Charismatic Christianity: Introducing Its Theology through the Gifts of the Spirit

By Helen Collins

What is the essence of charismatic Christianity, a renewal movement that stresses the Holy Spirit's work, the church's use of spiritual gifts, and the significance of the supernatural? Helen Collins gives a novel summary explanation drawn from the spiritual gifts. Through Scripture and doctrinal reflection, she shows that charismatic spirituality is a coherent, reasonable, and rich tradition with much to offer.

Collins demonstrates how practicing spiritual gifts embodies a distinctive theology, making these practices carriers of doctrine. Using the Acts 2 narrative, she summarizes seven key emphases and associated practices: expectancy (prophecy), enchantment (miracles), encounter (healing), expression (testimony), equality (tongues), empowerment (evangelism), and enjoyment (worship). The result is a fresh introduction that is biblical, theologically robust, and practical, helping charismatic students to learn more about themselves and others to understand the movement and what it has to contribute to global theological discussions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: Sep 26, 2023
• ISBN: 9781493442645

Book preview

"Helen Collins introduces charismatic theology through biblical and doctrinal reflections on the foundational story of Pentecost and the central experiences and practices of spiritual gifts. In this way, Charismatic Christianity celebrates the theology and spirituality of charismatic and Pentecostal movements and joins them for a global theological conversation and testimony to the church living in the power of the Holy Spirit."

—Wolfgang Vondey, University of Birmingham

Confessionally charismatic, as well as more broadly catholic, this book is a treasure trove of creative theological reflection and scriptural engagement. Collins offers unique lenses with which to better plumb the depths of a form of Christianity that is ‘expectant, enchanted, encountering, expressive, egalitarian, empowered, and enjoyable.’ Her book is a gift to scholars seeking to find ways to express the dynamics of a Spirit-filled life.

—Cheryl Bridges Johns, Global Pentecostal House of Study, United Theological Seminary

"In writing this book, Dr. Collins has made a significant contribution to charismatic theology. It brings Luke’s narrative of Pentecost into conversation with Paul’s discussion of the charismata, key doctrinal themes, and the contemporary practices of the church. There is an honest assessment of the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit, which leads to a fresh articulation of the charismatic tradition in the life of the church. Scholars, students, and regular church members will find much to inform their minds, warm their hearts, and shape their ecclesial practices. I commend this study and look forward to using it in my own class on the person and work of the Holy Spirit."

—Rev. Mark J. Cartledge, FRSA, London School of Theology

In this valuable work, Dr. Helen Collins provides a rich yet accessible account of the practices, spirituality, and theology of charismatic Christianity. Her explanation of the key emphases of charismatic Christianity as a substantive, mature form of Christian faith will be beneficial to charismatic Christians seeking to grow deeper in their faith, to charismatic pastors and leaders seeking to strengthen discipleship in their congregations, and to academic theologians seeking to better understand and appreciate the theological gifts offered by this tradition to the Church as a whole.

—Jon Stovell, Vineyard Churches of Canada

"For those not typically called charismatic, this book offers an on-ramp for understanding, appreciation, and even joining. For charismatics, it models a mature spirituality that in turn inspires a fulsome ecclesiology. By reading Acts 2 along with 1 Corinthians 12 and Galatians 5, Helen Collins explains how every church is by definition a charisma-sharing body, thereby inviting all traditions to learn from the charismatic movement and to correct for the centralizing tendencies that rob people of an active interdependence. Lucid and compelling, Charismatic Christianity is a gift to the church."

—Jon Coutts, Ambrose University

© 2023 by Helen Collins

Published by Baker Academic

a division of Baker Publishing Group

Grand Rapids, Michigan

www.bakeracademic.com

Ebook edition created 2023

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Control Number: 2023010926

ISBN 978-1-4934-4264-5

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NIV are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Baker Publishing Group publications use paper produced from sustainable forestry practices and post-consumer waste whenever possible.

To charismatic Christians around the world,

the majority of whom presently lack the means

and opportunities to read this book.

"I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you,

because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world."

