dawson pentecostal hermeneutics

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THE BIBLE IN THE RENEWAL MOVEMENT:

PENTECOSTAL HERMENEUTICS PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

Connie Dawson

1. Introducton

Pentecostals’ affection for the Bible has never been questioned; however, the way they interpret their beloved book has often been suspect. In the now faous quote by !alter "ollenwe#er inscribed on the

dedication pa#e of his book, The Pentecostals, he writes, $%o y friends and teachers in the Pentecostal

&oveent who tau#ht e to love the Bible and to y teachers and friends in the Presbyterian Church

who tau#ht e to understand it.'( )ordon *ee believes that "ollenwe#er’s stateent $+epresents the

stren#th of Pentecostalis in #eneral and its weakness in hereneutics in particular.'

Before delvin# into the topic, a few definitions are in order. %he +enewal &oveent be#an at the turn of

the -th century and has continued to the present. !ithin these ten decades there have been several

identifiable oveents Pentecostal, Protestant Charisatic, Catholic Charisatic, and %hird !ave bein#

the a/or #roups. Due to the brevity of this paper, is ipossible to evaluate the nuances of each of these;

therefore, I have chosen to focus on the Pentecostal oveent since it is the lar#est and ost clearly

defined hoo#eneous representative of the various #roups.0 *or the purpose of this paper, the terPentecostal refers to those Christians in the +enewal &oveent who espouse the doctrine of #lossolalia

as it relates to "oly 1pirit baptis subsequent to the conversion e2perience.3 %he ter hereneutics,

usin# *rench 4rrin#ton’s definition, refers to the $principles, rules, and ethods of interpretation of

literary te2ts.'5

4rrin#ton identifies three tie periods Pentecostalis has #one throu#h since (6--. %hese periods are

definition, defense, and reflection.7 8tili9in# 4rrin#ton odel, y purpose is to pull to#ether scholarly

works to present a descriptive survey of the role of the Bible in the Pentecostal &oveent in each of

these periods. &y procedure will be to first present the definition era by #ivin# an overview of how

Pentecostals read and understood their Bible in the conte2t of the early years of their oveent. 1econd,

as they entered into the defense sta#e, I will present the soe of the issues and oppositions the aturin#

oveent encountered. %hird, I invite the reader to listen to the dialo#ue between Pentecostal scholars asthey debate the issues surroundin# hereneutics in the present a#e of reflection. %he paper will conclude

with soe observations and considerations for future research related to +enewal studies.

!. A T"# o$ D#$nton: E%r&' H(tor' o$ C&%((c P#nt#co(t%&("

!hile any factors contributed to the herita#e known today as the Pentecostal &oveent, historiansa#ree that the revivals in %opeka, :ansas and 49usa 1treet, os 4n#eles at the turn of the twentieth<

( !alter =. "ollenwe#er, The Pentecostals >Peabody, &4 "endrickson Publishers, (6?@, 2vii. )ordon *ee, Gospel and Spirit: Issues in New Testament Hermeneutics >Peabody, &4 "endrickson Publishers,

(66(@, A0.0 %his discussion will not include neness Pentecostals or other #roups who identify "oly 1pirit Baptis or ton#ues as

a necessary si#n of salvation. !hile it is acknowled#ed that the lar#est population of Pentecostalis is located in the #reater two<

thirds world, for the liits of this paper, only Pentecostalis in the 814 will be assessed.3 I have purposefully ade this definition soewhat abi#uous since it is acknowled#ed that any today who would

identify theselves with Classic Pentecostalis have reservations re#ardin# the doctrine of initial evidence.5 *.. 4rrin#ton, $"ereneutics, "istorical Perspectives on Pentecostal and Charisatic,' in DPCM ed., 1tanley &.

Bur#ess and )ary B. &c)ee >)rand +apids, &I ondervan, (66-@, 0?A.7 4rrin#ton, $"ereneutics,' 0??.


