This book explores the nature of grassroots unity in the British charismatic renewal in the 1970s and its significance to ecumenism. The study is based on the five international conferences of the Fountain Trust and focuses on two grassroots activities: worship in general and the celebration of the Eucharist in particular. Worship in this setting nurtured unity through charisms, but the Eucharist exposed the inadequacy of this grassroots unity because of doctrinal and ecclesiological differences. This book aims to suggest a way forward by searching for the complementarity of institution and charisms, and Christology and Pneumatology in a charismatic context. It argues that the two emphases of the charismatic renewal, charisms, and the Holy Spirit, complement the institutional commitments of the church and ecumenism. The concepts of Christus praesens and Spiriti praesens are considered intrinsic to the charisms, and thus Christology and Pneumatology should both be considered significant for ecumenism. The study finally discusses the complementarity of ecumenical institutions and the charismatic renewal, the convergence of ecumenical streams, and continuity in modern ecumenical history.

This thesis studies the nature of grassroots unity during the charismatic renewal of the 1970s and its significance for ecumenism. It argues that the renewal made an important contribution to ecumenism by means of complementarity of institution and charisms, and christology and pneumatology. It is based on the five international conferences of the Fountain Trust in the 1970s and focuses on two grassroots activities: worship in general and the celebration of the eucharist in particular. Worship in this setting nurtured unity through charisms, but the eucharist exposed the inadequacy of this grassroots unity because of doctrinal and ecclesiological differences. The thesis aims to suggest a way forward by searching for the complementarity of institution and charisms, and christology and pneumatology in a charismatic context. It argues that the two emphases of the charismatic renewal, charisms and the Holy Spirit, complement the institutional commitments of the church and ecumenism. The concepts of Christus praesens and Spiriti praesens are considered intrinsic to the charisms, and thus christology and pneumatology should both be considered significant for ecumenism. It finally discusses the complementarity of ecumenical institutions and the charismatic renewal, the convergence of ecumenical streams and continuity in modern ecumenical history.

A dynamic chapter of church history is now being written in Asia. But the theological inflections at its heart are not well understood by outsiders. Simon Chan explores Asian Christianity at its grassroots, sustaining level and finds a vibrant, implicit theology that is authentically Asian. More than a survey, this is a serious and constructive contribution to Asian theology.

There is no single Protestant spirituality but rather Protestant spiritual traditions usually embedded in denominational families that share some basic Protestant principles. These two volumes of Protestant Spiritual Traditions offer essays on twelve traditions written by scholars within those traditions plus a concluding essay that gathers a number of Protestant contributions to Christian spirituality and Western culture under the category of “the body.” These thirteen essays discuss the contributions of significant spiritual figures from Martin Luther to Martin Luther King Jr. and offer insights on a range of topics from the theology of the cross to physical fitness.

In Transatlantic Charismatic Renewal, c.1950-2000, Atherstone, Maiden and Hutchinson curate new approaches to the study of charismatic renewal as an effective response to globalization, modernity and secularization.

Pentecostal Theology and Ecumenical Theology: Interpretations, Intersections, and Inspirations is a collection of essays from both globally recognized and newer scholars on the complex relationship between Pentecostalism and the Ecumenical Movement.

The work of uniting churches is slow, challenging, and multifaceted; and it changes in each generation and location. In this book, Josiah Baker studies the efforts of believers towards reconciliation as something significant for how we understand the church. He offers a theology for laborers, people for whom unity is not only an idea but a calling and sure hope. A Visible Unity is a study in systematic theology on the relation of ecumenical methodology to ecclesiological convergence, how acting together results in the churches being together. Ecumenical work informs ecclesiology because it involves the actions of Christians together in accordance with their shared views of the church. Whenever this work changes, the partnering churches change their relations and further resolve their divisions. Baker studies ecclesiology by telling stories about a person—the Pentecostal ecumenist Cecil Robeck—for Robeck’s decades of leadership in American and global ecumenical settings. By narrating his activities and analyzing his thought, the book offers a window into the interrelation of different portions of the ecumenical movement and how the movement has changed over the years. Baker compiles archival materials and personal interviews to tell stories about ecumenism never before published.