Contents

Cover

Endorsements

Half Title Page

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Introduction

A Testimony

The Aims of This Book

Definitions

Method

Overview

1. Expectancy

Introduction

Acts 2:1

The Gift of Prophecy: Enacting Expectancy

Prophetic Expectancy: A Doctrine of God

The Dangers of Prophetic Expectancy

The Gift of Teaching: Framing Expectancy

Conclusion: With Patience

2. Enchantment

Introduction

Acts 2:2

The Gift of Working Miracles: Enacting Enchantment

Miraculous Enchantment: A Doctrine of Creation

The Dangers of Miraculous Enchantment

The Gift of Steering: Nurturing Enchantment

Conclusion: With Peace and Goodness

3. Encounter

Introduction

Acts 2:3–4

The Gifts of Healings: Enacting Encounter

Healing Encounter: A Doctrine of Humanity

The Dangers of Healing Encounters

The Gift of Helping: Enabling Encounter

Conclusion: With Love

4. Expression

Introduction

Acts 2:4

The Gifts of the Utterances of Wisdom and Knowledge: Enacting Expressiveness

Wise and Knowledgeable Expression: A Doctrine of Salvation

The Dangers of Wise and Knowledgeable Expression

The Gift of Discernment of Spirits: Analyzing Expression

Conclusion: With Faithfulness

5. Equality

Introduction

Acts 2:5–13

The Gift of Various Kinds of Tongues: Enacting Equality

Glossolalic Equality: A Doctrine of the Church

The Dangers of Glossolalic Equality

The Gift of Various Kinds of Tongues: Celebrating Equality

Conclusion: With Joy

6. Empowerment

Introduction

Acts 2:14–41

The Gift of Faith: Enacting Empowerment

Faith-Filled Empowerment: A Doctrine of Mission

The Dangers of Empowered Faith

The Gift of Service: Humbling Empowerment

Conclusion: With Kindness and Gentleness

7. Enjoyment

Introduction

Acts 2:42–47

The Gift of Encouraging Exhortation: Enacting Enjoyment

Encouraging, Exhorting Enjoyment: A Doctrine of the End

The Dangers of Encouraging, Exhorting Enjoyment

The Gifts of Giving and Showing Mercy: Grounding Enjoyment

Conclusion: With Self-Control

Conclusion

Interconnected and Distinctive

Unified and Ecumenical

Christian as Charismatic and Charismatic as Christian

Traditioning Charismatics

Contributing to Pentecostal Scholarship

Contributing to Global Christianity

Being Renewed

A Testimony

Appendix: Chapter Overview

Bibliography

Index

Back Cover

Acknowledgments

Grateful thanks go to the past and present students of Trinity College, Bristol, UK. Your encouragement, challenge, and sense of fun have shaped me significantly as a teacher, writer, and follower of Jesus. Also to my colleagues: Sean Doherty, Howard Worsley, Helen Johnson, Andrew Lucas, David Firth, Paul Roberts, Taido Chino, Jamie Davies, Donna Lazenby, Alison Walker, Rod Symmons, Steve Finamore, Helen Paynter, Tim Welch, Jo Norman, Barbara and Colin Bews, Alison Branston, Su Brown, Dave Snell, Esther Brown, and many others. Thank you especially for your support during my study leave, which enabled me to finish this book. Special thanks go to Steve Walton and Tom Dove for their helpful comments on early drafts of the manuscript.

In addition to the classroom, I have had various opportunities to test out the ideas for this book in other settings. Thank you to those who gave me the opportunity to speak and to the people who came and shared their reflections with me. Particular thanks go to the Diocese of Derby Ordination Retreat of 2021 and the Lee Abbey holiday week of 2022.

Thank you to the Baker Academic team for their support and shaping of this project. Thanks go to Dave Nelson, for his input in the early stages, to Brandy Scritchfield, for her excellent and constructive comments on early drafts, and to Alexander DeMarco, for his detailed and helpful editing. Their collective enthusiasm for the work made the writing process a joy.

