The Spirit and the Secular: A Study on the Holy Spirit and Church Planting
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
How does one make disciples and plant the church in a secular environment? Does it take technical production? Is a great venue or “mother” church necessary? Does it take a well-networked team? Tangible factors such as these are easily remedied by consulting seasoned, church planting experts. Yet, what if some obstacles to plant the church aren’t tangible at all? The Spirit and the Secular examines the ways that Spirit-led Christians trust the Holy Spirit while church planting amidst a secular cultural backdrop. A review of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles traces a Spirit-led Christ and Spirit-led church as they make disciples. To better discern the challenge of what it means to be a contemporary church planter in Sweden, a historical review of Swedish culture reveals the rise of secularism alongside of the flourish of the Pentecostal church of the 1900s. What follows is a groundbreaking fieldwork study using a current, investigative interview method, Q-Methodology, measuring the perceptions of thirty church planters in Sweden who reveal their collective ideal and differing practices. The study wraps with a comprehensive analysis grounding the research in a theory of Spirit-led church planting.
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“This is an ambitious study that integrates biblical exegesis,
practical theology, church history, and systematic theology with
the aim of formulating a theory for mission. Swedish Pentecostalism
is a missionary movement in one of the most secularized countries
in the world. Phil Zarns’s book gives unique insights into the
lived theology of pastors and church planters in this secular and
pluralistic society. It is a vital study for anyone engaged in
mission in the modern West.”
—Joel Halldorf, Associate Professor in Church History, Stockholm
School of Theology, and author of Pentecostal Politics in a
Secular World
“Dr. Zarns is familiar with Swedish culture, language, and the
Swedish Pentecostal movement. . . . He identifies the foundational
ideas forming the logic for Pentecostal church planting. He shows
and discusses how church planters understand the role of the
Spirit. Together with this he develops a very creative method for
qualitative empirical studies. This study combines theology,
sociology, and methodology in a very important way.”
—Ulrik Josefsson, Prorector and Researcher, Academy for Leadership
and Theology, Sweden
- Title: The Spirit and the Secular: A Study on the Holy Spirit and Church Planting
- Authors: Anita Koeshall, Phil William Zarns
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Print Publication Date: 2021
- Logos Release Date: 2021
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Reader Edition
- ISBNs: 9781725269163, 9781725269149, 9781725269156, 1725269163, 1725269147, 1725269155
- Resource ID: LLS:9781725269163
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2025-10-16T06:44:36Z
Phil Zarns is Assistant Professor of Global and Theological
Studies at North Central University in Minneapolis. He has worked
with Assemblies of God World Mission and Pingst for over fifteen
years, focusing on university work, encouraging new faith
communities in all global contexts, and developing academic
endeavors. He is married to Katja, his side-by-side partner in
marriage, life, ministry of twenty-plus years. Together, they enjoy
strong cups of coffee with good conversation. Phil consistently
fails to win while playing UNO with his family.