Western and Majority World Developments in Pneumatology
Until recently, Western theology has focused more on Christology and less on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. A turning point came with the rise of Pentecostalism at the start of the twentieth century and Vatican II (1962–65). The renewed emphasis among Roman Catholics falls on the Spirit’s work within the church. Lumen gentium begins its ecclesiological reflection stating, “Christ is the Light of nations. Because this is so, this Sacred Synod gathered together in the Holy Spirit eagerly desires, by proclaiming the Gospel to every creature, to bring the light of Christ to all men, a light brightly visible on the countenance of the Church.” On the Protestant side, the rise of Pentecostalism in North America and globally has brought with it laser-focused attention on the empowerment that comes through the Spirit of God that enables the church to fulfill its role as witness in the world (Acts 1:8). Out of this movement arose a number of notable North Atlantic Pentecostal scholars, including Gordon Fee, Russell Spittler, and Frank Macchia, who emphasize God’s presence and power through the Spirit.[6] Non-Pentecostal theologians, such as George-Yves Congar, Jürgen Moltmann, and Wolfhart Pannenberg, have also been deeply concerned with the Holy Spirit and ecclesiology, renewal, and especially life in all its forms.[7]
Unsurprisingly, the church in the Majority Word has begun renewed reflections on the role of the Holy Spirit in the church and in the world. The church in the Majority World is “self-theologizing.” That is, it recognizes its responsibility as part of “one holy catholic and apostolic church” to make its own contribution to the universal or Catholic discussion about theology that has unfolded through the ages within the Western and Eastern churches. From within Africa, Christian theologians have embraced a theology of the Spirit that underscores the way he confronts other spiritual powers in the world. The Holy Spirit is part of a power-encounter that finds few parallels in the West where the church has, at times, forgotten Paul’s statement that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12).
Within Asian theologies, the Holy Spirit is not separated from the material world as is common in Western theology but is the primary essence of reality. Instead of opposing dichotomies, the Spirit is not outside the world but is “the complementary pair of yin and yang” that organizes all things.[8] Questions about the role of the Holy Spirit within the complex of religions in Asia is another concern that occupies Asian theologians. In Latin American theology, the place of the Spirit in the community and the social implications of his presence are topics of concern. Although the role of the Spirit in personal transformation and empowerment for ministry receives prime attention within Latin American Pentecostalism, the social dimension of the Spirit’s work receives attention among theologians who face the socioeconomic injustices of the region. The church in the Majority World is self-theologizing, and this is abundantly evident in the development of contemporary pneumatology.
Biblical and Theological Reflections in This Volume
The authors of this volume share a commitment to Scripture as God’s Word and recognize that their reading is always from and to a particular place, time, and cultural matrix. Contextualization is inherent in the affirmation that Scripture is truly God’s Word that is spoken in human words. The biblical scholars who speak in these pages—Zakali Shohe, Hua Wei, Samuel Ngewa, and René Padilla—all reflect on the biblical text in concert with their particular Sitz im Leben (situation in life), which gives rise to fresh questions and insights regarding the Spirit’s work as witnessed in the Word. The theologians from the Majority World—Ivan Satyavrata, David Ngong, and Oscar García-Johnson—as well the Asian American scholar Amos Yong who is the author of the opening chapter, all attend to the theological heritage from the West but recognize that the emphases and formulations developed there are not fully adequate to address the theological necessities of their communities. In other words, both the biblical scholars and theologians in this volume are connected deeply with Scripture and the tradition, but they also dialogue extensively with their context and their cultures. All theology, and all biblical studies, is contextual. We may embrace this fact without severing ourselves from Scripture or tradition. Indeed, the insights the authors present benefit the whole church since they are vital contributions to a genuinely catholic theology. Theology through the centuries has always been contextual. While we may read the ABCs of theology—Augustine, Barth, and Calvin—we always need to recognize that the theological alphabet ends with WYZ—Wei, Yong, and Zakali. And so it must be this side of the eschaton since now we know in part, awaiting that day when we will know even as we are fully known. Dimly reflected revelation will give way to face-to-face clarity (1 Cor. 13:9–12). Until that time we need one another, the voices of brothers and sisters through the centuries, and those that come to all of us from around the globe. We always get by with a little help from our friends. A few notes about each of the authors and chapters may help as you read along the grain of their concerns and questions that are related to the context of their reading and reflection.
Amos Yong is a familiar voice to anyone reading in the area of contemporary pneumatology. In his chapter he briefly surveys both the Western and Eastern Orthodox traditions regarding the Spirit before providing an overview of some Majority World pneumatology. The brilliance of Yong’s chapter is that he ties the traditions together with global developments while, at the same time, reflecting on their connection with the Nicene Creed. Of particular interest is his emphasis on life through the Spirit and its implications for our understanding of God’s agency in creation. He stands, along with Majority World theologians, in opposition to Enlightenment-inspired dualism that would want to preserve a sharp divide between spirit and matter. His concern is to show “the immanence of the divine breath within the fabric of created materiality.” In this he speaks as an Asian American theologian.
Ivan Satyavrata brings us into the heart of pneumatological reflection from India. In a world where the influence of advaitic Hinduism is pervasive, he takes pains to underscore that the Holy Spirit should not be “confused with the human spirit,” or be viewed as “an impersonal, immanent force.” He closely links the Holy Spirit with Christ—he is the Spirit of Christ. The themes here are familiar to anyone reading the fathers, but the turn comes in his dialogue between the biblical witness and the “personalist bhakti strand within Hinduism,” which he sees as offering “much more promise for Christian contextual engagement in India.” In other words, he finds resonances between the early Christian emphasis on the personality of the Spirit and a devotional strain within Hinduism. As he says, “the Holy Spirit is a means by which God makes his personal presence felt among his people, the church, the community of the Spirit.” He ties his argument up with Christology in stating, “the ultimate purpose of the Spirit’s ‘floodlight’ ministry is to mediate the presence of the risen Christ, and to create and deepen an awareness of the reality of Jesus in human experience.” His emphasis on personal relation and Christology melds historic theological orthodoxy with contextual insights. The seriousness with which he takes cultural influences derived from Hinduism in his theological reflection is characteristic of much Majority World theology. Cultural perspectives can be both critiqued and affirmed in this dance with Scripture and tradition.
Zakali Shohe writes from the Indian context as well, with special attention to Nagaland in Northeast India. She examines the role of the Spirit in Romans 8:14–17 from a relational perspective and draws out the significance of this passage for both Christians and society in India. The Spirit allows the believer to use the filial address “Abba Father,” thus identifying all believers as co-heirs with Christ. For her, life in the Spirit is not about power but relationship. This Spirit-inspired relationship is a manifestation of the eschatological unity of God’s people. Relationship and unity inspired by the Spirit lead to acceptance of the other. But Shohe is not content to stop at the doors of the church. While understanding that the church has not lived up to its full reality in the Spirit, she boldly states that, as unified community, “the church as an institution needs to be a model of openness by taking initiative in bridge building and creating platforms