My understanding of what it means to be a charismatic Christian has been influenced by people, congregations, and places too numerous to name. I am especially grateful to the following people for the influence they have had on me at different points in my life and for the diverse wisdom they have shared: Ally Janzen, Laura Perbet, Vicki Byrne, Eleanor Houghton, Sophie Chatten, Rachel Pennant, Becca Bell, Jema Ball, Anna Jeffrey, Melissa Stratis, Fr. Henry Wansborough, Paul Zaphiriou, Graham Hunter, Emma Ineson, Gwyn Owen, Andy Schuman, Sue Farrance, Martin Hancock, Justin Stratis, Jon Coutts, Paula Gooder, and Judy Howard.

And, of course, my deepest thanks go to my family, who are my primary teachers and the ones who lovingly bear with the messy realities hidden under the eloquent prose. Sharon, Andy, Simon, Phoebe, Lydia, Archie, Hayley, James, Ben, Jacob, Sue, Ron, Tom, Sacha, Alice, Alfie, Edna, Pat, and Bryan—it is the privilege of my life to be your daughter, sister, wife, mother, sister-in-law, aunt, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter. Thank you for teaching me to love and to laugh, and for giving me the courage and the space to write.

Introduction

A Testimony

My first charismatic experience of the Holy Spirit was in 1994, when I was eleven years old. Until this point, I had attended the Sunday school of a traditional Church of England church, which had a robed choir and a weekly sung Eucharist. I was baptized as a baby, and I attended church because that is what we did. I accepted the reality of God and Jesus in the same way that I accepted air and gravity. I enjoyed games and craft activities in Sunday school, and I navigated boredom during the eucharistic prayer by quietly piling up the crocheted kneelers that lived in the back of the wooden pews. The snacks and juice were the highlight of a Sunday morning and seemed reasonable compensation for my attendance.

In 1993 a new curate came to our church with experience of the Renewal Movement, and he persuaded my family and others to join him the following year at a Christian summer camp called New Wine. Unbeknownst to us, 1994 was the year of the Toronto Blessing, which saw a wave of unusual and intensified charismatic phenomena spread from the Toronto Airport Vineyard Church around the world.1 From the first day of the camp, we witnessed dramatic phenomena that were associated with this Toronto Blessing: exuberant singing, people falling over, laughing, shaking, shrieking, weeping, and dancing.2 At the end of one evening session, my younger sister came back from her children’s group and described how an invisible but tangible wave had moved through the agricultural shed where several hundred six- to ten-year-olds were meeting, and had knocked over her and her friend, causing them to laugh hysterically for a prolonged period.3 I had also experienced falling over in the Spirit, and my mum came home unable to move her hands after having been prayed for. My mum was scared and confused; panicking that she had taken us to a cult, she contemplated telephoning my dad to drive five hours through the night to collect us.

I have a vivid memory of sitting on the step of our camper, seeing my mum pace under the awning, debating what to do. I picked up a Bible and began leafing through it. For a reason I cannot now recall, I decided to read a section out loud; as I did so, I did not understand what I was reading. Suddenly, my mum stopped and said, Read that again. The words I had read were from 1 Corinthians 2:4–5: My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom but on God’s power (NIV).

We took this dramatic and unanticipated intervention to be affirmation that the Spirit was at work. The next day, I professed my faith in Jesus Christ and experienced Holy Spirit baptism. Later that same year, I was confirmed in my Anglican church and received my first Communion as an expression of my new-found, living and empowered faith. The intuited Word-Spirit-Church shape to my formative spiritual experiences has become foundational for my faith and continues to shape my theology, and the contents of this book. My primary purpose in writing, therefore, is advocacy for a tradition that has nurtured, since childhood, my love for God in Christ. This advocacy is primarily for the sake of other Christians who identify themselves and their spirituality as charismatic.

