Evidence of The Holy Spirit in Pentecostalism and the Anxiety it Elicits Among Anglican Faithful : Towards A Pneumatological Transcedence

Abstract

The Pentecostal’s teaching on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is based on easily observed phenomenon (i.e. speaking in tongues) as opposed to more nuanced and careful theological thinking. This makes them proud, hence looking down on the other Christians from the main stream churches especially the Anglican Church; who according to them do not have the Holy Spirit because they do not speak in tongues. This causes anxiety in the Christian community, because some of the Christians who do not speak in tongues would doubt whether the Holy Spirit is at work in them. Is speaking in tongues the only authentic proof of the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church, absence of which is a sign of false Church? This Thesis is an explanation of the proper understanding of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit as it is in the Scripture and in the Church tradition. It is a demonstration that God is one in three persons, i.e. the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, and He is omnipresent. Therefore God the Holy Spirit is omnipresent and cannot be limited by space and time. The research is based on a theological argument, rather than the phenomenological evidence of the Holy Spirit. It was obtained through library material and a case study done in A.C.K Diocese of Kirinyaga to demonstrate the anxiety caused by the interaction of Pentecostals teaching on the presence of the Holy Spirit and the Anglican theological teaching on the same.