Teologa Pblica: Contributions to Public Theology from a Latina/o

Pentecostal Perspective
MC999 IS
Final Paper

And Jesus said to them,

Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars,
and to God the things that are Gods.
Mark 12:17

Prelude
There is no doubt that the Christian map has been remarkably transformed
by the exponential growth of the Pentecostal movement.1 The growing numbers of Pentecostal adherents,2 especially in Asia, Africa and in Latin America, has called the attention of a variety of disciplines that are looking South

1

Though we can broadly describe the global Pentecostal movement as churches

with a family resemblance that emphasize the working of the Holy Spirit, this papers focuses on classic Pentecostals. According to Allan Anderson there are three main categories that
are used to describe the global Pentecostal movement. He explains, Although not expressly
stated, presumably Pentecostal here means classical Pentecostal; Charismatic, those who
practice spiritual git s in the older Catholic and Protestant denominations (with Catholic
Charismatics forming the great majority); and Neocharismatics, all others, especially the
vast number of independent churchesperhaps two-thirds of the total. Classic Pentecostals
are those churches and denominations that trace their heritage back to the early twentieth
century revivals (specially to North America). Of the four movements characterized classic
Pentecostals, the author of situates himself within the Holiness Pentecostal heritage. Yet, I
will use Pentecostal throughout the paper instead of Classical Pentecostal. For an in-depth
look a such nuances see, Allan Anderson, Varieties, Taxonomies and Definitions in Michael
Bergunder et al., eds., Studying Global Pentecostalism: Theories and Methods, The Anthropology of Christianity 10 (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2010), 15.
2

According to Barrett et al., the number of identified Pentecostal where over six million. Moreover they projected that by 2050 there will be almost 8 million Pentecostals global
wide. David B. Barrett, Todd M. Johnson, and Peter F. Crossing, Missiometrics 2008: Reality Checks for Christian World Communions, International Bulletin of Missionary Research
32, no. 1 (January 1, 2008): 30.

and Eastward in search of answers.3 Such growth has evidently stressed the
missionary nature of Pentecostals.
Yet, this exponential growth has not presented itself without challenges. As a lived religion, Pentecostals have relied predominately on oral and
narrative tradition. This is not to say that they have been oblivious to the
use of literature, however, worship (praxis) serves as the starting point of
their theological discourse. 4 Therefore, one of the challenges is the skim
availability of Pentecostal literature on faith and the public realm.
By nature, according to Allan Anderson, the Pentecostal movement is a
missionary force.5 Notwithstanding its missionary fervor, Pentecostal theology literature, especially in North America, has given more focus to the areas
of biblical studies and systematic theology, and overshadowed their missiological proposals. In addition, the majority of the literature on missiology has
focused upon testimonies or monographs on salvation and evangelism, but
few have focused upon the relationship of mission and the public realm.6

3

For a interdisciplinary study of Pentecostalism see, Bergunder et al., Studying

Global Pentecostalism.
4

Archer states the following, The early Pentecostal way of doing theology was expressed by means of testimonies, songs, trances, inspired preaching and dance. These
marginalized people were doing theology through narrative forms. Ironically, their way of
doing theology was more consistent with the primary biblical way of presenting theology
through narrative. For more see, Kenneth J. Archer, A Pentecostal Way of Doing Theology:
Method and Manner, International Journal of Systematic Theology 9, no. 3 (July 2007):
306, doi:10.1111/j.1468-2400.2006.00244.x.
5

See Allan Anderson, Spreading Fires: The Missionary Nature of Early Pentecostalism (Maryknoll, N.Y: Orbis Books, 2007).
6

For a preliminary list of contemporary Pentecostal theologians engaging the theme

of faith and the public realm see, Amos Yong, Discerning the Spirit(s): A PentecostalCharismatic Contribution to Christian Theology of Religions, 1 edition (Sheffield: Bloomsbury

