Pentecostal Ecclesiologies

Abstract

Abstract What can be said about ‘pentecostal ecclesiology’ when there are arguably many ‘pentecostalisms’ and just as many ecclesial forms across the world of pentecostal-charismatic Christianity? This chapter provides a basic sketch of such phenomenological diversity and then moves to present as a viable candidate for pentecostal ecclesiological reflection a pneumatological framework of the church as renewed by the Spirit and always renewing. The first section provides some historical perspective on the classical pentecostal movement The second and third sections argue that pentecostal ecclesiological dynamism is inspired largely by its pneumatic spirituality; they map emerging ecclesiological tendencies under the rubrics ‘the church as the charismatic fellowship of the Spirit’ and ‘the church as the people of God, the body of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Spirit’. While the former reflects some of the renewal distinctives about pentecostal ecclesiological self-understanding, the latter situates the pentecostal understanding of the church within the mainstream of ecclesiological developments.