Appendix C: The Global Charismatic Scholarly Community
The Global Charismatic Scholarly Community
In chapter 18 we addressed the question, who is the pentecostal community? If we narrow the views of charismatic-type renewal movements to scholars among them, the diversity of views will still be almost as great, outside of their affirmation of experiencing the Spirit, as the denominations and movements they represent. This is particularly true when we survey scholars worldwide, but it seems true even if we narrow the search further to scholars working within the Anglophone West. This appendix should incidentally lay to rest the ill-informed claim that charismatics have contributed nothing to biblical or theological scholarship. 1
In this appendix I will list some of the charismatic scholars known in the Anglophone West. Due to space and time constraints I can name just a few, so I apologize in advance to those whom I have omitted from either ignorance or absent-mindedness. Because this list is only a sampling, and because those who teach in or have retired from distinctly Pentecostal or charismatically inclined institutions are simply too many as well as too obvious to need to be listed, I am omitting all but a handful of the latter. 2 This limitation is unfortunately somewhat arbitrary, since some of these schools, including Regent University, Oral Roberts University, and Pentecostal denominational schools, 3 have widely published faculty that I have not had occasion to cite elsewhere in the book, such as, for example, psychology and counseling faculty at Regent University (including, among others, Benjamin Keyes, Jennifer Ripley, James Sells, and Mark Yarhouse).
Also I am excluding a larger number of younger scholars who have not published as widely or do not yet have full-time teaching positions (though I include some who have had such positions and retired or diversified their ministries). 4 (I do include some younger scholars if their positions are at elite institutions.) These are samples only; although I asked an embarrassingly large number of colleagues whether they considered themselves charismatic, I did not by any means take a wide survey. I have undoubtedly omitted many charismatics, probably including some old friends, simply by virtue of forgetting that they were charismatic or never having known (since, apart from discussions of pneumatology, this is not usually the first subject that scholars discuss together). New Testament is disproportionately represented simply because I know more colleagues in that discipline.
Not all of those who have responded define “charismatic” in the same way. For example, my rough guess is that perhaps only half have prayed in tongues (the classical Pentecostal paradigm, though it has also been estimated that only half of denominational Pentecostals pray in tongues). Some define it as simply being deeply shaped spiritually during an earlier sojourn in charismatic circles; some others attend charismatic or Pentecostal services. Some define it as openly praying for the sick or for deliverance. Some define it as being involved in spiritual renewal in their denomination, with appreciation for spiritual gifts and worship. 5 Some scholars who pray in tongues asked not to be on the list, because the experience was so intimate for them that they confided in me but did not wish to make it known publicly. The names represent a range of denominations, including Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Mennonite, (especially) Pentecostal, and so forth. 6
In most cases I note their teaching positions to illustrate the range of institutions represented. A side benefit of the list is that it reminds us that being charismatic does not guarantee theological outcomes or hermeneutical approaches—for example, it could go without saying that Wayne Grudem would differ on many points from N. T. Wright; similarly, Christopher Stanley and Richard Hays represent quite different approaches to Paul’s use of Scripture. Some scholars might consider some others too liberal or too conservative. 7 This might suggest the elusiveness of a distinctively charismatic hermeneutic, unless it is simply the same as a continuationist hermeneutic. (I believe that it is; some press that continuationism further than others, but this is not the only element that determines hermeneutical outcomes.)
