At the World Council of Churches Assembly in Canberra, Australia, in 1991, the theme of the Holy Spirit's presence and activity in creation led to discussion of “spirits,” stimulated particularly by the plenary presentation of Chung Hyun Kyung. The term was variously understood to refer to evil spirits in the New Testament tradition, the spirits of traditional religions, or as a metaphor for sociopolitical structures. The discussion caused considerable controversy and was dismissed by some as syncretistic. At the same time, it suggested a new framework for missiology in a plural world. In this paradigm discernment of spirits will be crucial.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AndersonAllan1991Moya: The Holy Spirit in an African Context.Pretoria: University of South Africa.
2.
ArnoldClinton E.1992Powers of Darkness: A Thoughtful Biblical Look at an Urgent Challenge Facing the Church.Leicester, UK: InterVarsity.
3.
ArnoldClinton E.1996“Returning to the Domain of the Powers: Stocheia as Evil Spirits in Galatians 4.3, 9.”Novum Testamentum38 (1): 55–76.
4.
BerkhofHendrikus1962 [1953] Christ and the Powers.YoderJohn Howard, trans. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press.
5.
BevansStephen B.1998“God Inside Out: Toward a Missionary Theology of the Holy Spirit.”International Bulletin of Missionary Research22 (3): 102–105.
6.
BevansStephen B.1998a“Jesus, Face of the Spirit: Reply to Dale Bruner.”IBMR 22/3 (July). Pp. 108–109.
7.
BoschDavid J.1991Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission.Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.
8.
BobrinskoyBoris1989“The Holy Spirit—in the Bible and the Church.”Ecumenical Review41 (3): 357–362.
9.
CairdG. B.1956Principalities and Powers: A Study in Pauline Theology.Oxford, UK: Clarendon. Casaldáliga, Pedro.
10.
CairdG. B.1990“Fire and Ashes in the Wind.” In To the Wind of God's Spirit: Reflections on the Canberra Theme. Emilio Castro, comp. Pp. 1–2. Geneva, Switzerland: WCC.
ChanSimon1994“Jürgen Moltmann's The Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation: A British Appraisal.”Journal of Pentecostal Theology4 (April): 35–40.
13.
ChungHyun Kyung1988“‘Han-pu-ri’;: Doing Theology from a Korean Women's Perspective.”Ecumenical Review40 (1): 27–36.
14.
ChungHyun Kyung.1991“Come, Holy Spirit—Renew the Whole Creation.” In Signs of the Spirit: Official Report of the Seventh Assembly of the WCC, Canberra, 1991.KinnamonMichael, ed. Pp. 37–47. Geneva, Switzerland: WCC.
15.
ChungHyun Kyung.1994“Ecology, Feminism and African and Asian Spirituality: Towards a Spirituality of Eco-Feminism.” In Ecotheology: Voices from South and North.HallmanDavid G., ed. Pp. 175–178. Geneva, Switzerland: WCC.
16.
ClapsisEmmanuel1989“The Holy Spirit in the Church.”Ecumenical Review41/3 (July), 339–47.
17.
CoxHarvey1996Fire from Heaven: The Rise of Pentecostal Spirituality and the Reshaping of Religion in the Twenty-First Century.London, UK: Cassell.
18.
CWME: World Conference on Mission and Evangelism1980Your Kingdom Come: Mission Perspectives: Report on the World Conference on Mission and Evangelism, Melbourne, Australia, 12–25 May, 1980.Geneva, Switzerland: WCC.
19.
DunnJames D.G.1998The Christ and the Spirit: Collected Essays. Vol. 2, Pneumatology.Edinburgh, UK: T&T Clark.
20.
DuraisinghChristopher, ed. 1998Called to One Hope: The Gospel in Diverse Cultures. Report of the Conference of the CWME, Salvador, Brazil, 1996.Geneva, Switzerland: WCC.
21.
EOOOC: Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Consultation, Crete, Nov.–Dec.1989 1990 “Orthodox Reflections on the Assembly Theme.” In To the Wind of God's Spirit: Reflections on the Canberra Theme. Emilio Castro, comp. Pp. 87–98. Geneva, Switzerland: WCC.
