Church, Spirit, and Prophet: Walter Bruggemann’s Prophetic Imagination as an Ecclesiological Resource for Global Pentecostalism

In light of Walter Bruggemann's Prophetic Imagination and the growth of Global Pentecostalism, this paper explores the ecclesiological characteristics and challenges of Pentecostalism. By attending to Bruggemann’s prophetic imagination and its connection to Pentecostalism, this paper offers a proposal of what a prophetically imaginative, creative, and liberative Pentecostalism might entail. As Pentecostalism is a major driving force of Global Christianity, this paper draws not only from the work of Bruggemann, but resources the work of global Pentecostal/Charismatic theologians who have reflected upon the importance of the prophetic imagination for the future of Pentecostalism. This paper argues that Pentecostalism’s pneumatic emphasis, when placed in conjunction with the prophetic imagination, can offer a constructive ecclesiological vision for the future of the church.