Plain tells the story of Mary Alice Hostetter's journey to define an authentic self amid a rigid religious upbringing in a Mennonite farm family. Although endowed with a personality "prone toward questioning and challenging," the young Mary Alice at first wants nothing more than to be a good girl, to do her share, and-alongside her eleven siblings-to work her family's Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, farm. She feels fortunate to have been born into a religion where, as the familiar hymn states, she is "safe in the arms of Jesus." As an adolescent, that keen desire for belonging becomes focused on her worldly peers, even though she knows that Mennonites consider themselves a people apart. Eventually she leaves behind the fields and fences of her youth, thinking she will finally be able to grow beyond the prohibitions of her church. Discovering and accepting her sexuality, she once again finds herself apart, on the outside of family, community, and societal norms. This quietly powerful memoir of longing and acceptance casts a humanizing eye on a little-understood American religious tradition and a woman's striving to grow within and beyond it.

This book examines the complex and multifaceted nature of African Pentecostal engagements with genders and sexualities. In the last three decades, African Pentecostalism has emerged as one the most visible and profound aspects of religious change on the continent, and is a social force that straddles cultural, economic, and political spheres. Its conventional and selective literal interpretations of the Bible with respect to gender and sexualities are increasingly perceived as exhibiting a strong influence on many aspects of social and public institutions and their moral orientations. This collection features articles which examine sexualities and genders in African Pentecostalism using interdisciplinary methodological and theoretical approaches grounded within traditional African thought systems, with the goal of enabling a broader understanding of Pentecostalism and sexualities in Africa.

The complex and sometimes contradictory articulation of ethnicity, religion and gender informs this book on the cultural construction of identity for Jamaican migrants in Britain. The author argues that religion -- in this case Pentecostalism -- cannot be understood simply as a means of spiritual compensation for the economically disadvantaged. Rather, in the New Testament Church of God, one of Britain's largest African Caribbean churches, the cosmology of the church resolves the questions surrounding identity as well as suffering. Religious participation is one way in which African Caribbean people negotiate the terms of representation and interaction in British society.

In 1945, Elsie C. Bechtel left her Ohio home for the tiny French commune of Lavercantiere, where for nearly three years she cared for children displaced by the ravages of war. Bechtel's diary, photographs, and letters home to her family provide the central texts of this study. From 1945 to 1948, she recorded her encounters with French society and her immersion in the spare beauty of rural France. From her daily work came passionate musings on the emotional world of human interactions and evocative observations of the American, Spanish, and French co-workers and children with whom she lived. As a volunteer with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), Bechtel was part of the war relief efforts of pacifist Quakers and Anabaptists. In France between 1939 and 1948, MCC programs distributed clothing, shared food, and sheltered refugee children. The work began in the far southwest of France but, by the time Bechtel completed her service in 1948, had moved to the Alsace region, where French Mennonites clustered. Bechtel's writings emerged from a religious context that included much travel, but little reflection on the significance of that travel. Yet, religiously motivated travel-an old tradition in southwest France-shaped Bechtel's life. The authors consider her experiences in terms of religious pilgrimage and reflect on their own pilgrimage to Lavercantiere in 2006 for a reunion with some of the people marked by the broader effort that Bechtel joined. To understand Bechtel's experiences and prose, the authors examined archival sources on MCC's work in France, gathered oral and written narratives of participants, and researched other war relief efforts in Spain and France in the 1930s and 1940s. Drawing on these various contexts, the authors establish the complexity, but also the significance, of pilgrimage and humanitarian service as intercultural exchanges.

In this unique study, Ethan R. Yorgason examines the Mormon "culture region" of the American West, which in the late nineteenth century was characterized by sexual immorality, communalism, and anti-Americanism but is now marked by social conservatism. Foregrounding the concept of region, Yorgason traces the conformist-conservative trajectory that arose from intense moral and ideological clashes between Mormons and non-Mormons from 1880 to 1920. Looking through the lenses of regional geography, history, and cultural studies, Yorgason investigates shifting moral orders relating to gender authority, economic responsibility, and national loyalty, community, and home life. Transformation of the Mormon Culture Region charts how Mormons and non-Mormons resolved their cultural contradictions over time by a progressive narrowing of the range of moral positions on gender (in favor of Victorian gender relations), the economy (in favor of individual economics), and the nation (identifying with national power and might). Mormons and non-Mormons together constructed a regime of effective coexistence while retaining regional distinctiveness.

