by Luke Geraty | Jun 28, 2017 | Baptism, Charismatic Theology, Ecclesiology, Eucharist, Pneumatology, Sacramentalism, Systematic Theology, The Kingdom of God, Theological Studies
Below is a copy of the paper I presented at the 2017 Society of Vineyard Scholars’ annual gathering (PDF can be found here). I essentially argue that sacramentality is essential for Vineyard theology and praxis, especially the regular celebration of Communion....
by Robby McAlpine | Feb 8, 2017 | Charismatic Theology, Christology, Church History, Ecclesiology, Epistemology, Gospel, The Kingdom of God, Theological Studies
“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16) Some people don’t like doctrinal statements, viewing them as a tool of oppression and exclusion. They would...
by Robby McAlpine | Mar 31, 2016 | Charismatic Theology, Ecclesiology, Theological Studies, Worship
The morning began much like any other: the smell of fresh-brewed coffee, the sun peeking over the mountains to the east, the calm reflective time before the day began in earnest. Was he awake, or had he dozed off again? Which is another way of asking:...
by Think Theology | Dec 16, 2015 | Charismatic Theology, Epistemology, Theological Studies
I am currently making a documentary about miracles corroborated by medical evidence. I want to dispel some prevalent myths about Christian miracles and prayer. Myth 1: People in the U.S. do not see many miracles today. Fact: 34% of Americans claim to have either...
by Robby McAlpine | May 15, 2015 | Charismatic Theology, Christology, Ecclesiology, Pneumatology, Theological Studies, Worship
“Our computers work just fine. I’m a generous person, that’s all.” The Barista tossed her head as she laughed out loud at the quizzical expression on the Elder’s face, one lock from her dark mane of hair falling over her face to augment...
by Luke Geraty | Apr 23, 2015 | Baptism, Charismatic Theology, Christology, Ecclesiology, Eschatology, Eucharist, Pneumatology, Sacramentalism, Theological Studies
My early Christian experience was largely in church traditions that were about as far from any form of sacramentalism that one could get. Our family attended churches within the Evangelical and Charismatic movements, none of which ever used the word “sacrament.”...
by Robby McAlpine | Oct 2, 2014 | Charismatic Theology, Pneumatology, Theological Studies
In the Old Testament, prophets had the unenviable position of telling people news that they usually didn’t want to hear. And in many cases, “shoot the messenger” was the response they received, even if what they were saying really was what God wanted...
by Robby McAlpine | Aug 26, 2014 | Charismatic Theology, Pneumatology, Theological Studies
So, you want to pursue the gift of prophecy… Biblically, this is a very good thing. In fact, the apostle Paul encourages people to “eagerly desire” this gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:1). To seek the gift of prophecy, to strengthen,...
by Robby McAlpine | Jun 11, 2014 | Charismatic Theology, Pneumatology, Theological Studies
a companion piece to Theological Face-palm Over the last week or so, I have had the privilege of joining an editorial team working on Bill Jackson’s newest book on church history.For those who don’t know Bill Jackson, he’s the author of The Quest for...
by Robby McAlpine | May 28, 2014 | Apologetics, Charismatic Theology, Pneumatology, Theological Studies
Somebody recently posted a link to an intriguing article from the online version of Charisma: Remembering the Latter Rain. I’m not sure how recent the article is, but it’s fascinating — in a train-wreck sort of way. It’s amazing to me — a...
by Luke Geraty | May 20, 2014 | Charismatic Theology, Eschatology, The Kingdom of God
Here are a couple great explanations of the Kingdom of God and its accompanying theology: “The [kingdom of God] is the abstract or dynamic idea of reign, rule, or dominion…” – George Eldon Ladd “… the kingdom of God is the central theological motif that gives...
by Robby McAlpine | Apr 23, 2014 | Charismatic Theology, Theological Studies, Worship
I’ve been thinking recently about a couple of things to do with worship: What happens when we worship? What is the role of the worship leader in light of that? The first question was suggested by a friend. As I considered how I’d answer, I realized that...
by Luke Geraty | Apr 10, 2014 | Charismatic Theology, Pneumatology, Theological Studies, Why I am "Charismatic"
Dr. Allan Anderson writes, “Pentecostalism is above all else a missionary movement— this premise enables us to understand the primary motivation for its global expansion throughout the twentieth century. Global Pentecostalism began as a restorationist or...
by Luke Geraty | Jan 30, 2014 | Charismatic Theology, Epistemology, Theological Studies
Over the past few months I’ve observed that Cessationists and Continuationists have essentially dug their heals in. As I’ve already pointed out, the Strange Fire Conference was a model of what not to do and how not to do polemics. Yet I’ve also found...
by Luke Geraty | Jan 20, 2014 | Charismatic Theology, Theological Studies
In D. A. Carson’s wonderful book, Showing the Spirit, he has these fascinating words: “One begins to suspect, then, that prophecy may occur more often than is recognized in noncharismatic circles, and less often than is recognized in charismatic circles....
by Luke Geraty | Oct 25, 2013 | Charismatic Theology
There’s a lot of discussion still going on after all of the dust has been settling from the Strange Fire conference. It seems as if a majority of the feedback has been negative, with the primary criticism being how MacArthur and the conference misrepresented...
by Luke Geraty | Oct 22, 2013 | Charismatic Theology, Ecclesiology, Worship
Several months ago we spent time working through 1 Corinthians 12-14. Within this “Early Church Worship Guide,” we clearly find the apostle Paul writing, “So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But all things should be...
by Luke Geraty | Oct 18, 2013 | Across the Web, Charismatic Theology, Church History, Epistemology, Pneumatology, Scripture, Why I am "Charismatic"
I already wrote a long post on Strange Fire, so this will be a little shorter. Tim Challies has posted Tom Pennington’s case for Cessationism. It probably has the most substance for Continuationists to consider out of all that has been shared thus far at...
by Luke Geraty | Oct 17, 2013 | Across the Web, Apologetics, Charismatic Theology, Conflict Resolution, Why I am "Charismatic"
So the firestorm from the Strange Fire Conference has been steadily building throughout the past few weeks and is now in full swing. When word got out that the conference was going to take place and that John MacArthur was releasing a book of the same name, Dr....
by Luke Geraty | Sep 16, 2013 | Charismatic Theology, Cultural Engagement, Why I am "Charismatic"
I’ve been thinking a lot about worldviews lately. People often talk about the Christian worldview over and against the secular worldview or the Hindu or Muslim worldview. I’ve actually been thinking about the different worldviews that exist within the...
