Frank D. Macchia

Pinnock’s Pneumatology: A pentecostal Appreciation

This article responds to Clark Pinnock’s address on the ‘Promise of Pentecostal Ecclesiology’ in the context of appreciation for his long and mutually enriching interaction with Pentecostals. The response proceeds to take up Pinnock’s specific ecclesiological proposals by proposing an even fuller way to relate the Spirit with justification and by offering further thoughts on how to develop a theology of the charismatic structure of the church.

The Spirit of Life and the Spirit of Immortality: An Appreciative Review of Levison’s Filled with the Spirit

Levison’s Filled with the Spirit explores the deep difference between the two Testaments in how Spirit filling is understood. While the Old Testament holds Spirit filling to be a flourishing of human life through an interaction of divine and human initiatives, the New Testament sees it as a subsequent gift granted supernaturally through faith in Christ. Yet, there is also a sense of continuity in the midst of this difference, especially in how the flourishing of life resists death. This review appreciatively explores Levison’s understanding of such biblical tensions and continuities in the light of the one-sided accent of Pentecostalism on the supernatural quality of life in the Spirit, but also in the light of the question as to whether or not Levison has unnecessarily widened the gap between the pneumatologies of the two Testaments.

Toward a Theology of the Third Article in a Post-Barthian Era: a Pentecostal Review of Donald Bloesch's Pneumatology

current challenges to Evangelical theology. Bloesch uses his historical discussions to defend the necessary inseparable connection between the Spirit and the divine Word incarnated and revealed in Jesus Christ. His paramount concern is to avoid the dual dangers of a mysticism that lacks Christological direction and a Christologically directed rationalism that lacks vibrant experience. However, this review argues that Bloesch’s efforts seem short sighted in that he does not take pneumatology beyond the Barthian subordination of the Spirit to Christ nor does he take pneumatology beyond the dominant concern of modem Protestant theology with the issues of epistemology and revelation. A further criticism is that Bloesch’s responses

A Theology of Christ as Act: A Response to Oliver Davies

This article is a theological response to the Christological perspective of Oliver Davies’ provocative book, Theology of Transformation . More specifically, Macchia addresses Davies’ argument that transformation theology is a theology of the act, of Christ who acts, an argument that is explicated in three points of emphasis: 1. The living Christ is exalted and present among us. 2. The act is not an abstract concept but is real and embodied. 3. This is act as Christologically formed, meaning as resembling self-sacrificial love. While Macchia offers several critiques of the book, he notes in agreement with Davies that Jesus as the living Lord powerfully present in the church and beyond as the source of new life in the Spirit has always been a Pentecostal point of emphasis.

Pneumatological Feminist/Womanist Theologies: The Importance of Discernment

Abstract The pneumatological point of departure in the spiritually-gifted community of faith holds promise for a feminist/womanist theology that respects the changing diversity of voices in the body of Christ. This point of departure will reach for discernment, which will lead us to the second article of the Creed. In the process of exploring this discernment, my response addresses related issues, such as gender, the appeal to experience, and the Trinity.

Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church: A Response to Luke Timothy Johnson

Luke Timothy Johnson’s Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church defends the book of Acts against those who reject it for being a triumphalist departure from the prophetic ministry of Jesus highlighted in the Gospels. To lift up the prophetic nature of the Church in Acts, Johnson places Acts next to Luke in order to highlight the prophetic themes that Luke develops between the two books. While affirming Johnson’s basic arguments, the following article seeks among other things to strengthen the links between Luke and Acts by emphasizing the role of Jesus as the exalted Lord who imparts the Spirit.

Book Review: Pentecostal Healing: Kimberly Irvin Alexander, Pentecostal Healing: Models in Theology and Practice (Journal of Pentecostal Theology Supplement Series; Blandford Forum, Dorset, UK: Deo Publishing, 2006. £19.95. pp. 258. ISBN 90—5854—031—6)

religions, instruments of his preserving purposes’ (20–21). Another important feature of fackre’s contextualized Christology has to do with analysing other Christian doctrines by means of the classical triplex munum. Christian ministry and the doctrine of the angels specifically are studied using this mechanism. for the author this is not an artificial device as the work of Christ is inseparable from other doctrines, especially that of the angels. one of the author’s major proposals appears in the article ‘Jesus Christ, and those Who haven’t heard.’ for him theology has to face two facts concerning the proclamation of the Gospel. the first one is related to God’s gracious and just character in providing the same opportunity for all humans to hear the Gospel. the second one is the historical fact that millions of people have died without being able to hear about the Good News. in essence, fackre believes that there is evidence both in the scriptures and Church tradition that those who die without hearing the Gospel will be able to hear it afterwards. this is not simple universalism since, according to scriptures, personal faith is needed for salvation. therefore, there must be a time, after death, when the Gospel is proclaimed to them. passages such as 1 peter 1:3–4; John 5:25; ephesians 4:8–9 are brought to the front for discussion and support. As to the rest of the book, the reader will appreciate fackre’s mature assessment of the modern Christologies of evangelical theologian Donald Bloesch and roman Catholic theologian schillebeeckx. his discussion and creative interaction with traditional theories of the atonement is theologically appealing. finally, his rehearsal of the grand narrative of the Christian story is rhetorically fascinating. even for those who are still not convinced by fackre’s theological interpretation and various proposals the book will be both rewarding and challenging.