Black Church studies:
Valerie Cooper (Duke Divinity School)
Felicia Howell Laboy (Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary)
Yolanda Pierce (Princeton Theological Seminary)
in evangelism, missiology, or global Christianity:
Afe Adogame (Edinburgh)
(the late) Kwame Bediako (Akrofi-Christaller Institute)
Peter Bellini (United Theological Seminary)
David Daniels (McCormick Theological Seminary)
Lyle Dorsett (Wheaton, Beeson)
Robert Gallagher (Wheaton College)
Sarita Gallagher (George Fox University)
Michael Green (Wycliffe Hall, Oxford)
Jehu Hanciles (Emory University)
Dale Irvin (New York Theological Seminary)
(the late) Ogbu Kalu (McCormick Theological Seminary)
Charles Kraft (Fuller Theological Seminary)
Peter Kuzmic (Gordon-Conwell)
Wonsuk and Julie Ma (Oxford Center for Mission Studies; Wonsuk is director)
Philip Meadows (Nazarene Theological College)
Lalsangkima Pachuau (Asbury Theological Seminary)
Angel Santiago-Vendrell (Asbury Theological Seminary)
Scott Sunquist (Fuller Theological Seminary)
Timothy Tennent (Asbury Theological Seminary)
Al Tizon (North Park Theological Seminary)
Robert Tuttle, Jr. (Asbury Theological Seminary, emeritus)
Randy Woodley (George Fox Theological Seminary)
in New Testament (where I have the most knowledge of my colleagues):
Efrain Agosto (New York Theological Seminary)
Norbert Baumert (St. Georgen)
Holly Beers (Westmont College)
Ben Blackwell (Houston Baptist University)
Lisa Bowens (Princeton Theological Seminary)
Douglas Campbell (Duke)
Daniel Darko (Gordon College)
Peter Davids (editor of Word Biblical Commentary)
James D. G. Dunn (Durham)
Paul Eddy (Bethel University)
Janet Meyer Everts (Hope College)
Gordon Fee (Gordon-Conwell, Regent College; editor of the NICNT series)
(the late) J. Massyngberde Ford (University of Notre Dame)
Eric Greaux (Winston-Salem State University)
Gene L. Green (Wheaton College)
Joel Green (Fuller Theological Seminary)
Richard Hays (Duke)
Mary Healy (Sacred Heart Major Seminary)
William Heth (Taylor University)
Jamal-Dominique Hopkins (Crichton College)
Jeff Hubing (Northern Seminary)
David Instone-Brewer (Tyndale House, Cambridge)
Luke Timothy Johnson (Candler, at Emory)
Israel Kamudzandu (Saint Paul School of Theology)
Craig Keener (Asbury Theological Seminary)
William Kurz (Marquette University)
Kenneth Litwak (Azusa Pacific University)
Fred Long (Asbury Theological Seminary)
Francis Martin (Dominican House of Studies)
Scot McKnight (Northern Seminary)
George Montague (St. Mary’s University)
Stephen Noll (Trinity School for Ministry)
John C. Poirier
Mark Allan Powell (Trinity Lutheran Seminary)
Emerson Powery (Messiah College)
Siegfried Schatzmann (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary)
Russell Spittler (Fuller Theological Seminary)
Christopher Stanley (St. Bonaventure University)
Sam Storms (vice-president, Evangelical Theological Society)
Max Turner (London School of Theology)
Graham Twelftree (London School of Theology)
Robert W. Wall (Seattle Pacific University and Seminary)
Steve Walton (St. Mary’s University)
David Watson (United Theological Seminary)
Rikk Watts (Regent College)
Cynthia Westfall (McMaster Divinity College)
Peter Williamson (Sacred Heart Major Seminary)
Mark Wilson (Asia Minor Research Center)
Ben Witherington (Asbury Theological Seminary)
N. T. Wright (University of St. Andrews)
in Old Testament/Hebrew Bible:
Harold Bennett (Morehouse College)
Mark Boda (McMaster Divinity College)
Michael Brown (Fire School of Ministry)
Jamie Coles (Seattle Pacific University)
Robert E. Cooley (Gordon-Conwell)
John Goldingay (Fuller Theological Seminary)
Gary Greig (United Theological Seminary)
Mark Hillmer (Luther Seminary)
Rebecca Idestrom (Tyndale Seminary)
Sandra Richter (Wheaton College)
Kevin Spawn (Regent University)
Beth Stovell (Ambrose College)
Wilhelm Wessels (University of South Africa)
practical theology (communication, homiletics, leadership studies, liturgical studies, reconciliation studies, spiritual formation, etc.):
Christena Cleveland (Duke Divinity School)
Richard Foster (Friends University)
Reg Johnson (Asbury Theological Seminary)
Michael Knowles (McMaster Divinity College)
(the late) George A. Maloney
Luke Powery (Duke Divinity School)
Abraham A. Ruelas (Patten University)
Siang-Yang Tan (Fuller Theological Seminary)
William Turner Jr. (Duke Divinity School)
(the late) Dallas Willard
in religious or church history:
Estralda Alexander (William Seymour College)
Linda Ambrose (Laurentian University)
Allan H. Anderson (University of Birmingham, UK)
Chris Armstrong (Wheaton College)
James Bradley (Fuller Theological Seminary)
Stanley M. Burgess (Missouri State University)
Meesaeng Choi (Asbury Theological Seminary)
David William Faupel (Wesley Theological Seminary)
Peter Hocken
Scott Kisker (United Theological Seminary)
Alan Kreider (Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary)
Timothy Larsen (Wheaton College)
