The Church Militant: Spiritual Warfare in the Anglican Charismatic Renewal

by Graham R. Smith, Mark J. Cartledge (Foreword by)

Overview

A worldview of "spiritual warfare" is widely held among charismatics and Pentecostals, but it has been criticized for producing paranoia and denying personal responsibility. It is less well known that the term was first used in print around 1970 by Anglican charismatics. What did it mean to them then, and what are the practical effects of their worldview? Should we now be adopting a more sophisticated ontology of evil, such as Nigel Wright's "non-ontological realist" view or Amos Yong's "apophatic theology" of the demonic, rather than the traditional one that Satan and demons are real ontological entities? This practical theological study begins with a study of Anglican charismatic pioneers, and an in-depth case study of a charismatic Anglican congregation, before grappling with the ontological question in dialogue with Wright (together with Barth and Walter Wink), Yong, and Gregory Boyd. A fresh engagement with the biblical texts then argues for a positive, realist ontology for rebellious demonic powers and presents a Trinitarian model of spiritual warfare praxis that emphasizes personal responsibility and promotes freedom from fear.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781498229449
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	11/08/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	290
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

REV'D DR GRAHAM SMITH is Team Vicar in Bushbury parish, Wolverhampton, UK.
REV'D DR GRAHAM SMITH is Team Vicar in Bushbury parish, Wolverhampton, UK.

Mark J. Cartledge is Director of the Centre for Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies at the University of Birmingham, UK. He is interested in contemporary Pentecostal theology and empirical studies of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity. His most recent book is entitled: Testimony in the Spirit: Rescripting Ordinary Pentecostal Theology (Ashgate, Ordinary Pentecostal Theology (2010).

Table of Contents

Foreword Mark J. Cartledge vii

Acknowledgments xi

1 Introduction 1

2 Anglican Charismatic Spiritual Warfare in Historical Perspective 24

3 The Origins and Development of Charismatic Spiritual Warfare: A Study of Some Anglican Pioneers 49

4 Spiritual Warfare in the Charismatic Anglican Context: A Case Study 81

5 Nigel Wright: The Ontology of Evil 124

6 Amos Yong: A Triadic Metaphysics of the Demonic 146

7 Gregory Boyd: A Spiritual Warfare Worldview 165

8 Constructing a Charismatic Theology of Spiritual Warfare 183

9 Conclusion and Recommendations for Praxis 240

Appendix 1 Interview Questions for Pioneer Leaders 247

Appendix 2 Analysis of Pioneers' Warfare Theology and Praxis 251

Appendix 3 Case Study Protocol 254

Appendix 4 Case Study Category Analysis 258

Bibliography 265