Pentecostal theology, influenced by a robust theology of sin, has

commonly overlooked the importance of constructing a sociopolitical discourse and a public intellectual. Nevertheless, this study seeks to propose
the following, if classic Pentecostal theology reinterprets its cosmology, not
through the lens of the doctrine of sin, but primarily through the doctrine of
the Holy Spirit, there are possibilities for a unique contribution within the area of public theology.
The paper will follow the ensuing structure. The first section, Pentecostals and the Public, will briefly present a historical-theological account of how
early and present Pentecostal engaged the public. This section highlights
that early Pentecostals had a more heightened sense of the public that latter
adherents. The second section will focus upon the paradigm shift that the
doctrine of the Holy Spirit brings when it informs the relation of mission and
the public realm. Special attention will be given to the importance of reframing Pentecostal cosmology through Pneumatology. Finally, Latina/o \ Pentecostals have raised one of the steady voices crying out from the wilderness,
living out the importance of the social engagement of the church within its

T&T Clark, 2000); Veli-Matti Karkkainen, Toward a Pneumatological Theology: Pentecostal
and Ecumenical Perspectives on Ecclesiology, Soteriology, and Theology of Mission (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 2002); VeliMatti Krkkinen, Pentecostal Theology
of Mission in the Making, Journal of Beliefs & Values 25, no. 2 (August 2004): 16776; Julie C Ma and Wonsuk Ma, Mission in the Spirit: Towards a Pentecostal/Charismatic Missiology (Eugene, Or.: Wipf & Stock, 2010); Amos Yong, In the Days of Caesar: Pentecostalism
and Political Theology, The Cadbury Lectures 2009 (Grand Rapids, Mich: W.B. Eerdmans
Pub. Co, 2010); Tony Richie, Toward a Pentecostal Theology of Religions: Encountering
Cornelius Today (Cleveland, TN: CPT Press, 2013). This list excludes Latina/o Pentecostals
theologians due to their centrality in the following sections.

local community and region. Thus, drawing from a two Latino/a Pentecostal
theologians, this paper proposes the construction of a Pentecostal public
theology from a Latina/o perspective.

Pentecostals and the Public

Early Pentecostalism
Two common themes that weave across the Pentecostal spectrum are:
the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the doctrine of the last days. Though each
one has its uniqueness, they are seen as continual in nature. According to
Veli-Matti Krkkinen, Pentecostals cannot talk about baptism of the Holy
Spirit without crossing into eschatology. Moreover, he adds, both have
come to occupy the center of mission theology and mission motivation.7
Such understanding is derived from the way early Pentecostals interpreted
Joel 2. Early Pentecostals understood that the revivals of the early 1900s
where the fulfillment of Joel 2 and the latter rain, which followed the first
rain of Acts 2. Consequently, they described their experience as the beginning phase of the immanent return of Christ.
The missionary zeal that Pentecostals developed in the early days of
the movement did not only thrust the pronouncement of the gospel into the
ends of the world. This is just one side of the story, one that has been well

7

Krkkinen, Pentecostal Theology of Mission in the Making, 170.

documented and vehemently criticized from some sectors. Nonetheless,

there is consensus, among scholars who studied early Pentecostalism, that
even more, early Pentecostals also developed a critical character. For Walter Hollenweger, critical means to articulate a theology which expresses, in
a true biblical way, Gods interest and love in this world without giving the
convictions that God is always beyond our experiences of God.8 In other
words, to receive the Holy Spirit was to move into compassion and service
towards others.9 Unfortunately, both, their orientation to preach the gospel
to foreign lands and the external criticism, which rose quickly after the revival, created much turmoil within the infant Pentecostal movement, and
overshadowed the social orientation of the movement.10
Pentecostals: Then and Today
In Mission in the Spirit,11 Asian Pentecostal theologians Wonsuk and
Julie Ma make an interesting point regarding Pentecostals and mission. For
the Mas, due to the renewal orientation of the Pentecostal movement, their
missionary approach may take different forms (this is depending on the in-

Walter J Hollenweger, Pentecostalism: Origins and Developments Worldwide (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2005), 202.
9

Anderson, Spreading Fires, 66.

