"Pentecost" (Emilio Alvarez)

TITLE: Pentecost: A Day of Power for All People
AUTHOR: Emilio Alvarez
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2023, (144 pages).
 

What is Pentecost? What is the meaning of the word "Pentecostal?" Why do Christians celebrate this event? Has this event any connection to the Old Testament? What is the significance of such an event? These questions are dealt with in this book. Pentecost Sunday is one of the most important days in the Christian calendar. Celebrated 50 days after Easter, it commemorates the day the Holy Spirit came down upon believers in Jerusalem as recorded in Acts 2. With the coming of the Holy Spirit witnessed by thousands, the full identity of the Trinity has been revealed to all. The key events in the Church Calendar are Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. This book focuses on the latter, to show us the significance and provides us basic things we ought to know about Pentecost. Calling it a "Day of Power," author Emilio Alvarez takes time to unwrap the meaning of what Pentecostal power means. It is not a power about race to the top echelons of society but about the grace of God given to all believers. It is about that spiritual renewal that we need. Pentecostal power proclaims the work of Christ and the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Alvarez asserts that believers should see themselves as pilgrims rather than tourists when celebrating Pentecost. What's the difference? One is about entitlement and the other is about growing in spiritual experience. Beginning with the meaning of the Pentecost festival, Alvarez shows us how Pentecost and the Old Testament are connected through three festivals: Festival of Weeks, First Fruits, and Harvest. He tells us that we do not have to wait until the Day of Pentecost to celebrate. We can be celebratory in the days leading up to the Day itself. 

Alvarez then comes to an oft-controversial topic: Speaking in tongues. He gives us a rather conservative overview of some perspectives from the early Christian leaders as well as some modern renditions of Pentecostalism. In an interesting take on the speaking of many tongues, he compares this Pentecost event with the curse of Babel, which was the time when God scattered the people for their pride in one language to try to usurp the authority that was not theirs to take. Pentecost undoes this curse in a reversal of Genesis 11. Instead of unity toward arrogance, Pentecost is about unity in diversity. He shares about the power of a multilingual community and the new ecumenism which is "emergent, convergent, charismatic, pentecostal, missional, evangelical, constructive, etc." Emphasizing the Pentecost as communal through and through, the power of Pentecost is essentially about bringing together people from all walks of life because of the gospel. That is probably why he chooses not to go in-depth about the angelic languages of glossolalia. He also gives us an overview of the symbols of Pentecost such as liturgical colors as well as the Western, Eastern Orthodox, and the Roman Catholic traditions. Finally, he gives us a chapter about Pentecost Prayers, Hymns, and Scriptures, that covers Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Anglican, and Pentecostal traditions. 

My Thoughts

As an accessible guide to the Church year, this book checks out well. Written in a clear and concise manner, readers learn about the fundamental aspects of Pentecost and what it means to celebrate Pentecost. Sometimes, laypersons from many traditions might tend to associate anything to do with Pentecost with merely the Pentecostal Church. This book debunks such a belief and focuses on the shared perspective, that no matter what tradition we come from, Pentecost unites rather than divides. Pentecost is about unity in diversity. Pentecost is a celebration for all Christians. The Holy Spirit is given to all, and not just to some. I am pleasantly surprised at how much material Alvarez is able to pack in this small book. 

Those who want to see descriptions of Pentecostalism and the speaking of tongues might be disappointed. They should look elsewhere because this book is simply to help us appreciate the meaning of the Pentecost event, and the days leading up to it. Alvarez is more interested in dealing with matters that promote common understanding rather than issues that divide. Although he writes from an Eastern Orthodox perspective, his material is sufficiently ecumenical to help Christians from all traditions to understand the common significance of Pentecost. The focus on community is vibrant. The orientation on unity is equally strong. Curiously, when he lists out some of the rituals from the various traditions, one tradition is missing: the evangelical tradition. Perhaps, evangelicals are too diverse themselves to be considered in any one group. Whatever it is, I believe evangelicals can also gain as there are many things evangelicals can adopt from the book. I warmly recommend all to read this book for a better appreciation of the meaning of Pentecost, without being unduly distracted by tongues or different interpretations of Pentecostalism. The Spirit of Pentecost is much more than these theological differences, and that should be the attitude when we read this book.

Emilio Alvarez (PhD, Fordham University) is the presiding bishop of the Union of Charismatic Orthodox Churches, a communion that embraces the one holy, catholic, apostolic tradition. He is also associate provost for lifelong learning at Asbury Theological Seminary. 

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of InterVarsity Press via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.