Please Read About Our Most Important
Project To Date
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The
Chinese Pentecostal Library Project—Promoting Pentecostal Theology in
the Chinese-Speaking World
Each
day in China 28,000 people enter a Christ-less eternity. A sustained
Pentecostal revival is needed to stop this hemorrhaging of souls in this
nation of 1.3 billion people. Your help is vital.
Observers
of the Chinese church, particularly the burgeoning house church
movement, have been impressed by its vitality and largely Pentecostal
orientation. However, the Chinese church is entering a new era, one
marked by fresh opportunities and unique challenges.
The
house churches in China are rapidly emerging from a period of forced
isolation (praise God!) and are now actively interacting with Christians
from other parts of the world. As they interact with these Christians,
Chinese Pentecostals are often confronted with new theological
perspectives and different approaches to the Bible. New questions are
being raised which demand fresh answers. Generally, this interaction
represents a healthy development.
There
is, however, a potential downside to this new opening for the Chinese
church. Their
Pentecostal experience and theology are often criticized and called into
question by their new friends.
This is particularly the case in the scholarly books many Chinese
Christians are beginning to read, books that obscure or berate the
possibility of a Pentecostal empowerment for believers. The problem is
the lack of scholarly material that is supportive of Pentecostal
theology and practice.
With
this need in view, The Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship, in
conjunction with friends serving in China, would like to publish and/or
distribute to a wider audience a number of scholarly Pentecostal books
that are currently available in Chinese. The goal is to make these
important books available to key Chinese Bible schools, libraries, and
church groups throughout the region (China, Taiwan, Hong Kong,
Singapore, and Malaysia).
We
at The Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship ask that you prayerfully
consider supporting this project. The total anticipated cost is only
$10,000. If just a few of you would give $500 or $1,000 toward this
project, we could complete it in 2010. Here are the goals:
•$2,500
– Printing of 300–500 copies of Chinese Spirit
and Power*
•$1,000
– Purchase 100 Chinese Charismatic Theology of St. Luke
•$1,000
– Purchase 100 of Aaron Zhuang's book on Pentecostal
Theology
•$1,000
– Purchase 100 of Joshua Iap’s book on Spirit-Baptism
•$2,500
– Translation and printing of 500 copies of Translating
Charismatic Terms*
•$2,000
– Distribution of books to key institutions
There
are 100 million Christians in China. Eighty million of these are
Pentecostal/ Charismatics. This project offers us a chance to support
our brothers and sisters there and to insure that the message of
the power of Pentecost is not diluted or erased in these formative years
but that it will continue to be preached and taught in the higher
circles of Chinese academia.
All
officers and board members of the Foundation are volunteers. Every cent
of your contribution will go toward the financing of this project.
(*Menzies will not accept any royalties from the sales of his books.) The
Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship, Inc., is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3)
non-profit corporation. Your contribution is tax-deductible.
You may give toward
this project by clicking on the PayPal link or mailing your check to the
address below:
The Fdn for Pentecostal Scholarship
1030 Atherton Lane, Suite 100
Woodstock, GA 30189
(you may make checks payable to TFFPS, or spell out)
TFFPS Welcomes Debut of the Journal of Biblical and
Pneumatological Research with a $1,000 Promotional Grant
 From the
forthcoming inaugural issue: "The
Journal of Biblical and
Pneumatological Research(JBPR)
is an international
peer-reviewed journal dedicated to contextually and rhetorically minded
exegesis of biblical and related texts. Topics include theological and
pneumatological interpretation; the role of spiritual experience within
authorial, canonical, and historical contexts; exploration of creative
and prophetic activities of Ruach Yahweh, Ruach Elohim;
and various identifications of the Holy Spirit within narrative
contexts. We would also hope to illuminate the influence of interpretive
presuppositions and bring to the fore the divine nature and action of
the Spirit as a person. The journal thereby hopes to stimulate new
narrative-critical exploration and discovery in potentially
under-explored areas of research."--Paul Elbert,
Editor. The journal has received a $1,000 grant from the Foundation for
promotion and support. Click here to
see the SBL ad.
For
subscription information go to: http://wipfandstock.com/journals/jbpr
The Spiritual Death of Jesus
Doctrine of the Word-faith Movement Investigated
 Leiden
(The Netherlands) publisher Brill has published TFFPS advisory board member
William P. Atkinson's The 'Spiritual Death' of Jesus: A Pentecostal
Investigation. The book is a slightly revised version of Atkinson's
doctoral dissertation performed at the University of Edinburgh.
That Jesus died spiritually
(JDS) originated with E. W. Kenyon and is a teaching of Kenneth Hagin
and Kenneth Copeland. According to the three elements of this teaching,
Jesus, in his death, was separated from God, partook of a satanic
nature, and became Satan's prey.