10

For a detailed account see Bartleman and Chapter 3 in Anderson.

Frank
Bartleman, Azusa Street (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2000); Anderson, Spreading Fires.
11

Ma and Ma, Mission in the Spirit.

fluence that pre-existent movements had on them).12 North American Pentecostalism was much influenced by the Conservative wing of the Evangelical
movement. Consequently, Pentecostals did not only overshadowed some
unique socio-historical and theological roots, but they reinforced those that
where common between them and the Evangelical movement. Ma and Ma
state that product of such convergence was the heightened focus on soul
winning and eschatological urgency. Hence, any other activities that pointed to or had present connotations were not emphasized.13 In sum, faith became, primarily, a private matter that dealt with spirituality issues and did
not had any public importance.
Julie and Wonsuk understand that even though there are some common overtones within Pentecostals, they manifest three different types of
missional approaches. They described them in the following way. Mission as:
eschatological urgency; upward mobility; and integral justice.14 Eschatological urgency focuses upon the transformation of the soul and its preparedness for Christs second coming. The Charismatic and Neo-Pentecostal
movements represent mission as upward mobility. Both have not only impacted the poor and the marginalized (seeking to produce upward mobility),

12

An example of the pre-existent ties with established movements can be seen in

the history of the Church of God (Cleveland). See, Charles W. Conn, Like a Mighty Army: A
History of the Church of God, 1886-1995, Definitve ed edition (Cleveland, Tenn: Pathway
Press, 1994).
13

Ma and Ma, Mission in the Spirit, 56.

14

These are not fixed types (there is crosspollination among them), however they
serve as guiding maps. Ibid., 812.

but also they have directly impacted the middle class. The third and final
type, integral justice, is described as the act of aiming at justice in social,
economic, political, racial, gender and environmental areas. For the Mas this
will require a quantum leap on Pentecostal mission thinking and practice.15
This is why it is so important for Pentecostals to intentionally accept the
challenge of theologizing not only biblically and systematically, but also publicly informed. If mission, according to Anderson, is Pentecostalisms central,
most important activity,16 it is imperative for Pentecostals to seek both, the
peace of the soul and the peace of the city.
The response that Jesus gave to the Pharisees and Herodians, which is
recorded in Matthew 21:22 and Mark12:17, has commonly been interpreted
by Pentecostals especially by Classic Pentecostal movement as a statement for upholding the privacy of faith. In other words, what has politics to
do with Jerusalem?17 Consequently, this interpretation proposes a separation
between the realm of the God and the realm of this world. In the surface
there is some validity to such statement. After all, the world we live in, is a
broken world, which is stark contrast of what God had intended. However,
the flip side of such interpretation argues in favor of a deist God who does
not intervenes in public or this-worldly matters.

15

Ibid., 10.

16

Anderson, Spreading Fires, 65.

17

Borrowed phrase from Tertullian.

It may be so that such interpretation is founded in a strong doctrine of

sin, which sees the world as a place of despair and of no good. Hence, the
immediate action is to withdraw from the world and wait for liberation upon
its destruction. Unfortunately, this line of thought may have some tendencies towards a gnostic pronunciation rather than a Christian discourse.
Regardless of being portrayed rightly or not as escapist and anticultural, I believe that Pentecostals can (re)construct a unique Public discourse by developing it through the doctrine of the Holy Spirit . It has been
argued that due to the emphasis on premillennial doctrine, Pentecostals became escapist and alienated from social justice. However, Krkkinen understands that the lack of recognition from outsiders (or insiders) does not
mean that Pentecostals are oblivious to social concern. On the contrary,
Although Pentecostal mission is focused on evangelization; it is not to the
exclusion of social concern and never has been so.18
I believe that Krkkinen is correct when he states that it is not to the
exclusion of, however, I also believe that is correct to say that Pentecostal
theology especially in North America did not emphasized and further develop the theme of social justice as other Pentecostal theological themes.