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century were the wobs which #ave birth to odern Pentecostalis.? !hile this oveent ay be

traced to Charles Parha’s Bethel Bible Colle#e in %opeka, :ansas and their spiritual e2perience on

=anuary (, (6-(, !illia &en9ies states that it was not the speakin# in ton#ues that earned Parha the

title of the father of 4erican Pentecostalis, rather it was the fact that, for the first tie in history, he

ade the theolo#ical connection between #lossolalia and 1pirit baptis.A *ro the tie he ade thisconnection, ton#ues becae the hallark of the Pentecostal oveent.6

In order to read and interpret their Bible, early Pentecostals eployed a hereneutic called the $Bible

+eadin# &ethod.'1) %his was a coon sense approach to studyin# the Bible which involved an

inductive ethod of tracin# a word throu#h the Bible with the use of a concordance, a deductive analysis

of the derived inforation, and finally synthesi9e and haroni9e the data to forulate a doctrine.11 %his

$Bible +eadin# &ethod' was not developed by the early Pentecostals but was the coonly accepted

ethod of Bible readin# handed down fro their various holiness antecedents. Parha used this

inductive ethod at his Bible school in (6--)rand +apids, &I ondervan, --@, 655.A !illia &en9ies, $%he &ethodolo#y of Pentecostal %heolo#y 4n Essay on "ereneutics,' in Essas on !postolic

Themes, ed. Paul Elbert >Peabody, &4 "endrickson Publishers, (6A@, .6 )rant !acker, Hea"en #elow: Earl Pentecostals and !merican Culture >Cabrid#e, &4 "arvard 8niversity Press,

--(@, ?3.(- D. 4llen %ennison, $Charisatic Biblical Interpretation,' in The Dictionar for Theolo$ical Interpretation of the

#i%le, ed. :evin =. Fanhoo9er >)rand +apids, &I Baker 4cadeics, --5@, (-?.(( :enneth =. 4rcher, $Pentecostal "ereneutics +etrospect and Prospect,' &PT A >4pril (667@ 35.( &en9ies, $%he &ethodolo#y,' (0.(0 4rcher, $Pentecostal "ereneutics,' 5-.(3 4rcher, $Pentecostal "ereneutics,' 77. 4lso see, %ennison, $Charisatic Biblical Interpretation,' (-?.(5 %hoas *. ieran, $%ruth n *ire Pentecostals and an 8r#ent &issiolo#y,' in !'usa Street and #eond , ed.

)rant &cClun# >1outh Plainville, G= Brid#e Publishin#, (6A7@, 5A. 4lso see +ussell 1pittler, $1pirituality, Pentecostal andCharisatic,' in GIDPC& ed. 1tanley Bur#ess and Eduard Fan Der &aas >)rand +apids, &I ondervan Publishin#, --@,

(-6A.(7 The Pentecost (, no. ? >=une (6-6@ 7. >Go author, no title.@(? 4rrin#ton, $"ereneutic,' 0A(.


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inforation for life’s decisions. If a person had a question, they could open the Bible and e2pect )od to

speak to the concernin# their proble.(A %he Bible was their priary te2tbook in all educational

institutions since it was considered the only book $without adulteration.'(6 %he ne#ative side of this

understandin# however contributed to antiDec. (7, (6(7@ 0. +ussell 1pittler, $'1cripture and the %heolo#ical Enterprise Fiew fro a Bi# Canoe,' in The *se of #i%le in

Theolo$ >4tlanta, )4 =ohn :no2 Press, (6A5@, 70.0 1cott 4. Ellin#ton, $Pentecostalis and the 4uthority of 1cripture,' &PT 6 >(667@ (6.3 4rrin#ton, $"ereneutics,' 0A(.5 Ellin#ton, $Pentecostalis and the 4uthority of 1cripture,' (6.7 1tephen and, Pentecostal Spiritualit >1heffield, 8: 1heffield 4cadeic Press, --0@, ((A.?

