Now that some time has passed, both books are available as paperbacks (and ebooks) for around US$40.

T&T Clark Handbook of Pneumatology, edited by Daniel Castelo and Kenneth Loyer.

Just shy of 370 pages, this book contains 37 essays on the Holy Spirit. They cover different section of the Bible, key themes in pneumatology (like the Spirit and science or ecology), essays that highlight the emphases that different church traditions make regarding the Spirit, and perceptions from different ethnicities and different parts of the globe. The multiple perspectives in this rich resource will help people understand things about the Holy Spirit that they one might not have learned from their own church experiences.

I was invited to contribute the essay in this book titled ”Charismatic Perspectives on the Holy Spirit” (available online here). In it, I discuss various understandings of Spirit baptism among Charismatic traditions and how Charismatic Christians think about the spiritual gifts and other experiences of the Spirit. My affirmation of much of charismatic theology comes with a caution that “it would be a mistake to think that God has given gifts of the Spirit only to those within the charismatic movement” (p. 267).

The Routledge Handbook of Pentecostal Theology, edited by Wolfgang Vondey.

While not strictly a book on the Holy Spirit, since the 42 essays in this 465-page volume reflect Pentecostal theology, the Holy Spirit is prominent throughout the book. To me, the most exciting parts are the 14 essays on core doctrines (Part 4) and the 12 essays (part 5) that look at various issues in theology—like art and aesthetics, disability, and ecotheology—all with much focus on the Holy Spirit. Like the above volume, this volume will expand readers awareness of the work of the Spirit.

In this volume, I contributed the chapter on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. I observe how Pentecostals affirm the historic Christian doctrine of the Spirit as a divine person—but in their own unique way. Building on this foundation leads me to explain how Pentecostals view the Spirit as the intensifying and eschatological presence of God.

I commend both of these excellent volumes to you for your learning and growth!

You might also be interested in these posts:

• The Holy Spirit and Leadership: 7 Biblical and Theological Observations
• What about Tongues? Spirit baptism in the PAOC’s Proposed Statement of Faith
• What’s Wrong with Songs that Worship the Holy Spirit?

Andrew K. Gabriel, Ph.D., is the author/editor of six books, including Simply Spirit-Filled: Experiencing God in the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit. He is a theology professor at Horizon College & Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.

The post Two New and Important Books on the Holy Spirit appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.

“ Which book cover do you like best?

Andrew K. Gabriel, Ph.D., is the author of Simply Spirit-Filled: Experiencing God in the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit (forthcoming) as well as three academic books, including The Lord is the Spirit. He is a theology professor at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.

The post Which book cover do you like best? appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.

As I prepare to write the essay, I’m wondering if you might be able to help me out by answering this question: What is Pentecostal pneumatology?

Obviously I have my own ideas about how I will answer this question (or I wouldn’t have been asked to write the chapter!). But, I am curious to also hear how others would answer the question.

But, here’s the kicker. There is already a distinct and separate chapter on Spirit baptism in the book. So, your answer can’t be the obvious: “Spirit baptism!” There are also separate chapters in the book on sanctification and healing. So…

“ What is Pentecostal pneumatology? What do you think?

You might also be interested in these posts:

• What Questions do you (or Others) Have About the Holy Spirit?
• My Two New Publications on the Holy Spirit
• The Holy Spirit is not a “He”

Andrew K. Gabriel, Ph.D., is the author of Simply Spirit-Filled: Experiencing God in the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit  as well as three academic books, including The Lord is the Spirit. He is a theology professor at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.

The post What is Pentecostal Pneumatology? Can You Help Me Out? appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.

I need to figure out a book title in the next day or two.

Can you help?

>>>>> UPDATE: Thank you to those who gave me feedback. The poll below is now closed. <<<<<

Although I had suggested a title to the publisher, I was well aware that they would suggest titles that they like better. But, of their suggestions, we aren’t sure which title is best.

Here are the two options:

1) Simply Charismatic: Experiencing God through the Holy Spirit

I have no problem with saying that Pentecostals are “charismatic,” but many Pentecostals are not. So, my concern is that this title will turn many Pentecostals away.

