Pentekostaler Gottesdienst und reformatorische Tradition im Gespräch

Pentecostal churches are becoming increasingly more relevant in society. What shapes their spirituality? Inspiring learning processes emerge when Pentecostal practices are systematically analyzed from a theological perspective, using worship as a point of reference, and brought into dialogue with the Reformation tradition.

Interest in spirituality is growing outside traditional church structures, while Christian churches in Germany are losing members. At the same time, Pentecostal churches in the Global South are experiencing tremendous growth. In Brazil, Pentecostal churches have now become a significant political force. Globalization and digitalization are fostering a new proximity to pluralistic forms of lived Christian faith, which in some cases appear foreign. Shaping religious and ideological pluralism has become a task. A nuanced theological understanding of Pentecostal Christian expressions of the Pentecostal movement from the contemporary Global South-one that goes beyond exoticism and simplistic stereotyping-is a pressing need. Rahel Pereira analyzes the liturgical paradigm of Pentecostal worship services using the example of the Brazilian Pentecostal church Assembleias de Deus and traces it back to its theological foundations.
The methodological approach is grounded in a praxeological hermeneutics that employs linguistic-philosophical and phenomenological approaches as heuristic tools. This methodology makes accessible the knowledge internalized through the routine physical practices of worship. Latin American Pentecostal theology is perceived as a distinct form of expression of Christianity in the Global South and is situated within a critical-constructive dialogue with the Reformation tradition. Taking worship as a common point of reference, the specific processes of faith formation in Pentecostal and Reformation practice become transparent and, when compared, reveal their similarities and differences.
The author identifies key influences on the Reformation tradition. Among other things, Pentecostal practice serves as a reminder that communication between God and humanity in worship does not occur exclusively through the incarnate Word in the form of preaching and the Lord’s Supper, but rather that human beings are addressed holistically in their very being by their divine counterpart. The priesthood of all believers is actualized in the Pentecostal context through enthusiastic experiences. Worship practices such as speaking in tongues are analyzed in terms of their structural function: The cultivation of an open, receptive attitude as a non-verbal dimension of encountering the divine offers inspiration for the search for a distinctly Lutheran spirituality. Pentecostal healing rituals shed light on the social aspect of healing processes. The casting out of demons serves as a reminder that liberation from situations that seem hopeless from a human perspective is possible.
At the same time, the author raises questions regarding Pentecostal practice: the structure of the gifts in worship and the cooperative relationship between God and humanity require theological clarification, for example with regard to the altar call as an invitation to faith and the subsequent “consecration” in the form of individual decisions. Furthermore, a consistent connection between physicality and the intelligible word proves to be a necessary criterion for distinguishing between salutary and toxic spiritual practices. Tensions between lived priesthood and hierarchical church structures are addressed, as is the handling of notions that a person’s specific state of holiness is visible from the outside, for instance through the exercise of certain charismatic gifts or due to material prosperity as a marker of blessing. Last but not least, drawing on Pentecostal preaching practices, the author develops a hermeneutical approach that combines bold proclamation of God’s work with the possibility of self-relativization. This approach offers a basis for dialogue in the struggle over concrete theological and ethical issues in ecumenical conversation.

Einleitung
1. Wahrnehmungen von Pentekostalen
2. Wer sind Pentekostale?
3. Forschungslage
4. Historischer Abriss zu den Assembleia(s) de Deus (AD)
5. Der Gottesdienst als Gespräch
6. Methodik
7. Aufbau
I. Analyse: Liturgische Vollzüge des pentekostalen Gottesdienstes und ihre theologischen Implikationen
A. Lobpreis und Zeugnis: Verherrlichen und Bekennen
1. Gott loben und preisen
2. Ekstase in der Liturgie
3. Gott im Leben bezeugen
4. Zwischenfazit: Freude und Genuss in Übereinstimmung mit Wahrheit
B. Gott im Wort: Gott sprechen
1. Schriftlesung
2. Pentekostales Predigen
3. Prophetische Rede
4. Zwischenfazit: Menschliche Sprache als Medium göttlicher Rede
C. Der Altar Call: Freiheit durch Herrschaftswechsel
1. Eine historische Skizze der Entstehung des Altar Call
2. Der Altar Call in der pentekostalen Liturgie
3. Eine Heuristik der Leiblichkeit
4. Der Altar Call in der Dimension der Freiheit
5. Zwischenfazit: Empowerment - Freiheit zur Gestaltung
D. Der Segen: Orientierung an der Verheißung Gottes
1. Segenspraxis
2. Zwischenfazit: Einblick und Ausblick im Segen
II. Fortführende Überlegungen: Zusammenschau pentekostaler Gottesdienstpraxis und ihr Beitrag zum pentekostal-lutherischen Dialog
A. Praxeologische Beobachtungen und strukturierende Grundkategorien
1. Eine Synthese des pentekostalen Gottesdienstes
2. Theologische Voraussetzungen und ihre liturgische Umsetzung - eine Selbstvergegenwärtigung anhand von Luthers Formula missae (1523)
B. Pentekostale und lutherische Zugänge im Gespräch
1. Wahrheitsfragen: eine Kriteriologie des Gottesdienstes
2. Schlussbetrachtung: das Entdecken von Eigenem im Fremden

Born 1988; 2009-16 studied Protestant Theology and Romance Studies (Spanish) in Tübingen and São Leopoldo, Brazil; 2022 doctorate from Heidelberg University; 2021-23 vicariate and ordination; 2023-26 parish ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria and development of as well as collaboration on Munich Church Refresh, an ecclesiastical innovation project for Protestant spirituality in urban contexts; active in the Department of Spirituality of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria (ELKB).

• By (author) Rahel Pereira