The Psychological and Therapeutic Functions of Pentecostal Belief and Practice in the Ministry to the Aged
The Psychological and Therapeutic Functions of Pentecostal Belief
and Practice in the Ministry to the Aged
Samuel Eapen, Lecturer in Theology, IPC Theological Seminary Kottayam, India.
INTRODUCTION
Human life in modern times have increasingly indicated two
factors: increasing longevity of life and decreasing mortality rates. This has
meant that population above 60 is growing by the day and they come to
constitute a significant portion of the total population. True, our technology
and science have made life longer. But the quality of life of the people is as
important as the longevity of life. By quality of life is meant the values such
as choice, independence, dignity, privacy, rights, fulfillment etc.[i] It
is especially important to think of the quality of life of older persons who do
not possess all the best of the natural capacities and possibilities like that
of the other age groups
In a society where most people are religious, the role of religion
in helping people cope with their life crises is of primary importance.
Religions that are increasingly attracting people to their fold have got some
sort of mechanism that helps its adherents to face the struggles of life. In
other words, if the religion is not capable of catering to people’s primary
social, psychological and spiritual needs it will no longer have an active hold
over them, unless there are coercive and forceful methods employed. Briefly,
the role of religious belief and practice in helping people to tide over their
complex life circumstances successfully is one sure way of considering the
effectiveness of religion.
RELIGION IN THE HEALING PROCESS
Anne McClelland points out that actively taking up a religious
faith reduces the onset of physical and mental illness, assists healing from
physical illness and contributes to a longer life span. She views that the
effects are mainly the result of greater social support and sense of coherence
or meaning provided by the religious faith.[ii]
William James was one psychologist who emphasized the constructive
role the religion can have in providing people healthy mindedness.[iii]
His lecture on “The Religion of Healthy-Mindedness” gives repeated case studies
to demonstrate how religious concern helps one to live serenely and well. He
says that by positive suggestions of personal faith, enthusiasm, recollection,
and the persuasive example of others, many are cured of diseases and kept from
vice and despair. This is accomplished not by moral methods of effort and
strain but by religious methods of surrender and trust in a supernatural power.[iv]
CHRISTIANITY AS A THERAPEUTIC
RELIGION
There
was something noteworthy about the claim of Jesus Christ when he said, “Come to
me all who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.” Also we see in
the Nazareth Manifesto, Jesus underlining the therapeutic aspect of his
mission, with its various dimensions. The Gospels record by numerous instances
how the movement around Jesus took shape through the miracles he did – many of
them being healing incidents. Of course, it was not as though His life and work
was just that of a healer of the body and mind alone; but that was very much
there.
According to Psychologist Paul E.Johnson, Christianity has been a
healing religion throughout its entire history. Jesus responded to the needs of
the sick as one of the chief concerns of his mission. His disciples believed it
was their duty to heal in his name, no less than to preach and to reach. They
did not claim to heal by their own wisdom or skill but by spiritual power from
God. This charismatic healing was sustained by the church fathers, who employed
prayers, the laying on of hands, anointing with oil, and the Eucharist to this
purpose. Disease was held not to be a punishment of God but a deficiency, which
God would be ready to provide through spiritual means, quite apart from the
medical services of physicians. [v]
PENTECOSTAL BELIEF AND PRACTICE
“The belief and practice of Pentecostal movement provides help for
people who live in the fringes of society” says Walter J.Hollenweger a
respected scholar on Pentecostalism whose research provides deep insights about
the movement as a whole.[vi]
He thinks that they function as an aspirin or hope for many who are really in
need of help.
The heart of Pentecostal theology is the idea of the ‘Full
Gospel’, which speaks of Christ in his various roles as Saviour, Sanctifier,
Healer, Baptizer with the Spirit, and the Soon-Coming King. The heart of
Pentecostal spirituality is therefore the encounter with Christ through the
Holy Spirit in worship, in healing, in charisms, and so forth.[vii]
It is the ‘Full Gospel’ that has set the tone for Pentecostal
spirituality. When one talks of it, ‘incarnational’ principle of the Spirit
comes to the fore: Christ is being encountered in the power of the Holy Spirit.
