Evangelical, Sacramental, and Pentecostal: Why the Church Should Be All Three
Overview
Evangelical. Sacramental. Pentecostal.
Christian communities tend to identify with one of these labels over the other two. Evangelical churches emphasize the importance of Scripture and preaching. Sacramental churches emphasize the importance of the eucharistic table. And pentecostal churches emphasize the immediate presence and power of the Holy Spirit. But must we choose between them? Could the church be all three?
Drawing on his reading of the New Testament, the witness of Christian history, and years of experience in Christian ministry and leadership, Gordon T. Smith argues that the church not only can be all three, but in fact must be all three in order to truly be the church. As the church navigates the unique global challenges of pluralism, secularism, and fundamentalism, the need for an integrated vision of the community as evangelical, sacramental, and pentecostal becomes ever more pressing. If Jesus and the apostles saw no tension between these characteristics, why should we?
Key Features
- Calls on churches to embrace different facets as a whole, rather than segmenting themselves
- Discusses the importances of integrating multiple perspectives to be a more balanced church
Contents
- The Extraordinary Invitation of John 15:4
- Luke–Acts: The Spirit and the Life of the Church
- The Grace of God: Evangelical, Sacramental, and Pentecostal
- The Evangelical Principle
- The Sacramental Principle
- The Pentecost Principle
- Conclusion: Some Observations and a Case Study
Top Highlights
“the apostles teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Page 32)
“the stunning revelation that there are not two but three” (Page 11)
“‘The purpose, center,2 and interpretive key to Scripture is Jesus Christ.’ Quite simply, the Bible only has meaning in light of the Christ event, and we read the Scriptures as those who are in dynamic fellowship with Christ, who is Lord of the church.” (Page 65)
“with the incarnation, the very matter that God created is a means of grace by which creation is healed” (Page 17)
“can we be pentecostal, evangelical, and sacramental?” (Page 3)
Praise for the Print Edition
This book should awaken us from our churchly slumbers. The evangelical, sacramental, and pentecostal streams of Christianity celebrate different things, but we should not think of them, argues Gordon Smith, as competing alternatives. Rather, each of these traditions highlights something essential to full-orbed and flourishing Christian experience. We can no longer afford to pick one favorite while neglecting what the others have to offer. This is a provocative call for a fresh ecumenical synergy—for weaving all these elements together into something stronger and better than the older, isolating silos were able by themselves to deliver. Ever the pastor-theologian, Smith concludes with some practical proposals for moving us in this right direction.
—Glen G. Scorgie, professor of theology and ethics, Bethel Seminary San Diego
Christians often live in a state of spiritual malnourishment, choosing exclusively between the Word, sacraments, or renewal by the Spirit. In this timely pastoral appeal to overcome historical and theological divisions, Gordon T. Smith invites believers to be drawn into the fullness of life—fellowship with the living God—by embracing the divinely appointed means of grace.
—Jeffrey W. Barbeau, professor of theology, Wheaton College
Product Details
- Title: Evangelical, Sacramental, and Pentecostal: Why the Church Should Be All Three
- Author: Gordon T. Smith
- Publisher: IVP Academic
- Publication Date: 2017
- Pages: 140
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Topic: Modern Church
Gordon T. Smith (PhD, Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University) is the president of Ambrose University and Seminary in Calgary, Alberta, where he also serves as professor of systematic and spiritual theology. He is an ordained minister with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and a teaching fellow at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia. He is the author of many books, including Institutional Intelligence, Courage and Calling, Called to Be Saints, and Evangelical, Sacramental, and Pentecostal.