The Aims of This Book

First, if you are, or were, or think you might be a charismatic, this book aims to give you a language and a framework to better understand and confidently speak about your tradition. Simon Chan diagnoses a problem with Pentecostalism: in overly focusing on a spiritual experience at the expense of a theological explanation rooted in the wider Christian faith, adherents have failed to form others in their tradition and have thus not successfully passed it on to others.4 This book aims to do some of that traditioning, or teaching (catechesis), work by offering charismatics a structure to understand their spirituality; it is particularly for those who prefer the label charismatic rather than Pentecostal.5 This work of traditioning will be done through biblical and doctrinal reflection on the foundational story of Pentecost and the central practices of the charismata (spiritual gifts) to anchor this story and practice within a wider tradition. In this way, I hope to give charismatics a fresh understanding and articulation of their tradition, framing it as a valid and coherent expression of the wider Christian tradition, in a way that is authentic to a charismatic spirituality.

Second, I hope through this advocacy to show the distinctive contribution that charismatic theology can make to Pentecostal scholarship. Some academic works describe their focus of study specifically and exclusively as charismatic,6 and others use some version of Pentecostal/charismatic.7 However, there is a much larger range of scholarly publications prioritizing the term Pentecostal.8 On occasion, the Charismatic Movement has been derided as a kind of toned-down and primly packaged Pentecostalism9 and, therefore, has been deliberately marginalized or characterized as derivative and not having a distinctive contribution to make to Pentecostal theology.10 While Pentecostal scholarship is maturing and gaining respect in the academy and wider Christian discourses, charismatic Christianity tends to be less well regarded, attended to primarily as an object of study rather than as a contributor.11 A plethora of popular-level publications12 in independent network Christianity13 tend to be most often associated with the title charismatic. This separation between popular-level charismatic literature, on the one hand, and academic Pentecostal texts, on the other, functions to reinforce a divide between the Pentecostal academy and ordinary charismatics.14 In this book, I seek to show that the practices of ordinary charismatics carry a coherent pneumatological theology that can make a distinctive contribution to Pentecostal studies in the academy.

Third, this advocacy for the distinctiveness of the charismatic tradition within Pentecostal scholarship is also advocacy for charismatic spirituality as a theologically coherent contributor to global theological discussions. Amos Yong proposes Pentecostalism as a framework for a global theology in the face of postcolonialism, pluralism, and the dominance of science.15 Wolfgang Vondey demonstrates how Pentecostal theology provides a comprehensive theological agenda for the church.16 I wish to do likewise using the designation charismatic. This is because the richness and theological integrity of charismatic Christianity has not always been recognized. Brad Christerson and Richard Flory present network charismatic Christianity as fundamentally a ‘practice’ rather than a theology or a way of building communities of believers,17 and thus they explicitly dismiss the potential for charismatic Christianity to contribute to wider theological discourses. This book seeks to make explicit the ways in which these charismatic practices carry coherent theological convictions that form disciples to desire the kingdom in certain distinctive ways.18 By making explicit the theological convictions inscribed within charismatic practices, it is hoped that charismatic spirituality can become a more respected contributor to global theological discussions.

The fourth purpose of this book is to highlight how and where the charismatic tradition needs renewal of its beliefs and practices. Advocacy does not mean denying the problems, excesses, or failings of the tradition—issues that have been well documented.19 I intend to highlight those areas where charismatic spirituality needs to be renewed and reconceived. But, crucially, I argue that the tradition contains within its coherent worldview the resources necessary for its own self-correction. Therefore, while I wish to connect the charismatic tradition to its wider Christian heritage and story, it is not the case that charismatics just need to be a bit more Roman Catholic here or a bit more Eastern Orthodox there. Rather, I argue that charismatics—and perhaps, by implication, other denominations—need to be more charismatic, in the sense of being more rooted in and growing from their charismatic traditions, to recalibrate areas of excess or deficit.

Definitions

It should be clear from the above that I wish to differentiate the terms Pentecostal and charismatic, while recognizing their deep interconnectedness. Therefore, clarification is needed here as to how I am using these terms and why I think charismatic is preferrable to Pentecostal. The main reason for using the label charismatic is that it connects me with the communities I am writing from and to, and it also associates me with the Pentecostal tradition that I will be drawing on heavily. However, I first need to define and problematize these terms before I can use them with integrity.

