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ABSTRACT
This article reviews several key themes on evangelization and mission in the work of Walter J. Hollenweger including his evangelistic passion and methodology, ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, and attention to the relation of evangelization with social justice. Showing Hollenweger’s creativity, criticism, and commitment, the essay elucidates distinctive elements of Pentecostal evangelism in conversation with Hollenweger’s work and suggests ways to appropriate Hollenweger’s views on dialogical evangelization that may offer contemporary Pentecostals helpful models for evangelism and mission in today’s world based on the values of relationship, authenticity, and friendship.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 Price, “Scholarship and Evangelism: Oil and Water?”
2 Richie, Speaking by the Spirit.
3 Richie, “Revamping Pentecostal Evangelism,” 243.
4 Ibid., 344.
5 Hollenweger, “The Black Roots of Pentecostalism,” 33–44, esp. 33, 36 and 41–43.
6 See Anderson and Hollenweger, Pentecostals After a Century, 178, 183–8, and 190–1.
7 Cf. Price, Theology Out of Place, 113–4.
8 Noted by Price, Theology Out of Place, 114–5, 128–32.
9 Richie, “Revamping Pentecostal Evangelism,” 345–6.
10 McClung, “Evangelism,” 617.
11 Ibid., 617. Cf. Richie, “Revamping Pentecostal Evangelism,” 347.
12 Kärkkäinen, “Missiology: Pentecostal and Charismatic,” 882.
13 Ibid., 883.
14 Richie, “Revamping Pentecostal Evangelism,” 349.
15 See Richie, “Neither Naïve nor Narrow.”
16 Richie, “Revamping Pentecostal Evangelism,” 349.
17 Ibid., 350–1.
18 Ibid., 351.
19 Hollenweger, “My Pilgrimage in Mission,” 88.
20 Richie, ‘Revamping Pentecostal Evangelism,’ 353.
21 See Hollenweger, Evangelism Today; idem, ‘Evangelism: Bone of Contention or Good News,’ 61–76; idem, ‘Evangelisation als Dialog.’
22 Hollenweger, “My Pilgrimage in Mission,” 85–88.
23 Hollenweger wrote and produced plays as part of an evangelistic effort, Hollenweger, “My Pilgrimage in Mission,” 88. He thought participation in these dramatic plays featuring biblical and historical characters from the Christian tradition by non-Christian students often became a type of ‘active evangelism’ and ‘self-evangelism’ preferrable to tradition methods of public invitations to conversion. [Editorial note: see the article by Jean-Daniel Plüss in this issue of journal.]
24 Hollenweger, “My Pilgrimage in Mission,” 85.
25 Ibid., 86.
26 Ibid., 86.
27 Ibid., 87–88.
28 See “Evangelization, Proselytism and Common Witness,”
29 Hollenweger, “Thirteen Responses to Evangelization, Proselytism and Common Witness,” 63–67.
30 Ibid., 63–67.
31 Hollenweger, “Pentecostalism’s Global Language.”
32 Hollenweger’s reflections on the distinctive character of Pentecostal evangelism began with his dissertation research.
33 Hollenweger, “Pentecostalism’s Global Language.”
34 See also Hollenweger, “Ziele der Evangelisation,” 230–4.
35 Hollenweger, “Pentecostalism’s Global Language.”
36 Hollenweger, “Evangelism: A Non-Colonial Method,” 113–5.
37 Hollenweger, Pentecostalism: Origins and Developments, 28–29.
38 Ibid., 82–83.
39 Ibid., 93.
40 Ibid., 103. Cf. Hollenweger, “Evangelism: A Non-Colonial Model,” 246–5.
41 Hollenweger, Pentecostalism, 94.
42 Ibid., 173.
43 Ibid., 231–2.
44 Ibid., 289.
45 Ibid., 300.
46 Ibid., 303–4.
47 Ibid., 304–5.
48 Ibid., 366.
49 Ibid., 369.
50 Gill, “The Pastorals,” 1249 and 1272.
51 Johnson, “Romans,” 763.
52 Gause, Revelation, 87–126.
53 See Hollenweger, “Evangelisation,” 638–9.
54 Rack, Reasonable Enthusiast.
55 Representative works include Fee, Gospel and Spirit; Amos, Spirit, Word, Community; idem, The Hermeneutical Spirit; Archer, A Pentecostal Hermeneutic; Martin, Biblical Hermeneutics; idem, Pentecostal Hermeneutics; William Oliverio Jr., Theological Hermeneutics in the Classical Pentecostal Tradition; and, Keener, Spirit Hermeneutics.
56 Bartleman, The Collected Works of Frank Bartleman.
57 See Alexander, The Will to Power; Álvarez, Mestizaje and Hebridez; Rodriquez, The Liberating Mission of Jesus; Snavely, Life in the Spirit; Swoboda, Blood Cries Out; Wilkinson and Studebaker, A Liberating Spirit.
58 Hollenweger, “Evangelisation,” 636.
59 One example may be to learn that ‘Earth Day’ was founded by a Pentecostal; see Sparks and Rogers, ‘John McConnel, Jr., and the Pentecostal Origins of Earth Day,’ 16–25.
60 See a more in-depth version of this story in Richie, “Correlating Intra-Christian Realities and Interreligious Relations,” 319–20.
61 See World Council of Churches, Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, and World Evangelical Alliance (eds), ‘Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: Recommendations for Conduct.’
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Tony Richie
Tony Richie is Associate Professor of Theology at Pentecostal Theological Seminary in Cleveland, Tennessee. He has written widely on ecumenical and interfaith themes in conversation with Pentecostalism. His most recent monograph is Essentials of Pentecostal Theology: An Eternal and Unchanging Lord Powerfully Present and Active by the Holy Spirit.