18

Veli-Matti Krkkinen, Are Pentecostals Oblivious to Social Justice? Theological

and Ecumenical Perspectives, Missiology 29, no. 4 (October 1, 2001): 488.

Fortunately, a sector of contemporary Pentecostal scholarship has been resurfacing such important theme.19 Hence, there is hope.

Reframing Pentecostal Public Language

It is my understanding that Pentecostals have, within their history and
theology, a language that is capable of making a unique contribution in the
area of public theology. However, I also believe that such contribution will
require first, a paradigm shift in their cosmology. Amos Yong concurs with
Ma and Ma when he states that a large sector of Pentecostals aligned with
the white-dominated evangelical movement that came into organizational
prominence in 1942 with the establishment of the National Association of

19

The following is a selected list of Pentecostal scholarship dealing with theme of social justice. Eldin Villafae, The Liberating Spirit: Toward a Hispanic American Pentecostal
Social Ethic, (Grand Rapids, Mich: W.B. Eerdmans, 1993); Amos Yong, Discerning the Spirit(s): A Pentecostal-Charismatic Contribution to Christian Theology of Religions, 1 edition,
(Sheffield: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2000); Jay Beaman, Pentecostal Pacifism: The Origin,
Development, and Rejection of Pacific Belief among the Pentecostals, Reprint edition (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Pub, 2009); Amos Yong, In the Days of Caesar: Pentecostalism and
Political Theology, The Cadbury Lectures 2009 (Grand Rapids, Mich: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.
Co, 2010); Geoffrey W. Sutton and Martin William Mittelstadt, Forgiveness, Reconciliation,
and Restoration: Multidisciplinary Studies from a Pentecostal Perspective (Eugene, Or: Wipf
& Stock Pub, 2010); Nimi Wariboko, The Pentecostal Principle: Ethical Methodology in New
Spirit (Grand Rapids, Mich: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2011); Paul Alexander, Christ
at the Checkpoint: Theology in the Service of Justice and Peace (Eugene, Or: Wipf & Stock
Pub, 2012); Paul Alexander and Stanley Hauerwas, Pentecostals and Nonviolence: Reclaiming a Heritage (Eugene, Oregon: Pickwick Publications, 2012); Daniela C. Augustine, Pentecost, Hospitality, and Transfiguration: Toward a Spirit-Inspired Vision of Social Transformation (Cleveland, TN: CPT Press, 2012); Daniel Castelo, Revisioning Pentecostal Ethics The Epicletic Community (Cleveland, TN: CPT Press, 2012); Jay Beaman, Brian K. Pipkin,
and Foreword by Titus Peachy, Pentecostal and Holiness Statements on War and Peace:
(Pickwick Publications, 2013); Steven Bouma-Prediger, Blood Cries Out:Pentecostals, Ecology, and the Groans of Creation, ed. A. J. Swoboda (Pickwick Publications, 2014); Nimi Wariboko, The Charismatic City and the Public Resurgence of Religion: A Pentecostal Social Ethics of Cosmopolitan Urban Life (New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014).

Evangelicals.20 Consequently, Pentecostals domesticated (the Holy Spirit)

by the prevailing evangelical theological framework,21 standing distant from
the unique social character of the movement.22 Thus, both Yong and Ma and
Ma, are challenging their own movement to recover their unique and distinctive missional theology.
More than being a criticism to the Evangelicals, this is a wake-up call
to Pentecostal themselves. Pentecostals are not evangelicals with an additive, on the contrary; Pentecostals need to bring their unique voice. In words
of Kenneth Archer, Pentecostalism is not an an Evangelical tradition first
and foremost with the additional distinct doctrine of the Baptism in the Holy
Spirit with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues, 23 to accept such
statement is to exclude aspects of Pentecostalism that are essential to its
identity and undermine its capability to present an authentic Pentecostal
theology.24
In this regard, Pentecostal cosmology has been greatly affected by a
robust doctrine of sin (which in part is due to the influenced that preexistent movements had on Pentecostals). As a result the world is seen,
primarily, as a place of evil that will be destroyed and as a space from where

20

Amos Yong, What Spirit(s), Which Public(s)? The Pneumatologies of Global Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity, International Journal of Public Theology 7, no. 3 (July
2013): 251.
21

Ibid.

