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Amos Yong's Christian Theology of Religions

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Amos Yong's Christian Theology of Religions CHAPTER FIVE A DISTINCTIVE TURN TO PNEUMATOLOGY: AMOS YONG’S CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY OF RELIGIONS Tony Richie Several years ago, Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen justifiably commended Amos Yong on what I herein call his turn to pneumatology in a Christian theol- ogy of religions; although Kärkkäinen still judged it “too early to give a definite assessment of Yong’s very recent approach.”1 Over the intervening years, Yong has added a great deal of substantive thought and work to his theology of religions’ repertoire, and it is passing inspection with other leading Pentecostal theologians. For example, Frank Macchia credits Yong with helping him “see that a theological accent on the Spirit grants God’s redemptive and empowering presence through Christ implicitly greater breadth”2 and for teaching us about the Spirit’s witness to Jesus “outside the boundaries of the church.”3 Yong stands as a leading Pentecostal scholar in the field of theology of religions, and his substantial contribu- tions warrant larger treatment in this volume. Accordingly, my chapter will look at the foundations and major theological categories in Yong’s Pentecostal theology of religions. The anthropological and ecumenical elements are treated in the next chapter. I begin with an introduction to the main contours of Yong’s theological proposal, lifting up Yong’s ratio- nale for pursuing the development of a distinctively Pentecostal theology of religions through concepts foundational for its formulation, pneuma- tological imagination, and foundational pneumatology. Then, I discuss Yong’s theology of religions in the context of key theological categories, for example, its trinitarian robustness, pneumatological basis, and Chris- tological breadth. Next, I explore its implications for ecclesiology and soteriology, noting the nuanced nature of the tasks of the churches and of Christian salvation, including implications for evangelism and dialogue. 1 Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen’s An Introduction to the Theology of Religions: Biblical, Historical & Contemporary Perspectives (Downer’s Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003), p. 281. 2 Frank D. Macchia, Baptized in the Spirit: A Global Pentecostal Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), p. 127. 3 Ibid., p. 221. <UN> 104 tony richie Finally, I suggest practical and pastoral applications of Yong’s theology of religions that prepare for the argument of the following chapter. Here, I discuss Christian mission in terms of organizational cooperation and congregational ministry in a pluralistic society. Throughout this chapter I endeavor merely to identify and clarify the main issues involved and to invite further reflection and conversation. 1. Foundations of Yong’s Christian Theology of Religions Yong recalls his initial entry as a Pentecostal into theology of religions as a lonely and challenging endeavor.4 Sometimes he felt like he was “rushing head-on against the Pentecostal stream.”5 Although he did not expect to find much collegiate support, his parental upbringing by first generation converts from Buddhism to Christianity coupled with his own Pentecostal experience and educational journey compelled him to proceed.6 The result is an impressive series of texts including several monographs, a host of edited, co-edited volumes, and book chapters and articles and essays that have established him firmly as a major contributor in the field.7 Although applauding Yong’s early work, Kärkkäinen nonetheless sug- gested that it tended to be overly abstract.8 While undoubtedly true, successive volumes have become more readable without becoming less rigorous. 4 Amos Yong, “Foreword,” Tony Richie, Speaking by the Spirit: A Pentecostal Model for Interreligious Dialogue (Wilmore, KY: Emeth Press, 2011), pp. xi–xii (xi). Assume that all unnamed bibliographical references in this chapter are by its subject, Amos Yong. All oth- ers are named. 5 DS, p. 98, note 2. 6 Ibid., pp. 9–11. 7 E.g., BI and HAO. See also idem, “‘Not Knowing Where the Wind Blows…’: On Envisioning a Pentecostal-Charismatic Theology of Religions,” JPT 14 (1999), pp. 81–112; idem, “Whither Theological Inclusivism? The Development and Critique of an Evangelical Theology of Religions,” Evangelical Quarterly 71, no. 4 (October 1999), pp. 327–48; idem, “‘As the Spirit Gives Utterance…’: Pentecost, Intra-Christian Ecumenism, and the Wider Oekumene,” IRM 92, no. 366 (2003), pp. 299–314; idem, “The Spirit Bears Witness: Pneumatology, Truth, and the Religions,” Scottish Journal of Theology 57, no. 1 (2004), pp. 14–38; idem, SPOAF, chap. 6; idem, “From Azusa Street to the Bo Tree and Back: Strange Babblings and Interreligious Interpretations in the Pentecostal Encounter with Buddhism,” in The Spirit in the World: Emerging Pentecostal Theologies in Global Contexts, ed. Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009), pp. 203–226; idem, “Guests, Hosts, and the Holy Ghost: Pneumatological Theology and Christian Practices in a World of Many Faiths,” in Lord and Giver of Life: A Constructive Pneumatology, ed. David H. Jensen (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008); GRRP. 8 Kärkkäinen, An Introduction to the Theology of Religions, p. 281. <UN>.
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