Allan Heaton Anderson is one of the few white South Africans who succeeded in getting out of the entrapment of racial prejudices when it came to the written history of African-initiated churches. He became aware of the fact that an authentic theology can only be examined within context, and thus his theological analysis of African independent churches (AICs) reflects his status in the margins. Anderson not only conducted research among the poor and the downtrodden, where he challenged assumptions made by (...) his white contemporaries, but he also identified with the ‘othering’, those who were powerless and marginalised – contributing immensely to African theology of inclusivity. This article comprised three sections: firstly, it traced Anderson’s journey within and his contribution to the theology of African Pentecostalism; secondly, it explored the notion of typology of AICs using the lens of ‘othering’; and thirdly, it concluded with recent trends in neo-Pentecostalism. Following the philosophical axiom of critical theory, the article was involved in dialogue with Anderson, interrogated European missionary typologies of African-initiated churches and, finally, critiqued the convergence of ‘progressive Pentecostals’ and ‘globalisation’ in shaping a new mission paradigm. Contribution: This article paid closer attention to intersectionality of historiography and hybrid theological subjects such as practical theology and African theology. The contribution of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research by white African scholars on African theology was appraised. The article further appreciated the contribution by a white theologian who had mastered African epistemology of being and living by critiquing the theory of paternalistic ‘othering’. (shrink)

Este artigo propõe analisar as relações entre o pentecostalismo e o protestantismo “histórico” nos últimos 100 anos. Desde o ano 2010 comemora-se o centenário da chegada do pentecostalismo no Brasil por meio das pregações do ítalo-americano Luis Francescon e dos suecos Daniel Berg e Gunner Vingren. Até os anos 1950, a Congregação Cristã no Brasil e a Assembléia de Deus, resultantes do trabalho dos três, eram os dois maiores exemplos de igrejas pentecostais consolidadas no Brasil. Uma nova explosão pentecostal ocorrida (...) nos anos 1950 voltou a desestabilizar as relações entre protestantes e pentecostais. As igrejas surgidas desde então faziam da cura divina, dos milagres e prodígios o centro de suas atividades. Mas, no decorrer do século passado houve um crescente acirramento da competição, conflitos, sincretismo e acomodação. Isso se tornou mais forte após os anos 1970, quando um pentecostalismo com maior capacidade competitiva passou a levar vantagem. Esses neopentecostais cresceram em números, porém, ao ampliar os seus respectivos universos simbólicos, incorporaram símbolos, crenças e se tornaram portadores de teologias e discursos, híbridos e sincréticos. Que futuro tais acertos e desacertos poderão trazer para o campo religioso do País? Palavras chaves : Pentecostalismo brasileiro; Protestantismo Histórico; Acomodação Cultural; Conflito Religioso.This article proposes an analysis between Pentecostalism and “historical” Protestantism in the last century. Since 2010 there have been celebrations of the 100 th anniversary of the establishment of Pentecostalism in Brazil, featuring renowned preachers such as the Italian-American Luis Francescon and Swedish Daniel Berg and Gunnar Vingren. Until the 1950s, the Christian Congregation in Brazil and Assembly of God, which resulted from the work of these three preachers, were the two major Pentecostal churches in Brazil. A new Pentecostal outbreak in the 1950s shook up the relations between Protestants and Pentecostal once again. Until then, Pentecostal churches centered their activities on divine healing and miracles. But in the last century, there was a process of intensification of the competition, conflicts, syncretism and complacency within the religious scenario, which accelerated after the 1970s, when a more competitive Pentecostalism started to advance. These neo-Pentecostals grew in numbers, and while expanding their symbolic universes, they incorporated symbols and beliefs, becoming the bearers of a hybrid and syncretic theology and rhetoric. What future can these successes and failures bring to Brazil’s religious field? Key words : Brazilian Pentecostalism; Historical Protestantism; Cultural Complacency; Religious Conflict. (shrink)

African Pentecostalism continues to be a growing part of Christianity both in Africa and the rest of the world. Pentecostal churches in Africa are on the rise at a very high rate. However, theological education in South African universities does not reflect this reality, but continues to be of a western orientation. Therefore, there is an urgent need and demand for a theological education that will be relevant to Africa. It is an urgent need for African Pentecostalism to (...) be integrated into the theological education of South African universities. This can be achieved by integrating African Pentecostalism into the curriculum, by decolonising Pentecostal research and by the emergence of critical African scholars that can address cutting-edge issues in a South African context. Thus, theological education in South African universities shall be a contextual and relevant one. (shrink)

Pentecostals can be understood as contemporary Christian mystics, and doing so can aid one in both understanding and caring for them. The task of understanding them is facilitated by this category in that it allows one to inhabit a different mindset from what is typical in contemporary settings. Pentecostalism and charismatic movements work out of distinct, fundamental claims that together work as a kind of worldview, one that operates from a hyperawareness of God’s presence and a sensed empowerment of (...) the mystic’s self. The task of caring for them should honor these claims all the while being open to the Spirit’s presence and work. (shrink)

Fé e crime na “quebrada”: pentecostais e PCC na construção da sociabilidade nas periferias de São Paulo (Faith and crime in the "quebrada": Pentecostalism and PCC in the construction of sociability in the outskirts of São Paulo). DOI: 10.5752/P.2175-5841.2014v12n33p99 Tratamos, neste texto, da convivência em um mesmo ambiente urbano de fenômenos aparentemente díspares como é o caso do pentecostalismo de um lado e, de outro, o crime organizado e a violência como seu modus operandi , ambos representando expressões de (...) sociabilidade e formação identitária nas periferias das metrópoles. Nesse contexto, o conceito de conversão precisa ser revisto dada a sua ineficácia para se compreender os processos sociais experimentados pelas populações dos bairros periféricos. Nesses bairros, ser pentecostal não é necessariamente uma opção de vida que exclui a participação na organização criminosa do Primeiro Comando da Capital - PCC. O artigo está dividido em dois tópicos: no primeiro, fazemos um breve levantamento dos estudos que trabalham com as diferentes formas em que a religião e a violência criam interfaces de contato. No segundo tópico procuramos apresentar nossas observações empíricas de uma comunidade pentecostal da qual faz parte um dos líderes locais do PCC. As conclusões são apontamentos que procuram manter abertas as portas para outras reflexões e dar continuidade à pesquisa mais do que para encerrar o debate. Palavras chaves : Pentecostalismo. PCC. Crime organizado. Conversão.In this paper we look at the coexistence, in the same urban environment, of seemingly disparate phenomena such as Pentecostalism on one side, and on the other the organized crime and violence as its modus operandi , two of the expressions of sociability and identity in the outskirts of the metropolis. In this context the concept of conversion needs to be revised given its ineffectiveness to understanding social and religious processes experienced by the populations of the suburbs. In these neighborhoods, be Pentecostal is not necessarily a lifestyle choice that precludes participation in a criminal organization like the Primeiro Comando da Capital, PCC. The article is divided into two topics: first, we made a brief survey of studies that work with the different ways in which religion and violence make some interfaces. After we tried to present our empirical observations about a Pentecostal community in which a PCC local leader is part of. The notes of the conclusion are looking to keep the doors open to other ideas and to continue the research more than to wind up the debate. Keywords : Pentecostalism. PCC. Organized crime. Conversion. (shrink)

