SPIRIT, RECONCILIATION AND HEALING IN THE COMMUNITY: MISSIOLOGICAL INSIGHTS FROM PENTECOSTALS

Abstract

Abstract For Pentecostals, the biblical image of the kingdom of as the inbreaking of God's eschatological power to save, heal and redeem, has been a constant source of inspiration for them to continue mission and social work. While focusing their missionary efforts on proclamation and conversion, Pentecostals have found that the model from the Book of Acts of the church as communion, which includes the sharing of both spiritual and social goods, has guided them towards a more holistic understanding of the Jesus as healer has been part of Pentecostal faith since the inception of the movement; lately, some theologians in its ranks have extended the motif of healing and reconciliation also to structures and communities. vision of transformation To speak of the of God is to speak of the ultimate will of for the whole of creation. symbol of the Kingdom conveys not only what we hope for but also a sense of urgency about our present responsibilities to be about the work of justice and the ministry of reconciliation between individuals, social classes, and racial and ethnic groups. It also furnishes criteria for promoting social wellbeing on personal, communal, and structural levels. (2) kingdom of God, the symbol of the inbreaking of God's will in its healing, transforming and reconciling power over all of God's creation, is a key theological motif for Pentecostal spirituality in its search of a holistic vision. It was also a theme widely discussed among the Pentecostals and Roman Catholics--two Christian groups coming from seemingly different ends of the ecumenical spectrum--who took part in a dialogue about mission, justice, and evangelization. (3) There arose a conviction that spirituality, i.e. the power of the Spirit, is the key to social transformation. Holy Spirit helps shape the moral and social consciousness, and thus also helps make Christians instruments of social change. Spirituality, i.e. living the life of the Holy Spirit, energizes the church to do evangelization and social justice. common agreement, issued by those who took part in the dialogue, explains that transformed people cooperate with the Spirit, the Creator and Sanctifier, in transforming the world. (4) Transformed people are compelled by the Spirit, the Creator and Sanctifier, to transform the world in the light of the inbreaking Kingdom of God. (5) From the beginning, Pentecostal eschatology and theology have focused on the theme of the kingdom of God, and Jesus as the embodiment of the gospel. insistence on the full gospel carries with it the need for there to be a call for a holistic view of mission and ministry. Jesus was depicted in his five-fold role of Saviour, Sanctifier, Baptizer with the Spirit, Healer of the body, and the Soon-Coming King. (6) Pentecostals believed that when this full gospel was preached, which promised a holistic solution to men's and women's problems, the kingdom of was about to come. revivalistic spirituality of Pentecostalism, which is an interesting mixture of Anabaptist, Wesleyan-Holiness, and Catholic heritages, focuses on the inner transformation of the person as the key to social transformation. Pentecostalism has come to emphasize that, The rebirth of a person by the Spirit is the anticipation of the transformation of the cosmos (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 8:21). This is why conversion and incorporation into the community of faith cannot be seen apart from the transformation of society. person filled by the Spirit of is impelled by that same Spirit to cooperate with in the work of evangelism and social action in the anticipation of the new creation. (7) A concrete hope--in the power of the Spirit One of the most common criticisms against Pentecostal missions is their alleged lack of social concern and thus neglect of reconciliation. …