Michael McClymond (Saint Louis University; University of Birmingham, UK)
Gerald McDermott (Roanoke College)
A. G. Miller (Oberlin College)
Luther Oconor (United Theological Seminary)
Daniel Ramírez (University of Michigan)
Mel Robeck (Fuller Theological Seminary)
Lester Ruth (Duke Divinity School)
Joy Schroeder (Trinity Lutheran Seminary)
in sociology of religion:
Margaret Poloma (University of Akron)
Michael Wilkinson (Trinity Western University)
in ethics, theology, and philosophy:
William Abraham (Perkins School of Theology)
Adetekunbo Adelekan (Palmer Theological Seminary)
Paul Alexander (Palmer Theological Seminary)
William Atkinson (London School of Theology)
Garth Kasimu Baker-Fletcher (Claremont School of Theology)
Karen Baker-Fletcher (Southern Methodist University)
Teresa Berger (Yale Divinity School)
Gregory Boyd (formerly Bethel University)
Daniel Castello (Seattle Pacific University and Seminary)
Paul Copan (Palm Beach Atlantic University)
(the late) Ralph Del Colle (Marquette)
(the late) Donald Gelpi (Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley)
Douglas Groothuis (Denver Seminary)
Wayne Grudem (Phoenix Seminary)
Mareque Steele Ireland (Fuller Theological Seminary)
Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen (Fuller Theological Seminary)
William Kay (Chester University; Glyndwr University)
Daniel Keating (Sacred Heart Major Seminary)
Robert A. Larmer (University of New Brunswick)
Loida Martell-Otero (Palmer Theological Seminary)
Ralph Martin (Sacred Heart Major Seminary)
Kilian McDonnell (Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary)
J. P. Moreland (Talbot Seminary)
Heribert Mühlen (University of Paderborn)
Cherith Fee Nordling (Northern Seminary)
Edward O’Connor (University of Notre Dame)
Andrew Sung Park (United Theological Seminary)
(the late) Clark Pinnock (McMaster Divinity College)
Jon Ruthven (United Theological Seminary)
Steve Seamands (Asbury Theological Seminary)
(the late) Thomas Allan Smail (St. John’s College)
James K. A. Smith (Calvin College)
Howard Snyder (Manchester Wesley Research Centre at Nazarene Theological College, Manchester)
Robert Stamps (Asbury Theological Seminary)
Steve Studebaker (McMaster Divinity College)
Bernie Van De Walle (Ambrose University)
Eldin Villafañe (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary)
Miroslav Volf (Yale Divinity School)
Wolfgang Vondey (Regent University)
Frederick Ware (Howard Divinity School)
Nimi Wariboko (Andover Newton)
Eric Lewis Williams (Harvard University)
Amos Yong (Fuller Theological Seminary)
This is not including present or former leaders of institutions, such as Robert Cooley (former president of Gordon-Conwell Seminary), Robert Herron (provost of Oklahoma Wesleyan University), and others, who are mentioned above, such as New York Theological Seminary’s president, Dale Irvin, and Asbury Seminary’s president, Timothy Tennent.
Many leading theologians and religion scholars in the Majority World are Pentecostal or charismatic (besides several that I have listed above), including, for just some African examples, Bishop Dapo Asaju (Crowther Graduate Theological Seminary, Nigeria), Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu (Trinity Theological Seminary, Ghana), Deji Ayegboyin (University of Ibadan, Nigeria); or for Asian examples, Simon Chan (Trinity Theological College in Singapore) and retired professor and Methodist bishop Hwa Yung of Malaysia.
The list of charismatic thinkers would grow still longer if we include charismatic or continuationist academically informed and often academically trained popular writers such as R. T. Kendall, the late Walter Martin, Eric Metaxas, John Piper, and Frank Viola. Further, among leaders of the church, one may include the current archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and, according to some, Pope Francis (who is at least very supportive of the Catholic charismatic movement and its evangelistic commitment). For several decades now the official preacher of the papal household has been an Italian Capuchin priest, Father Raniero Cantalamessa, who speaks openly about his charismatic experience. Whereas John MacArthur, our beloved but cessationist brother in Christ, might lament all of this as the proliferation of dangerous leaven, I thank God for how, through the witness of the Pentecostal and charismatic and now Third Wave movements, acceptance of spiritual gifts has become fairly mainstream.
This list is meant to address two issues. The first is to combat the nonsensical claim that charismatics and Pentecostals as such contribute nothing to biblical or theological scholarship. The second is to illustrate the diversity of charismatic and Pentecostal perspectives and hermeneutical approaches, and thus to question the extent to which it is possible to speak of any monolithic “charismatic” or “pentecostal” hermeneutic, apart from dependence on the Spirit’s empowerment.