Eldin Villafañe

IntroducciOn al pentecostalismo nos acerca al origen del movimiento pentecostal y con palabras del prOlogo "en una forma muy marcada llama la atenciOn al afecto y el sentir humano con su enfoque EspIritu-cEntrico. Inclusive, en su acercamiento a la dimensiOn dinAmica espiritual del pentecostalismo aparecen rayos postmodernos y metafIsicos." Written in Spanish, Introduction to Pentecostalism provides a look into to the origins of the Pentecostal movement and gives a clear understanding of its law and its Holy Spirit-centered focus on the human condition. The book also provides a glimpse into the postmodern and metaphysical aspects that make up the spiritual dynamic dimensions of Pentecostalism.

As our lives become complex with the demands of our affluent and accelerating society, do we hear the gospel's timeless and insistent call to live the "obedience of faith"? In these three "sermonic essays" Eldin Villafane takes on the task of awakening true obedience of faith through the themes of discipleship, incarnation, and justice. Beginning with discipleship, Villafane draws on the "Christ hymn" of "Philippians 2" to challenge Christians to choose the costly Christ-life. He then offers six contrarian perspectives on the incarnation from the early church as correctives to our current, culturally conditioned theological emphases. Finally, taking the book of Amos as a touchstone, Villafane issues a call for just leadership among the nations. Adding interest and depth to this work are an insightful foreword by Dean Loewen and thoughtful responses by Richard Peace, Juan Francisco Martinez, and Veli-Matti Karkkainen. Villafane's "Beyond Cheap Grace" incisively extends Christ's call to discipleship, incarnation, and justice to the church, the academy, and Christian leaders of all traditions.

This volume extends a summons to today's churches to give primacy once again to urban ministry. Villafane lays out a vision of a church that, unlike the trend today, refuses to retreat from the challenges of city life.