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a contextual missiology of the spirit - eTheses Repository ...

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from Pentecostal-Charismatic sources. 63 She fur<strong>the</strong>r develops this into a new<br />

mission <strong>the</strong>ology <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Spirit in <strong>the</strong> world in her new book The Holy Spirit in <strong>the</strong><br />

World, 64 in which she not only discusses <strong>the</strong> mission <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Spirit in <strong>the</strong> world, but<br />

also <strong>the</strong> issue <strong>of</strong> discernment <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> presence and activity <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Holy Spirit. Lord<br />

tried to develop a holistic approach to mission from a Pentecostal-Charismatic<br />

perspective. However, he anticipates that ‘<strong>the</strong>re are directions in which this<br />

<strong>the</strong>ology needs to be stretched and deepened ….’ 65 In this regard, <strong>the</strong> present<br />

study is in line with <strong>the</strong>se expectations, aiming to develop <strong>the</strong> Spirit dimension <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>contextual</strong> <strong>missiology</strong> more fully. That is why I refer to <strong>the</strong> <strong>contextual</strong> <strong>missiology</strong><br />

emerging from <strong>the</strong> study on Pentecostalism in Rajasthan as a ‘<strong>contextual</strong><br />

<strong>missiology</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Spirit’ because it is intended to reflect <strong>the</strong> flexible and<br />

progressive nature <strong>of</strong> mission <strong>the</strong>ology in response to changing contexts, and<br />

under <strong>the</strong> influence <strong>of</strong> Spirit experiences. Such a <strong>missiology</strong> is sensitive to <strong>the</strong><br />

context and also to experiences <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Spirit. Fur<strong>the</strong>r discussion <strong>of</strong> this will be<br />

found in chapter six.<br />

In this study <strong>the</strong> term ‘<strong>contextual</strong>’ is used in a complex sense as it has manifold<br />

dimensions. On <strong>the</strong> one hand, it is used to mean <strong>the</strong> external aspects <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> faith<br />

community, <strong>the</strong> church, and on <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r, it is used to mean <strong>the</strong> internal aspects.<br />

The external aspects <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> faith community include various issues such as religio-<br />

political, socio-cultural and ecological ones. The internal aspects include <strong>the</strong><br />

issues <strong>the</strong> community faces as well as <strong>the</strong>ir Spirit experiences. As <strong>the</strong> community<br />

63 Kim, Mission in <strong>the</strong> Spirit, 233. She believes that Pentecostal pneumatology will differ<br />

significantly as <strong>the</strong>y interpret <strong>the</strong> Holy Spirit ‘within <strong>the</strong> matrix <strong>of</strong> <strong>spirit</strong>-world.’<br />

64 Kim, Holy Spirit in <strong>the</strong> World.<br />

65 See Lord, Spirit-Shaped Mission, 141-42.<br />

22

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