. )rant &cClun#, !'usa Street and #eond >1outh Plainfield, G= Brid#e Publishin#, (6A7@, ?, 3A. and, Pentecostal Spiritualit, ?3.A *ee, Spirit and +ife, A7. %hoas *. ieran, $%ruth n *ire Pentecostals and an 8r#ent &issiolo#y' in !'usa

Street and #eond , ed. )rant &cClun# >1outh Plainville, G= Brid#e Publishin#, (6A7@, 3A. 4lso see 1pittler, $1pirituality,

Pentecostal and Charisatic,' (-6A; %ennison, $Charisatic Biblical Interpretation,' (-?; 4rcher, $Pentecostal "ereneutics

+etrospect and Prospect,' 75; +o#er 1tronstad, Spirit, Scripture and Theolo$ 4 Pentecostal Perspective >Ba#uio City,Philippines 4P%1, (665@, 0-.

6 4rrin#ton, $"ereneutics,' 0A0.0- !illia &en9ies, !nointed to Ser"e >1prin#field, & )ospel Publishin# "ouse, (6?(@, 6.0( Cheryl Brid#es =ohns, Pentecostal ormation: ! Peda$o$ amon$ the -ppressed >1heffield, En#land 1heffield

4cadeic Press, (660@, A5.


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however, )ordon *ee would chide the non1prin#field, & )ospel

Publishin# "ouse, (63?@, (6A.03 1tronstad, Spirit, Scripture, and Theolo$, (?.05 Cecil &. +obeck, =r., $Gational 4ssociation of Evan#elicals,' in NIDPCM ed. 1tanley &. Bur#ess >)rand +apids,

&I ondervan, --@, 63.07 4rrin#ton, $"ereneutics,' 0A5. 4lso see Donald Dayton, Theolo$ical 2oots of Pentecostalism >&etuchen, G= %he

1carecrow Press, (6A?@, 5.0? 4rcher, $Early Pentecostal Biblical Interpretation,' 0?. >Ephasis added.@0A )erald %. 1heppard, $Pentecostals and the "ereneutics of Dispensationalis %he 4natoy of an 8neasy

+elationship,' PNE*M! >*all, (6A3@ 5.06 1heppard, $Pentecostals,' 5.3- 4rrin#ton, $"ereneutics,' 0A5.3( %iothy B. Car#al, $Beyond the *undaentalist


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hereneutics steeped in scientific


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to Pauline theolo#y.36 !. &en9ies, speakin# fro a theolo#ical perspective, advocates a holistic

hereneutic with three levels of biblical investi#ation inductive, deductive, and verification. %he

$inductive' level #oes beyond the siple word study ethod utili9ed by early Pentecostals to incorporate

all the $tools and skills of scientific interpretation to ferret out the eanin#s and intention of the biblical

writers.' %he inductive level also has three levels of listenin#. %he first for of inductive listenin# isdeclarati"e which acknowled#es overt biblical assertions such as $=esus saves.' %he second is

implicational listenin# which represents areas of 1cripture that siply iply theolo#y such as thedoctrine of the %rinity. %he final step is that of descripti"e listenin# where narratives are utili9ed by the

biblical author to establish theolo#y, and it is here, &en9ies concedes, that the battle of hereneutics is

bein# fou#ht.5- 1econd of &en9ies’ three levels of biblical investi#ation is $deductive.' %his is where the

conteporary reader attepts to akes sense of what the biblical author is sayin# within the historical

conte2t of the written te2t. %his level has direct iplications on Pentecostal theolo#y based on the

uke4cts narratives. %he last hereneutical application is $verification.' It is here that Pentecostals

have coe under the sharpest criticis and where *ee levels the char#es of e2e#etin# their e2periences.5(