Jacob Phillips employs key coordinates of cultural theory to discern how the notion of English sensibility applies to John Henry Newman, with a detailed study of Newman's lifelong conflict with his own cultural identity. Phillips compares Newman's early Anglican work, featuring integral qualities of 'reserve', 'pragmatism' and 'moderation', and compares them both with Newman's later critiques of his own work, and the ways in which English tendencies resurface in his mature work. This book thus sheds new light on the complexity of Newman's Englishness, as well as the broader lineaments of English theology, by examining the body of scholarship on Newman, English culture and Newton's fluctuating proximity and distance, English sensibility and Newman's distance after his conversion. Phillips also contributes to theological reflection on culture more generally, by discerning how theological subject matter is always determined by cultural expression, and yet expands the reach of that expression to attain a scope more fitting to its proper scope; the ultimate universality of God.

This is an important book written by Pete Beck Jr. for the perilous times in which we Christians find ourselves. The maturing of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is what is happening and is absolutely paramount to the Holy Spirit. It will not happen without mature and spiritual leaders. He wants to make it a truly apostolic church going forward with apostolic doctrine to win the nations. Apostles in the other five-fold ministry gifts, prophets, evangelistics, pastors and teachers are being raised up as never before across the world. They are being raised up as a team. The Bible is clear that satan will attempt to produce false apostles to weaken or mislead the church. Many do not seem to even understand the principles of God laid out in the Scriptures. Ambition and a love for money and recognition dominate some who claim to be apostles. When speaking to the church at Ephesus, the risen Christ commended them for discerning those who were true apostles and rejecting those who proved false.

What if there was a key that made every prayer more effective--something that would bring all prayers into agreement with the heart of God every single time? This type of praying does exist, says bestselling author and prophetic leader James W. Goll, and it's called prophetic intercession. It is the humble act of holding the needs of people before God while leaning into God's heart for them. There is nothing mystical or elite about this kind of praying, and it's for the new Christian and the most seasoned prayer warrior. All you need is to learn to lean into your heavenly Father and pray what you see and hear in alignment with his heart, empowered by the Holy Spirit. God wants you to align your heart with his. He wants you to pray more effectively in these turbulent times, and he wants you to help usher in the fullness of his purposes on the earth. Are you ready?

This book extrapolates a uniquely Pentecostal and incarnational Spirit Christology, inspired by piqued interest in the Holy Spirit and for the purpose of ecumenical dialogue. The method employed is Pentecostal in its emphasis on the Spirit, incarnational in its consideration of the life of Jesus, and Spirit Christological in its uniting of the two. The aim is to supersede the five-fold gospel model by systematizing Pentecostal praxis into a cohesive and identity-giving Spirit Christology. The book distinguishes the components of Pentecostal identity through an investigation of past and current Pentecostal voices, juxtaposes them against secular and other denominational categories, and ultimately arrives at a distinctly Pentecostal conceptualization of Spirit Christology that translates ecumenically and generationally. In fact, this project is the first constructive Spirit Christological endeavor developed by a Pentecostal and dedicated to the specific, Pentecostal issue of fusing holiness for living and power for witness. It is solidly ecumenical, utilizing the theology of Edward Irving, James D. G. Dunn, Karl Barth, Colin Gunton, and David Coffey, and it is the only text that brings these voices together in one volume. A Spirit Christology will be beneficial to a diverse audience of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as academic professionals. The development and explanation of a Pentecostal and incarnational Spirit Christology will be a unique and valuable addition to a variety of classes, including courses on the doctrine of Christ, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, contemporary theology, and recent Pentecostal theology. Furthermore, the content draws from Pentecostal, Reformed, and Catholic traditions, a conglomerate that will appeal to an ecumenical audience.

