Pentecostal Prophets: Experience in Old Testament Perspective
Ebook
Prophets come in many varieties--ecstatic worshipers, inspired preachers, social justice advocates, and even political pundits. Their messages vary accordingly. The purpose of this book is to dig beneath the message to understand the how. How do modern-day prophets experience the prophetic impulse? The phenomenological study at the core of this book answers that question directly by examining the experience of Canadian Pentecostals. From there, the experience of modern-day prophets is compared with Old Testament prophets, with special attention given to Jeremiah. It turns out that prophets today share in the same experience as their Old Testament predecessors.
This book can benefit three audiences. For the academy, this work provides the first phenomenological study of prophecy in Canada. For pastors, reading this book will be an exercise in empathy, placing you in the shoes of the prophets in your congregation, helping you to understand what goes on when someone prophesies. For everyday prophets, this book will affirm your connection, through Jesus, to the Old Testament prophetic tradition, enabling you to read those Old Testament books in a new experiential light.
“Stephen Barkley offers a fascinating, passion-filled, and well-written analysis of prophecy, a central aspect of the Pentecostal ethos. By exploring the phenomenon through the lenses of the Old Testament and modern-day experiences, the study sheds new light on prophetic praxis and opens new vistas for understanding both ancient and contemporary prophets.”
—Truls Åkerlund, associate professor of practical theology and leadership, Norwegian School of Leadership and Theology
“The gift and practice of prophecy is a contested topic in the church today, particularly in Pentecostal and charismatic contexts. Stephen Barkley’s book is a timely contribution to the study of prophecy. He identifies and explores the congruencies between the Hebrew prophets and the practice of prophecy in some contemporary Pentecostal communities. In doing so, he removes some of the abstruseness surrounding prophecy, instead revealing it as a vital and deeply sacramental experience.”
—Jacqueline Grey, professor of biblical studies, Alphacrucis University College
“This book is essential reading for anyone interested in charismatic prophecy. While most studies are focused on the New Testament, this book stands out by bringing the Old Testament prophets into mutually enriching dialogue with an empirical study of the contemporary phenomenon. Stephen Barkley’s pastoral concern is evident throughout and his insights will surely make significant contribution to his denomination and help shape Pentecostal praxis.”
—Dennis Lum, president, TCA College
“I found Pentecostal Prophets especially instructional, not only as a Pentecostal leader but as one who has experienced and expressed prophetic ministry for most of my life. Stephen Barkley’s phenomenological study of contemporary and Old Testament prophets that identifies textural descriptions and structural components common to the prophetic experience within circles such as our church family was instructional and insightful. It certainly stimulated me to revisit my personal journey with the prophetic in a fresh way.”
—David Wells, general superintendent, The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
“Stephen Barkley demonstrates the continuity between Old Testament prophecy and the practice of prophecy in contemporary charismatic churches. He builds the case for this correlation on careful examination of Old Testament prophetic passages and phenomenological and qualitative investigation and analysis of the contemporary practice of charismatic prophecy. Barkley makes a significant contribution to the theological understanding of biblical prophetic practice and its ongoing place in the contemporary church.”
—Steven M. Studebaker, professor of systematic and historical theology, McMaster Divinity College
- Title: Pentecostal Prophets: Experience in Old Testament Perspective
- Author: Stephen D. Barkley
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Print Publication Date: 2023
- Logos Release Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781666768046, 9781666768022, 1666768022, 9781666768039, 1666768030, 1666768049
- Resource ID: LLS:9781666768046
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-07-20T11:22:36Z
Stephen D. Barkley is the director of pastoral leadership and campus pastor at Master’s College and Seminary in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. He is an ordained minister with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada with a passion for teaching and worship.