2) Simply Spirit-filled: Experiencing God through the Holy Spirit

“Spirit-filled” is a term that both Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians would be comfortable with. The drawback with the term, however, is that “Spirit-filled” is used by just about every Christian, whether or not they are Charismatic. So, for example, Charles Stanley even has a book called “The Spirit-filled Life” (but it is a very different book from mine!).

I also wonder if “Spirit-filled” is just too common a word.

If you need, you can read a little more info about the content of my book here.

Please respond at the poll here: 
UPDATE: Thank you to those who gave me feedback. The poll is now closed.

The publisher has decided on the title listed in my author bio below.

Andrew K. Gabriel, Ph.D., is the author of Simply Spirit-Filled: Experiencing God in the Presence and Power of the Holy Spirit (forthcoming) as well as three academic books, including The Lord is the Spirit. He is a theology professor at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.

The post I need your HELP with my BOOK TITLE! appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.

I submitted my manuscript earlier this month, and the book is tentatively scheduled to come out in about a year.

Even though I’ve already published a few books, this one feels like my first because it is the first one I have written for a general Christian audience—pastors, lay people, and undergraduate students. So, I’m pretty excited about it!

Description

Touched by God will open your eyes to the wind of the Spirit, to its powerful gusts and to its breezes that blow so gently we are often not conscious of its stirring. This book will satisfy your questions about experiencing the Holy Spirit and reveal what it truly means to be spiritual. This is a book that nudges Spirit-experience junkies toward discernment and steers skeptics toward experiencing the Holy Spirit as more than just idly dwelling within them.

 

“ Read here about Andrew Gabriel’s forthcoming book, “Touched by God: Experiencing the Holy Spirit”

Endorsements

• “Delivered from an honest and often humorous firsthand perspective… this book will help the church encounter God in a powerful new way.”
  • Samuel Rodriguez, President, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, and author of Be Light

• “All pastors across the pentecostal and charismatic movement should read this book so they can lead their congregations more effectively into the 21st century.”
  • Amos Yong, Professor of Theology and Mission, Fuller Theological Seminary

• “Andrew has a wonderful way of blending theology and application so that each reader will be more aware of the Holy Spirit in both the scriptures and daily living.”
  • Sarah Bowling, Co-host on the TV show Today with Marilyn and Sarah and author of In Step with the Spirit.

• “Andrew brings wholeness, passion, and wisdom to a reader’s understanding of life in the Spirit.”
  • David Wells, General Superintendent, Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada

• “This marvelous book will bring clarity to confusion, and it will explain the legitimate life in the Spirit to those afraid of excess.”
  • Brian C. Stiller, Global Ambassador, The World Evangelical Alliance

• “This book is clearly and concisely written and should prove immensely helpful to all believers…I highly recommend it.”
  • Sam Storms, author of Practicing the Power: Welcoming the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Your Life

• “Andrew Gabriel presents a ‘skeptic/junkie’ dialectic . . . in terms of a refreshing spiritual maturity that engages the Spirit without abusing Him.”
  • Jim Cantelon, TV-Host of Jim Cantelon Today.

• “This book will be an appreciated resource to the Pentecostal church.”
  • Tim Hill, General Overseer, Church of God (Cleveland, TN)

• “Gabriel writes with pastoral insight and personal experience while drawing on the depths of scholarship in a way that all Christians can benefit.”
  • George O. Wood, former General Superintendent, Assemblies of God

You might also be interested in these posts:

• Spirit Baptism in Current Pentecostal Theology: Part 2 – Amos Yong
• The Gifts of the Spirit are not Limited to Charismatics (a video)
• Is Speaking in Tongues Only for a Few? Only for the Gifted?

Andrew K. Gabriel, Ph.D., is the author of Touched by God: Experiencing the Holy Spirit (forthcoming) as well as three academic books, including The Lord is the Spirit. He is a theology professor at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.

The post Book Publisher Announcement: Touched by God appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.

“Changes in Clergy Belief and Practice in Canada’s Largest Pentecostal Denomination.”

You can download the article here.

Most readers will be most interested in the second part of the article, which discusses overall changes over the last 30 years. For your convenience, much of the key information can be found in charts. See especially the tables on p. 472-474.

