Over the past century, the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements have transformed the global Christian landscape with their emphasis on personal encounters with God. In this rigorous work, Andersen explains how Pentecostal experiences can also serve as a genuine source for Christian theology. Theology tends to draw upon traditional sources, those of Scripture, tradition and reason. Andersen brilliantly highlights how all these sources relate to the religious experiences, and how they all influence each other reciprocally in systematic theology. Through developing key criteria of how to evaluate these experiences, this book examines in detail what positive role Christian affections play in theological work and reflection processes. Highlighting the interplay between emotions and beliefs, the author combines Pentecostal theology of Christian affections with neuroscience and the somatic marker hypothesis. Finally, the book makes a cumulative case for the reliability of Pentecostal experiences of God. It synthesises arguments from the philosophy of religion to suggest a nuanced proposal of their distinct theological contribution as manifestation beliefs that represent relational and personal knowledge of God.

Autorentext
John Daniel L. Andersen is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at the Norwegian School of Leadership and Theology, Norway.

Inhalt

Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
Articles reprinted with permission

Introduction

Part I

1. The Turn to Pentecostal Experience

2. The Point of Departure and the Problem of Disagreement

   Part II

3. Experience and the Wesleyan Quadrilateral
4. The Problem of Conflicting Date of Experience
5. On Religious Emotions and Their Theological Value

6. Mediated Immediacy and the Distinct Theological Contribution of Christian Experiences of God

   Part III

7. Contributions to Pentecostal Systematic Theology
8. Pentecostal Experiences as a Source for Systematic Theology

9. Final Reflections

   Conclusion

   Afterword
   Bibliography
   Index