‘Meeting with the Lord’ is the desire of Pentecostals when they go to worship
service or prayer gatherings. Pentecostal evangelists and missionaries who went
out to cities and villages to preach the Full Gospel presented Christ as the
answer to all the questions of life.[viii] Thus Pentecostalism represents a spirituality
that is experiential first and foremost.
The following is a detailed look into various beliefs and
practices of the Pentecostals that have significant therapeutic and
psychological potential in coping with the life’s various struggles. It is
assumed that their typical beliefs and practices could be their most powerful
coping mechanisms, allowing them to function in a reasonably positive manner in
spite of fateful influences in their lives.
·
THE
SCRIPTURES
The
Pentecostals have a very strong conviction about the importance of the Bible.
Infact, a look into history will reveal that Pentecostal revivals grew out of
the fervor to abide by the Scriptures. Early Pentecostals did not depend on any
other resources than the Bible to formulate their belief system. Hollenweger
says, “The critics of the Pentecostal movement who accuse it of neglecting the
written Word in favor of individual illuminations by the Spirit are ignorant of
the role in which the Bible plays in the Pentecostal movement. Pentecostals
live with the Bible…The words of the Bible are woven into their prayers and
writings.”[ix]
One of the main thoughts of Pentecostalism is that the Bible is
sufficient in itself. They hold the Bible containing 66 books, as the mandate
for faith and living.[x]
They oppose to what they consider as the superiority given to the traditions
over the Scriptures in the church. The
Bible is inspired Word of God and its content is infallible divine revelation.
It is the reliable rule for faith and conduct, and is superior to conscience
and reason, but not contrary to reason.[xi]
Since a Pentecostal believer usually has no problem in believing
the authority of the Bible, it can have a strong influence on him / her as a
spiritual resource for help. It can refer the therapeutic endeavor to the
divine dimension and help people realize their God-given potential. The Bible
also gives direction and content to personal growth, and can lead a person to
deeper relationship with the divine Author. So a Pentecostal believer can be
encouraged to read portions of Scripture and apply them to life problems or
challenges. [xii]
Hollenweger reports about the astonishing psychological and cultural change
that was noticed in a person who had read the Bible and attended a Pentecostal
worship.[xiii]
That tells the potential the Bible can have in helping the old people in
resolving their troubles.
·
DOCTRINE
OF TRINITY AND CHRISTOLOGY
Pentecostals in general adhere to a doctrine of Trinity, which is
formulated in Orthodox terms. The first person of the Godhead- the Father is a
powerful figure of deeper healing. Experiential religion that Pentecostalism
is, there is always an effort to portray God as the Father in a very intimate
way in relation to the faithful believers- as someone to whom the believers can
come at any time with any problems. Pentecostal theology does not depict God
the Father just as a transcendent being but as a very present help in
trouble. The Holy Spirit, another
person of the Trinity offers limitless resources for healing. He is called an
Encourager, a Counselor and an advocate in the John’s gospel. The Pentecostal
believer is constantly encouraged to depend on Him by whose power alone can
they successfully live.
It
was the popular speakers who formulated the doctrine about Jesus Christ in
Pentecostal churches of Kerala. There was not much written documents in early
days. The preachers of the Bible taught believers about the virgin birth of
Christ, his baptism, miracles, death, burial and resurrection, ascension,
parousia and so on. Theirs was a sort of narrative theology. Anyone who listens
to some of these Pentecostal slogans can detect the hints of their unwritten
Christology: Jesus Christ saves the sinners; Jesus Christ heals the sick; Jesus
Christ bestows the gift of the Holy Spirit; Jesus Christ is coming soon.[xiv]
The
healing available to every one who believes in Jesus Christ has always been one
of the foremost teachings of Pentecostalism. In times of trials and struggles
they put their trust in Jesus with whom they shall live forever.[xv]
Pentecostal hymnals celebrate such joy, which is to come, comparing their
present sufferings as just momentary. They took upon the struggles of daily
life learning how to “rejoice in sufferings.”
The
elderly also can be motivated to restore such faith in them and can be helped
to place their trust in the undying hope in Christ rather than in the struggles
of the moment.
·
ORDINANCES
There are two ordinances that are
commonly accepted in the Pentecostal tradition. The Baptism and the Lord’s
Supper. In Pentecostal view, these ordinances of the church are not
sacramental.[xvi] They are just instructions of Christ and are to be done in
obedience to His mandate.
o Baptism.