The Aymara Pentecostalism is one of the most important religious movements in Chile. In the last decades it has been produced a considerable amount of sociological and anthropological research about this movement and this has resulted in the emergency of a particular field. However, these studies have not the thematized the relevance of the theoretical assumptions that underlie in their analysis. Due to this, our aim is to develop an epistemological analysis of the theoretical assumptions behind the studies about (...) the Aymara Pentecostalism in Chile, elucidating specifically how they have used the difference between structure and action when they aim to understand the features of this socio-religious movement. This will allow us to elucidate the types of epistemological conflation that take place in the explanations develop by these authors, assessing its theoretical contribution. El pentecostalismo aymara es uno de los movimientos religiosos más distintivos de Chile. En las últimas décadas se ha producido una considerable cantidad de estudios sociológicos y antropológicos sobre este movimiento, generándose un incipiente campo de estudios al respecto. Sin embargo, estos estudios no han tematizado la adecuación de los supuestos teóricos que subyacen a sus análisis. Por ello, nuestro objetivo es realizar un análisis epistemológico de los supuestos teóricos que subyacen a los estudios sobre pentecostalismo aymara en Chile, distinguiendo específicamente cómo han utilizado la distinción entre estructura y acción a la hora de comprender las características de este movimiento socioreligioso. Esto nos permitirá distinguir los tipos de conflacionismo epistemológico presentes en las explicaciones esbozadas por los autores, evaluando así su rendimiento teórico. (shrink)

The article makes a brief survey of the movement of the Holy Spirit in various church traditions across the world. It begins by highlighting the various revivals in Christianity, including Pietism among Lutheranism and the Holiness movement. It shows these as the precursors to the emergence of Pentecostalism in the 20th century. The Latter Rain movement, which came out of the Pentecostal movement, is analysed as a contributing factor to the Charismatic renewal within world Christianity. The empowerment of the (...) Holy Spirit, which is one of the distinctive emphases of the Charismatic renewal, is shown as providing the opportunity to build the kingdom of the Lord, by various denominations, in love and unity. (shrink)

O pentecostalismo é a religião que mais cresce, em número de fiéis, no Brasil de acordo com a última contagem populacional do IBGE. Este crescimento não se deu somente através dos métodos de evangelismo pessoal e de massa já empregados há anos pelas igrejas pentecostais, mas também teve um importante acréscimo se forem analisados os efeitos secularizantes da modernidade e que inevitavelmente afetaram essas igrejas. Com o incremento do número de pentecostais, houve também alterações significativas de suas tradições doutrinárias. Sendo (...) a secularização promovedora de pluralismo religioso, as denominações pentecostais passam por um processo de secularização, notadamente com um pluralismo doutrinário a fim de manterem-se plausíveis em meio à sociedade secularizada. Este trabalho cita o caso da igreja Assembleia de Deus, principal denominação pentecostal do País por seu número de fiéis, por sua trajetória histórica e sua consequente secularização. Palavras chave: Assembleia de Deus. Pentecostalismo. Pluralismo religioso. Secularização.The author points out that according to the latest data from the IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística), Pentecostalism is the fastest growing religion in Brazil. One reason for this growth binds to different methods of evangelism, used for many years by the Pentecostal churches. Another possible reason for the fast growth of Pentecostalism is related to the effects produced by the process of secularization of modernity that inevitably have affected the churches. Along with the increase in the number of Pentecostals, there were also significant changes in their doctrinal traditions. Because secularism promotes religious pluralism, the Pentecostal denominations undergo a process of secularization, especially with a doctrinal pluralism in order to maintain themselves plausible amid a secularized society. This paper cites the case of the Assembly of God church, a leading Pentecostal denomination in Brazil in terms of number of followers, and because of its historical trajectory and its consequent secularization. Keywords : Assembly of God. Pentecostalism. Religious pluralism. Secularization. (shrink)

O pentecostalismo ocupa um lugar cada vez mais importante na sociedade brasileira em geral, e no campo religioso em particular. Este texto procura analisar as interpelações que o pentecostalismo provoca na esfera religiosa e na esfera política. Por um lado, no campo religioso, é sobretudo a Igreja católica que o pentecostalismo interpela, especialmente seu caráter hegemônico no campo religioso brasileiro e sua exclusividade na demarcação religiosa da esfera pública, marcando presença na política e nos meios de comunicação de massa. Além (...) disso, ao reivindicar uma identidade religiosa exclusiva e única, o pentecostalismo questiona os próprios fundamentos da “cultura católica brasileira”. Por outro lado, o pentecostalismo interpela o campo político ao afirmar a sua presença ativa na vida política nacional, a partir de motivações de ordem prática e simbólica. Isto não significa, porém, o desejo pentecostal de conquista do poder político, ou a contestação dos fundamentos da democracia republicana ou, ainda, a tentativa de estabelecer uma hegemonia ideológica e a submissão dos cidadãos a dogmas e preceitos religiosos. Palavras-chave: Pentecostalismo; Evangélico; Brasil; Política; Interpelação.Pentecostalism plays an ever increasing role in Brazilian society specially what concerns its religious field. This article aims to analyse some questionings made on the religious and political spheres by pentecontalism. On the one hand, these questionings aim at the hegemonic role Catholicism plays in the Brazilian religious field as well as its broad religious influence on the political arena and in the mass media. On thinking of itself as having an unique and exclusive religious identity Pentecostalism also questions the very foundations of “the Brazilian catholic culture.” On the other hand, Pentecostalism gives its own interpretation of the Brazilian political field in demarcating its active presence there by practical and symbolic motivations. This does not mean however that pentecostalism desires to get the political power or to challenge the very foundations of the Brazilian republican democracy. Neither does it try to establish an ideological religious hegemony and the submission of the Brazilian citizens to religious dogmas and precepts. Key words: Pentecostalism; Evangelical; Brazil; Politics; Questionings. (shrink)

Assemblies of God church in Nigeria, which has for over 40 years now, experienced various crises that have led to sucession and factionalism in that church. The once giant of spirituality and the mother of Pentecostalism has grappled with the problem of administration, leadership tussle and bigotry. This study is a review of previous and current crises that AG Nigeria has gone through at the General Council level in a bid to mend what seems to have torn asunder the (...) seamless coat of Christ in line with the prayer of Jesus, ‘that they may be one’. The study uses historical-critical method and phenomenological design to analyse the depth of the crack in the church in order to predict the future of Pentecostalism in Nigeria.Contribution: To chronicle the crises in Assemblies of God Nigeria through a study of current and past patterns of events with a view to recommending possible solutions. (shrink)