Until recently, I had actually missed seeing that this article had come out. The article appeared in Pneuma: The Journal for the Society of Pentecostal Studies vol. 39 (2017): 457-481. (I am required to include a link to their web page here.)

Here is the abstract for the article:

In 1985/86, Carl Verge conducted a survey of clergy belief and practice within The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (paoc). In 2014, Adam Stewart and Andrew Gabriel conducted a follow-up survey of paoc clergy to determine if any changes to belief and practice had occurred within this group during the last three decades. In this article we, first, describe the methodologies used in both surveys, second, compare and discuss the relationship between graduate education in religion and clergy belief and practice in 1985/86 and 2014, and, third, describe the overall decrease that has occurred in clergy commitment to traditional Pentecostal belief and practice since 1985/86. Finally, we conclude by proposing a theoretical framework developed by the sociologist of religion Peter Berger that helps to explain the change in commitment to traditional modes of pentecostal belief and practice among paoc clergy as part of much broader realignments occurring across numerous religious traditions in late modern society.

“ How are Canadian Pentecostal Clergy Changing? Find out here!

Keywords

Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada – clergy – belief – practice – religion and education – religious change – Peter L. Berger – Danièle Hervieu-Léger

Other Research

You can find other research we have published based on the same survey here on our research web page.

You might also be interested in these posts:

• History of the PAOC Statement of Faith
• What is a Pentecostal?: On PAOC Pentecostal Identity
• Updating the PAOC Statement of Faith: Gender and Language

Andrew K. Gabriel, Ph.D., is the author of Touched by God: Experiencing the Holy Spirit (forthcoming) as well as three academic books, including The Lord is the Spirit. He is a theology professor at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.

The post How are Canadian Pentecostal Clergy Changing? appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.

Andrew K. Gabriel, Ph.D., is the author of Touched by God: Experiencing the Holy Spirit (forthcoming) as well as three academic books, including The Lord is the Spirit. He is a theology professor at Horizon College and Seminary and serves on the Theological Study Commission for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. You can follow him on Facebook or on Twitter.

The post The Gifts of the Spirit are not Limited to Charismatics [Video] appeared first on Andrew K. Gabriel.

The PAOC’s SOFET has seen many changes. Some of these changes reflect reaffirmations of previous beliefs, while some reflect changing beliefs in the PAOC. This short article outlines a brief history of the PAOC’s SOFET. It appeared in the Spring 2017 issue of Enrich: The Leadership Magazine of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada.

Click on the picture or here to view the article.

*Posted here with permission.

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“Changing Conceptions of Speaking in Tongues and Spirit Baptism Among Canadian Pentecostal Clergy,” with Adam Stewart and Kevin Shanahan. Canadian Journal of Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity 7 (2016): 1-24.

In the same volume, you can find responses to my article from PAOC General Superintendent David Wells, Randy Holm, and Van Johnson, in their essay “The End of Tongues? A Conversation with Gabriel, Stewart and Shanahan.”

The paper and responses were initially presented at the Society for Pentecostal Studies in March of 2016.

Here is a summary of my paper:

In 2014, a strong majority of clergy within the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC) agreed that speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of Spirit baptism, but less than half agreed that tongues speech is a necessary component of Spirit baptism. This represents a significant departure from a generation ago. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative data, this article describes the specific nature of the transformation of Pentecostalism’s central theological and ritual component among PAOC clergy and presents two arguments. First, sociologically we argue that the changing views of PAOC clergy regarding the relationship of tongues speech to Spirit baptism are the result of their participation in the broader generic evangelical subculture, which promotes the adoption of a common evangelical religious identity and experience. Second, historically we argue that, rather than representing a simple capitulation to modern influences, this change, if even unintentionally, shows some similarity to both early American and Canadian Pentecostal views regarding Spirit baptism.

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Update to my previous post.

The following publication is now available to read online at googlebooks (it’s free!).

Andrew Gabriel. “Pneumatological Insights for the Attributes of the Divine Loving,” in Third Article Theology: A Pneumatological Dogmatics, edited by Myk Habets, 39-53. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Academic, 2016.

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