Atkinson's theological
appraisal takes research much further than previous works, both in
method and in scope. It concludes that adoption of JDS by Pentecostalism
would be damaging in several respects, and thus draw the latter away
from its moorings in traditional Christianity. (adapted from the back
cover)
Grant Awarded for Carrie Judd
Montgomery Research
 TFFPS
has awarded University of Birmingham (UK) student Jennifer Miskov a
grant of $1,500 for doctoral-level research into the life and theology
of Carrie Judd Montgomery.
In the late 1800s, Montgomery
was influential in the divine healing movement in America.
After her Spirit baptism experience, she became close friends or
acquaintances with William Seymour, A. B. Simpson, Aimee Semple
McPherson, Maria Woodworth Etter, and many other prominent figures. For
more information about Montgomery, please visit Miskov's blog (click
on picture). Also, Miskov has just released her first book. Please
click on the image below to learn more about Silver to Gold.
Proceeds from the sale of the book will go toward Miskov's PhD expenses.
Grant Awarded for the Seymour
Afro-Pentecostal Archive Project (SAPA)
 William
Joseph Seymour (1870-1922) was the leading figure of the 1906 Azusa
Street Revival (see TFFPS's secretary Scott Johnson's report, click
on picture). This project seeks to identify, verify, and collect
primary and secondary archival material and create a database of these
resources for historical research. It will establish a searchable
electronic catalog of the materials, including books, sermons,
periodicals, articles, tracts, hymnals, music, photographs, bulletins,
manuals, and vital statistics records.
TFFPS has awarded a grant of
$1,500 for the creation of the project's Web site. This effort is being
spearheaded by Dr. Estrelda Alexander of Regent University, who serves
as the Executive Director of The Seymour Project. SAPA is a
collaborative effort of Regent University (Virginia Beach, Virginia),
Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center (Springfield, Missouri), Dixon
Research Center (Lee University, Cleveland, Tennessee), and the Holy
Spirit Research Center (Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Oklahoma)
2009 Recipients of the Award of
Excellence
Book Category:
 This
year’s book award goes to Gordon D. Fee for his book Galatians from the Pentecostal Commentary Series (John Christopher
Thomas, general editor), published by Deo Publishing (Dorset, UK). Fee,
Emeritus Professor of New Testament, Regent College, Vancouver, Canada,
is an expert on New Testament textual criticism and exegesis. His other
books include How to Read the
Bible for All Its Worth and God’s
Empowering Presence.
Fee needs no introduction either within or outside the Pentecostal
tradition. With his customary exemplary scholarship, at once erudite and
accessible, in Galatians he meets the demands of “Pentecostal
Commentary” following the format of this series. An introduction
situating Paul’s key letter in time and space is followed by a detailed
discussion of each section of the letter, verse-by-verse commentary, and
a theological discussion with challenging questions for individual or
group study. Not only does this work function as a reference work--to
see what authoritative comment “Fee” has to make on a particular text in
Galatians--but it is a thoroughly readable book which can simply be
read straight through. It provides an illuminating account of Paul’s
message to the Galatian community, opening up the text to the modern
reader. A $500 honorarium accompanies this award.
Other
nominees
were
Paul Elbert’s Pastoral Letter to Theo: An
Introduction to Interpretation and Women’s Ministries (Wipf and
Stock Publishers); J. P. Moreland's Kingdom Triangle: Recover the
Christian Mind, Renovate the Soul, Restore the Spirit's Power; and Robby Waddell’s The Spirit of
the Book of Revelation (Deo Publishing).
 Pastoral
Letter to Theo addresses some of the fundamental concerns of recent
research into biblical interpretation by Adele Berlin and Kenneth
Archer. It also takes into account the communicative literary and
rhetorical techniques that were prominent in the Greco-Roman world when
the New Testament documents were composed. Elbert suggests that
attention to levels of context, plot, repetition, and characterization
or personification comprise a proper method for understanding a New
Testament writer's original meaning and intent.
Generally, the potentially groundbreaking thesis in much of Elbert's
work is for a literary link between the "Spirit" language in Paul's
letters and the later narrative of Luke-Acts. Specifically, A
Pastoral Letter to Theo reflects heartfelt, pastoral concerns based
on detailed contextual study of early Christianity and Christian
experience. The book contextually examines in detail several passages
pertaining to the ministry of women in missionary-minded early
Christianity and concludes that this ministry was thought to be vital
for the evangelistic enterprise.
 Kingdom
Triangle is a penetrating analysis and critique of Western
society’s dominant worldviews, naturalism and postmodernism, which
have also influenced the church. Moreland issues a bold call to reclaim
powerful kingdom living, which would include the full complement of
spiritual gifts, and influence through recovery of the Christian mind,
renovation of Christian spirituality, and restoration of the Holy
Spirit’s power.
