The concept of pneuma centric spirituality a perspective of pentecostals in kerala

Abstract

Christian Spirituality is regarded as the human ability given by God to know God and newlinemaintain the relationship with God. It concerns life in its entirety, which God provides the newlinehuman beings with the possibility of being renewed and transformed by the Holy Spirit. newlinePentecostalism refers to the fastest growing movement among Christians which considers newlinethe works of the Holy Spirit in historic continuity with the Book of Acts. Pentecostal newlineSpirituality therefore tried to reemphasise the forgotten elements in the life of the early newlineChurch. The extent of importance given to Pneumatology brought to the Pentecostal newlinecommunity the charge that their spirituality is biased, Pneuma-centric and other worldly. newlineMoreover, as Pentecostals have crossed a century of historical existence, there have been newlinecriticisms on their failure of losing the original spiritual identity they once maintained. In newlinesuch a context, this research undertakes to analyse the nature of Pentecostal Spirituality newlineand propose a relevant spirituality for the present time. This research is therefore an newlineapologetic response as well as an introspective analysis of the Spirituality held by the newlinePentecostal community in the state of Kerala, South India. newlineRight after the introductory chapter, the review of literature constitutes the first chapter newlinewhich remains a frame of reference through which the problem of research is better newlineidentified. The second chapter of this research elaborates the meaning of the term newline spirituality by providing definitions and examining the fundamental concepts involved in newlinethe study of spirituality. Space is devoted to clarify the development of the concept of newlineSpirituality and portray the formative factors and contexts in which Christian Spirituality newlineevolved. Biblical understanding of spirituality is explained with a special emphasis to newlinenotify how the concept can be evaluated from the perspective of the Scripture. The newlineSpirituality maintained by Jesus Christ is narrated as the best example to follow in our newlinespiritual journey.