Simo Frestadius – författare

This book not only articulates a tradition-specific Pentecostal rationality of Biblical Pragmatism, but also provides the first intellectual history of a major British classical Pentecostal denomination: the Elim Pentecostal Church. Pentecostal theologians increasingly acknowledge that their theological methodology should be informed by a Pentecostal rationality, epistemology and theological hermeneutics. Simo Frestadius offers such a Pentecostal rationality from a Foursquare perspective. Frestadius first analyses and evaluates some of the main contemporary Pentecostal rationalities and epistemologies to date, with a particular emphasis on the works of Amos Yong and James K.A. Smith and L. William Oliverio Jr., before proposing that Alasdair MacIntyre’s tradition-focused and historically-minded narrative approach is conducive in providing a more tradition-constituted Pentecostal rationality. Utilising the methodological insights of MacIntyre, the book then provides a philosophically informed historical narrative of a major British Pentecostal tradition, namely, the Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance, by exploring its underlying context and roots as a classical Pentecostal movement, its emergence as a religious tradition, and its two major ‘epistemological crises’. Based on this historical narration and analysis, it is argued that Elim’s tacit Pentecostal rationality is best defined as Pentecostal Biblical Pragmatism in a Foursquare Gospel framework. This form of rationality is then developed vis-à-vis Elim’s Pentecostal concept of truth, biblical hermeneutics, and pragmatic epistemic justification in dialogue with William P. Alston. In doing the above, the book not only articulates a tradition-specific Pentecostal rationality of Biblical Pragmatism but also provides the first intellectual history of a major British classical Pentecostal denomination.

This is the first academic work to focus explicitly on Pentecostal public theology in Europe. Following a growing interest in understanding Pentecostal beliefs and practices with respect to the public sphere, this book shifts the focus of Pentecostal engagement with politics, society, and culture from the Global South and North America to Europe. This work also discusses themes such as Pentecostal public values, identity, nationalism, poverty, democracy, education, race, and political engagement in the context of European Pentecostalism. The book provides an historical overview by bringing together various European voices to discuss the current challenges and possible trajectories for Pentecostal public theology in a constructive fashion. With contributions from leading and emerging European Pentecostal and Charismatic scholars, this book is a must for scholars interested in understanding Pentecostal beliefs and practices in the public sphere in a European context.