22

For an in-depth look at Yongs proposal see, Ibid.

23

Archer, A Pentecostal Way of Doing Theology, 303.

24

Ibid., 304.

10

Christians need to be separated. Such view of the world impedes Pentecostals from engaging the public. Yet, to reframe Pentecostal cosmology, primarily through the lens of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, does not mean the
undermining of doctrine of sin, but it means to be faithful to early Pentecostal imagination and a way forward in the process of contributing a distinctive
voice that will open avenues for the public engagement.
Ma and Ma are once again helpful. For them, Pentecostals will not be
capable of overcoming the blind spots in their missional theology, until they
refocus on the importance of the Holy Spirit work in creation.25 One those
blind spots are the social and the public realms. In like manner, Krkkinen
understands that creation has been neglected by Pentecostal,26 and in order to develop a sound Pneumatological missiology such theme must become central.

Latina/a Pentecostals and the Public

Our social realities are the prism by which all theologies are constructed. In other words, our reading of scripture and the theology that springs
out of that reading is socially informed. Instead of moving away from such
reality, we have to embrace it.27 Thus, this may be the reason why non
25

Ma and Ma, Mission in the Spirit, 17.

26

Karkkainen, Toward a Pneumatological Theology, 202.

27

James H. Cone, God of the Oppressed, Rev Sub edition (Maryknoll, N.Y: Orbis
Books, 1997). In this work, which follows two previous monographs, Cone underscores the
importance social-historical reality of theologian as s/he develops their theology.

11

dominant groups within the Pentecostal movement (e.g., blacks, women,

immigrants and non-Westerners) have been more open to call for a Pentecostal public language. The rest of this paper will highlight the contributions
of two Latina/o Pentecostals, Miriam Figueroa Aponte (Puerto Rican) and Daro Lpez Rodrguez (Peruvian).
Before looking at their unique contributions, let me briefly comment on
their common threads. First, their theological argument flows from their understanding that the Triune God is the creator of the world and regardless of
our present brokenness, he created us to experience shalom. Second, their
theological argument flows from their personal/communal experience of being baptized in/with the Holy Spirit. The third is the centrality of the undeniable calling of the Pentecostal community to accept her prophetic nature.
The fourth and final is the importance of manifesting the public character of
Pentecostalism. These are not isolated compartments, but are integrated
characteristics.
Pentecostals and Gender
Speaking specifically about the Puerto Rican gender reality, Miriam
Figueroa-Aponte states, it has always been an important issue in the lives
of Puerto Ricans; surrendering was part of our mindset. Thus, women,
although allowed to engage in some areas, were excluded from administra-

12

tive positions.28 Consequently, these issues of inequality have inspired postcolonial readings of scripture, bringing with them new biblical and theological
interpretations that are engaging mission in a fresh form. Figueroa is a vivid
example.
Figueroa-Aponte is a Puerto Rican pastor, educator, missionary, social
activist and theologian, committed to the issues of gender and inequalities
among Latin American women and other minorities. As a Pentecostal,
Figueroa-Aponte seeks to present a Puerto Rican pneumatological model
that develops a conscience of oppression among women in order to construct a [Pentecostal] theology that brings justice and promotes equalities
for them.29
Inequality and gender issues, according to Figueroa-Aponte, need to
be treated theologically. In other words, though it is manifested in a structural form, the root of inequality is a product of bad theology. She explains;
it was (and still is), the breath of God, his Holy Spirit, the one who breathed
life into the created order. Thus, all humanity shares the same nature.
Moreover, regarding the place of women in Gods mission, Figueroa-Aponte

