The New Testament shows the early Church as having both stable institutions and dynamic growth in charismatic ministries. In the twenty-first century, although many historically-determined inessentials have changed, the Churchs structure remains fundamentally the same. This study looks at New Testament ministries (Eph 4:11-12), Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and the history of the gift of tongues from the Acts of the Apostles through to the charismatics of our time, to see how these elements contribute to the fast-paced, global phenomenon we call the pentecostalization of modern Christianity. Our research shows that much of what appears to be novel in current ecclesial movements is the fruit of charisms that have been poured out from the beginning. The disciples of Christ are still bringing out of his treasure what is new and old.

Hersteller:
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
ute.schnueckel@brill.com
Theaterstraße 13
DE 37073 Göttingen

Dr. Andrzej Siemieniewski is professor of spiritual theology at the Pontifical Faculty of Theology, Wroclaw.

Is there a fundamental conflict between the hierarchical and the charismatic dimensions of the Church? Starting in the biblical era and continuing to the present day, this study shows the complementarity of the two dimensions, revealing how Baptism in the Holy Spirit, the gift of tongues, and the global pentecostalization of Christianity are rooted in a tradition dating back to apostolic times. The authors show that much of what appears to be novel in current ecclesial movements is the fruit of charisms that have been poured out from the beginning.