Theology through Community: Luke's Portrayal of the Role of the First-Century Community of Believers in Theological Creativity

Since the 1980s renewal scholars have given considerable attention to the role of the believing community in the interpretive process. A broad consensus has emerged that a triad involving Scripture the Spirit and the believing community forms a cooperative relationship resulting in theological development followed by commensurate action--identified in this research as theological creativity. In the context of this research to be creative with theology is to take an existing theological assumption and broaden or adapt it to current circumstances given the Spirits evidential work and a consensual understanding of Scripture. But how does the community negotiate between Spirit and Scripture without subsuming either into its own predilections? For Luke the first-century community of believers in Acts functions as an indispensable character in the formation of theological creativity. This work will demonstrate how Luke positions the community as a character in story form between Spirit and Scripture functioning as a bridge through which its testimony of the Spirits evidential work and its application of Scripture interact. In order to illustrate this balancing act we will use a modified configuration of the triadic notion: Spirit-Community-Scripture. Pruitts monograph is a must read for those interested in theological hermeneutics in general and Pentecostal and Renewal hermeneutics in particular because he moves the conversation forward on how community functions in the interpretive process in significant ways. --Kenneth J. Archer Professor of Theology & Pentecostal Studies Southeastern University Not only does the work of Pruitt make an original contribution to the field but it successfully evaluates and critiques the current research on this topic. --Corne J. Bekker Dean & Professor Regent University School of Divinity Building cordially upon prior work in this field Pruitts book represents another important addition to the chorus of voices calling for even demanding a more mature approach to biblical and theological hermeneutics within Pentecostal/Charismatic traditions. --Renea C. Brathwaite Dean of Graduate & Professional Education North Central University This is an important book and should be read by all concerned with theological creativity particularly in the Pentecostal and charismatic traditions. --Graham H. Twelftree Academic Dean & Professor of New Testament London School of Theology Demonstrating the importance of the first-century community for theological development in the Acts of the Apostles Theology through Community issues a clarion call to Pentecostals and others to focus attention on our communities as central to our theological identity and creativity thereby demanding a renewed interest in the heritage stories and testimony that shape the church. --Wolfgang Vondey Professor of Theology & Director Centre for Pentecostal and Charismatic Studies University of Birmingham ---- KYLE: ALL ENDORSEMENTS ADDED TO FRONTMATTER: REMOVE THIS NOTE WHEN DONE Carefully researched and clearly articulated Pruitts monograph validates that the community in Acts functions as an active character with which the audience is to identify thus showing how the community in Acts models the art of theological interpretation. The community is the necessary bridge for communication between the Spirit and Scripture as well as the nexus that generates theological understanding in dialogue with the Spirit and Scripture. Pruitts monograph is a must read for those interested in theological hermeneutics in general and Pentecostal and Renewal hermeneutics in particular because he moves the conversation forward on how community functions in the interpretive process in significant ways. --Kenneth J. Archer Professor of Theology and Pentecostal Studies School of Divinity Barnett College of Ministry & Theology Southeastern University Lakeland FL The dissertation makes an