28

Miriam Figueroa, Pentecostal and Female in Puerto Rico: Rising all to Pursue a
Call, in Jeanne Stevenson Moessner and Teresa Snorton, eds., Women out of Order: Risking Change and Creating Care in a Multicultural World (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2010),
195.
29

Miriam Figueroa, Aportaciones de Una Teologa Mujerista Pentecostal a La Iglesia

de Dios, Unpublished manuscript (Carolina, PR, 2013), 1.

13

adds, also this same Spirit has given us gifts in order to serve in whatever
mission the Lord appoints us.30
Figueroa-Aponte seeks to convey her message through a contextual
discipleship. On one hand, Figueroa-Aponte is appreciative of the missionary
effort by North American missionaries; however, she understands that what
they left was a foreign model. Hence, Latin Americans (Puerto Ricans in her
case) need to reconstruct and reinterpret what was left behind.31 There is
the imperative need of approaching scripture from the view of the one who
seeks freedom. The local church, according to Figueroa-Aponte, is the starting place. Justice for women [and the marginalized] should become a reality inside the church as a model for the rest of the society and not the other
way around.32 Thus, if the church came to life through the divine intervention of the Holy Spirit, she should model its source of life.
How does this missional discipleship respond to issues of inequalities
and gender? Figueroa proposes a threestep systematic model, which operates as a constant cycle. The first one is conscientization. Through conscientization the person becomes aware of the reality that is living. Until there
is no realization of a need, it is difficult to desire a new way of living. Thus,
missional discipleship works in cooperation with the person or community.

30

Figueroa, Pentecostal and Female in Puerto Rico in Moessner and Snorton, Women out of Order, 196.
31

Ibid., 201.

32

Ibid., 197.

14

The second step is the rereading of scripture. Figueroa-Aponte underscores

the importance of the Bible for Pentecostal spirituality. Thus, every theological enterprise must hold up-close the Word of God. Concerning this second
point, Figueroa-Aponte added, Rethinking of ideas, both theological and cultural, must be articulated in order to promote understanding. Understanding
is a key element for respect, which in turn will impel action towards justice.33 The final step is, reconstructing our theology. The act of reconstruction relies upon constant reflection and praxis guided by the Holy Spirit and
affirmed by the hermeneutical community. This is where some concerns may
be raised. Some may interpret that Figueroa-Apontes theological reconstruction is strictly within the women or marginalized community. Yet, her
silence regarding testing her reconstruction with other theologies does not
mean that she will not consider broadening the hermeneutical community.
She is clear in stating that equality and gender it is not only an issue of
women, but also an issue for the men and the whole church.
Pentecostalism and Socio-Politics
Pentecostals have been criticized for their eschatological urgency;
making them become silent or alien to this-worldly issues and stressing the
importance of otherworldly matters. However, there has been a shift towards the need of a public missiology that seeks to engage the socio
33

Ibid., 199. Elsewhere she expands, Justice means that women shall be considered
as equals, that their efforts and works are recognized and appreciated, and also that they
are allowed to be part of the decisions made for the church. Ibid., 200.

15

political realm. Pentecostals in the Southeastern hemisphere have developed

a strong public and political presence.
Daro Lpez-Rodrguez a respected Latin American theologian, active
voice in social issues, local pastor and the National Bishop for the Church of
God in Per recognizes the shift that is taking place among Latin American
Pentecostal churches. Yet, Pentecostals cannot be complaisant, it is necessary to continually reflect upon the social and political responsibility of the
Pentecostal churches.34 To accept this responsibility is to be defenders of
the human dignity.35 Thus, expands Lpez-Rodrguez, the defense of life
and the struggle for social justice are two legitimate forms of living in the
Spirit and concrete expressions of the social and political dimension of Christian holiness informed and modeled by the Spirit of life.36
The reason for affirming that Pentecostals should missiologically engage the socio-political realm is due to the freedom that Pentecostals experienced in the God of life. For Pentecostals who have been liberated by the
God of life from the chains of oppression which had kept them bowed in
subhuman conditions, it should not seem strange to affirm that the defense
of the dignity of all human beings, as Gods creations, becomes a concrete

