Pentecostal Theological Education in the Majority World, Volume 1

There remains a considerable gap in discussion of Pentecostal theological education in and by the Majority World. This volume seeks to fill that gap and offer ways for such conversations to progress among educators and institutions globally. Theological education may be conceived in broad terms as inclusive of discipleship within the local church, for instance, yet the phrase is used in this volume regarding formal engagement within higher education that is specifically focused on theological development and discipleship within the academic disciplines. This volume takes up an initial foray into the narrow approach in seeking to address those persons, institutions and organizational bodies concerned with the graduate/post-graduate levels of theological education with the intent of a following volume more specific to the undergraduate (bachelor's and certificate) levels of higher education. The further intent is to include a third volume on non-formal theological education, which is critical for the continuance of the global Pentecostal/Charismatic revival. The collection of essays included in this volume represent a diverse authorship globally as seeking to address pertinent issues of Pentecostal theological education in the Majority World. The opening contributions by Gary Munson, Vee J. Doyle-Davidson, and Amos Yong offer introductory observations and underlying theological and socio-cultural underpinnings for better engaging Pentecostal theological education in the Majority World. Dave Johnson and Josfin Raj each carry the conversation into areas of advancing research engagement and maturation that may be imported, local or globalized, and make good use of the tools available in each context. The three chapters by Daniel Topf, Peter White, and Jeremiah Campbell provide histories and prospective futures in several Majority World contexts across regions of Africa and Latin America. A volume such as this would be remiss to not have a contribution speaking to the role of the Holy Spirit in theological education. Temesgan Kahsay provides just such an essay that seeks to consider ways in which the Spirit has and ought to be more directly engaged through the educational processes. The volume is rounded out by the chapter of Dean D. O'Keefe and Jacqueline N. Grey that provides some biblical theological reflections drawn from the exilic and post-exilic texts of the Old Testament as bases for reflecting upon Pentecostal practices in conversation with Scripture.