4E Religious identity through religious experience Flashcards
(30 cards)
What does ‘charismatic’ mean?
• Greek word, ‘charismata’ = ‘gifts of grace’
• This is the word Paul used to refer to special qualities that C.tians receive through HS
- Paul + others were not trying to present a standardised list, but were drawing attention to the diff. way believers could express G’s grace
Give three references of passages that mention spiritual gifts.
- Romans 12:6-8
- 1 Corinthians 12:8-11
- Ephesians 4:11
Passages that scholars believe were written later, such as 1 Peter, do not contain many of the ‘miraculous’ gifts. What question could you derive from this?
• Was the C.ch moving towards a more formal, regulated order?
- In early centuries, there was the development of formal leadership and very little evi. of the more miraculous gifts
What Bible passage provides the most extensive discussion of spiritual gifts?
• 1 Corinthians 12-14
- Paul: true purpose of spiritual gifts is to strengthen the body of Christ
- Discouraged a chaotic practice of the gifts where there were multiple and simultaneous displays of tongues/prophecies where all an observer would hear is babbling
- Tongues = more fitting for private worship unless the exp. was interpreted in an orderly fashion
- Most imp. for Paul = ppl should seek spiritual gifts in an attitude of love and helpfulness for those around them
Give a quote from M. Cartledge about Pentecostalism.
• “Pentecostals have turned to the narrative of Luke-Acts as the main source of their ideology”
- Miraculous events e.g. outpouring of HS on Apostles, mass conversions, healing miracles - should not be seen as part of a past age
When do many scholars trace the beginning of the Pentecostal movement to?
• Charles Fox Parham in Kansas
- One of his students spoke in tongues after reading Acts and praying to receive HS
• William James Seymour followed Parham’s ministry and formed, in 1906, what quickly became the largest c.ch in Los Angeles
- Seymour worked w/ an interracial congregation of African-Americans, Mexican-As, European-As
Pentecostal denominations are known for being evangelical in nature. What four qualities of evangelism does Alistair McGrath note?
1) Scripture = ultimate authority
2) J’s death = only source of redemption
3) All ppl need to have a conversion exp.
4) The C.tian faith should be shared through evangelism
In what ways are Pentecostal churches different from other evangelical churches?
- P c.chs believe there is a 2nd baptism (that of the HS) that takes place after conversion
- Many Ps believe that speaking in tongues = confirmation of receiving this 2nd baptism
- In P c.chs, there is a focus on spontaneous worship + healing, and that these are the ‘end times’
- P c.chs in early 20th C = anti-ecumenical; can be seen in attitudes to RCC, which has been viewed by many Ps as outside of C.ty altogether ∵ of its formalism, hierarchy and worldliness
What does the Charismatic Movement refer to?
• The exp. of the gifts of the spirit in C.chs outside of P denom.s
• From mid-20th C onwards, many from trad. denom.s exp. speaking in tongues, healing, other gifts described in NT, but decided to remain in their denom.s rather than leave them
- Saw their exp.s as ways to bring renewal to their denom.s rather than leave them
• CM spread quickly from 1960s, finding acceptance in RCC + many Prot. denom.s
• Can be described as a ‘renewal movement’ within c.chs + is sometimes referred to as ‘neo-Pentecostalism’ ∵ shares many traits with Pente denom.s, such as the belief that the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 = just as valid today
Give a quote from the 1981 Church of England report about the charismatic movement.
• “Is it possible that an institutionalised, intellectualised, formalised practice of Christianity has left a thirst in the inner being which only the springs of charismatic renewal could satisfy?”
Give examples of different emphases between Pentecostalism and the Charismatic Movement.
- Tendency in P c.chs to see tongues as initial proof of spirit baptism; in CM, tongues = viewed as a gift to all believers, but not one that necessarily confirms their spiritual exp.
- In CM, less reference to the bapt. of the HS as the 2nd part of a two-stage initiation - prefer to speak of “being filled by the Spirit” to emphasise bib. teaching that there is only one bapt.
When was the beginning of the Charismatic Movement?
• World attention in 1960 when Dennis Bennet, Episcopalian minister in California, had a charismatic exp. and introduced it to his congregation
• First CofE cong. to declare itself as char. = 1963
- Soon after, The Fountain Trust = founded to encourage char. worship across denom.s in UK
Give some information on the Charismatic Movement in the Roman Catholic Church.
• Prior to rise of CM in RCC, Vat. II focused on need for renewal, expressed in Lumen Gentium
• Scholars often cite Feb 1967 as beg. of char. renewal in RCC: tongues at Duquesne University (Catholic uni)
• Cardinal Suenens, a leading voice at Vat. II: “Rather than a movement, charismatic renewal is a moving of the HS which can reach all C.tians”
• Movement has been recog. in many sig. ways by RCC:
- 1975: Pope Paul VI welcomed 10,000 char. C.tians attending a conference on CM
- 1980: Pope John Paul II appointed char. priest Raniero Cantalamessa as a preacher to the papal household (retains this role for Pope Francis)
• Estimated no. of Cath.s involved in charismatic renewal = 10-15% of Cath.s worldwide (150 million)
What was the fastest growing Christian movement in the UK in the 1980s?