Pentecostalism is one of the fastest-growing religious movements in the world. Groups in the United States dominated early Pentecostal histories, but recent global manifestations have expanded and complicated the definition of Pentecostalism. This volume provides a nuanced overview of Pentecostalism's various manifestations and explores what it means to be Pentecostal from the perspectives of both insiders and outsiders. Leading scholars in the field use a multidisciplinary approach to analyze the historical, economic, political, anthropological, sociological, and theological aspects of the movement. They address controversies, such as the Oneness-Trinity controversy; introduce new theories; and chart trajectories for future research. The Cambridge Companion to Pentecostalism will enable beginners to familiarize themselves with the important issues and debates surrounding the global movement, while also offering experienced scholars a valuable handbook for reference.

In The Pastor, Eugene H. Peterson, the translator of the multimillion-selling The Message and the author of more than thirty books, offers his life story as one answer to the surprisingly neglected question: What does it mean to be a pastor?

When Peterson was asked by his denomination to begin a new church in Bel Air, Maryland, he surprised himself by saying yes. And so was born Christ Our King Presbyterian Church. But Peterson quickly learned that he was not exactly sure what a pastor should do. He had met many ministers in his life, from his Pentecostal upbringing in Montana to his seminary days in New York, and he admired only a few. He knew that the job's demands would drown him unless he figured out what the essence of the job really was. Thus began a thirty-year journey into the heart of this uncommon vocation--the pastorate.

The Pastor steers away from abstractions, offering instead a beautiful rendering of a life tied to the physical world--the land, the holy space, the people--shaping Peterson's pastoral vocation as well as his faith. He takes on church marketing, mega pastors, and the church's too-cozy relationship to American glitz and consumerism to present a simple, faith-filled job description of what being a pastor means today. In the end, Peterson discovered that being a pastor boiled down to "paying attention and calling attention to 'what is going on right now' between men and women, with each other and with God." The Pastor is destined to become a classic statement on the contemporary trials, joys, and meaning of this ancient vocation.

This book is about that treasured doctrine of Pentecostalism: baptism in the Holy Spirit, understood as a work subsequent to conversion to Christ. Since the British theologian James Dunn's publication of his influential work Baptism in the Holy Spirit, there has been heated response from Pentecostals in defense of the doctrine. Key players are Roger Stronstad, Howard Ervin, David Petts, James Shelton, Robert Menzies, and ex-Pentecostal Max Turner. This book reviews Pentecostal criticisms of Dunn with respect to Luke-Acts, concluding that Pentecostals are right: for Luke, receiving the Spirit was not the inception of new covenant life. It was a powerful enabling for prophecy and miracles; for the church's outward mission and its internal life. After placing Luke-Acts in a wider canonical context, the book closes with some practical lessons from Luke-Acts for today's Pentecostal churches.

The Tanner lectures, now firmly entrenched as an institution at the annual Mormon History Association meetings, were established in 1980 as a means of providing scholars of Mormonism with a valuable new perspective for their historical record. The twenty-one lectures were presented by well-known non-Mormon scholars invited to make presentations in their own specialties that also encompass some aspect of Mormon history. In the course of preparing their talks, the presenters are expected to immerse themselves for a year in current historical writings on Mormons and Mormonism. As this collection amply demonstrates, when these scholars do their homework, the results are enlightening. This volume includes the Tanner lectures for the last two decades of the twentieth century, a general introduction, and specialized introductions to each individual lecture.

A.W. Tozer maintained that a theologian's message must be 'both timeless and timely', a sentiment borne out in the fact that his writing on worship still acts as an urgent warning today. Tozer is primarily concerned with the loss of the concept of 'majesty' from the popular mind and more importantly from the thinking of the church. He sees the church as having surrendered her once lofty concept of God - not deliberately, but little by little and without her knowledge. With this comes a further loss of religious awe and a sense of the divine presence, of an appropriate spirit of worship and of our ability to withdraw inwardly to meet God in adoring silence. Tozer addresses this problem, to go back to the causes of the decline and to understand and correct the errors that have given rise to our devotional poverty. 'It is impossible to keep our moral practices sound and our inward attitudes right while our idea of God is erroneous or inadequate,' he tells us. What is needed is a restoration of our knowledge of the holy.