22.
FungRaymond1993“The Spirit World.” In Beyond Canberra: Evangelical Responses to Contemporary Ecumenical Issues.RoBong RinNichollsBruce J., eds. Pp. 60–63. Oxford, UK: Regnum.
23.
GorringeT. J.1990Discerning Spirit: A Theology of Revelation.London, UK: SCM; Philadelphia, PA: Trinity.
24.
GunkelHermann1979 [1888] The Influence of the Holy Spirit: The Popular View of the Apostolic Age and the Teaching of the Apostle Paul.HarrisvilleRoy A.QuanbeckPhilip A.II, trans. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress.
25.
HiebertPaul G.1982“The Flaw of the Excluded Middle.”Missiology10 (1): 35–47.
26.
HockenPeter D.1981“A Survey of the Worldwide Charismatic Movement.” In The Church Is Charismatic: The World Council of Churches and the Charismatic Renewal.BittlingerArnold, ed. Pp. 117–147. Geneva, Switzerland: WCC.
27.
HollenwegerWalter1972The Pentecostals.WilsonR. W., trans. London, UK: SCM.
28.
HollenwegerWalter1997Pentecostalism: Origins and Developments Worldwide.Peabody, MA: Hendrickson.
29.
HübnerHans1989“The Holy Spirit in Holy Scripture.”Ecumenical Review41 (3): 324–338.
30.
ICWE: International Congress on World Evangelization1990Proclaim Christ Until He Comes: Calling the Whole Church to Take the Whole Gospel to the Whole World: Report of Lausanne II in Manila, International Congress on World Evangelization, 1989.DouglasJ. D., ed. Minneapolis, MN: World Wide Publications.
31.
JanelliRoger L.JanelliDawnhee Yim1982Ancestor Worship and Korean Society.Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.
32.
KimKirsteen2000“Post-Modern Mission: A Paradigm Shift in David Bosch's Theology of Mission?”International Review of Missions89 (353): 172–79.
33.
KimKirsteen2003Mission in the Spirit: The Holy Spirit in Indian Christian Theologies.Delhi, India: ISPCK.
34.
KimSebastian C.H.1998“Eco-Theology and Mission.” In Ecological Challenge and Christian Mission: Papers of CMS Consultation, Union Biblical Seminary, Pune, 1997.MarakKrickwin C.AghamkarAtul Y., eds. Pp. 211–231. Delhi: ISPCK and CMS.
35.
KingTso Man1991“Theological Controversy in Canberra: A Reflection.”International Review of Missions80 (319–320): 355–360.
36.
KinnamonMichael, ed. 1991Signs of the Spirit: Official Report of the Seventh Assembly of the WCC, Canberra, 1991.Geneva, Switzerland: WCC.
37.
KnitterPaul F.1995One Earth, Many Religions: Multifaith Dialogue and Global Responsibility.Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.
38.
KraftCharles H.1992“Allegiance, Truth and Power Encounters in Christian Witness.” In Pentecost, Mission and Ecumenism: Essays on Intercultural Theology: Festschrift in Honour of Prof. Walter J. Hollenweger.JongeneelJan A. B., ed. Pp. 215–230. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
39.
KuzmicPeter1994“Jürgen Moltmann's The Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation: A British Appraisal.”Journal of Pentecostal Theology4 (April): 17–24.
40.
MacchiaFrank D.1994“Jürgen Moltmann's The Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation: A British Appraisal.”Journal of Pentecostal Theology4 (April): 25–33.
41.
McAlpineThomas H.1991Facing the Powers: What Are the Options?Monrovia, CA: MARC.
42.
MoltmannJürgen1990“The Scope of Renewal in the Spirit.” In To the Wind of God's Spirit: Reflections on the Canberra Theme. Emilio Castro, comp. Pp. 31–39. Geneva, Switzerland: WCC.
43.
MoltmannJürgen1992The Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation.KohlMargaret, trans. London, UK: SCM. Newbigin, Lesslie.
44.
MoltmannJürgen1990Come, Holy Spirit, Renew the Whole Creation. Selly Oak Colleges Occasional Paper No. 6. Birmingham: Selly Oak Colleges.