In this paper we explore the idea that Pentecostalism is best supported by conjoining it to a postmodern, narrative epistemology in which everything is a text requiring interpretation. On this view, truth doesn’t consist in a set of uninterpreted facts that make the claims of Christianity true; rather, as James K. A. Smith says, truth emerges when there is a “fit” or proportionality between the Christian story and one’s affective and emotional life. We argue that Pentecostals should reject this (...) account of truth, since it leads to either a self-refuting story-relativism or the equally problematic fallacy of story-ism: favoring one’s own story over others without legitimate reason. In either case, we contend, the gospel itself is placed at risk. (shrink)

How should we think of development within an ideological format in which individual subjects are abstracted from the constraints and necessities of social policy and the political structure? Using this question as a spark, this article critically deconstructs the Pentecostal prosperity gospel in Africa. Two overlapping arguments are advanced. One is that, in atomising the individual, Pentecostal prosperity gospel discounts power relations and the political, effectively dislocating the individual believer from the social matrix within which his or her agency is (...) forged. Secondly, it is suggested that this attitude towards both the individual and the state puts Pentecostalism firmly within the orbit of neoliberalism. This article leverages this affinity for an understanding of how neoliberal ideas and conceptions of wealth, accumulation and self-actualisation are embedded and reproduced in Pentecostalism. It concludes that, because, on the one hand, it has no lever – historical or philosophical – on which it might be grounded, and on the other hand, since it has developed no cogent political economy to speak of, prosperity gospel, nay Pentecostal spirituality, offers no realistic path out of the African economic crisis. (shrink)

One of the theological disagreements in Christianity is the legitimacy of infant baptism. It was not discussed in the early period of Christianity. Nevertheless, it is one of the problems that have been debated especially since the post-reform period. Debates about infant baptism create differences in Christianity. Churches accepting infant baptism, espe¬cially the Catholic Church, acknowledge it as a tradition that has been practiced for thou¬sands of years. According to them, children were baptized by Jesus and the Church Fathers kept (...) doing this ritual. However, most of the Protestant Churches, like Anabaptists, criticize infant baptism as it does not happen based on free will. They claim that such people should get baptized again. According to them, Jesus did not baptize infants and the biblical texts, which are shown as a source of infant baptism, indicate that either Jesus blessed babies or baptized adults. Therefore, theological debates about infant baptism have continued in Christianity. The article discusses the historical process of infant baptism and the arguments presented by different groups about this discussion. The main framework of the article is the discussions between groups about biblical texts and religious identification, especially the post-reform period. Infant baptism is an important issue because it includes modern discussions about differences among churches, Bible interpretation, will, and mind. Since there is no specific study on infant baptism in our country, we can say that the article will contribute to the studies of the history of religions.Summary: The sacrament is one of the controversial topics among Christian churches. It has been discussed structure of the sacraments as well as the legitimacy of these practices throughout the history. Infant baptism is another example over legitimacy debate about the sacraments. Infant baptism is a key topic because it involves fundamental doctrines like salvation, faith, and original sin and conflicts among churches.This study addresses the historical process of infant baptism and the arguments presented by different groups regarding the debates of its legitimacy. It aims to shed light on one of the current debates of various groups in the post-reform period, especially among the Protestants. Initially, we discuss the value of baptism in Christian theology, then the histori¬cal process of infant baptism, and finally the arguments of groups that accept and do not accept infant baptism. Although there are various studies about baptism in our country, there is no specific study assessing infant baptism. Therefore, we think that this paper will augment the existing literature in the field.Baptism is the most meaningful sacrament in Christianity as it is an indicator of being a Christian and the first step of the way to salvation for Christians. It is also a unifying sacra¬ment because it is accepted by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant Churches. Catholics and Orthodox Churches agree on the seven sacraments (baptism, con¬firmation, Eucharist, penance, anointing of the sick, marriage, and holy orders) with a few exceptions. However, since the Protestants adopt an understanding of religion based upon the Bible, they only accept the baptism and Eucharist mentioned in the Bible as a sacrament. Although the Protestants agree on baptism, they have opposing views about infant baptism. The only source between the Protestant Churches about infant baptism is the Bible. These groups accept only Biblical texts as a legitimate source, not the Church fathers. However, the debate on whether the references in the Bible refer to the baptism of babies or the baptism of adults has reached to today. Since adults were baptized during the spread of Christianity, there was no significant debate about infant baptism in the early period. Generally, Church Fathers did not state infant bap¬tism as a systematic sacrament, but rather as a spiritual blessing. Therefore, baptism was accepted as a ritual that involves the infant, adult, and patient baptism in Christian litera¬ture. However, with the emergence of some heretic groups against infant baptism, the meaning of infant baptism and adult baptism has been used differently by Christians. As a result of the first discussions between heretic groups and the Church Fathers, some defense attempts of infant baptism have started in the Christian world. On the one hand, theologians struggled against those who are against infant baptism; on the other hand, the Church de¬cided to support infant baptism in councils. It was accepted that babies should be baptized even if they cannot speak during the sacrament and cannot answer questions about faith. It became widespread after Christianity was accepted as an official religion by Rome, and it was officially accepted by the Catholic church in the 13th century. Infant baptism discus¬sions have increased again after the Reform. While Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Congressional churches accept infant baptism; groups such as Baptists, Pentecostalists, Anabaptists, Seventh-Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Last-Day Saints are against infant baptism.According to churches practicing infant baptism, babies should be baptized as soon as pos¬sible for God's divine grace and salvation. However, the churches that oppose infant baptism claim that this is a meaningless reason. According to them, baptism was only performed at Easter and Pentecost in the early period and even a candidate who wanted to be Christian was tested for a length of time. This practice reveals the connection of baptism with wisdom and faith. They claim that baptism is a meaningful and dogmatic action, not an ordinary practiceç Therefore, infant baptism, which is not based on reason, weakens faith. These churches point out that this ritual is deceptive, and it will lose children's faith over time since it is not supported by faith. They also criticize the idea that this baptism will make the person a member of the public. In this regard, they emphasize that members of the current society no longer live in villages and do not consist of groups recognizing each other. Thereby, It is clear that the membership of the current society has lost its sociological meaning in the modern society.Criticisms of these churches refusing infant baptismhave become more noteworthy in the recent period by the contributions of authors, Karl Barth (b. 1966) and Emil Brunner (d. 1966). All these criticisms focus on the fact that infant baptism is not based on the essential references of religion, but rather on the practices of church fathers. Therefore, they argue that families, who believe but not investigate, baptized babies only for the tradition. In other words, people care about society, not religious beliefs, but according to these groups, this is meaningless anxiety. These discussions reveal infant baptism is not only theological debate, but also socio-cultural.In our opinion, most of the references in the texts shown as evidence for infant baptism point to the inseparable bond between God and children, like in the Old Testament. We think that claim of these groups that faith requires a level of consciousness is a consistent criticism. In this context, it can be stated that the criticisms of the infant baptism in the post-reform period are effective and that groups who believe in this baptism could not respond to these criticisms through sacred texts and rational proofs. (shrink)