Start Operating in the Gift of Prophecy Today!

When it comes to prophecy, the three most common questions among Christians are:

1. Can every believer speak 1. prophetically?
2. If so, how do I start hearing God’s voice?
3. Once I’ve heard a prophetic word, what should I do next?

Jermaine and Rebecca Francis answer the first question with a resounding “yes!” — every believer can receive and release words from Heaven!

With this in mind, they tackle the other two questions, offering this book as a userfriendly guide to hearing from God and speaking His words. Jermaine and Rebecca represent the next generation of prophetic voices under the leadership of renowned prophet and teacher, Dr. Bill Hamon. Their passion is to activate and instruct other believers in the prophetic anointing.

Activating the Gift of Prophecy will help you:

• Start operating in the gift of prophecy in accordance with Scripture.
• Discern the voice of God through different spiritual senses.
• Separate soul from spirit when it comes to hearing God.
• Operate in prophetic protocol to deliver words effectively.
• Develop a pure heart that God can trust with prophetic revelation.

As a follower of Jesus, you are filled with the Holy Spirit, which means you have access to God’s prophetic words. Learn how to receive and release these words today!

This collection of essays from established scholars and rising stars offers fresh perspectives in eschatology for the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements. The fresh readings of eschatology in this volume are valuable because they demonstrate that Pentecostals no longer need to look to others to interpret their theology for them but can stand as scholars and thinkers in their own right.

Bestselling Author and Missionary Rolland Baker Reveals the Heart of True, Lasting Revival "There has been much talk in recent years of revival," says bestselling author and missionary Rolland Baker, "so much so that I wonder at times whether revival itself has become the object of devotion." Too often believers seek out revival, not the Reviver. When unchecked, they often pursue an emotional or physical experience or focus on how many came to Christ, rather than worship Jesus himself. Yet the heart of true, lasting revival is Christ--of falling in love with him so deeply that you can't help but tell others about him. And that, says Baker, is what has fueled him, his wife, Heidi, and all of Iris Ministries over the last thirty years. "This book is about sustaining revival over decades," says Baker. "By that I mean it is a book about falling in love and staying in love with the person of Jesus Christ. Revival is about the Reviver, nothing more and nothing less. My prayer is that you will fall in love with him with all your heart as you read these pages, and that you will not be able to resist giving that love away, wherever you place your feet."

This book is a pneumatological reflection on the use and abuse of the Spirit in light of the abuse of religion within South African Pentecostalism. Both emerging and well-established scholars of South African Pentecostalism are brought together to reflect on pneumatology from various approaches, which includes among others: historical, biblical, migration, commercialisation of religion, discernment of spirits and human flourishing. From a broader understanding of the function of the Holy Spirit in different streams of Pentecostalism, the argument is that this function has changed with the emergence of the new Prophetic churches in South Africa. This is a fascinating insight into one of the major emerging worldwide religious movements. As such, it will be of great interest to academics in Pentecostal Studies, Christian Studies, Theology, and Religious Studies as well as African Studies and the Sociology of Religion.

Dynamic New Teaching from Bestselling Author Ed Silvoso It's no secret that the church today has lost its influence in culture. But why? With the technology, affluence, and knowledge we have today, why are we less effective than the first-century church--which didn't have social media, fancy buildings, professional pastors, or even religious freedom? What are we missing? In these vital, eye-opening pages, bestselling author Ed Silvoso digs into Scripture, unearthing Jesus' true design for his church--his Ekklesia. He shows how the early church was a radical, countercultural force of people who transformed the hostile, pagan places in which they lived. Here Dr. Silvoso shows how we, in the midst of social, economic, political, and moral chaos, can once again become the revolutionary, transformational, life-giving Ekklesia Jesus called us to be.