34

Daro Lpez Rodrguez and Richard E. Waldrop, The God of Life and the Spirit of
Life: The Social and Political Dimension of Life in the Spirit, Studies in World Christianity 17
(January 1, 2011): 2.
35

Ibid.

36

Ibid.

16

way of living in the Spirit. 37 Hence, for Lpez-Rodrguez, just as with

Figueroa-Aponte, to become part of the Pentecostal community does not
demand withdrawal from the society, but in contrast, a boundary crossing.
This means to move from el culto (church service) and engage with the realities of the human society. In words of a fellow Pentecostal theologian, Eldin Villafae, to broaden the reach of the church and embrace the total social
order and its organizing institutions as legitimate arenas for a true holistic
Christian discipleship.38 The Pentecostal community, empowered by the Holy Spirit, is called to be an alternative society, a countercultural society, and
representatives of a new humanity in Christ.39
Much of Lpez-Rodrguez missional theology is based upon the Gospel
of Luke. For Lpez-Rodrguez, Lukes gospel presents the liberating mission
of Jesus of Nazareth as a paradigm for the individual and the collective witness of believers on all social frontiers and in all cultural contexts.40 Not only confronting the personal sin of the people, but likewise standing up
against the structures and institutions, which took advantage of the people.
Jesus mission was a problem for the established Jewish community.
Jesus association with individuals who were undervalued and excluded by

37

Ibid., 3.

38

Eldin Villafae, The Politics of the Spirit: Reflections on a Theology of Social

Transformation for the Twenty-First Century, Pneuma 18, no. 2 (September 1, 1996): 162.
39

Lpez Rodrguez and Waldrop, The God of Life and the Spirit of Life, 3.

40

Daro Lpez Rodriguez, The Liberating Mission of Jesus: The Message of the Gospel
of Luke, Pentecostals, Peacemaking, and Social Justice Series (Eugene, Ore: Pickwick Publications, 2012), 2.

17

society also explains the reasons why the representatives of the Jewish society saw the ministry of the Galilean preacher as a permanent threat to their
religious interest and their particular political interests.41 His very mission
was judgmental action towards the both the individual and the structure.
In sum, Lpez-Rodrguez challenges the church to accept Christs role.
As a church filled with the Spirit, we have to take the daily risk of being
publically identifying with the need of the society.42 For him, this is risk that
is rooted in love. The special love that God has for the excluded and the
scorned social sectors constitutes a constant missional challenge for the disciples of the crucified and risen Lord.43

Coda
The following paper has attempted to present what are the distinctive
contributions that Pentecostal theology can bring to this field of study? First
of all, I have argued that Pentecostal theology needs to stand as a unique
voice, and through its history and theological distinctive reaffirm their public
language. Second, I also stated that through a revision of their cosmology
Pentecostal public missiology could bring a Pneumatological insight that has
not been lacking. Third, such theological responsibility does not only fall in
the shoulders of the theologian, but as Figueroa-Aponte and Lpez-Rodrgez

41

Ibid., 20.

42

Ibid., 22.

43

Ibid., 24.

18

affirmed, the local church, the Pentecostal community, is called to be an

embodiment of God to the world. Finally, the paper presented two concrete
examples of how Pentecostal scholarship is moving into a Public missiology.
Finally, the Latin American missional landscape is a fertile ground. Not
only that there is increasing room in terms of exploring new missional
themes, but there is also a need for fresh Latin American methodological approach to mission. May God move the hearts of the Pentecostal church to
live as a Pentecost community that embodies his presence publicly and constantly.

19

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