Pentecostalism is a subject of increasing importance in the study of world Christianity. Pentecostal churches are growing and the movement is complex and vibrant. African Initiated Churches and Charismatic movements in mainline churches have both been defined as Pentecostal. It is the charismatic groups within historic mission churches and their relation to the broader Pentecostal movement which is the subject of this paper. Studying the influence of Pentecostalism in microcosm allows one to analyse the interpersonal dynamics at play (...) and to examine the complexities of a local movement. (shrink)

Pentecostalism meant a break with Protestant anthropology hostage to the epistemology of Modernity. As Havey Cox explains, these American movements in the early years of the 20th century filled the ecstatic deficit left by evangelicals, pointing towards the affective system of knowledge of reality, an affective epistemology. If, on the one hand, the Pentecostal experience encouraged the shift from the margin to the center of corporeality, on the other, the violated and subjugated bodies became visible and empowered, because marginalized (...) groups, excluded by the American and Brazilian Protestant establishment, were and are protagonists. Pentecostal movements are presented as a presence in the world and religious practice that reveals the defense of fundamental rights, especially in the militancy experience of racial justice, which does not mean a theoretical defense, but community experiences of excluded bodies that gain pneumatic status. The essay discusses the relationship between religion, human rights and racial issues, pointing out how Pentecostalism represents intuitions for a more fraternal and egalitarian society. (shrink)

The fact that Pentecostal Christianity is the fastest growing form of Christianity in Africa can no longer be a subject of debate. Christianity, one of the major religions in the world, has been growing at unprecedented rates in sub-Saharan Africa. What is being observed on the religious atmosphere is the Pentecostalisation of African Christianity in Africa in general and Zimbabwe in particular. From 2009 onwards, Zimbabwe has experienced a mushrooming spree of contemporary Pentecostalism. Though conglomerate in nature, three ecclesiastical (...) figures overshadow the rest, namely Emmanuel Makandiwa’s United Family International Church, Uebert Angel of Good News Church and Walter Magaya of Prophetic, Healing and Deliverance Ministries. The three Pentecostal figures became highly popular through the propagation of the Gospel of Prosperity with vigour and vitality. Their presence in the Zimbabwean religious arena has attracted mixed perceptions. Some people view them as rippers of peoples’ hard-earned monies, while others regard them as true prophets – the messengers of God. The million-dollar question remains: Are they catalysts or antidotes to downward social mobility? This article grapples to assess whether the ‘Big Three’ contemporary Pentecostal prophets serve as propellers or dispellers of downward social mobility. The Big Three are antidotes based on three arguments: (1) Propagation of the Gospel of Prosperity, (2) miracle performances and (3) societal empowerment champions. On the other hand, the prophets are catalysts based on three arguments: white-collar prophecy, negation of social justice and preferential option for the Powerful. Through the application of the justitia pro-povo oprimido liberation hermeneutics, the study argues that the ‘Big Three’ ecclesiastical clergymen serve more as catalysts to downward social mobility than antidotes to downward social mobility. The justitia pro-povo oprimido liberation hermeneutics is a new methodological approach invented by the author based on liberation theology that sees Christianity as seeking the justice of the oppressed. Contribution: The article critically reflects on rise of contemporary Pentecostalism in Zimbabwe focussing on the three outstanding prophets – Emmanuel Makandiwa, Uebert Angel and Walter Magaya. While the three clergymen contributed immensely, both positively and negatively to the rise and development of African Pentecostalisation of Zimbabwe, the justitia pro-povo oprimido liberation hermeneutics reveals the contemporary Pentecostal figures as propellers of downward social mobility. (shrink)

Procuramos mostrar neste breve artigo que o processo de secularização estudado por Max Weber, levou a religião a adaptar-se num ambiente de livre-escolha, conduzindo os sujeitos a uma escolha na qual o indivíduo, diante de inúmeras possibilidades e necessidades, é capaz de optar por aquela que melhor lhe servir. Apesar de a secularização ter perdido sua hegemonia, ela continua a suscitar calorosas discussões e inúmeros debates entre os pesquisadores do fenômeno religioso, particularmente sobre o pluralismo, as mudanças dos papéis sociais (...) das organizações religiosas, a competição entre agências produtoras de sentido, as novas possibilidades de escolhas. Diante desse quadro, procuramos mostrar que o movimento neopentecostal oferece ao indivíduo inúmeras opções de bens religiosos, provocando com isso o trânsito religioso . Esse trânsito tem feito com que os líderes das igrejas neopentecostais, na tentativa de atrair novos adeptos, produzam com maior intensidade “novos” bens religiosos, assim como busquem fidelizar esses novos membros à sua igreja. Como resultado, percebemos dentro do campo religioso brasileiro uma intensa movimentação de fiéis, bens e igrejas produzindo e consumindo religião para o seu próprio deleite e consumo. Palavras-chave: Neopentecostalismo; Secularização; Trânsito Religioso.The purpose of this paper is to show that the process of secularization studied by Max Weber, led religion to adapt itself in an environment of free choice, leading subjects to a personal choice, where the individual, confronted by innumerous possibilities and necessities, can opt for the one that bests suits him. Although secularization has lost its hegemony, it keeps on inspiring discussions and debates among researchers of religious phenomena, particularly on pluralism, the changes on social roles of religious organizations, the competition among agencies producing meaning, the new possibilities of choices.Given the situation, we demonstrate that the neo-pentecostal offers the individual, various options of religious goods, generating what can be called “religious transit”. This flow of people has caused the leaders of the neo-Pentecostal churches, in search of new followers, to produce with greater intensity “new” religious goods in order to attract more people and make them faithful to their churches. As a result of that, we can perceive in the brazilian religious field an intense flow of believers, religious symbols and churches producing and consuming religion for their own pleasure and consumption. Key words : Pentecostalism; Secularisation; Religious Traffic. (shrink)

This essay identifies one of the deeper theological sources of the tendency toward environmental neglect in evangelical and Pentecostal theology and proposes a theological vision that facilitates a vision of creation care as a dimension of Christian formation. The first section identifies, describes, and evaluates the traditional distinction between common and special grace or the natural and the supernatural orders as a theological foundation for environmental neglect in Pentecostal theology. The second and third sections propose that a pneumatological vision of (...) grace based on a fundamental trinitarianism provides Pentecostals and other Christians with a way to overcome these stark dualisms and to attain a more unified and comprehensive vision of God's grace that is more conducive to creation care. The fourth section presents a case for seeing creation care as a pneumatological and proleptic participation in the eschaton and, as such, as a dimension of Christian formation and sanctification. (shrink)