It is common in the academic literature to distinguish three historical waves of the Spirit in the twentieth century.20 The first wave denotes classical Pentecostalism, which traces its origins to the 1906 Azuza Street revival in Los Angeles, California, and is associated with the Pentecostal denominations that spread throughout the world, such as Assemblies of God and the Church of God in Christ. These denominations are particularly characterized by belief in a crisis event subsequent to conversion known as Holy Spirit baptism and tongues-speaking as the initial evidence for this experience.21 The second wave refers to the Charismatic Movement/Renewal, which saw Pentecostal-type manifestations of the Spirit in the mainline denominations in the 1960s. This wave is normally characterized by experiential encounters with the Holy Spirit and the exercising of spiritual gifts, but without insisting on Holy Spirit baptism as a separate, one-off event or tongues as the necessary sign of this experience. The so-called third wave of the Spirit happened during the 1980s.22 New, independent churches were formed, such as the Vineyard Church, which were separate from Pentecostal and mainline denominations and focused particularly on the signs and wonders of the Spirit. This third type is also referred to as neo-Pentecostal or neo-charismatic, which is often used to designate all Pentecostal/charismatic–type Christianity that does not fall within waves one and two, and it therefore also includes non-White, charismatic indigenous churches in the Majority World.23 Identification of a possible fourth type or wave has begun through the designation independent network Christianity.24 This type refers to a fluid affiliation of charismatic ministries that have their roots in the previous three waves but that are not interested in building church congregations; they instead focus on disseminating charismatic practices among believers, regardless of their affiliations.

Various writers have since problematized and complexified this linear wave schema. Michael McClymond argues that the three-waves concept is too simplistic even for interpreting the historical developments in North America, let alone those that have happened around the world.25 Allan Anderson carefully reconstructs the history of different international revival movements that predate the Azuza Street event. He particularly highlights the revivalism of Keswick (UK) in the nineteenth century, the Welsh Revival of 1904, and the revivals in India and Korea that happened around the turn of the twentieth century without obvious links to Azuza Street.26 Similarly, Peter Hocken demonstrates that the Charismatic Renewal in Britain was not an import from North American Pentecostalism but rather developed in its own particular context and history.27 Furthermore, Mark J. Cartledge argues that charismatic-type spirituality can be seen throughout church history and is, therefore, not only a twentieth-century phenomena.28 Therefore, Pentecostal and charismatic developments are both broader and more complex than the three-waves model implies.

Various writers have opted for the term pentecostal (with a small p)29 to incorporate all the historic and global diversity represented by these different waves. However, it is also the term that refers to specific denominations originating in North America, which makes it potentially an exclusive and excluding concept. Various Pentecostal scholars explicitly choose to regard Azuza Street as the heart and not the infancy of Pentecostalism,30 which further reinforces the normativity of this one particular social and historic location, making the term pentecostal unhelpful when trying to formulate a pneumatological theology that is broader than twentieth-century America. As Anderson argues, the colonial impetus of this early twentieth-century period was combined with an imperialist approach to mission, and thus the ongoing prioritization of Azuza Street as the heart of a Pentecostal theology is problematic in a postcolonial context.31 I consider that the term Pentecostal, whether with a capital or a lowercase p, has come to overly prioritize the history and location of Azuza Street, and this risks obscuring the universal work of the Holy Spirit across the global church and throughout history.

Some scholars continue to use Pentecostal because the term prioritizes the Acts 2 story of Pentecost, which Vondey describes as the core theological symbol of Pentecostal theology.32 Demarcating Pentecostal theology, therefore, makes explicit that the theology connects not with Azuza Street but with the events and narrative of Acts 2 as the key hermeneutic and unifying center.33 Yong uses the hyphenated term post-Pentecost-al to similarly prioritize Pentecost rather than Pentecostalism.34 While I affirm this prioritization of Pentecost as a primary narrative in my own method, I also rely heavily on a Pauline perspective through the charismatic gifts to broaden what can become a narrowed Lukan pneumatology when only Pentecost is in view. Therefore, I maintain that the strong linguistic associations between Pentecost, Pentecostal, and Pentecostalism problematize the usefulness of these terms for constructing a Christian theology that, while drawing heavily on the Pentecostal tradition, seeks a broader appeal across denominations. Since charismatic already describes an ecumenically and globally diverse phenomena, I suggest charismatic is more inclusive than Pentecostal.