They
emphasize the believers’ immersion baptism as the acceptable mode of baptism in
keeping with the first century pattern as recorded in the New Testament. It is
a public profession of one’s faith in Jesus as the Lord and Saviour and
identification in His death and resurrection.
Therefore it is seen as the beginning of a new life in Christ. It is a
life of victory and overcoming.
o Eucharist.
In
many ways Eucharistic celebration is the central point of Pentecostal worship.
Basically, it is celebrated as a commemoration of Christ’s death on the cross –
an occasion to gratefully acknowledge Him for His great sacrifice. Secondly, it
is an act of thanksgiving (I give thanks). Thirdly, it is an act of
fellowship- both in relation to Christ and among believers themselves. Finally,
it is the proclamation of the coming glory of His Kingdom.[xvii]
Pentecostals
expect from this communion with the Son of God the strengthening of their inner
being, strength in everyday temptations, and the healing of sickness.[xviii]
Pentecostal Eucharistic devotion is a combination of the ‘love of Jesus’ and a
looking forward to the coming marriage feast with Jesus. The close and intense
concentration of words used in the communion brings powerful subconscious
emotions into play.[xix]
They find meaning for their present sufferings in identifying with the
sufferings of Christ in whose glory they will also one day partake.
The
Pentecostal Eucharistic services have a liturgy ‘of common action.’ It is not a
pastor celebrating for the whole congregation, but the whole congregation is
responsible for the form and content of the service. This social dimension of
the Eucharist is very much important for the believers, as they feel belong to
a community where God is very much at work. Such Eucharistic experience brings
wholeness and healing to the believers’ emotions and spirit. Therefore it has
an important role to play in ministering to the aged.
Eschatology is called the foundation of Pentecostal theology. It
is the doctrine about events at the end of human history. K.C.John says, “a
theology without eschatology gives man nothing but disillusionment and despair.
History moves in God’s plan towards the events of the end time.”[xx]
Pentecostal hymns plainly show how their life is rested upon the
world to come. They look in fervent hope to the day of death or Parousia, when
it will be seen that they have not believed and fought in vain. In that day the
scorn of those who mock them will be changed into a mortified silence. They look
forward to death and hail it as redemption; for they know it is never an end
but only a start of the reign in a glory land where there is no more sorrow or
pain.
The fact that the attention of Pentecostal believers is directed
towards the event of Christ’s second coming makes them feel relaxed about the
problems of the world. “It works as a palliative which prevents them from
despairing in the wretched circumstances in which they live.”[xxi] Peter Althouse says, “In a word, suffering
and oppression were part of the ethos of early Pentecostalism, but the presence
of God’s Spirit brought hope to overcome suffering and oppression.”[xxii]
Such hope is relevant even today especially to those who are in the autumn of
their lives.
Pentecostals consider
church as a spiritual community, which exists in relation to Christ. Early
Pentecostals felt that the church was essentially an organism and there needs
to have no organizational structure. Soon however they recognized the need of
an organizational structure. According to P.B. Thomas Pentecostal ecclesiology
stands as a reaction against the external religion and offers a reform based on
spiritual experience.[xxiii]
It sees church as a
totality of all its members united and guided in the power of the Holy Spirit.
By and large, they have adopted some sorts of Congregational and Presbyterian
forms of administration. The local church has pastors and deacons and they are
looked upon as people who feed the flock of God.
However, it believes in the
priesthood of all believers in a very practical way to the point that every
member is expected to discharge their gifts given by the Spirit in life and
ministry of the church. As D.M.Coulter
observes, “The so-called charismatic
gifts of 1 Corinthians are ecclesial in
nature.”[xxiv]
This participatory feature
of the church has attracted many to its fold. They felt it a truly liberating
experience. Such participation also enhances their self-esteem and they feel
important and useful in a community of faith. To become conscious of one’s
personal worth is essential to mental health, a needed curative to the
inferiority feelings so common in our society of cutthroat competition.
