Celebrating Life in Community

CONTENTS

REFLECTIONS ON MURRAY W. DEMPSTER
Foreword: From President to President: An Appreciation
Kent Ingle vii

Introduction and Acknowledgements
Zachary Michael Tackett and Kenneth J. Archer ix

Reflections on a Forever Friend
Douglas P. Petersen and Byron D. Klaus xiii

SCRIPTURAL AND THEOLOGICAL CONCEPTS
1. The Old Testament as a Source for Ethics for the Pentecostal Community
Jacqueline Grey 1
2. Justice and Righteousness, Israel’s Kingship Ideology,
and the Spirit of God
Wonsuk Ma 13
3. ‘I Stand at the Door and Knock’:
Eucharist, Homelessness, and the Paradox of Hospitality
Chris E.W. Green 27
4. The Synaptic Mind of James Forbes: A Delta of Theology
Nimi Wariboko 35
5. On the Way Toward Pneumatological Ecclesiology
Peter Kuzmic 53
6. Jesus, Pentecostalism, and the Encounter with
(Religious) Others: Pentecostal Christology and
(the Wider) Ecumenism in North America
Amos Yong 59

PEACEMAKING AND THE CHRISTIAN WITNESS
7. Does Jesus Sometimes Want Christians to Kill Their Enemies?
Ronald J. Sider 75
8. The Christian Moral Witness of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
David P. Gushee 87
9. Desire Redirected:
Hermeneutical Shifts Regarding War and Peacemaking
Kenneth J. Archer 99
10. Toward Individual Conscience:
The Assemblies of God and World War II
Zachary Michael Tackett 117
11. A Pentecostal/Charismatic Response to the ‘Red Scare’
as Portrayed in The Voice of Healing
Lisa Millen 135

CHURCH AND COMMUNITY
12. Why Should Pentecostals Engage in Social Ethics?
Ecumenical Considerations
Jean-Daniel Plüss 147
13. Manifest Lament: Pentecostals, Lukan Hospitality,
and Indigenous Decolonisation
Martin W. Mittelstadt 159
14. The Value of the Human Soul: Radicalising
Adolf von Harnack’s Social Gospel
Frank D. Macchia 173
15. CARE (Christian Action Research and Education) as a Model for Social Action
William K. Kay 191
16. Saints vs Heroes: The Triumph of Spectacle in American Culture and Film
Robby Waddell 205

Abridged Curriculum Vitae of Murray W. Dempster 219
Contributors 221
Index 225

ABOUT THE EDITORS:

Kenneth J. Archer (PhD University of St Andrews, Scotland) is Professor of Theology and Pentecostal Studies at Southeastern University, USA and Honorary Lecturer and Recognised Supervisor for PhD researchers in the Department of Theology, and Religion for the University of Birmingham, UK. He is a past President of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, and an Ordained minister with the Church of God, Cleveland, Tennessee. He has published on hermeneutics and theology, including A Pentecostal Hermeneutic: Spirit, Scripture and Community (CPT Press, 2009), which has been translated into Chinese.

Zachary Michael Tackett (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky) is Professor of Historical Theology (retired) at Southeastern University, Lakeland, Florida. He is a former Secretary-Treasurer of the Society for Pentecostal Studies. Publications include articles and chapters in journals and books addressing Pentecostalism and cultural engagement.

This text, engaging some of the finest scholars in Pentecostal and Evangelical studies, approaches several of the pastoral and academic dynamics that are dear to the thought and practice of Murray W. Dempster. Three overriding themes are addressed, that of biblical and theological studies, peacemaking and the Christian witness, and the nature and work of the church in the broader community. The role of social ethics, the overriding interest of Dempster’s scholarship, is either in the forefront or background of each writing. That the text may be used in studies of Christian formation, a set of discussion questions is provided with each article.
The array of scholars in this volume indicates the important place Murray Dempster held in the lives of many in the academy. The diversity of interests represented under the umbrella of social ethics and the church will undoubtedly take his influence further and introduce his passion for Pentecostal social concerns to a new generation.
Wolfgang Vondey, Professor of Christian Theology and Pentecostal Studies, University of Birmingham, UK

How fitting to devote this festschrift to Dr. Murray Dempster, who has continued to be a consistent champion of social justice, but who began this mission before the subject was a popular theme. This work is a must-read for anyone seriously interested in the ongoing global struggle to make the church and the world more just.
Estrelda Alexander, President, William Seymour College

The essays in this volume capture many aspects of Murray Dempster’s mind and heart, and his compelling work in social ethics. They provide a fitting tribute to a scholar who has called Pentecostals to higher ground, pointing them to personal reflection and selfless actions that lead to Jesus and His Kingdom.
Cecil M Robeck, Jr, Senior Professor of Church History and Ecumenics Special Assistant to the President for Ecumenical Relations, Fuller Theological Seminary

As in all healthy family mealtime conversations, there is real dialogue, reflection, joy and lament, as we think deeply with the Spirit and long with her for peace and justice.
Kimberly Ervin Alexander, Director of Academics, Ramp School of Ministry