- Last Name
- POLOMA & GREEN
- First Name
- Margaret & John
- Title
- The Assemblies of God: Godly Love and the Revitalization of American Pentecostalism
- Publisher
- New York University Press
- Year
- 2010
- Group
- PMO4
- Comments
- Amazon Review/s
Summary: This study draws on fresh, up-to-date research including quantitative surveys and interviews from twenty-two diverse Assemblies of God congregations to offer a new sociological portrait of the AG for the new millennium. The authors suggest that there is indeed a potential revitalization of the movement in the works within the context of the larger global Pentecostal upswing, and that this revitalization may be spurred by what the authors call “godly love,” the dynamic interaction between divine and human love that enlivens and expands benevolence. In spite of the tension that exists between pragmatism and the primalism of spiritual gift expression --a tension which the leadership often complains about--the flow of charisma continues in AG congregations. Pragmatic forces are assessed in terms of contract, a system of lived-out legal agreements basic to modern organizations, while primal forces are discussed in terms of covenant, relationships that are rooted in promises and social behaviors commonly believed to be divinely-empowered, and the lifeblood of congregations. The vast majority of AG adherents do not subscribe to the corporate church model with its vertical clergy-sheep relationships, and expect family-like relationships in their congregations consistent with the Pentecostal identity being rooted in the "priesthood of all believers." The AG website proclaims the AG as a "cooperative fellowship instead of a denomination. Since revivals come at a cost and they are often counter-cultural in their demands, they appear easier to sustain in developing nations than in American society with its pull toward the materialistic concerns that early Pentecostals condemned. Pastors often find themselves caught between balloon-like revivalists who want to go all the way with the primal and basket-sitting pragmatists who want order and predictability. How balloon and basket ultimately align in congregations usually depends on pastoral experience with and acceptance of primal spirituality, that is, his acceptance of the range of charismatic gifts and leadership skills to monitor them. According to the old cliché, a church cannot rise above its pastor. But the authors' findings show that in spite of having necessarily been subject to "routinization", Pentecostalism is also undergoing a process of revitalization, as further demonstrated through Johnson's three-face model of godly love relationships: The potential of revitalization is present to the extent that union love, particularly the belief in and experience of Spirit Baptism, has remained an explicit value and lived experience, which triggers and enlivens the normative forms of benevolence, such as those characterized by organized programs and policies where appreciation love is dominant, as well as relational congregational and missional forms, where care-love is a dominant love relationship. The book is packed with conclusive observations that stand out like gems, such as "Although charisma has long been recognized as a factor in the rise of religious movements, it seems to depart quickly once the task of institution-building has been completed. One can argue that charisma thrives best in relational groups where care-love rather than appreciation-love is center stage." Also significant is the increasing departure from the initial insistence of speaking in tongues as evidence of Spirit baptism, while glossolalic prayer continues to be a valid, non-rational, private and personal form of prayer which edifies the believer. This is surprisingly the majority position of the congregants and the leadership as well, though the official doctrinal statement remains unchanged as of yet. When Paul admonished, "Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy" (1 Cor 14:11), he made a distinction that while tongues is for self-identification, prophecy is meant for the church. Results of this study confirm this by demonstrating in various ways that the prophetic is not limited to human interaction with the divine through personal experience; It also serves as a catalyst for divinely inspired interpersonal interaction (i.e.) benevolence. Two-way interaction with God, who is the source of Godly love, is in turn a factor in benevolent interaction with others so that an intimate relationship with God, whom the believer senses as real presence and as divine collaborator, leads definitely to benevolent action and the bearing of benevolent fruit, both in deep personal transformation and evangelistic outreach. This is Godly love expressed as empowerment for mission or service, as well as in prophecy and healing.
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