Anglican-and-Pentecostal-Prayer-in-Ethiopia-First-Draft

However, before going into the differences in prayer between these two different denominations, a common understanding must be provided.. A brief overview of prayer will be given first,

Wes RasburyEthiopian Ecumenical Prayer: Anglican and Pentecostal

Dr FosterIssues in Global Christianity

BIBH 640.W1April 11, 2014

Christianity has seen many different shifts and changes over time From the first century until now, the global center of Christianity has shifted time and time again, moving from the Middle East, up and across much of Europe, and finally back down south, deeper and deeper intothe African continent.1 Thus, the expressions and forms of Christianity have changed as well, as this faith has continued to move and permeate different cultures around the world Yet the differences in the way Christianity has looked is not only due to the spread and movement of thisfaith, but it also due to the many denominations that have sprung from within Christianity It is ineach of these denominations that different expressions of Christianity arise; some churches emphasize this over that, while others say these words during worship rather than those words Yet, could there be a stark difference between the language and practices of Christians who, although are located in two different denominations, find themselves within the same

geographical region- even more, in the same country? The following is an exploration of prayer among both Anglican and Pentecostal Christians from within East Africa, more specifically in the country of Ethiopia

However, before going into the differences in prayer between these two different

denominations, a common understanding must be provided A brief overview of prayer will be given first, in order to bring the reader up to speed on prayer, as well as to show the framework

of prayer that this paper operates from Then, a short history will be given first of the Anglican tradition, then of the Pentecostal tradition The rise and spread of each is important in

understanding where these two traditions stand now Included in this brief historical synopsis of each of these traditions will be an examination of the major theological tenets of each tradition,

as well as, and more pointedly for the purposes of this paper, how each views or understands prayer in a very broad and general sense Next, a short historical account of Ethiopia will be

1 Todd M Johnson, “Christianity in Global Context: Trends and Statistics,” Pew Forum.

provided for the reader in order that he or she might better understand the current religious situation within this country Finally, the paper will move to intended and identified purpose of comparing the prayers of Christians in Ethiopian Anglican churches and of Christians in

Ethiopian Pentecostal churches

as a solely Christian construct or invention In fact, The Dictionary of Comparative Religion

describes prayer as “a universal religious phenomenon, because it stems from the natural human disposition to give verbal expression to thought and emotion.”3 Charles W Nienkirchen points to this as well, saying, “The impulse to pray is universal It is not dependent on religious

affiliation,” and goes on to call prayer an “irrepressible yearning.”4 Karl Barth also points to this yearning and desire when he says, “When we pray, our human condition is unveiled to us, and

we know then that we are in this distress and also in that hope…prayer is thus our human

response when we understand our distress and know that help will come.”5 Or, put in another light, “prayer…is the very soul and essence of religion.”6 Thus, prayer could be likened to the heartbeat or the blood of religion

2 There are many examples of prayer throughout the Old Testament, (the Psalms, the prayers of the kings, etc.); Examples of prayer are also seen outside of the Christian circle, and even outside of the circle of the Abrahamic faiths, (Greek and Roman religious practices).

3 S.G.F Brandon, ed., “Prayer,” The Dictionary of Comparative Religion (New York: Charles Scribners Sons, 1970),

507-509.

4 Charles W Nienkirchen, “Prayer,” The Dictionary of Christian Spirituality (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011), 166.

5 John R Tyson, ed., Invitation to Christian Spirituality (Oxford: University Press, 1999), 388.

6 William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience (New York: Collier Books, 1961), 361.

However universal prayer may be, though, prayer has become a pillar in the Christian faith across all of its denominations As Charles Hodge asserts, “A prayerless Christian and pulseless man are alike impossible.”7 We see the importance of prayer in Christianity through themultiple examples seen in both the Old and New Testaments We see this through the different illustrations of prayer and discussions on prayer from the founding mothers and fathers of Christianity.8 And, we also see this through through, (to borrow Brandon’s language), humanity’sneed to communicate with the supernatural and the divine, prayer has found a strong presence in the Christian faith.