• House Church movement, aka Restorationism
- Char. exp.s w/ strong eschatological emphasis
- Adherents believed they were living in the end times when demonic powers would be overcome
List three things that have been influential in spreading the Charismatic Movement amongst evangelical Christians.
- Toronto Blessing
- Vineyard association of c.chs
- Spring Harvest
What are the four main beliefs/practices of the Charismatic Movement?
- Speaking in tongues
- Prophecy
- Healing
- Inspiration in worship
Give some information on speaking in tongues.
• Glossalia = Greek term to refer to tongues: a human or divine lang. unknown to speaker
• Acts 2: Disciples speaking in human lang.s they did not know themselves, but other members of international Jewish communities did know
- Known as xenolalia (speaking in a known lang. that one has not consciously learned
- Seems to be diff. from 1 Corinthians 12-14 where Paul speaks in a heavenly lang. that cannot be understood by anyone w/o spiritual gift of interpretation
- 1 Corinth. 14 - Paul makes clear that the lang. = meant for a divine audience ∴ private prayer = primary function; it is permissible in public worship if there is someone who can interpret the message
• Some scholars have tried to reconcile Acts and Corinthians:
- Acts ≠ xenolalia, but rather the Apostles were speaking in a heavenly lang., and the HS = giving listeners a miracle of interpretation (minority position as most theologians believe they are two diff. phenomena)
Give some information on prophecy.
• In B, a prophet = someone who conveys the word of G in a direct way
- Foretelling future, or a message that brings about greater loyalty to G/inc. morality/more worshipful attitude
• Same in CM: a prophecy = exhortation known for its directness that inspires confidence/obedience e.g. ‘This is the year you will reclaim your confidence as a believer’
• 1 Corinth. 14:29 - Paul says that prophecies need to be tested ∴ c.chs have criteria to discern true from false prophecy
- e.g. does the prophecy contradict the B?; does it recog. that J=G?; is it accepted by c.ch leaders?
Give some information on healing.
• In Mark 16 (although seen by some scholars as added later), when J gave command to spread Gospel across world, said that a no. of signs would accompany their work, like healing
- “they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
• When char. C.tians gather, they expect the HS to heal believers
- Can happen through prayers of elders
- Prayers for healing often involve the laying of hands b multiple ppl
• Healing encompasses physical + psychological + emotional dimensions (e.g. healing of r.ships)
Give some information on inspiration in worship.
• Char. services = mood of joyful expectation as to what the HS might do
• Move bodies, sway w/ music, raise hands, clap, dance, link arms
• Contemporary style of music with a ‘worship band’ using a variety of instruments
- Music used in formal ways such as times of prayer, Eucharist, tongues
What is one of the appeals of the Charismatic Movement?
• It offers an exp. of G to C.tians who may only have possessed an intellectual r.ship w/ C.ty
- In contrast to mere knowledge about G, char. beliebers claim to have direct exp. of G’s presence
List the set of criteria for accepting claims from charismatic experiences.
1) Do the messages (e.g. prophecy) conform to B teachings?
2) Does the exp. produce spiritual fruits? e.g. love, joy, peace
3) Is the message or exp. supportive of the direction set by the leaders of the congregation?
4) Do the exp.s affirm that J = Lord, to be esteemed as G and followed?
• The fact that c.chs have tests for char. exp.s suggests that sometimes they see them as not coming from G at all, but perhaps from spiritual forces generated by one’s own ego
Why is there an issue verifying charismatic experiences?
• Surface level, provide proof - instead of a complicated arg. for G’s existence, point to empirical evi.: millions of ppl who have seemingly miraculous exp.s w/ G resulting in healings, tongues which offer inspiring insights
• Ayer: all knowledge outside of formally true statements must be able to be verified through sense exp.
- Acts 2 seems to provide such a verifiable exp. as the xenolalia = interpreted by others
- However, comes from an ancient r. document w/o outside confirmation
- No sci. studies have confirmed CM claims for xenolalia
• Most current accounts of tongues are heavenly lang.s ∴ no way to verify an interpretation ∴ no way to prove the exp.s came from G
Why are claims for healing difficult to verify by Ayer’s standards?
• When someone exp.s a dramatic improvement in health, some C.tians might credit the prayers for healing, however:
- Some diseases have symptoms that come/go erratically e.g. multiple sclerosis
- Reports of healing have been found to be false as the patients are still or worse off
- No scientifically conducted study has yet to prove a correlation btwn. prayers for healing and actual healing
• Falsification Principle: cannot falsify emotional/psychological healing
- w/o ability to falsify claims, sci. cannot proceed (CM claims that G has healed in response to prayer, but it is not physical)