45.
MoltmannJürgen1994“Reply to Konrad Raiser.”International Bulletin of Missionary Research18 (3): 51–52.
46.
OleskaMichael J.1990“The Holy Spirit's Action in Human Society: An Orthodox Perspective.”International Review of Missions79 (515): 311–337.
47.
Osei-BonsuJoseph1989“The Spirit as Agent of Renewal: The New Testament Testimony.”Ecumenical Review41 (3): 454–460.
48.
PutneyMichael E.1991“Come, Holy Spirit, Renew the Whole Creation: Seventh Assembly of the World Council of Churches.”Theological Studies52 (Dec): 607–635.
49.
RaiserKonrad1989“The Holy Spirit in Modern Ecumenical Thought.”Ecumenical Review41 (3): 375–387.
50.
RayanSamuel1979Breath of Fire—The Holy Spirit: Heart of the Christian Gospel.London, UK: Geoffrey Chapman.
51.
RoBong Rin1993“Theological Debates in Korea after Canberra.” In Beyond Canberra: Evangelical Responses to Contemporary Ecumenical Issues.RoBong RinNichollsBruce J., eds. Pp. 53–59. Oxford, UK: Regnum.
52.
RobeckCecil M.1993A Pentecostal Reflects on Canberra.” In Beyond Canberra: Evangelical Responses to Contemporary Ecumenical Issues.RoBong RinNichollsBruce J., eds. Pp. 108–120. Oxford, UK: Regnum.
53.
RobinsonH. Wheeler1928The Christian Experience of the Holy Spirit.Digswell Place, Welwyn, Herts, UK: James Nisbet.
54.
RosatoPhilip J.1989“The Mission of the Spirit within and beyond the Church.”Ecumenical Review41 (3): 388–397.
55.
SamarthaS. J.1981“Milk and Honey—without the Lord?”National Christian Council Review101 (12): 662–671.
56.
SamarthaS. J.1990“The Holy Spirit and People of Other Faiths.” In To the Wind of God's Spirit: Reflections on the Canberra Theme. Emilio Castro, comp. Pp. 50–63. Geneva, Switzerland: WCC.
57.
SchweizerEduard1989“On Distinguishing between Spirits.”Ecumenical Review41 (3): 406–415.
58.
StibbeMark W.G.1994“Jürgen Moltmann's The Spirit of Life: A Universal Affirmation: A British Appraisal.”Journal of Pentecostal Theology4 (April): 5–16.
59.
ThomasM. M.1990“The Holy Spirit and the Spirituality for Political Struggles.”Ecumenical Review42 (3–4): 216–224.
60.
UkpongJustin1989“Pluralism and the Problem of the Discernment of Spirits.”Ecumenical Review41 (3): 416–425.
61.
VolfMiroslav1994“The Unique Christ in the Challenge of Modernity.” In The Unique Christ in Our Pluralist World.NichollsBruce J., ed. Pp. 96–106. Carlisle, UK: Paternoster, for World Evangelical Fellowship.
62.
WagnerC. Peter1989“Territorial Spirits and World Missions.”Evangelical Missions Quarterly25 (3): 278–288.
63.
WelkerMichael1994God the Spirit.HoffmeyerJohn F., trans. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.
64.
WilsonFrederick R., ed. 1990The San Antonio Report: Your Will Be Done—Mission in Christ's Way.Geneva, Switzerland: WCC.
WinkWalter1984Naming the Powers: The Language of Power in the New Testament.Philadelphia, PA: Fortress.
67.
WinkWalter1986Unmasking the Powers: The Invisible Forces That Determine Human Existence.Philadelphia, PA: Fortress.
68.
WinkWalter1992Engaging the Powers: Discernment and Resistance in a World of Domination.Minneapolis, MN: Fortress.
69.
WinkWalter1998The Powers That Be: Theology for a New Millennium.London, UK: Doubleday. Yong, Amos.
70.
WinkWalter2000Discerning the Spirit(s): A Pentecostal-Charismatic Contribution to Christian Theology of Religions. JPT Supplement Series 20. Sheffield, UK: Sheffield Academic Press.
