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Gabriel O. Vacarro, americano
Identidad Pentecostal de Iglesias [CLAI], 1988). 40 pp.
Reviewed
by David Bundy
structured reflections
atic
theological
treatise author’s
movement, containing
This volume has its
origins
Republic
as
part
67
(Quito: Consejo
Latino-
Identity.”
It is not a
system-
of the Pentecostal
prac- which
provides
a
,
Theological essays
of the Pentecostal movement have
generally
been
on the basis of Reformation statements with
appended
about
“Baptism
in the
Holy Spirit.”
This brief volume is a refreshing
effort to describe “Pentecostal
in the classical mode. Its structure reflects the
understanding
of the essential character
“the doctrinal
concepts
and fundamental tices of Pentecostalism.” It is a
conceptualization
new basis for
articulating
Pentecostal
theology.
in a series of lectures
given by
Vaccaro in the of a Latin American Council of Churches Dominican (CLAI) conference, and to a group of Latin American Pente-
in Brazil. Vaccaro is an Argentinian Pente-
who studied law at the Universidad Nacional de Buenas Aires, and then studied
theology,
also in Buenas Aires. He is president
of Dimension de Fe
(Dimension
evangelization project
and of the Asociacion
of
Argentina.
He is
intimately
and works to establish structures for Latin American
costal
theologians meeting costal
theologian
(ALIDD) ecumenism
costalism, noting
(3)
Spiritual World, (5)
ceeding
of
Faith),
a national level
La
Iglesia
de Dios involved with Pentecostal
nature of Pente-
to strive to develop
cooperation.
Vaccaro
begins by insisting
on the “movement”
its roots in the Wesleyan revivals and its hermeneutic of experience. The
chapters develop
the
concepts
of
(1) Evangelisation and
Conversion, (2) Baptism
in the
Holy Spirit-Spealdng
in Tongues,
the Church as a Healthful and Charismatic
Community, (4)
The
Elements of Surprise and
Expectativeness
in Each Meeting,
and
(6) The
Paradox of Ecumenism and
Exclusivity. The structure of the
presentation
reflects the
experience
of socializa- tion and assimilation
by
the individual Pentecostal
believer, pro-
from conversion to a commitment
strong enough
that it allows a believer to
express
ecumenical convictions from the
perspective
of an intense
community
involvement. Grace and
justice
are
recurring themes. Divine
grace,
in the
Wesleyan
sense of the
concept,
accom- panies
the individual
throughout
the
process
of conversion and
integra- tion into the
community.
It is God’s
grace
but realized within the community
life and
liturgy.
The relations within the
community
are to be based on a biblical
understanding
of justice, and the
community
is
a just
society beyond
the boundaries of the Church.
1
68
It is.health-giving community committed to the
straggle against
human injustice.
The volume is a
passionate,
articulate
presentation
of Pentecostal theological
concerns. Those
exclusively dependent
on traditional European
and North American academic modes of
theological
dis- course
may
find it
frustrating,
but those who are
willing
to seek a distinctively
Pentecostal
theological
method will find this a significant model. It is to be
hoped
that Vaccaro and/or others will
explore
the possibilities
of this
paradigm.
2
