberal economics. This will be followed by an overview of Francis’s prosperity gospel theology and its outworking in her ministry. The paper concludes with a series of reflections intended to locate her Kingdom theology and ministry within a broader typology offered by theologian, Howard Snyder, and raise questions regarding the strengths and dangers of the robust promotion of wealth accumulation, even with the most laudable of motives

Index: 2010-2019

Compiled by Nathan McCoy & Keilah Rodger

Miriam Toews’s Women Talking: A Call For Artistic Prophethood

Prophets typically speak from the margins. They tend not to be welcomed by the establishment. Such is the case with Canadian Mennonite novelist Miriam Toews. In her most recent novel, Women Talking, Toews produces a dark story of Mennonite women on a Bolivian colony who were brutally raped by fellow members of the community. The novel, based upon true events, gives a fictive but powerful voice to women not yet able to speak to power and violence. The story details the decision before these women; should they stay in the colony or should they leave? Do they submit to power or move on? Through this Mennonite story, Toews sparks a prophetic impulse for a discussion among Pentecostals. Her voice will enliven current and future artists to speak boldly about violence against women and other forms of injustice

Notes from The Archives: Researching Canadian Pentecostalism at the Holy Spirit Research Center, Oral Roberts University

A survey of resources concerning the Canadian Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements at Oral Roberts Unviersity