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Lädt ... Fire from Heaven: The Rise of Pentecostal Spirituality and the Reshaping of Religion in the 21st Centuryvon Harvey Cox
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Melde dich bei LibraryThing an um herauszufinden, ob du dieses Buch mögen würdest. Keine aktuelle Diskussion zu diesem Buch. This book is deliciously written. I found myself swept up in the contextualization of this important movement. Cox writes it in a way that seems fitting to the movement he is commenting on, like a grand story. I like his balance and his hesitation at just adding to the attacks Pentecostals have had to endure. He outlines some of the important challenges, especially in terms of eschatology. And his discussions on primal religious impulses is fascinating. This book is definitely a worthwhile read from a respectful theologian on a topic that is so important today. Zeige 3 von 3 keine Rezensionen | Rezension hinzufügen
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Unlike traditional Protestant and Catholic churches, whose memberships are dwindling, pentecostalism, the most experiential branch of Christianity, has become the fastest-growing form of worship on Earth, and, if present trends continue, could surpass even Catholicism by the turn of the century. From its obscure beginnings a hundred years ago in a tiny black church on Azusa Street in Los Angeles it has grown, especially in the past two decades, to over 410 million people worldwide, becoming the dominant expression of Christian worship in mega-cities throughout the world, from New York and Mexico City to Seoul, Korea. In an effort to understand its extraordinary appeal Harvey Cox has traveled the world to speak and worship with pentecostal congregations on four continents, and he has come to the conclusion that this explosion of spirituality represents a tidal change in what religion itself is and what it means to people. Keine Bibliotheksbeschreibungen gefunden. |
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Google Books — Lädt ... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)270.82Religions History, geographic treatment, biography of Christianity History of Christianity Modern; Rationalistic (1789-)Klassifikation der Library of Congress [LCC] (USA)BewertungDurchschnitt:
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For Cox, pentecostalism represents an outbreak of primal spirituality that had been repressed by the formalism of religion. Through the recovery of primal speech (glossolalia), primal piety (signs and wonders), and primal hope (endtime eschatology), pentecostalism has proven to be the form in which humanity's latent spiritual desires took shape.
As a container for primal spirituality, pentecostalism is exceedingly adaptable. Cox shows how pentecostalism welcomes liberation theology in Latin America, shamanism in Korea, and even tribal healing practices in Zimbabwe. Far from being an achilles heel, Cox understands this tendency toward religious syncretism as pentecostalism's great strength.
Fire from Heaven is part spiritual autobiography and part history. Cox's willingness to pen his own thoughts adds a sense of genuineness to the story. This same autobiographical sense also colors his interpretation. In the chapter "Music Brought Me to Jesus," Cox developed an extended analogy between jazz music and pentecostalism (Cox is a jazz saxophonist). While some of the points are fitting, there are a couple major flaws with this argument. First, the actual music of pentecostalism has always tended toward simple folk, roots, and rock styles. More importantly, jazz is highly a sophisticated form of music—an ethos in direct contradiction with pentecostalism's underprivileged roots.
Another obvious flaw in Cox's book is the way he only criticized North American pentecostalism. His examples deserved the criticism he delivered, but surely a more unbiased view might find reason to critique other expressions of pentecostalism outside the author's continent.
Cox has delivered a highly readable interesting analysis of global pentecostalism. His central thesis, that pentecostalism is the vehicle for an outburst of primal spirituality, is thought provoking and could very well be true. Time will tell whether his conclusions in Fire from Heaven weather better than Secular City. ( )