 The
Spirit of the Book of Revelation investigates the role of the Spirit
in Revelation, which the author considers is best defined as the Spirit
of Prophecy. A survey of scholarship on the pneumatology of the
Apocalypse is followed by a study of intertextual connections. Waddell’s
own religious context within Pentecostalism then informs a possible
hermeneutic that is faithful to the ethos of the movement. Biblical and
literary studies are situated within the context of a Pentecostal
community as attention is paid to the prophecy concerning the temple and
the witnesses in Rev 11. This key passage is shown to form the
theological as well as the literary center of the Spirit’s role in
Revelation. (deopublishing.com/waddell.htm)
2009
Article Category Award Winners:
Three
Awards of Excellence for short works (with $100 honorariums) were conferred this year to the
following scholars:
 Robert
P. Menzies for “Acts 2.17–21: A Paradigm for Pentecostal
Mission,” which appeared in the Journal
of Pentecostal Theology;
 Julie
C. Ma for “Changing Images: Women in Asian Pentecostalism,”
which appeared in Philip’s
Daughters: Women in Pentecostal-Charismatic Leadership (Princeton
Theological Monograph Series, Pickwick Publications, a division of Wipf
and Stock Publishers); and
Janet
Meyer Everts for “Pentecostalism 101,” also in Philip’s
Daughters.
Kudos to Dr. David Orton and Deo
Publishing
 The Pentecostal movement owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. David E.
Orton, director and owner of Deo Publishing, for Deo’s
commitment to publish quality Pentecostal scholarship. The Foundation’s
2007 Award of Excellence was awarded to Deo’s Pentecostal Healing:
Models in Theology and Practice (deopublishing.com/alexander.htm)
by Kimberly Ervin Alexander. As seen above, two of Deo’s titles have
been nominated for the 2009 Award of Excellence. To see other Deo
titles, go to
deopublishing.com. The Foundation encourages all of those interested
in Pentecostal scholarship to support Deo in its efforts to serve the
Pentecostal movement by providing this invaluable venue of scholarship.
(Above right, Dr. Orton at Duke University, 2008 Society for Pentecostal
Studies conference)
2008 Awards of Excellence in Pentecostal Scholarship
The Foundation for Pentecostal
Scholarship (TFFPS) has conferred its “Award of Excellence” for the best
article of 2008. TFFPS co-founder and president, Robert W. Graves,
announced the award during the 2008 Conference of the Society for
Pentecostal Studies convening at Duke University, Durham, North
Carolina.
 Professor
Kenneth J. Archer, of the Church of God Theological Seminary, received
the award for his article “A Pentecostal Way of Doing Theology: Method
and Manner” (International
Journal of Systematic Theology, July 2007). The article emphasizes
the necessity of doing Pentecostal theology by means of an integrative
methodology and in a narrative manner that flows out of Pentecostal
identity. Archer argues that “Pentecostal theology must move beyond the
impasse created by subsuming its identity under the rubric of
‘Evangelical’ in order for it to articulate a vibrant, fully orbed,
mature Pentecostal theology.”
 Graves also announced that the
Foundation conferred a $1,000 research grant to Professor Archer to
pursue his project “Worshipful Witness: A Pentecostal Theology of the
Five-Fold Gospel,” a book-length elaboration of the award-winning
article. “Worshipful Witness,” according to Archer, will provide a
formative Pentecostal theology for the training of ministers, the (re)shaping
of Pentecostal communal identity, and the critical engaging of
contemporary Pentecostal theology. The eventual monograph will enter
into serious dialogue with current and diverse academic works as well as
engage academic Pentecostal publications.
2007 Awards of Excellence Conferred
The Foundation for Pentecostal
Scholarship (TFFPS)
 has conferred its 2007 Awards of Excellence for
Pentecostal scholarship. TFFPS
president, Robert W. Graves,
announced the awards during the Conference of the Society for
Pentecostal Studies at Lee University. Two book awards and one article
award were given. This year’s book award voting resulted in a tie
between
Pentecostal Healing: Models in Theology and Practice by
Kimberly Ervin Alexander, an Assistant Professor of Historical Theology
at the
Church of God Theological Seminary, and Spirit and Kingdom in the Writings of Luke and Paul:
An Attempt to Reconcile These Concepts, by Youngmo Cho, an Assemblies of
God missionary and assistant
professor of New Testament studies at Asia LIFE University (Seoul,
Korea).
<more>
2006 Awards of Excellence Conferred
|
TFFPS conferred Awards of Excellence
to four Pentecostal scholars . . .
Full Gospel, Fractured
Minds?: A |
|
|
Call to Use God’s Gift of the Intellect
wins in book category.
<more> |
TFFPS’s First Grant Conferred
  Lukan scholar presenting paper at SPS conference is the recipient of the Foundation’s first grant. <more>
WALKING AZUSA STREET
Scott Johnson, Secretary of TFFPS, filed this report
 about
the historic
centennial celebration of the Pentecostal revival that started on Azusa Street
<more>
Haya-Prats Translation Underway
 TFFPS has inked contracts with Gonzalo Haya-Prats, ThD, and Scott A. Ellington, PhD, for the translation of Haya Prats’ classic work on the Holy Spirit in Acts. <more>
Top Pentecostal Books
  The president of TFFPS shares his picks for the top ten books substantiating the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the continuation of the gifts of the Spirit. <more> | 