In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:The 2004 Meeting of the Society for Buddhist-Christian StudiesFrances S. AdeneyThe 2004 meeting of the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies was held in San Antonio, Texas, 19–20 November 2004. This year's theme was "Dealing with Illness and Promoting Healing: Buddhist and Christian Resources." During the first session panelists Laura Habgood Arsta, Jay McDaniel, and Beth Blizman presented Christian views on dealing with illness, and Rita Gross responded from a Buddhist (...) perspective. The second session focused Buddhist resources for promoting healing by panelists Francis Tsio and Grace Buford, with Laurel Curran presenting a Christian response.Laura Habgood Arsta presented research done by undergraduate students in border communities between the United States and Mexico. The topic was the connection between the Pentecostal movement and environmental health. Pentecostal Christianity (250–400 million members worldwide) emphasizes the signs that accompany the presence of Christ, evidenced by experiences of spirit baptism and faith healing.Their sample indicated that poor and minority people don't identify with the environmental movement until personal health problems emerge. One possible reason for Pentecostal religion thriving, according to this research, might be that exposure to toxins and poverty draws people to healing, a theological pillar of Pentecostalism. Religious services provide an emotional outlet and inspire self-confidence, which can become a mental health component of a healing solution. Women are free to share and lead services, finding leadership opportunities and a social group in churches. As an inexpensive alternative to medical care, healing in the Pentecostal church provides a sense of physical healing as well as help in overcoming addictions.Beth Blizman informed the group of the toxicity of the Lake Erie area of northern Ohio. Cancer is becoming normalized in this region, which has the highest level of multiple cancers in the United States. Beth feels called to heal her own body and become part of the healing process of that region. She argued that an attitude that disrespects the earth leads to disrespect of one another. "How can healing be found?" she asked. She discussed many resources from ancient monastics to modern women religious, from process and feminist thought to new cosmologies. Finally she connected [End Page 149] Audre Lourde's work on the rejection of difference to the bioregional studies that she has been doing on toxicity and illness.Jay McDaniels followed by giving a Christian perspective on Alzheimer's disease as an ecumenical Christian influenced by Buddhism. He addressed three questions that Christians ask in this situation. The first question is "Where is God now? Is God inside my loved one? How?" In response to this question, Jay outlined an evangelical view of God that understands God as a transcendent being, "way up there, watching from a distance." He contrasted this view with a process view of God as an "umbrella of compassion that envelops the world without smothering it." In this view, God is the great companion, sharing the confusion and anxiety of the ill person.So where is the person as they experience personality changes caused by the disease? Jay addressed this second question through process theology, stating that in process theology the person is defined in Buddhist terms, inheriting from the past and contributing to the future. A person is constantly in flux or transformation, so the person with illness may be a different person than they once were but can be embraced as the person that they are now. The multidimensional universe of process theology allows for a person to live "with one foot on earth and one foot in heaven."Help for dealing with Alzheimer's disease, Jay's third question, can be found in the Benedictine vow of obedience, stability, and ongoing conversion. The deepest need for those with Alzheimer's is to be with them, being available to others to listen. Stability is the vow to stay with the relationship through these changes. Ongoing conversion can come through Alzheimer's as those with this disease invite us into a space of creative imagination and a new kind of respect.Rita Gross responded to the three presentations by arguing that how one perceives a situation changes it tremendously. Two Buddhist principles that apply here are... (shrink)

The idea for this article was developed in ecumenical discussion regarding the worrisome developments in some neo-Pentecostal ministries where stories of snake-eating, petrol-drinking, false prophecies and so on were being alleged. A burning question during the discussion was: what is it with the hermeneutic of experience that makes it possible for such stories to arise? Furthermore, how can this situation be remedied? The researchers set to answer this question by conducting a literature study on the subject of hermeneutics of African (...) Indigenous Churches, neo-Pentecostalism and Mission Pentecostalism. The inclusion of AICs and Mission Pentecostalism follows the scholarly consensus led by Allan Anderson in which all three together constitute African Pentecostalism. This article offers a critical reflection on the corrosive role of fundamentalist-inspired exclusivism, judgementalism and pride, which feed ignorance of the basic oneness of African Pentecostal Christianity. It concludes that abuse abounds in the divisions and maintenance of the above-mentioned fundamentalist attitudes and raises the necessity of creating awareness of belonging to one community. This community’s historical experience of the activity of the Spirit and Scripture may serve as critical input into its hermeneutic, hopefully lessening if not eradicating abuse. (shrink)

During decades Brazilian Pentecostal Evangelicals avoided at any cost to involve in politics, as it was considered dirty and unworthy of Christians. However, for some years now, it is great the involvment of Pentecostal leaders in politics. Many candidates to public positions present themselves as “Pastor So and So” as a way to call the attention of Evangelical voters. One of the first Brazilian Pentecostal leaders to speak openly about politics was Manoel de Mello e Silva, known as Manoel de (...) Mello, who was founder of the Evangelical Pentecostal Church O Brasil para Cristo – Brazil for Christ. This article intends to present critically the historical context of the organization of BfC and the political involvement of Manoel de Mello, with emphasis on his concerning regarding Human Rights, considering it is still rare the academical research on the model of Pentecostalism in Brazil of which BfC is representative, and it is even lesser the research of this Pentecostal branch in the perspective of its political speech. (shrink)

The motivation for this study originated from a review of literature which led the current researcher to the realisation that not much critical study has been performed on the theology and practice of Bible inspiration and its authority in Christ Apostolic Church. This article set out to identify the tenet of faith of the church on inspiration and authority of the Scriptures, locate this tenet in the context of Evangelical theology and compare the initial understanding of the concept of Bible (...) inspiration in CAC with the way it is perceived by the church members today. Primary sources of data for the work comprised the Bible, editions of CAC constitution and structured interviews. Secondary sources of data comprised Bible commentaries, books, journal articles and the Internet. Data collected were analysed using Conservative Evangelical theological framework. The study discovered that CAC held to word-for-word inerrancy of the Scriptures, even of its vernacular translations, and its binding authority on Christians in all areas of their lives. The study revealed that the belief of CAC on Bible inspiration and its authority located CAC at the centre of Evangelical theology which researchers have identified as inerrancy. Finally, the study discovered that the initial position of CAC on the inspiration and authority of the Bible remained the same as held by contemporary members of the church. The work provides theological relevance for the study of one of the doctrines of Pentecostalism in Nigeria. (shrink)

