Towards a Theology of Divine Presence

Abstract

Reverend Cho’s pneumatology accents a theology of divine presence that anticipates in present experience the fulfillment of creation in the presence of God. The divine presence in Cho’s pneumatology causes all things to be transformed in the image of Christ. Through this accent on God’s transformative presence, Cho contributes his own unique voice to the larger Pentecostal tendency to focus attention on life in the presence of the Spirit. Pentecostal theology has traditionally emphasized the yielding of creation to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Cho’s theology of presence has the distinct advantage of being multidimensional or holistic rather than dualistic, since his pneumatological vision rejects the idea that body and soul are separate and inherently in conflict. Rather, for Cho, each dimension of human life (body, mind, spirit) involves and fulfills the other in the presence of the Spirit. Within this integral life in the Spirit, Cho highlights the responsibilities of envisioning or speaking in ways that are faithful to the Spirit, and he encourages those who do this to expect blessings or prosperity as a result in all dimensions of life. Yet, he does not deny that suffering may also have to be endured in order to serve a higher, spiritual purpose. The overall goal of the Spirit’s presence is the conformity of the creation to Christ’s image to the ultimate glory of God.