A collection of essays and addresses, some of which were previously published.

For centuries Christians have had the concept of the priesthood of all believers firmly engrained in their minds. The prophethood of all believers, on the other hand, is, so Stronstad believes, the main focus of Spirit-baptism in Luke-Acts. A landmark study in Lukan pneumatology, this book is aimed at a mixed readership ranging from the scholar to the informed layperson. The role of the Spirit in Luke is clearly portrayed in terms of vocational empowerment. Traditionally, Lukan pneumatology has been viewed through Pauline or Johannine spectacles, but by interpreting Luke independently of the other Gospels and the epistles, Stronstad has cogently argued for the historical and contemporary relevance of Spirit-baptism. He challenges the reader to develop a new appreciation of Luke's theology of the Holy Spirit, and, in fact, to consider the role of the prophethood of all believers for today's world.

James Luther Adams has been a major force in American social ethics and liberal theology for more than half a century, from his work with anti-Nazi preachers in Germany in the late 1930s through his teaching at the University of Chicago and the Harvard Divinity School. Here is his latest collection of inimitable essays.

Revealing essays discuss the religious power of music, the role of the liberal church in social justice, the historical origins of the free church movement, the balance of spirituality and social responsibility and more. Spans Adams' entire career.

What is the meaning of the Holy Spirit's activity in Luke-Acts, and what are its implications for today? Roger Stronstad offers a cogent and thought-provoking study of Luke as a charismatic theologian whose understanding of the Spirit was shaped wholly by his understanding of Jesus and the nature of the early church. Stronstad locates Luke's pneumatology in the historical background of Judaism and views Luke as an independent theologian who makes a unique contribution to the pneumatology of the New Testament. This work challenges traditional Protestants to reexamine the impact of Pentecost and explores the Spirit's role in equipping God's people for the unfinished task of mission. The second edition has been revised and updated throughout and includes a new foreword by Mark Allan Powell.

Muhammad Reconsidered rectifies the failures of scholarly attempts to understand Islam in the West and to take Islamic theology seriously. Engaging Islam from deep within the Christian tradition by addressing the question of the prophethood of Muhammad, Anna Bonta Moreland calls for a retrieval of Thomistic thought on prophecy. Without either appropriating the prophet as an unwitting Christian or reducing both Christianity and Islam to a common denominator, Moreland studies Muhammad within a Christian theology of revelation. This lens leads to a more sophisticated understanding of Islam, one that honors the integrity of the Catholic tradition and argues for the possibility in principle of Muhammad as a religious prophet. Moreland sets the stage for this inquiry through an intertextual reading of the key Vatican II documents on Islam and on Christian revelation. She then uses Aquinas's treatment of prophecy to address the case of whether Muhammad is a prophet in Christian terms. Muhammad Reconsidered examines the work of several Christian theologians, including W. Montgomery Watt, Hans Küng, Kenneth Cragg, David Kerr, and Jacques Jomier, O.P., and then draws upon the practice of analogical reasoning in the theology of religious pluralism to show that a term in one religion—in this case “prophecy”—can have purchase in another religious tradition. Muhammad Reconsidered not only is a constructive contribution to Catholic theology but also has enormous potential to help scholars reframe and comprehend Christian-Muslim relations.

Sharing in God’s Presence means far more than “getting saved” and experiencing God’s blessing in our lives. As believers, his presence becomes a very personal part of who we are and what we do—God actually shares himself with us! The language that we use often fails to capture the depths of God’s nature penetrating ours, the fullness of his Spirit permeating our hearts, and the innermost infusion of his presence in our lives. But the truth couldn’t be more intimate: “The person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him” (1 Corinthians 6:17)! This book is an invitation to share in God’s presence by allowing God to share himself with you. God wants everyone to share in his embrace. As we accept our responsibility for prayer, ministry, and even revival, we share in the very precious dynamic of give and response that’s involved in an intimate walk with Jesus Christ. For a general readership, this book is a reworking of material from the second half of the author's academic work God's Absence and the Charismatic Presence.