In Indonesia, violence in the name of religion has occurred many times since the reformation began. The trigger is religious fundamentalism and radicalism that increases and affects intolerant actions, inter-religious conflicts and even terrorism. The Indonesian government has initiated religious moderation through the Ministry of Religion to minimise the negative impacts of excessive religious fanaticism. Christians, who are often victims of many acts of violence, should evaluate the religious practices that have been carried out so far. The mission of Christian (...) evangelism has been a scourge that triggered anti-Christian sentiments, thus giving rise to the stigma of Christianisation. One of the most energetic Christian groups with an evangelistic mission is the Pentecostal group. This article aims to propose constructing the Pentecostal mission, which is rooted in the religious life of the early church as a mission model, through the discourse of their hospitality. The thesis is that hospitality, especially embodied by the early church, expresses a moderate religious way. Therefore, this mission is very suitable to be implemented by Pentecostal groups in Indonesia, which takes a theological locus on the Pentecost narratives in Acts 2.Contribution: This article addresses early church hospitality as a discourse of Pentecostal mission, especially in Indonesia. This article considers that hospitality can be a model for doing church missions in the frame of religious moderation in Indonesia. (shrink)

This editorial perspective attempts to explain the recent rise of Jair Bolsonaro to the presidency in Brazil and to characterise, at least in a preliminary fashion, the nature of the new regime one year into Bolsonaro’s rule. The core argument is that Bolsonaro represents a weak and internally-fragmented far-right regime, with unenthusiastic and declining popular support. Dominant sections of international and domestic capital operating in Brazil lent Bolsonaro electoral backing as a last way out of economic and political crisis, but (...) so far, the new government has failed in sufficiently guaranteeing their most important interests and the markets are withdrawing approval. Themes covered include the political paralysis of the new regime, the social bases of Bolsonarismo, the nature of the current state–capital relation, and the role of evangelical Pentecostalism in far-right Brazilian politics today. A biographical portrait of Bolsonaro is provided, alongside a mapping of the dominant factions of the new administration. Finally, an assessment of the economic outlook in Brazil is developed, together with speculation as to the likely political consequences in the short- to medium-term future. (shrink)

The proliferation of sects has made in Brazil and Latin America a space for a renewal of religious foundations. Despite the secularity of modern democracy, much of society retains a marked religious symbolism. With the advancement of neo-Pentecostalism, the speeches of populist parties and groups managed to raise awareness in important sectors of society. These fundamentalist movements bring religion closes to politics and economics. Not infrequently, this staggering fundamentalism takes on a belligerent character. On de one hand, the text (...) conducts a speculative-philosophical analysis around the pathological effects of this discourse and, on the other it tries to highlight the proposal for a healthy coexistence. It is not a question of conceptualizing, but of highlighting how the effects of a step-by-step fundamentalism generate social anomalies. Therefore, in addition to the diagnosis, the study points out the alternative of a philosophy of life. In this sense, the notion of representative democracy offers healthy skyline to reconnect coexistence in a pluralistic world. (shrink)

Experiential and mediatized, Pentecostal Christianity is one of the most successful cases of contemporary religious globalization. However, it has often grown and expanded transnationally without clear authoritative contours. That is the case in contemporary Ghana, where Pentecostal claims about charismatic empowerment have fed public anxieties concerning the fake and the occult. This article examines how Pentecostalism’s dysfunctional circulation is countered within seminaries, or Bible schools, by specific strategies of pastoral training. First, I revisit recent debates on Protestant language ideology (...) in the anthropology of Christianity, and stress Pentecostalism’s affinity with notions of flow and saturation of speech by divine presence. Second, I move to data collected in the Anagkazo Bible and Ministry Training Center, and investigate this institution’s pedagogical framing of Pentecostalism’s otherwise erratic flow of speech and power according to two normative operations: Biblical figuration and the emic notion of transmission as ‘impartation’. I conclude by stressing how the metapragmatics of figuration and impartation in Anagkazo requires an understanding of religious circulation that exceeds the dominant scholarly focus on religion-as-mediation. (shrink)

The aim of this article is to analyse the semantics that has acquired the fear’s symbolism in the culture of Chilean Pentecostalism. By means of the revision and analysis of bibliographic information, we will show how the figure of fear is revealed in the images of hell, the Devil and God. Then we will provide an interpretation of the symbolic peculiarity of fear, which seems to operate as a kind of master symbol of Pentecostalism, not only because it (...) is one of the most important symbols of this culture, but because its polysemy helps to attract the attention of the believers. This would allow it to gather a wide range of paradoxical meanings and to thematize the distinction between transcendence and immanence, and also to facilitate the transmission of one image of fear with a clear deontological and exemplary function for its believers. In order to achieve this, the symbol of fear uses resources from the historical, social and cultural context. (shrink)

This paper explores recent Pentecostal scholarship in its attempt to articulate a Pentecostal theological method. In order to appreciate the roots of the academic study of Pentecostalism more broadly this study refers to the field of intercultural theology. Intercultural theology denotes the creative dialogue that local theologies have one with another. Two very different approaches to theology are considered in particular which have engaged with the Pentecostal tradition. The conclusion suggests an integration of Pentecostal-charismatic spirituality, as per the insights (...) of Pentecostal theological method, within the process of practical theology as an intercultural and comparative empirical discipline. (shrink)

Fourty years ago, more than 190 Latin American bishops, attended by the newly elected Pope John Paul II, were gathered for the III General Conference of the Latin American Episcopate in Mexico, in Puebla de Los Angeles, between January 27th and February 13th, 1979. For Paul VI, The purpose of celebrating the 10th anniversary of Medellin was to translate his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi to Latin America: from “evangelization in the contemporary world” to “Latin America’s evangelization in the present and (...) in the future”. The context was very disturbed for social, economic, cultural and political reality, as well as for the religious situation. Military dictatorships, torture, death and disappearance of thousands of people, resistance guerrillas, the emergence of neoliberalism, the right and neo-pentecostalism, and the election of a pope who lived under communist persecution in Poland, this was the environment that affected the Conference. In this moment of four decades celebration of this important event, the purpose of the article is to make memory of the socio-political and ecclesial context, besides recovering out two themes that are associated with the authors research: youth and education. The method is defined as content and document analysis, so it is bibliographic in nature. The conclusions show how the dynamics of the context acted in the essay of the document. And, despite of this, it was possible to move forward in some jagged aspects - youth and education - which also presented their limitations. An important “preferential option for young people” was defined as one of the pastoral priorities, and education was defined as one of the means for communion and participation. (shrink)