The Pentecostal church
often works as a therapeutic organism with its distinct emphasis on loving
fellowship and sharing. The company of the faithful believers proves to be a
great help in overcoming loneliness and isolation. Mathew C. Varghese puts it concisely,
“Healing apportions a very significant place in the life of Pentecostal
community. The healing ministry in Pentecostalism should be understood in terms
of community endeavour.”[xxv]
There is a deep-hearted need for social healing in our present-day
society and people find the answer for them in the Pentecostal community. Isaac
V. Mathew asserts that Pentecostal renewal as a reaction against the
psychological and social void created by changes and / or disintegration of
traditional family, depersonalization of individuals.[xxvi]
Now the church needs to think of using these traits to serving the aged.
·
WORSHIP: spiritual
and spontaneous
M.E.Collins an early Pentecostal minister defines worship as “the
act of expressing profound love, appreciation, reverence, and devotion to a
thing, person or God.”[xxvii]
Defined in this way, worship is a social or individual choice to help remind
the believer of God’s presence and provision.
The heart of Pentecostalism is the
worship service.[xxviii] Pentecostal
worship is about ‘meeting with the Lord’. Worship services for Pentecostals are
looked upon as a crucial event of encounter. In the words of Daniel Albrecht,
the researcher of Pentecostal spirituality and ritual: “In a very real sense
the Sunday services of Pentecostal churches are designed to provide a context
for a mystical encounter, an experience with the divine. This encounter
is mediated by the sense of the immediate divine presence.”[xxix]
All vital components of worship are instinctively arranged lead the congregants
to the presence of the divine and to arouse a deep experience of God. The
gestures, actions, and words all function within this context to speak of the
manifest presence. And the worshipper expresses his/ her gratitude and
celebrate the hope of the glory that awaits them. There is also the
anticipation that God will minister to them in love through the Holy Spirit.
Paul E. Johnson says that worship is a therapeutic
experience. For worship seeks the highest attainable reality. The individual
worshipper shares with fellow worshippers a unity of purpose and rededicate
oneself to a new life. Life may be reoriented and recreated in meeting the
reality he calls God.[xxx]
This aspect of reorientation and recreation is very much part of Pentecostal
worship.
True and focused worship turns the attention of the person away
from personal concerns to ultimate mysteries and the cosmic design. Such an
outward focus is, of course, necessary for optimum growth and development, and
is self-enhancing.[xxxi]
Pruyser suggests that worship redirects energies from defensive uses, so that
the worshipper gains new zeal and realizes more latent powers.[xxxii]
Many Pentecostal believers testify their experiences in worship as radically
revitalizing.
Another psychological principle emphasizing worship’s redemptive
value is that people who can be grateful can be healthy and people who cannot
be grateful cannot be healthy. In this sense, the purpose of worship is to
enhance spiritual wholeness, emotional health and holy life. Experiencing and
celebrating the joy and relief of God’s grace in forgiveness and providence
produces the fulfillment of that purpose. [xxxiii]
Many times during the worship the Pentecostal believers are encouraged to
acknowledge their gratefulness to God aloud. Such shouts of praises have not
only a divine merit but also a psychological redeeming value.
The above discussions make one thing clear. The elderly persons
who go through various crises in life can receive remarkable degree of
spiritual satisfaction, feeling of fulfillment and real emotional strength by
participating in Pentecostal worship services.
·
THE
ROLE OF TESTIMONY IN PENTECOSTAL WORSHIP
Traditionally
the confession of faith has played a vital role in the liturgy of the church.
But for Pentecostals, a personal testimony is more relevant than a prescribed
confession of faith. In the Pentecostal churches of Kerala a special time is set apart
during worship service for sharing testimonies.
The role of
testimony fulfils a double function. First, it relates the confessor to the
Christian ‘cloud of witnesses’[xxxiv]
and as such underlines the unity within the body of Christ. Second, because it
is a personal testimony, it reflects the diversity within the community of
faith, as the participants come from many walks of life.[xxxv]
Testimony also causes the worshipers to praise God. For the witness
demonstrates God’s faithfulness, compassion and loving that tells the story of
a person’s encounter with God’s grace.
The witness
may tell an incident in which appealing to God’s promises or submitting to the
divine counsel in the Bible resulted in the way out of trouble.[xxxvi]
So a testimony often produces encouragement for the listening congregation. A
means capable of such encouragement can be handy in ministering to the senior
citizens who are in dire need of it. Also an opportunity to share gives them a
sense of participation.
