Pentecost and Parousia
Charismatic Renewal, Christian Unity, and the Coming Glory
Foreword by Cecil M. Robeck Jr.
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
As the charismatic movement penetrated the Protestant churches and then impacted the Catholic Church, great hopes for Christian unity were aroused among many. These hopes peaked with the great Kansas City conference of 1977 and the "Pentecost over Europe" gathering in Strasbourg, France, in 1982. After these high points, the Renewal's unity dynamic weakened at the same time as the ecumenical movement was losing momentum.
Dr. Hocken argues that the charismatic movement was always a grace for unity, and that this can be seen from how it began and spread. Its deep orientation to unity finds its foundation in the "end-times" significance of baptism in the Spirit poured out on Christians from so many traditions that reinforces the "one hope" for the coming of the Lord. Many developments of the last twenty years indicate that the time is now ripe for an ecumenism of the Spirit within which the charismatic impulses of the Holy Spirit can purify and deepen the wider movement for Christian unity. Growing reconciliation between Evangelicals and Catholics suddenly seems less utopian as Pope Francis shows the servant face of a humbler Catholic Church.
Peter Hocken is a Catholic priest from England living in Austria. A former executive secretary of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, he is author of several books, including The Challenges of the Pentecostal, Charismatic and Messianic Jewish Movements.
"The title, Pentecost and Parousia, makes clear that Peter Hocken does not see the ecumenical movement as being just about our efforts to bring about doctrinal agreement or institutional change. Rather it is a matter of recognizing and being faithful to the grace that has been given and looking forward together to the fulfillment of God's purposes. This is a perspective with which we need to engage."
--Kevin McDonald, Archbishop, Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales
"The Church lives a new time. The arrival of Francis, his gestures and actions, are a breath of the spirit. This book by Peter Hocken is prophetic because it was written before the election of the new pope. The unity of the church will be the work of the holy spirit, and Pentecost and Parousia bears witness to this."
--Norberto Saracco, Rector, FIET (International Foundation of Theological Schools)
"Hocken takes a probing look backward, evaluating some of the major aspects of the charismatic movement in the closing years of the twentieth century. He gives particular attention to ecumenical aspects of the movement with his careful and accurate portrayal of events that demonstrate how astonishingly inclusive the movement proved to be. Looking to the future, Hocken sees the charismatic renewal offering spirituality for a further broadening and deepening experience of unity in the body of Christ."
--Larry Christenson, former Director, International Lutheran Renewal Center
"Peter Hocken, drawing on his theological, pastoral, and practical experience, considers the effects of the Pentecostal-charismatic outpouring of the spirit on Christian unity and on the ecclesiology and witness of the whole church. He combines an analytical with a prophetic approach, acknowledging important events in recent church history but recognizing that the work for unity is a spiritual battle leading to a full ecumenism of the spirit as we await the Lord's return. Highly recommended."
--Charles Whitehead, former President, International Catholic Charismatic Renewal
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