Religion mediates and shapes how people negotiate and navigate their existential realities. Christianity accentuates the belief in Jesus Christ and prescribes how that belief should influence the worldview and actions of people. One of the challenges of the reception of Christianity in Africa is that African Traditional Religion remains the cosmic lens through which Christians confront their spiritual and ethical dilemmas and choices vis-à-vis the exhortations of the Bible message. This paper examines the force of the Christian message for African (...) Christians. It looks at how the Christian message was presented, how African Christians appropriate the gospel message and how they fill the ‘gaps’ in their practice of Christianity. As movies bring to bear stories about lived realities and shape attitudes and behaviour, this paper also examines the reception of the Biblical message by reviewing a selection of African movies. I argue that Christianity must provide answers to the critical questions and unmet needs essential to Africans. To achieve this would require paying attention to what Michel Foucault describes as the ‘insurrection of subjugated knowledges,’ which take into account naïve knowledges operating at local or regional levels but serve as the local discursivities that amplify how the ‘subjugated knowledges’ influence the reception of the Biblical message in the African cultural matrix. Contribution: This paper reveals the enduring cross-pressures of Africans as they are invited to subjugate their primordial knowledges and practices to the orthodoxy of mainstream Christianity. It cites the examples of neo-Pentecostal and para-Christian enactments as offering possible insights into a need for Christianity to be more responsive and functionally relevant to the African reality. Such an approach resonates with the orientation of HTS Teologiese Studies (HTS) towards scholarship that is discursively dynamic and contextually sensitive to the multilayered contexts, cultures and cosmologies of the African Christian. (shrink)

The influx of religious activities and religious discourse on the Internet has made it pertinent to examine the fundamental roles of language in the expression, presentation, understanding, and advancement of any set of religious beliefs and practices. One main aspect of online religious activities that continues to arrest the attention of scholars is the uniqueness of language used by religious practitioners. For instance, new linguistic strategies and devices have emerged as a result of bending language to suit trends on a (...) new medium. The emergence of the Information Communication Technology in the twenty-first century has also resulted in the manifestation of computer-mediated communication, with its attendant pervasive new forms of language and practices. Nigerian Pentecostal churches have used the Internet, especially the social media such as Facebook and Twitter, in propagating their doctrines. This study identifies emerging lexical trends in the way six Nigerian Pentecostal churches use language in extending their practices on the new media and submits that such innovations are leading up to the birth of a new cyber-variety of Nigerian English. (shrink)

O presente texto versa e discute a tese há muito defendida nas ciências sociais de que haveria um predileção dos pentecostais pelos pobres. Em outro tempo, houve mesmo e fez parte de seu processo constituinte enquanto uma religião recente que precisava encontrar espaço para se expandir nos grandes centros urbanos. Contudo, com o passar dos anos essa predileção foi mudando e o pentecostalismo adentrou no interior de outros estratos sociais de renda ganhando espaço e força. O cuidado com os mais (...) pobres, daqueles que percebem rendimentos inferiores a 1 salário mínimo, não foi deixado de lado, e ganhou espaço em seus templos o atendimento à indivíduos que situam-se nos estratos de renda que vão de 1 a 2 salários mínimos, além de outros, mais abastados. A Igreja Católica, por sua fez, ao mesmo tempo em que via seus fiéis saindo pela porta de suas Igrejas investiu nesse segmento, os pobres, e tomou para si o lido para com estes. Dez anos se passaram deste o Censo de 2000 e, hoje, olhando para os dados da contagem censitária de 2011, torna-se praticamente impossível diferenciar, no que se refere a sua distribuição nos diferentes estratos de renda, católicos e pentecostais. Palavras-chave : Censo 2010. Religião. Renda. Pentecostalismo. Catolicismo.This article examines and discusses the preference of Pentecostals for individuals of low income. The author affirms that such preference was true some time ago, but it has changed nowadays. Some years ago this new religion needed to find its space in large urban centers. However, through the years, their predilection for people with low income started changing and as the Pentecostalism got space and strength it started to move to others incomes population, mainly to the higher ones. Though, the assistance to that population whose incomes range below 12 minimum salaries per year wasn’t left aside, their assistance gained spaces in the temples. Not only low income got assistance but it was also provided to the ones who receive incomes around 12 to 24 minimum salaries per year. The Catholic Church, for its part, as it saw its faithful leaving the churches, it started to invest in the poor segment of society, by given them spiritual assistance. After ten years of the last census in 2000, looking at the new data released in 2011, it becomes quite impossible to make a difference in the distribution of Catholics and Pentecostals in different income strata. Keywords: Census 2010. Religion. Income. Pentecostalism. Catholicism. (shrink)

O cristianismo introduzido no Brasil no século XVI, afirmando-se em oposição a religiões anteriores, evidenciou marcas de exclusivismo, intolerância, estigmatização. Com estas marcas o cristianismo buscou reduzir a si indígenas, cristãos novos e negros, negando-lhes em sua alteridade. No século XIX, com a introdução do protestantismo, e no século XX, com o aparecimento do pentecostalismo e neopentecostalismo podem-se verificar marcas semelhantes de exclusivismo e negação mútua no âmbito intra-cristão Uma análise da história das religiões no Brasil evidencia que as identidades (...) religiosas formam construídas na tensão dinâmica da negação mútua. Disso se poderá concluir que as religiões não construíram suas identidades no isolamento, mas nas relações, por vezes marcadas pela dinâmica de contrastes, diferenciações e estigmatizações mútuas. Isso se evidencia pelo estabelecimento de fronteiras, caracterizadas não raramente por discursos bipolares e maniqueístas, no intuito de produzir exclusões ao nominar o outro de infiel, ateu, herético. O resultado pode ser verificado no caráter anti-ecumênico destas religiões. Palavras-chave : Religiões. Identidades. Exclusivismo. EstigmatizaçãoThe Christianity which was introduced in the 16th century in Brazil affirmed itself in opposition to prior religions, showing traits of exclusiveness and intolerance. With these traits Christianity sought to denigrate the indigenous peoples, the new Christians and the Blacks by do not accepting them in their otherness. In the 19th century, with the introduction of Protestantism, and, in the 20th century, with the appearance of Pentecostalism and Neo-Pentecostalism, similar traits of mutual exclusiveness and negation can be verified in the intra-Christian realm. An analysis of the history of religions in Brazil shows that the religious identities were constructed through the dynamic of mutual negation. From this one can conclude that the identities of religions were not build in isolation but through the relations, sometimes marked by the dynamic of contrasts, differentiations and mutual stigmatizations. This is seen by the establishment of boundaries, which commonly are characterized by bipolar discourses, with the intent of producing exclusions by naming the other by unfaithful, atheist and heretical. The result can be verified by the anti-ecumenical characteristic of these religions. Keywords : Religions. Identities. Exclusiveness. Stigmatization. (shrink)

Branding is a strategy designed by companies to help patrons or consumers quickly identify their products or organisations and give them a reason to choose their products or organisations over other competitors. In the Old Testament, God identified the Israelites as a unique brand. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ branded the church with the power of the Holy Spirit, miracles, signs and wonders. Reading the Acts of the Apostles, the church developed a brand of being Spirit-filled, communal-living and mission-minded. (...) It was out of this that early believers in Antioch were called ‘Christians’. The name ‘Christian’ therefore became a brand name for believers and followers of Jesus Christ. In view of this, one would expect that the concept of branding would be a major tool for modern-day churches. Although there are several publications on branding from the perspective of marketing and management, there is no such academic research on missional branding, hence this research. This article contributes to the interdisciplinary discourse on branding, with specific reference to the missional branding of the Church of Pentecost. (shrink)