·
BAPTISM
OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE GIFT OF TONGUES.
Pentecostals underline the fact that Jesus Christ expected the
work of the church to be done in the power of the Holy Spirit. This power comes
to the individuals through the baptism of the Holy Spirit and through the
gifts, which the Spirit distributes to each one “just as he determines.”[xxxvii]
They use the term “baptism in the Spirit” to refer to the initial filling of
the believer with the Spirit and take it to be the same empowering experience
that was accompanied by the speaking in tongues (Glossalalia) on the day of
Pentecost.
Isaac V.Mathew pays attention to the psychological dimension of
the Spirit baptism when he says, “Primarily Spirit baptism reaffirms a person’s
divine acceptance and it makes him/ her feel authentic. For a person who has
discriminated …Spirit baptism now gives a sense of divine acceptance.”[xxxviii]
The great psychiatrist, Carl G.Jung saw in his research, elements in the
unconscious that leads man forward, elements that are superior to human
consciousnik,77ess.[xxxix]
He found that no permanent health, maturity or freedom was achieved in any of
his patients until something new emerged from the collective unconscious. The
ego and consciousness cannot exist cut off from the vast reservoir of psychic
reality and power, which the church calls the realm of the spirit.
Jung has referred to the phenomenon of tongues in the footnotes to
his paper, “Transformation Symbolism in the Mass,” written in 1940. He is
relating how the invasion of the unconscious contents, with accompanying
disorders, frequently occurs prior to integration of the personality. He said
this was commonly found among early Christians. At this point the footnote
refers to “ ‘speaking with tongues’ and glossalalia” as an example of this kind
of invasion. Morton Kelsey observes that Jung believed the tongues could be
positive preparation for integration of personality.[xl]
Dr.William Sargent, the renowned British psychiatrist, observed
that these experiences had much the same effect upon people as electro-shock
therapy. Both in tongues and in shock therapy there is a critical inhibition
that breaks up prior conditioning of the individual and frees him/ her to
develop new patterns. This might explain the sense of freedom that so often occurs
in the experience of tongues and also the change that so often occurs in the
lives of the subjects.[xli]
Morton Kelsey reports that his research confirmed the first
experience of speaking in tongues was one of the most valuable and transforming
experiences for people whom he studied. They experienced a strengthening of
their religious life; many testified that they received healing and that it was
easier for them to handle the psychological problems they faced.[xlii]
The elderly people too can benefit from this divine experience to
feel authentic and strengthened in their spiritual life. It can also facilitate
them to handle their emotional problems in the power of their spiritual
authority.
·
MIRACLES
AND FAITH HEALING
The charismatic gift
designated in 1 Cor.12 refers to a particular spiritual endowment by which a
person is able to demonstrate God’s justifying and saving power, and to
manifest the Lordship of Jesus Christ over the whole universe by bringing about
physical and moral effects that clearly transcend the power of merely human
resources.[xliii]
According to J.D.G. Dunn, “The Charismata is not a healing power which is
effective for all sorts of illnesses; it is the actual healing itself.”[xliv]
The explanation of the
expectation of miracles and healing by prayer in Pentecostalism is to be found
in the rock-like belief that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and
forever.[xlv] The Pentecostals do not discount the eternal
dimension of the salvation by emphasizing the healing of the body and mind but
they include physical and emotional healing as something accessible to people
who accept God’s grace just as salvation.
J.A. Larson says, “Faith
whether considered in its psychological or religious aspect, is integral to
healing. A balanced perspective on faith and healing would accept the help that
psychology and medicine can afford, while at the same time being open to the
possibility of miracles.”[xlvi]
Mathew C. Varghese says, “The enduring and enliving presence of the Holy Spirit
imparts cathartic and therapeutic functions within the community.”[xlvii]
For that reason, Pentecostal emphasis on Faith and Divine healing can bring
curative benefits to the elderly in the context of religious belief.
·
PREACHING
Pentecostal spirituality has a distinct oral nature about it.
Early Pentecostalism in India gained roots through the preaching of the Word.
Infact, preaching is very significant to their spiritual formation and takes a
top stage in worship. Wonsuk Ma feels that Pentecostal preaching is dialogical
and participatory.[xlviii]
The congregation as a rule responds by spontaneous responses either during the
sermon or at the time of the alter call.
