Canadian Pentecostals The Trinity And Contemporary Worship Music

This volume sensibly examines whether an inconsistency exists between a Canadian Pentecostal denomination’s trinitarian statement of faith and the songs they most commonly sing. Colin Gunton’s trinitarian theology is utilized as a framework for this landmark analysis.

Vibrant worship music is part of the Charismatic liturgy all around the world, and has become in many ways the hallmark of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity. Despite its centrality, scholarly interest in the theological and ritual significance of worship for pentecostal spirituality has been sparse, not least in Africa. Combining rich theoretical and theological insight with an in-depth case study of worship practices in Nairobi, Kenya, this interdisciplinary study offers a significant contribution to knowledge and is bound to influence scholarly discussions for years to come. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in Pentecostal worship, ritual, and spirituality.

The letter to the Colossians contains a series of moral instructions in Colossians 3:12-17 and includes the admonition to "sing" among them. This study considers how music-making (specifically singing) supports moral formation according to the letter to the Colossians. Studies in ethnomusicology, anthropology of the voice, and music psychology offer useful frameworks for conceptualizing how a social practice like music-making forms participants into a community and shapes how they know themselves, their community, and the world. With the aid of these frameworks, we find that the singing in Colossians 3:16, as a corporate, vocal practice of music-making, enables the members of the church community to inhabit the story of reconciliation found in the Christ Hymn (Col 1:15-20).

Studying the role of music within religious congregations has become an increasingly complex exercise. The significant variations in musical style and content between different congregations require an interdisciplinary methodology that enables an accurate analysis, while also allowing for nuance in interpretation. This book is the first to help scholars think through the complexities of interdisciplinary research on congregational music-making by critically examining the theories and methods used by leading scholars in the field. An international and interdisciplinary panel of contributors introduces readers to a variety of research methodologies within the emerging field of congregational music studies. Utilizing insights from fields such as communications studies, ethnomusicology, history, liturgical studies, popular music studies, religious studies, and theology, it examines and models methodologies and theoretical perspectives that are grounded in each of these disciplines. In addition, this volume presents several “key issues” to ground these interpretive frameworks in the context of congregational music studies. These include topics like diaspora, ethics, gender, and migration. This book is a new milestone in the study of music amongst congregations, detailing the very latest in best academic practice. As such, it will be of great use to scholars of religious studies, music, and theology, as well as anyone engaging in ethnomusicological studies more generally.

One of the most significant transformations in twentieth-century Christianity is the emergence and development of Pentecostalism. The fastest-growing form of Christianity, with over five hundred million followers worldwide, this widely diverse movement has influenced many sectors of Christianity, flourishing in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, and also affecting Canada. Bringing together a previously scattered and somewhat hidden literature, Canadian Pentecostalism provides the first comprehensive overview of the subject. The collection is broad in focus, examining classical Pentecostalism, charismatic movements in the Roman Catholic and mainline Protestant traditions, and neo-Pentecostalism. Contributing authors examine historical debates about the origins of the movement, the response of Pentecostalism to institutionalization and globalization, and the roles of women, aboriginals, and immigrants within the Canadian movement. A multi-disciplinary study - with contributions from scholars in history, sociology, cultural studies, theology, and religious studies - Canadian Pentecostalism provides an important window into the Pentecostal / Charismatic movement and fills a gap in our general understanding of religion in Canada. Contributors include Peter Althouse (Southeastern University), Peter Beyer (University of Ottawa), Robert K. Burkinshaw (Trinity Western University), Michael Di Giacomo (Valley Forge Christian College), Bruce L. Guenther (Trinity Western University), Randall Holm (Providence College), Pamela M.S. Holmes (Th.D. candidate, Toronto School of Theology), Stephen Hunt (University of the West of England), Martin Mittelstadt (Evangel University), David Reed (University of Toronto), Thomas A. Robinson (University of Lethbridge), Donald S. Swenson (Mount Royal College), and Michael Wilkinson (Trinity Western University)

Jesus is present here and now, Christians have always affirmed. But how are we to understand his present activity in a challenging, post-Christian context? In what ways is he at work in our congregational worship, pastoral care, preaching—and even our board meetings? At a time when many feel uncertain about the future of the church, What Is Jesus Doing? brings together leading thinkers in pastoral theology, homiletics, liturgical theology, and missiology in a compelling resource for pastors and theologians. Emphasizing the reality of Jesus both as the resurrected, ascended Christ and as present and active today, the contributors consider how to recognize the divine presence and join in what God is already doing in all areas of church ministry. Contributors include: David Fergusson Dwight J. Zscheile Scott J. Hagley Craig Barnes Roger Owens Anthony B. Robinson Will Willimon Andrew Root John D. Witvliet Nicholas Wolterstorff Angela Dienhart Hancock Trygve D. Johnson With deep theological reflection, personal stories, and practical suggestions, this interdisciplinary conversation invites leaders to remember that the church is first of all God's project, not ours—and that this truth should fill us with hope.

Pentecostalism is one of the fastest-growing religious movements in the world. In Canada, it is the most rapidly growing Christian group among Indigenous people, with approximately one in ten Pentecostals in the country being Indigenous. Pentecostalism has become a religious force in many Indigenous communities, where congregations are most often led by Indigenous ministers – an achievement that took many decades. The Holy Spirit and the Eagle Feather traces the development of Indigenous Pentecostalism in Canada. Exploring the history of twentieth-century missionization, with particular attention to the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada’s Northland Mission, founded in 1943, Aaron Ross shows how the denomination’s Euro-Canadian leaders, who believed themselves to be supporters of Indigenous-led churches, struggled to relinquish control of mission management and finances. Drawing on interviews with contemporary figures in the movement, he describes how Indigenous Pentecostals would come to challenge the mission’s eurocentrism over decades, eventually entering positions of leadership in the church. This process required them to confront the painful vestiges of colonialism and to grapple with the different philosophies and theologies of Pentecostalism and Indigenous traditional spiritualities. In doing so they indigenized the movement and forged a new identity, as Indigenous and Pentecostal. Indigenous Pentecostals now occupy key roles in the church and serve as political, cultural, and economic leaders in their communities. The Holy Spirit and the Eagle Feather tells the story of how they overcame the church’s colonial impulses to become religious leaders, as well as agents for decolonization and reconciliation.

Research on Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity has increased dramatically in recent decades, and a diverse array of disciplines have begun to address a range of elements of these movements. Yet, there exists very little understanding of Pentecostal theology, and it is not uncommon to encounter stereotypes and misperceptions. Addressing this gap in current research, The Routledge Handbook of Pentecostal Theology is an exceptional reference source to the key topics, challenges, and debates in this growing field of study and is the first collection of its kind to offer a comprehensive presentation and critical discussion of this subject. Comprising over forty chapters written by a team of international contributors, the Handbook is divided into five parts: Contextualizing Pentecostal Theology Sources Theological Method Doctrines and Practices Conversations and Challenges. These sections take the reader through a comprehensive introduction to what Pentecostals believe and how they practice their faith. Looking at issues such as the core teachings of Pentecostalism concerning Spirit baptism, divine healing, or eschatology; unique practices, such as spiritual warfare and worship; and less discussed issues, such as social justice and gender, each chapter builds towards a nuanced and global picture of the theology of the Pentecostal movement. The Routledge Handbook of Pentecostal Theology is essential reading for students and researchers in Pentecostal Studies, World Christianity, and Theology as well as scholars working in contemporary Religious Studies.