Prayer within the confines of Christianity is often defined as “communication with God.”9 These exact words are given in The New Dictionary of Theology as a description and

discussion of the theology of prayer.10 The ability to communicate with God rests on the

understanding and belief that the Christian God is a relational god, and desires a personal

relationship with those who would choose to follow him.11 Thus, prayer is most commonly understood in Christianity as the open line of communication between the Christian adherent andthe Christian God Prayer is an expression and product of the “dynamic, transformative,

dialogical relationship between humans and the triune God…”12 Prayer is the way in which

7 Charles Hodge, “Conference Paper” (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1879), 293.

8 Origen, On Prayer, Life as Prayer, How to Pray; John Cassian, On Prayer, Continuous Prayer; St Francis, St Francis’ Prayer Before the Crucifix, An Untitled Prayer (Francis); Thomas Aquinas, On Prayer; Desiderius Erasmus, The Weapons of Christian Warfare; Thomas Cranmer, Prayer for the Whole State of Christ’s Church, Prayer of General Confession, Prayer of Humble Access; Teresa of Avila, Mental Prayer, The Prayer of Union; George Herbert, Prayer; Jeanne (Madame) Guyon, The Prayer of Simplicity; Hannah More, Prayer; Walter

Rauschenbusch, the Social Meaning of the Lord’s Prayer; Karl Barth, The Problem of Prayer, Prayer as a Gift of God, Prayer as a Human Act, A Pastoral Prayer; Mother Teresa, Prayers All but the first of these are examples

given from flipping through the table of contents looking for the word ‘prayer’ or things related to prayer in Tyson, vii-xv.

9 For more on this definition of prayer, see Donald G Bloesch, The Struggle of Prayer (Colorado Springs: Helmers

& Howard, 1988), 50-66.; Also see, Wayne R Spears, The Theology of Prayer (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House,

Christians both ask God for blessings and cry out to God in pain and sorrow; it is where

Christians can openly express each and every possible human emotion imaginable to God.13 As Donald G Bloesch puts it:

Christian prayer is born out of the realization that human beings in and of themselves are incapable of saving themselves from the forces of darkness within and about them In genuine prayer, we come to God with empty hands trusting solely in his mercy…we do not bring God offerings that can win his favor, but we do bring before him the petition of

an earnest heart.14

Prayer is a necessity for human beings at large, but it has become particularly important and vital

in the life and practice of Christianity

Prayer looks differently and is expressed differently, however, depending on many different factors In fact, in her overview of Christian spiritual disciplines, Adele Calhoun lists and describes fourteen different types of prayer.15 Situations might call for certain prayers, such

as prayers for sick friends or family members Or, one might pray earnestly for financial

blessings if there was an unexpected breakdown of the family car, and the person, with a fixed income, is faced with this new expense on top of the usual bills Or, one may turn to God in prayer for praise, thanking God for the new promotion they received, or for a safe flight between destinations

Prayer has more of a function than simply to connect the created with the creator,

however In relation to prayer being a universal practice throughout many different religions rather than simply confined to Christianity, prayer functions at a higher level than simply to ask God for blessings Although the Christian understanding of prayer is that it is a conversation withGod and that prayer is the place where one can connect with God, there is also a cathartic level

of prayer To quote James again, “as regards prayers for the sick, if any medical fact can be

13 Nienkirchen, 166.

14 Bloesch, 19.

15 Adele A Calhoun, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook (Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 2005), 203-255.

considered to stand firm, it is that in certain environments prayer may contribute to recovery, and

should be encouraged as a therapeutic measure.”16 Miller and Yamamori agree with James, saying that prayer offers one the opportunity “to voice feelings and concerns that otherwise would not find an audience, either human or divine,” as well as to empower the individual by giving them “new strength and energy to deal with the problems of life.”17 This cathartic function

or role of prayer is precisely why prayer is practiced across religions It is a human desire to pray,and the practice of praying serves to fill a cathartic function that one cannot find elsewhere

Thus, Christianity and prayer are very much intertwined and enmeshed in one another Although it cannot and should not be thought of as a Christian construct, prayer has become a central focus and practice of Christianity Not only are the adherents to Christianity humans, and therefore have this desire- this “irrepressible yearning” to pray, but they also find this cathartic role or function filled by the practice of prayer Christians are also given, through prayer, the chance and opportunity to communicate with their God- prayer is a place where the creator and the created intersect As a result of this connection and intersection, prayer is the place where Christians are able to ask God for blessings, to pray for others, and to listen to God Even more, Christians are given the example of prayer throughout the Bible, both in the Old as well as in the New Testament And finally, at the very basic and very frank level, Christians are called to pray, and to pray often, time and time again throughout the Bible Thus, prayer is now central to Christianity, and has, (since the third century), been a major area of study and thought within the Christian circle.18

16 James, 361.

17 Donald E Miller and Tetsunao Yamamori, Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement

(Berkley: University of California, 2007), 146.