Pentecostals always deals with issues that are down to earth and
it has all to do with daily realities of the people. It is typical of
Pentecostal pastors, during their preaching, to assert the healing power for
the soul and the body available in blood of Christ. They want believers to
affirm this faith by praising the Lord. And most sermons end in a time of
prayer where such promises are claimed for those who have put their faith.
The preaching ministry of the church can be used in guiding the
elderly to overcome their unique problems. It can also be used to give them
confidence to trust in God who is the answer to their whole troubles.
·
PRAYER
AND INTERCESSION
Prayer is nothing unique to the Pentecostals alone. And there are
several occasions and types of prayer. Yet what makes the prayer during
Pentecostal worship distinct is its collective oral nature with spontaneity and
liveliness. All of these are part of their experiential piety. Often such
prayers are made for those who are in some need or trouble. They not put human
problems in a divine perspective. Also it helps the believers to be more
responsive to others problems. Besides, every prayer brings much inner peace,
joy and happiness to their lives. A strong hope in God’s immediate help takes
the place of tensions and fears. Also the emotional release that prayer brings
is worthy of particular reference. The prayer time can be good occasion for the
elderly to know that their problems are taken care of by God. And they will be
relieved to know that their church cares to understand their problems and to
pray for them.
·
PASTORAL
VISITS
Pentecostal spirituality is not so insistent about a particular
place for fellowship or worship. They believe in God’s presence wherever “two
or three gather” in Christ’s name. As such Pentecostal pastors show a
considerable interest in visiting houses be it for evangelistic purposes or for
personal prayer and encouragement to the flock.
It is of great help to those believers who have become ‘less
mobile’ due to advanced age or some sort of sickness. Although they are unable
to express their deep piety and spirituality in the context of a corporate
worship, they are given a chance to experience the presence of God in prayers
conducted by the pastors and believers who visit their family. It not only
enhances their spiritual health, but also they feel boosted emotionally for
they now have beside them someone to share and bear their burden. It is
supportive and therapeutic.
SUMMARY
This was a discussion on the psychological and therapeutic value
of some of the beliefs and practices held by Pentecostal churches. It shows how
these elements of Pentecostalism can come handy in the ministry of the church
to the aged people.
[i] M.J.Moss,
“Ageing”, New Dictionary of Christian Ethics and Pastoral Theology
(Leicester: Intervarsity Press, 1995), 148
[ii] Anne
McClelland, “Review of Leveson Paper Number 9- Is Religion the Friend of
Ageing?” The Leveson Centre for the Study of Ageing, Spirituality and Social
Policy, 2004,
http://rps.gn.apc.org/leveson/resources/study-reviewpaper9.htm (12 January
2008).
[iii] Paul
E.Johnson, Psychology of Religion, (New York, Abingdon Pressn,n.d), 75.
[iv] Ibid.
[v] Ibid., 247.
[vi] Walter
J.Hollenweger, The Pentecostals (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson
Publishers, 1988), 455.
[vii] Veli-Matti Karkkainen, “‘Encountering Christ in the Full Gospel
Way’: An Incarnational Pentecostal Spirituality”, The Journal of the
European Pentecostal Theological Association, XXVII/1 (2007): 9.
[viii] Ibid., 11.
[ix] Walter
J.Hollenweger, op.cit., 321-322.
[x] P.U. Paulson
and T.P.Varghese, “Veda Vijnaneeyam”, Penthakosthu Daivasasthram,
ed.T.P.Varghese (Readers Publications, Tiruvalla, 2002), 61.
[xi] Walter
J.Hollenweger, The Pentecostals (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson
Publishers, 1988), 292.
[xii] C.B.Johnson,
“Religious Resources in Psychotherapy”, Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology,
ed. David G. Benner, (Michigan: Baker Book House, 1985), 1008.
[xiii] Walter
J.Hollenweger, op.cit., 322.
[xiv]
T.P.Varghese, “Christu Vijnaneeyam”, Penthakosthu Daivasasthram, edited
by T.P.Varghese (Readers Publications, Tiruvalla, 2002), 212.
[xv] Ibid., 213.
