Review/Giveaway: Pentecost Revisited

 A WINNING READINGS GIVEAWAY!

Title: Pentecost Revisited:  Why Tongues of Pentecost Divide - and How They Can Unite the Church of Jesus Christ
Author: R. Glenn Brown

Genre: Christian nonfiction biblical studies
How to enter: Leave a comment on THIS post right here! If you're a subscriber or a follower, leave a second comment for a second entry.

Entry deadline: April 10, 2010

Restrictions: Open internationally!

That's right, enter right here for this giveaway.  This is my review copy, so it has been gently read.
---------------
Publisher:  Code-Zoe Publishing
Physical Description:  254-page paperback
List Price:  $17.95
ISBN:  978-0-578-01785-3
For More Info/To Purchase:  http://pentecostrevisited.com/

Synopsis: 

Glenn Brown’s book Pentecost Revisited introduces a theological debate that is long overdue. With heartfelt conviction, this veteran Assemblies of God pastor lovingly, but boldly, declares that his church has long mistaken the true purpose of speaking in tongues.

Intelligently and clearly, Brown describes his doctrinal differences with the Assemblies of God concerning speaking in tongues as the initial physical evidence of Spirit baptism. Drawing on over fifty years of experience as an Assemblies of God pastor, Navy chaplain and missionary, he presents a sound scriptural and historical alternative position. Brown asserts that the value of Spirit-inspired language is significantly increased when manifested in keeping with God’s purposes for this gift. He offers biblical evidence that tongues, correctly understood, will reverse Babel and help unite the body of Christ around the world.

Brown’s developing disagreement with his church’s dogmatic tradition concerning speaking in tongues came to a head in Vietnam in 1968. His conscience prompted him to honestly admit that he could no longer affirm his allegiance to the proposition that every valid baptism in the Holy Spirit must be initially evidenced by speaking in tongues. He has since come to see that there is a far more significant purpose for this manifestation. That important purpose relates to Christ’s prayer for unity within the Church and is a major theme of this book.

About the Author:

Robert Glenn Brown, a career U.S. Navy chaplain, retired after 26 years’ military service. Most of his time as a chaplain was served with the Marines, but previously he had served in the Air Force and Army. He ministered for nineteen years as an Assemblies of God pastor, five in Colorado and fourteen in California. For the past sixteen years he has had a diversified ministry in Eastern Europe. He is a graduate of Denver University, Denver Seminary, Princeton Seminary and Navy Senior Chaplains’ School. He and his wife Donna reside in beautiful Sequim, Washington, where he writes, plays golf and tennis, and tends a large fruit and vegetable garden.

What I Liked:  I found this book to be quite interesting, not just informative.  Part memoir, the book included much of the author's background in explaining how he came to his understanding of the subject.  And it was fascinating how, in spite of my very different background on this particular topic, I found so much in common with the author's background.  The conservative, sheltered upbringing, and then meeting brothers in Christ of other denominations and having to reconcile differences - that you could drink alcohol and still be a real Christian, for example - and then re-evaluating all those principles you grew up with...

I very much appreciated the balanced approach the author takes on this subject.  I grew up in a denomination that mostly avoids discussion on the topic of speaking in tongues, so I was intrigued with the whole study and appreciated the insight into the position of the Assemblies of God church and the history of the Pentecostal movement.  What the author proposes is not a compromise of two differing doctrines, but rather an increased understanding of the purpose of the gift of tongues. 

I had never thought of tongues as being a unifier of racial division, so found a lot of food for thought on that topic, too.

Perhaps this wasn't the author's main purpose, but I also much appreciated the description of his careful approach to challenging church doctrine.  So many of us see doctrine as being set in stone; yet God continues to reveal new biblical truths to the least of us, if we but study and open ourselves to it.  Here is an example of how to share new revelations that others may feel threaten the very foundations of their belief.

What I Didn't Like:  I honestly don't know of anything I didn't like.  I don't necessarily agree with everything in the book, but I found it to be very interesting, well-researched, and well-presented.  Perhaps the most significant thing to consider is that the book is written with and targeted to people with an Assemblies of God background - though I had no problem following it as an "outsider" and in fact learned a great deal.