O artigo propõe-se a, num primeiro momento, pensar o significado do Concílio Vaticano II e seu esquecimento. Em relação a seus frutos, aponta a nova realidade eclesial, particularmente na América Latina, em termos de rompimento com o passado legalista, antimodernista e eurocentrista, e a construção de caminhos alternativos. Sobre o esquecimento do Concílio, destaca que a Cúria romana, os últimos dois papas e a parcela conservadora do episcopado, ainda quando mantinham um discurso de filiação e reverência pelo legado do Concílio, (...) trabalhavam pelo desvanecimento de seu caráter formativo e vinculante. Num segundo momento, o artigo especula, a partir de alguns questionamentos, sobre as dimensões e possibilidades de “um novo Pentecostes”. Pergunta: Considerando a longa duração dos processos históricos, pode-se afirmar que “o Concílio passou”? Que pressões estruturais e condições objetivas favoreceriam um novo processo de mudança na Igreja? Que podemos aprender do crescente Pentecostalismo em nossos países? Terá futuro o milenar modelo de organização da Igreja frente aos processos de “teia de relações” trazidos pela globalização? A teologia tradicional se sustentará frente às exigências do diálogo inter-religioso? Que é “religião”? Qual seria a contribuição das religiões frente às grandes questões planetárias? Palavras-chave: Igreja. Vaticano II. Episcopado. Pentecostalismo.This article aims to reflect on the meaning of Vatican II and their oblivion. In relation to its fruit, the article firstly highlights the new ecclesial reality, particularly in Latin America in terms of breaking with the past legalistic, anti-modernist and Eurocentric, and the construction of alternative paths. The article postulates that the Roman Curia, the last two popes and the conservative portion of the episcopate struggled for the attenuation of the formative dimension of the Council. Secondly, the article raises some questions about the dimensions and possibilities of “a new Pentecost”. Here are some of these questions: a) taking into account the long-term processes, could one say that the Vatican II is already outdated? b) What structural pressures and objective conditions would facilitate a new process of change in the Church? c) What can we learn from the growing of the Pentecostalism in our countries? d) Faced with the processes of “web relationships” presented by globalization, would the old model of church organization continue to succeed? e) Will the traditional theology survive to the demands of inter-religious dialogue? f) What is “religion”? g) What would be the main contributions of religions to the great planetary questions? Keywords: Church. Vatican II. Episcopate. Pentecostalism. - DOI: 10.5752/P.2175-5841.2011v9n24p1267. (shrink)

Research on meditation and mindfulness practice has flourished in recent years. While much of this research has focused on well-being outcomes associated with mindfulness practice, less research has focused on how perception of self may change as a result of mindfulness practice, or whether these changes in self-perception may be mechanisms of mindfulness in action. This is somewhat surprising given that mindfulness derives from traditions often described as guiding people to realise and experience the non-separation of self from the world (...) or its ‘oneness’ with the whole of reality. The current study used a collective intelligence methodology, Interactive Management (IM), to explore the nature of oneness experiences. Five IM sessions were conducted with five separate groups of experienced meditators. Participants generated, clarified, and selected oneness self-perceptions they believed most characterised their experience both during meditation and in their everyday experience in the world. Each group also developed structural models describing how highly ranked aspects of oneness self-perceptions are interrelated in a system. Consistent themes and categories of oneness experience appeared across the five IM sessions, with changes in the sense of space (unboundedness), time, identity, wholeness and flow highlighted as most influential. Results are discussed in light of emerging theory and research on oneness self-perception and non-dual awareness. (shrink)

In his deeply personal yet academically rigorous book, The Ethics of Oneness: Emerson, Whitman, and the Bhagavad Gita, Jeremy Engels takes up the task of describing and critiquing the quintessential U.S. American philosophies of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Walt Whitman. Though much ink has been spilled over these two philosophers, there are two features of Engels approach to their description and critique that make it unique when compared with other books that delve into the history of Indian philosophy’s influence (...) on these American philosophers. Engels’ purpose is not simply to recount the history, but rather to explicate Emerson and Whitman’s philosophies in light of that history in a way that makes them relevant to... (shrink)

Kezwer also shows the reader how the practice of meditation can be incorporated into his or her own life to bring the benefits of good health, happiness, clear ..

this is a work about our very existence, about Reality, about the relationship between the individual personality and the cosmos in which that personality ...

Abstract:In this essay, I argue for what I term, following Karen Warren's wording, "a complementary love conception," and advocate for her non-dominating, non-self-centered, complementary love conception, in part, to refute the arrogant "oneness" or fusion ideal of love that is hegemonic and deeply embedded in the Western patriarchal worldview. I attempt to clarify the concept of "oneness" by distinguishing among its distinct types of meaning by drawing upon the work of Phillip J. Ivanhoe who analyzes this understudied, yet (...) important, concept to ethics, and I would add, environmental ethics, as well. Various conceptions of oneness do not apply and, moreover, harm individuals and the environment in contrast to Warren's complementary love conception. Finally, I compare Warren's account of complementary love and Ivanhoe's understanding of oneness to gain insight into the study of the environment and how best to care for it. (shrink)

Important features of the self-concept can be located outside of the individual and inside close or related others. The authors use this insight to reinterpret data previously said to support the empathy-altruism model of helping, which asserts that empathic concern for another results in selflessness and true altruism. That is, they argue that the conditions that lead to empathic concern also lead to a greater sense of self-other overlap, raising the possibility that helping under these conditions is not selfless but (...) is also directed toward the self. In 3 studies, the impact of empathic concern on willingness to help was eliminated when oneness--a measure of perceived self-other overlap--was considered. Path analyses revealed further that empathic concern increased helping only through its relation to perceived oneness, thereby throwing the empathy-altruism model into question. The authors suggest that empathic concern affects helping primarily as an emotional signal of oneness. (shrink)

This essay is about the relations between two different types of empathy and two different conceptions of oneness. Roughly, the first type of empathy is what is sometimes called “other-focused” or “imagine-other” empathy, in which one reconstructs the thoughts and feelings that someone else has or would have. The second type, “self- focused” or “imagine-self” empathy, is the sort of emotional attitude someone adopts when she imagines how she would think or feel were she in the other person’s place. (...) Some philosophers and psychologists have taken note of this distinction, but none has linked them with one of the more important reemerging religious and philosophical issues of the day, which has to do with the ethical significance of seeing oneself as part of a larger whole, or its proper role in moral motivation and other-directed moral concern. There are some long-overlooked materials in Neo-Confucian philosophy that attend closely to these very linkages, drawing out the morally salient differences between self- and other-focused empathy in light of their implications for the virtue of benevolence. This chapter unearths some of the most important ideas and arguments in this debate, fills in some gaps in the arguments, and draw out their moral implications. (shrink)