Bücher von Wolfgang Vondey

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, Christianity faces one of its greatest opportunities, as well as one of its greatest challenges -- the formulation of a global theology. In Beyond Pentecostalism Wolfgang Vondey argues that Pentecostal thought and praxis represent an indispensable catalyst for the realization of this task. Accentuating Pentecostalism as a manifestation of what he calls the crisis of global Christianity, Vondey describes the elements of this crisis -- manifested chiefly in theology''s turn toward a performance-oriented enterprise -- and suggests that the task of overcoming the crisis demands an integration of Pentecostalism in the global theological agenda. This task will inevitably push Christianity beyond the boundaries of the classical Pentecostal tradition. In fact, Vondey suggests, Pentecostalism itself is in the process of going beyond its own historical, theological, socio-cultural, and institutional boundaries. His ultimate goal is not a "pentecostalization" of Christianity but rather a renewal of the theological landscape in light of the significance of Pentecostal voices, thoughts, and practices worldwide.

Description:This book is the follow-up volume to Pentecostalism and Christian Unity: Ecumenical Documents and Critical Assessments. The first volume documented the history and ecumenical engagement of Pentecostals during the twentieth century. This new collection traces the ecumenical developments, narratives, and conversations during the first decade of the twenty-first century. The ecumenical community and Pentecostals have consistently lamented the absence of a comprehensive gathering of resources for both groups. This particular volume provides two significant assets in this regard: (1) documentation of new and emerging conversations that have not yet produced official reports, and (2) official reports from continuing conversations. The book begins with an overview of a century of Pentecostal participation in Christian unity. Part One contains ecumenical narratives on the Joint Consultative Group of Pentecostals and the World Council of Churches, Lutherans and Pentecostals, the Global Christian Forum, and Christian Churches Together in the USA. Part Two contains the extensive reports from the official dialogue of Pentecostals with the Roman Catholic Church, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Oneness-Trinitarian Pentecostal dialogue. This collection presents an invaluable resource for teachers, scholars, and pastors interested in engaging the global Christian arena from the worldwide and ecumenical perspectives of Pentecostalism.Endorsements:"Wolfgang Vondey''s latest collection of twenty-first-century reports, the fruit of a variety of ecumenical dialogues with pentecostal participation, should go far toward informing Pentecostals of the facts. They should also alleviate pentecostal fears concerning the theological agenda of the ecumenical movement and those Pentecostals who have been called to work in it."--Cecil M. Robeck, Jr., Professor of Church History and Ecumenics, Fuller Theological Seminary"The second volume of Pentecostalism and Christian Unity, like the first, is a gift to the whole church. Here again Wolfgang Vondey gathers documents from ecumenical dialogues involving Pentecostals. . . . These two volumes are a vital resource for understanding not only Pentecostalism, but also the church itself. These volumes document and herald the much-sought entry of Pentecostalism into the ecumenical movement. May they have the impact--within Pentecostalism and beyond it--they so richly deserve."--Barry Ensign-George, Associate for Theology, Presbyterian Church (USA)About the Contributor(s):Wolfgang Vondey is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at the Regent University School of Divinity and Director of the Regent Center for Renewal Studies. He is the author of Pentecostalism: A Guide for the Perplexed (2013) and Beyond Pentecostalism: The Crisis of Global Christianity and the Renewal of the Theological Agenda (2010).

This insightful study offers the first comprehensive overview of the theology and praxis of Roman Catholic theologian Heribert Muhlen.