[xvi] K.J.Mathew,
“Sabha Vijnaneeyam”, Penthakosthu Daivasasthram, edited by T.P.Varghese
(Readers Publications, Tiruvalla, 2002), 602.
[xvii] Ibid., 620.
[xviii] Walter
J.Hollenweger, op.cit., 386.
[xix] Ibid., 387.
[xx] K.C.John,
“Anthyakarya Vijnaneeyam”, Penthakosthu Daivasasthram, edited by
T.P.Varghese (Readers Publications, Tiruvalla, 2002), 635.
[xxi]Walter
J.Hollenweger, op.cit., 417.
[xxii] Peter
Althouse, “In Appreciation of Jurgen Moltmann: A Discussion of His
Transformational Eschatology,” Pneuma, 28/1(2006): 30.
[xxiii] P.B.Thomas,
“Pentecostal Ecclesiology: Promises and Problems” as cited by Roger E. Hedlund,
Roots of the Great Debate in Mission, (Bangalore: TBT, 1993), 470.
[xxiv] D.M.Coulter,
“The Development of Ecclesiology in the Church of God: A Forgotten
Contribution?,”Pnuema, 29/1 (2007): 82.
[xxv] Mathew C.
Varghese, “ Spirit of Freedom: Liberation Motifs in Pentecostalism”, Faith
Theological Review 10/2 (June 2007): 82.
[xxvi] Ibid., 83.
[xxvii] J.W.
Shepherd, “Worship,” Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements,
edited by Stanley M.Burgess and Gary B.McGee (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1995), 903.
[xxviii] Robert Mapes
Anderson, “Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity,” The Encyclopedia of
Religion, edited by Mircea Eliade, Vol.11 (New York: Macmillan Publishing
Company, 1987): 229.
[xxix] Ibid., 17.
[xxx] Paul
E.Johnson, op.cit., 248-250.
[xxxi] Mary Jo Meadow & Richar D.Kahoe, Psychology of Religion –
Religion in Individual Lives (New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1984),
176.
[xxxii] Ibid.
[xxxiii] J.H.Allens,
“Worship”, Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology, edited by David G.Benner,
(Michigan: Baker Book House, 1987), 1217.
[xxxiv] Heb. 12:1
[xxxv] Jean-Daniel Plüss, “Religious Experience in Worship,” Penteco
Studies, vol. 2, no. 1, 2003, http://www.glopent.net/pentecostudies/2003/pluess2003.pdf/download
(December 10, 2007)
[xxxvii] S.M.Horton,
“Doctrine of the Holy Spirit”, Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic
Movements, edited by Stanley M.Burgess and Gary B.McGee (Michigan: Zondervan
Publishing House, 1995), 415.
[xxxviii] Isaac
V.Mathew, “Set us Free: The Cry of the Marginalized”, 102 as cited by Mathew
C.Varghese, “Spirit of Freedom:
Liberation Motifs in Pentecostalism”, Faith Theological Review, 10/2
(June 2007): 80.
[xxxix] Morton
T.Kelsey, Tongue Speaking, An Experiment in Spiritual Experience, (New
York: Waymark Books, Doubleday & Company, 1968), 190.
[xl] Ibid., 199
[xli] Ibid., 198,
200-201
[xlii] Ibid., 220
Morton Kelsey is a student of Jungian Psychology, an Episcopal clergyman and
does not speak in tongues himself.
[xliii]F. Martin,
“Gift of Miracles,” Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements,
edited by Stanley M.Burgess and Gary B.McGee (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1995), 606.
[xliv] James
D.G.Dunn, Jesus and the Spirit, A Study of the Religious and Charismatic
Experience of Jesus and the First Christians as Reflected in the New Testament
(London: SCM Press Ltd. 1975), 211
[xlv]Walter J.
Hollenweger, The Pentecostals (London: SCM Press Ltd, 1972), 368.
[xlvi] J.A.Larson,
“Faith Healing,” Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology, edited by David
G.Benner (Michigan: Baker Book House, 1987), 391.
[xlvii] Mathew C.
Varghese, op.cit., 82.
[xlviii] As cited by
Paulson Pulikottil, “A Poor Reflection as in Mirror,” Doon Theological
Journal, 3/2 (July 2006), 186.
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