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

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participated in <strong>the</strong> 1908 revival and witnessed <strong>the</strong> power <strong>of</strong> God manifested in<br />

many people, but he did not realize what it was. 137 According to him, this revival<br />

took place before Berg came to India in 1908 as a Pentecostal. 138 The people did<br />

not have <strong>the</strong> scriptural knowledge to understand this experience in terms <strong>of</strong> Holy<br />

Spirit baptism, accompanied by speaking in tongues, until Berg arrived from<br />

North America. However, Abraham did not regard <strong>the</strong>se revivals as having any<br />

root in western Pentecostalism. Even while referring to his own Pentecostal<br />

experience, he insisted that it was two months after his experience <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Holy<br />

Spirit baptism that he came into contact with Cook, <strong>the</strong> American Pentecostal<br />

missionary. 139<br />

The Kerala revivals were <strong>the</strong> outcome <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> activities <strong>of</strong> indigenous evangelists<br />

from Tamilnadu. The Tirunelveli awakening had produced many revival<br />

preachers, and several <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m, including Aroolappen himself, travelled to Kerala<br />

to preach <strong>the</strong> revival message. Apart from Aroolappen, Ammal Vedanayagam and<br />

David 140 also travelled through various places, and preached in many Syrian<br />

churches, awakening in people a desire for a deeper personal Christian life. 141<br />

According to Orr, <strong>the</strong> Kerala awakening was marked by intense sorrow for sin,<br />

137 Abraham, Yesukristhuvinte Eliya Dasan, 12.<br />

138 Abraham, Yesukristhuvinte Eliya Dasan, 62-63. However, as mentioned earlier Berg was here<br />

in India as a Brethren missionary before he came as a Pentecostal. According to Anderson, Berg<br />

came to India with his Pentecostal experience in February 1908. See, Anderson, Spreading Fires,<br />

95.<br />

139 Abraham, Yesukristhuvinte Eliya Dasan, 86-88.<br />

140 He was popularly known as Tamil David.<br />

141 George, Trailblazers for God, 31.<br />

79

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