&en9ies acknowled#ed that e2e#etin# e2perience is a dan#erous practice eployed by early Pentecostals;

however, he asserts that it is equally dan#erous to forulate a theolo#y fro non


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to su##est the possibility of a distinct Pentecostal hereneutic.57 Ervin chides the western culture for

acceptin# $reason and sensory e2perience' as the $two ways of knowin#.' "e posits that a theolo#y that

liits itself solely to these will be $faced with an unresolved dichotoy between faith and reason.'5? "is

solution is $pneuatic episteolo#y' and $pneuatic hereneutics.' "is concern centers on the recent

trend aon# Pentecostals to i#nore the role of the "oly 1pirit in the interpretative process. Ervin in nowise approves of an antiPeabody

&4 "endrickson Publishers, (6A5@, 0.5A Ervin, $"ereneutics,' 5.56 Ervin, $"ereneutics,' ?. Ervin e2plains that, $%he En#lish noun hereneutics is derived fro the )reek

herm4neia eanin# $interpretation.'7- Ervin, $"ereneutics,' A.7( Ervin, $"ereneutics,' 03.7 4rrin#ton, $"ereneutics,' 0?7.70 4rrin#ton, $"ereneutics,' 0A


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discerned’ >I Cor. ((,(3@.'77 !hen reco#ni9in# the role of the "oly 1pirit, the question is inevitably

raised concernin# error and sub/ectivity. %ie and space does not allow the discussion of =ohn %hoas’

e2cellent use of 4ct (5 as the biblical odel in which the interpretative process coes under the

leadership of the Christian counity in order to ri#htly divide the !ord.7?

c. %he Challen#e or pportunity of Post--@ 03(665@ ?0


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. W#r# do 4# 5o $ro" #r#6

!hile the /ury is still out aon# Pentecostal scholars as to the need for a uniquely Pentecostal

hereneutic, there are questions and issues that deand attention. %he brevity of this paper precludes an

e2haustive study of all the various topics. %he #oal has been was siply to present a precursory overviewhi#hli#htin# the of history and present issues related to Pentecostal hereneutics which is situated within

the overall +enewal &oveent in 4erica.

In closin#, this paper identifies four a/or concerns related to biblical interpretation which also represent

areas for research in the future in the field for +enewal %heolo#ians. %hese are

(. !hat is the proper use of narrative #enre for deterinin# doctrine Pentecostals have traditionally

based their distinctives on the uke4cts historical narratives. !hile traditional Evan#elicalis

advocates superiority of didactic literature over narrative, recent Pentecostal scholars have effectively

ar#ued the equal value of narrative #enre. In (660, :lein, Blober#, and "ubbard, evan#elical professors

fro Denver 1einary authored the te2tbook, $ Introduction to #i%lical Interpretation5' +e#ardin# the

4cts narrative they write, $!e have already stated that narrative often teaches ore indirectly than

didactic literature without becoin# any less norative. %hus, we re/ect *ee and 1tuart’s hi#hli#hted

a2i that Munless 1cripture e2plicitly tells us we ust do soethin#, what is erely narrated ordescribed can never function in a norative way.' %his acceptance of narrative #enre to establish doctrine

reveals that the voice of Pentecostal scholars in the acadey is not only bein# heard but understood.

!hile uch has been accoplished, there is ore work to be done in this area.

. !hat role does the "oly 1pirit play in the interpretive process 1oe, like 4nderson, ar#ue that the

"oly 1pirit #ives no special insi#ht into the interpretation for 1cripture but the te2t is open for believer

and non


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!+:1 CI%ED

4hn, Hon#nan =eon. $Farious Debates in the Conteporary Pentecostal "ereneutic.' The Spirit 7

Church , no (. >&ay ---@ (6(667@ 70


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:NrkkNinen, Fali&ay ---@ 65


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OOOOOOOOOO. $1cripture and the %heolo#ical Enterprise Fiew fro a Bi# Canoe.' In The *se of the #i%le

in Theolo$: E"an$elical -ptions, 57

dawson pentecostal hermeneutics

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