This volume brings together twelve scholars from a variety of scholarly fields including biblical studies, history, theology, sociology, anthropology, and missiology in a multi-disciplinary exploration of themes related to women's leadership within the three branches of the renewal movement: Holiness, Pentecostal and Charismatic traditions. These scholars - women and men - from both within and outside the traditions, draw on various methodologies including hermeneutics, ethnography, critical theory, and historical analysis to explore the experiences and contributions of women from the movement's inception to the present. They keep before us the challenges that still impact women's full participation as equal partners in ministry and leadership on both the American and global scene. The volume looks at the multiple roots of women's marginalization within the renewal movement while suggesting progressive solutions that take seriously the social locations of Pentecostal and Charismatic congregations and the theological foundations on which the movement has been built. At the same time, it locates these discussions within the broader postmodern realities facing the church as it attempts to faithfully live out its witness to the biblical truth that both male and female are created in the God's image and endowed with the capacity to work creatively toward the unfolding of the Kingdom. Contents Preface by Amos Yong vii 1. Introduction by Estrelda Alexander Part I -- Historical Perspectives 2. Wesleyan/Holiness and Pentecostal Women Preachers: Pentecost as the Pattern for Primitivism by Susie C. Stanley 3. ÒCause He's My Chief EmployerÓ: Hearing Women's Voices in a Classical Pentecostal Denomination by David G. Roebuck 4. Looking Beyond the Pulpit: Social Ministries and African-American Pentecostal-Charismatic Women in Leadership by Karen Kossie-Chernyshev 5. Sanctified Saints--Impure Prophetesses: A Cross-Cultural Reflection on Gender and Power in Two Afro-ChristianSpirit-Privileging Churches by Deidre Helen Crumbley 6. ÒThird Class SoldiersÓ: A History of Hispanic Pentecostal Clergywomen in the Assemblies of God by Gast—n Espinosa 7. Leadership Attitudes and the Ministry of Single Women inAssembly of God Missions by Barbara L. Cavaness Part II -- Biblical/Theological Perspectives 8. Pentecostalism 101: Your Daughters Shall Prophecy by Janet Everts Powers 9. ÒYou've Got a Right to the Tree of LifeÓ: The Biblical Foundations of an Empowered Attitude among Black Women in the Sanctified Church by Cheryl Townsend Gilkes 10. Spirited Vestments: Or, Why the Anointing Is Not Enough by Cheryl Bridges Johns 11. The Spirit, Nature and Canadian Pentecostal Women: A Conversation with Critical Theory by Pamela Holmes 12. Changing Images: Women in Asian Pentecostalism by Julie C. Ma 13. Spiritual Egalitarianism, Ecclesial Pragmatism, and the Status of Women in Ordained Ministry by Frederick L. Ware Contributors Select Bibliography Author index Subject index

This work illuminates the tension between divine empowering and the neglected element of the work of the Spirit in contexts of opposition. This lacuna, not addressed in previous Pentecostal scholarship, is at the heart of Mittelstadt's exegesis. Thus, Jesus not only lives and ministers in the power of the Holy Spirit, but also experiences opposition and persecution as a man of the Spirit. Further, the Lukan Jesus not only transfers the Spirit to his disciples, but also anticipates a similar fate for his followers. Finally, Luke forecasts that this divine enablement of the Spirit, also available for future witnesses, brings with it a similar anticipation of the same rejection and opposition as was experienced by Jesus and the disciples. While Pentecostals owe a debt of gratitude for the pioneering work of Pentecostal scholars, this book furthers their efforts by exploring the implications of Spirit-led witness in Luke-Acts.

The charisma of prophecy is found throughout the history of the global Pentecostal movement. Within the movement, prophecy is seen as the communication of an inspired, spontaneous revelation, bringing edification to the faith community. Despite its prevalence, academic research has mostly focused on the biblical-theological aspect, neglecting the actual contemporary practice. This book addresses this gap with a study on the practice of prophecy within the Assemblies of God of Singapore. The book investigates the nature, purpose, and significance of the phenomenon. It also identifies theological variables that are correlated with its practice and explicates these relationships. The investigation employs the empirical-theological method of Johannes van der Ven, utilizing both a qualitative and a quantitative study. The results provide a rich description of the actual reception, delivery, and judging of prophecy. Significant findings include relationships between prophecy and courage, love, personality types, prayer types, and evangelism.