Harvey Cox, Fire from Heaven: The
Rise of Pentecostal Spirituality and the Reshaping of Religion
in the Twenty-first Century. Addison-Wesley, 1995.
Famous for his book, The Secular
City (SCM 1965), in which he wrote about the 'postreligious'
age, theologian Harvey Cox has now concluded that 'Today it is
secularity, not spirituality, that may be headed for extinction.'
He invites a generation of Christian leaders schooled in 'postreligious'
thinking to rethink in the light of pentecostalism.
A new era has dawned. Cox is global in
his scope, insightful in his diagnosis, generous in his evaluation.
He writes about pentcostalism as a sympathetic onlooker, noting
its enormous and increasing impact on Christianity, and on the
reshaping of religion including the church.
The book will be read widely by non-pentecostal
leaders and theologians. Here is a leading contemporary theologian,
whose writing has impacted theological education for three decades,
now exploring the significance of this global phenomena.
Part I gives an overview of pentecostalism.
Part II has chapters on primal speech, signs and wonders, 'the
future present', women, and music. Part III surveys the enormous
impact of pentecostalism around the world and concludes with an
evaluation called 'the Liberating Spirit'.
Old stereotypes crumble in Cox's investigation.
Pentecostal congregations include 'medical secretaries, computer
programmers, insurance salesmen, graduate students in microbiology,
and actors and police officers, as well as people who were out
of work and down on their luck.' Here dynamic faith, missionary
zeal, and sacrificial involvement in social issues cross boundaries
of class, race, gender, age and theological systems.
Cox describes the decline of scientific
modernity and traditional religion in the context of emerging
fundamentalism and experientialism with the dangers and promise
these entail. He hopes pentecostalism will challenge the deepening
ruptures that divide us and 'open people to new outpourings of
the divine spirit and a fresh recognition of the motley oneness
of the human family'.
Written in descriptive narrative theology,
Fire from Heaven may become a theological classic supplementing
the pioneering work of 'the recognised dean of pentecostal studies'
Walter Hollenweger who published The Pentecostals in 1972.
(GW)
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An estimated 17,000 Christians processed
in London on Saturday, May 25, 1996, taking part in what could
be the world's biggest ever street event the Global March
for Jesus.
By midnight on Saturday (GMT) up to 12 million people from 170 nations marched in a massive series of coordinated street marches over a 24 hour period. This incredible feat is set to write itself into the history books as the largest mobilization of people for a oneday event in the history of mankind. (This potential world record is subject to verification by the
Guinness Book of Records.)
Global March for Jesus actually began when
50,000 Tongans led by the King and Queen of Tonga, joined marches
in their nation. During the early hours of Saturday morning,
millions more Christians in countries such as Australia, New Zealand,
Papua New Guinea, Mongolia, the Philippines and Cambodia, street
marched and kept the momentum going.
During Saturday morning 150,000 Christians
marched in South Africa in a fantastic display of church unity.
And at lunchtime 100,000 Haitians began to praise God and
pray for the world in colorful, exuberant processions. At 5 p.m.
(GMT), around 50 Christians marched in Greenland. As evening approached,
up to four million took to the streets in South American nations,
including a gigantic march of 1.5 million in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Over one million participated in 625 cities in the United States.
The Global March for Jesus came to a flourishing finale on Saturday night with marches in Western Samoa and Mexico, where 80,000 Christians thronged the streets of Mexico City.
Speaking at the Global March for Jesus
press conference at the plaza on Hyde Park Hotel in London, one
of the main organizers of this historic event, Gerald Coates,
declared: 'This is a remarkable moment in history. Global March
for Jesus is a catalyst for increasing unity and strengthening
relationships within the body of Christ.'
The phenomenal success of Global March
for Jesus is reflected in the way it has embraced Christians in
war torn countries such as Bosnia, Rwanda, Burundi and Zaire.
It has crossed hurdles of denominational division and broken through
language and cultural barriers. In a complex linkup with
nations across the world, Premier, London's Christian radio station,
filed Global reports and broadcasted them repeatedly during the
day. They received many exciting reports including one from Japan
where 7,000 marched. Eika KoKosaka, the spokesman for March
for Jesus Japan, told them: 'Christians in Japan are marching
to show people a taste of real Christianity. This time they will
see something lively, bright and very positive. It will be different
from the image that they usually have towards religion.'
In Scotland, 2,500 Christians marched peacefully through the heart of Glasgow, a city traditionally troubled by religious sectarianism. The police chief inspector in charge of coordinating the march was evidently moved by the occasion when he said, 'It is fun to be here because it is so different.'
Incredible spiritual breakthroughs were
made in Russia where 5,000 Christians marched in 18 cities. In
Moscow, the authorities allowed a march to continue near the Kremlin.
A Baptist pastor, Pjote Abrashkin, declared that the March for
Jesus in Russia was 'a day of joy and filled with gladness.'
A former KGB officer told a march reporter, 'After seeing so many
people filled with happiness, I want to live the rest of my life
like this.'
Taken from a Press Release produced
by March for Jesus, reproduced in AD200 Prayer Track News.
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(c) Renewal Journal, #8:Awakening (Brisbane: Renewal, 1996), pp. 75-76.
Internet: http://www.pastornet.net.au/renewal
Reproduction is allowed as long as the
copyright remains intact with the text.