Pentecostal Ethics : Historical and Contemporary Approaches

Pentecostal ethics is often dismissed as fragmented or unsystematic-this book shows you how a coherent moral framework can be identified without flattening Pentecostal diversity.

Drawing on historical analysis, contemporary scholarship, and lived ecclesial practice, Christopher A Parkes helps you understand how Pentecostal communities reason morally and why their ethical intuitions matter for wider debates in Christian ethics. You explore the western theological roots of Pentecostalism and see how these influences shape distinctive approaches to scripture, holiness, virtue, and church life.
A substantial Australian case study analyses 25 years of ethical documentation produced by the Assemblies of God in Australia (now the Australian Christian Churches), giving you concrete examples of how Pentecostal ethics operates in practice and where tensions emerge. This detailed analysis shows how methodological inconsistency arises-and how underlying patterns can still be discerned.

Placing Pentecostalism in dialogue with the theological ethics of Stanley Hauerwas, the book offers you a constructive framework centred on narrative, character formation, and ecclesial community. Rather than imposing a rigid system, this approach clarifies Pentecostal moral reasoning while preserving its contextual agility and global diversity.

This equips you with a clear, methodologically focused account of Pentecostal ethics and its contribution to ecumenical Christian ethics.