Norming the Abnormal: The Development and Function of the Doctrine of Initial Evidence in Classical Pentecostalism by Friesen Aaron T

Author:Friesen, Aaron T. [Friesen, Aaron T.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781621895671
Publisher: Pickwick Publications, an Imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers
Published: 2013-02-18T16:00:00+00:00

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The Function of the Doctrine of Initial Evidence in the History of Classical Pentecostalism

Introduction

ALTHOUGH THE DOCTRINE OF initial evidence has been the defining doctrine of classical Pentecostals throughout much of the last century, Pentecostal scholars have recently developed some compelling new ways of conceiving of the connection between Spirit Baptism and speaking in tongues. These developments have raised some significant questions about the possibility of doctrinal reform in classical Pentecostal denominations. Has Pentecostal theology developed and progressed to the point that what is considered essential to Pentecostalism, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, ought to be formally stated differently? If so, can one uphold the authority of the Holy Spirit’s leading in the past without quenching His leading in the present?

In search of answers to these questions, developments in the field of doctrinal criticism have indicated a helpful way forward. Since the publication of George Lindbeck’s The Nature of Doctrine, much scholarly attention has been given to how the cultural and linguistic historicity of doctrinal statements might allow for changes and developments in doctrine over time without condemning past formulations as either heretical or ignorant. Lindbeck’s cultural-linguistic approach to doctrine has been criticized,537 especially for its misrepresentation and complete abandonment of other approaches to doctrine,538 inherent difficulties in determining how doctrines should be put into practice,539 and its constraining the task of Christian theology to deal only within the constructs of its own received narrative tradition.540 Yet, despite these weaknesses in Lindbeck’s approach, his cultural-linguistic categories are important for Pentecostals to consider in relation to Spirit Baptism because of the relative dependence of the doctrine upon the particular language and culture imbedded within the classical Pentecostal community.541 A cultural-linguistic approach to the doctrine of Spirit Baptism allows Pentecostal scholarship to break free from constructing apologies solely on the basis of exegetical concerns or the explanation of certain experiences (although each of these is certainly needed as well), and to understand and criticize doctrine on the basis of its performance of various functions within the classical Pentecostal community.

The Nature of Doctrine

George Lindbeck

George Lindbeck’s seminal work, The Nature of Doctrine, elaborates three basic models for understanding religious doctrines in the field of doctrinal criticism: the cognitive-propositional approach, the experiential-expressive approach, and his own cultural-linguistic approach. Though his descriptions of these approaches have been heavily criticized, his basic categories provide an excellent framework for discussing the nature of doctrine in terms of its function in the religious community. In Lindbeck’s analysis, the cognitive-propositional approach understands church doctrines to function as “informative propositions or truth claims about objective realities.” In his view, the propositionalist sees a doctrinal statement as being either true or false based on its success or failure to correspond with objective reality, a reality that is unaffected by the historical and cultural particularities from which the doctrine arose. Thus, according to Lindbeck, a propositionalist understands a doctrine that is once true (at a specific time and in a specific culture) to always be true (at any time and in any culture).

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