However, some may argue that the term charismatic is equally problematic because the connection between charismatic and the Charismatic Movement carries socioeconomic implications that are just as unhelpful as the denominational and geographical associations of Pentecostal with Pentecostalism. Andrew Walker asserts that to be a Charismatic, then, [is] phenomenologically identical to being a Pentecostal but culturally redefined by class, taste and the late modern preoccupation with therapy and self-fulfilment.35 These differences between the lower socioeconomic status of early Pentecostalism and the usually more affluent status of those in the Charismatic Movement in the West may be grounds to reject charismatic as a divisive term. This is further compounded by associated racial differences, where the predominantly White mainline denominations of the United States and Europe are those of the Charismatic Movement, compared with the southward swing of the Christian centre of gravity that has made Pentecostalism more African and Asian than western.36 It is therefore possible to associate charismatic with White, middle-class Christians and Pentecostal with less-affluent believers of color,37 even if the different waves and movements are much more diverse in reality.

I note that as a White, British, middle-class, Anglican charismatic Christian, it is potentially problematic to take the term charismatic, which is already associated strongly with my own demographic, and use it to articulate a theological worldview that I hope can extend beyond the boundaries of my context. As such, it may be that an entirely new descriptive term is necessary given the problems associated with both Pentecostal and charismatic. However, to choose a new term would alienate me from the communities I am writing within and for and from the academic conversations to which I seek to contribute. Furthermore, while expounding these terms clearly requires nuanced engagement with the social and historical contexts, to focus only on these factors risks obscuring the providential work of God, in Christ, by the Spirit. It is my conviction that charismatic Christianity is more than a set of diverse sociohistorical movements, and that it has a unity and coherence because of the charismata of the Holy Spirit.38 Significantly, I think it is precisely the Pentecost narrative, interpreted using a charismata/spiritual gifts hermeneutic, that sets the precedent for my project, which is both contextual and transcultural.39 Therefore, despite the difficulties, I conclude that the term charismatic best emphasizes both the diversity of a range of sociohistorical movements and the coherence of God’s activity throughout history into the contemporary church. It is thus sufficiently able to describe a Spirit-enthused theology that can speak to global Christianity.

To summarize, I will use Pentecostal to specify that which derives from the classical Pentecostal denominations that originated in North America,40 and I will use charismatic as an inclusive designation for that which relates to the agential work of the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ that began at Pentecost and has continued throughout church history in diverse manifestations, and is seen in various ways around the world today through the charismata.41 This means that I regard Pentecostal spirituality as a (significant) subset of a broader charismatic Christianity, and thus I will draw heavily, but not exclusively, on this literature throughout.

Method

Methods are never neutral tools but rather always carry epistemologies and convictions that shape what is produced, hence the need to be explicit about my chosen method and to analyze those choices at the outset. While such discussions might not be the most stimulating for the reader, the organization of each chapter in this book is deliberate and purposeful. This section explains and justifies my choices and provides an important orientation to the book. In Types of Pentecostal Theology, Christopher Stephenson notes that Pentecostals have not historically been concerned with methods and instead have pragmatically adopted methods from other traditions that often do not exemplify their spirituality.42 In his final chapter, he proposes a method that he argues is authentic to Pentecostal convictions. He calls this method "Regula Spiritualitatis, Regula Doctrinae, translated the rule of spirituality is the rule of doctrine.43 This means that the enactment of Pentecostal faith, through distinctive spiritual practices, gives rise to the theological beliefs and convictions of the group. In other words, What we do is what we believe." This is a two-way process where the emergent theological beliefs also interrogate the spiritual practices, and so the processes of being-doing-believing that form a faith community are constantly and necessarily mutually informing.44

I will briefly outline this rule of spirituality is the rule of doctrine process I seek