18 Prayer is seen throughout the Bible, but Christian writers and theologians have also spent much time and energy thinking about and discussing prayer Nienkirchen says, “Systematic discussions of prayer first appeared in the 3 rd

century when three prayer treatises were authored by three North African church fathers within fifty years of each other Tertullian, Origen, and Cyprian each composed full-length prayer treatises that included a commentary on the Lord’s Prayer, extolled as the perfect condensation of the gospel.” Nienkirchen, 169.

There are a multitude of different types of prayer, as well as a multitude of different reasons for prayer For the purposes of this paper, however, prayer will be broken-down into a

framework of five categories, as given by The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality.19These five different categories of prayer are adoration, confession, intercession, petition, and thanksgiving The examples of possible, everyday scenarios given above touch on the last three

of these five, intercession, petition, and thanksgiving In an effort to reach a common ground, though, a brief definition and overview will be given of each of these five categories Adoration

is the veneration of God because, as K E Kirk puts it, God is “the limit which surpasses

everything that is admirable in our finite experience.”20 Prayers of confession are characterized

by the admittance of committed sins by the adherent, and help Christians to gain forgiveness of those sins as well as to find relief from the burden of guilt.21 Intercessory prayers are “with, for and on behalf of another person, group of people or even the world, which [are] undertaken by

an individual or group.”22 Prayers of petition are, put very simply, the prayers of asking for something or another.23 Lastly, prayers of thanksgiving are characterized by their thankful

approach to God, praising and thanking God for what God has done or for who God is, (although

some would argue that all prayer displays this thankful attitude toward God).24

Prayer is major part of Christianity, and can be expressed in a variety of ways The five categories listed above help to narrow down the understanding of prayer to be discussed here However, much more could be said on prayer, specifically in relation to ways of prayer, (whetherrehearsed or extemporaneous; whether in a group, in corporate worship, or in a private setting;

19 K E Kirk, et al., eds., “Prayer,” The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality (Philadelphia: Wakefield,

1983), 307-313.

20 John Macquarrie, “Prayer: 1 Adoration,” The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality, 307.

21 Gordon S Wakefield, “Prayer: 2 Confession,” The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality, 308.

22 Michael Hollings, “Prayer: 3 Intercession,” The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality, 309.

23 George Appleton, “Prayer: 4 Petition,” The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality, 311.

24 A Michael Ramsey, “Prayer: 5 Thanksgiving,” The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Spirituality, 312.

whether one is talking to or even at God, or one is listening to try to hear God’s voice), on

specific words and language used during prayer, and even on posture taken during prayer However, most of these differences in prayer will be touched on later in this paper With this categorized understanding of prayer, this paper will now move forward toward comparing prayers of Anglican and Pentecostal Christians in Ethiopia, but will first examine the rise, spread,and current status of both Anglicanism and Pentecostalism

The Anglican Tradition:

Anglicanism was officially begun in the early to middle sixteenth century, amidst the chaos ensued by the creation of The Church of England, and its ‘separation’ from the Catholic church When the king of England, King Henry VIII, desired an annulment from the Roman papal office of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, and when the pope refused to give such an annulment to him, he created the Church of England Laws were passed that officially and legally set this church beyond the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church and the Roman see.However, since this split was from the Catholic tradition and since this was the tradition that Henry VIII and the rest of England was familiar with, there was not much change to be seen initially In fact, as Spinks says, “The result was that by 1536 the English church was an

independent Catholic church.”25 He goes on to say that although this new church aimed to abolish “popular devotional practices…until the death of Henry VIII, the Latin Catholic rites remained the norm of public worship in the English church.”26 It was not until the late into the seventeenth century, (1689), under the reign of Elizabeth I, that the Toleration Act was passed,

25 Bryan D Spinks, “Anglicans and Dissenters” in The Oxford History of Christian Worship (Oxford: University,

2006), 492.

26 Spinks, 494.

and the national church of England became a fully separate and established church in its own right.27

It is through the effort to form a unified church of the state, one in which was a reaction against and separate from the Roman Catholic Church, that the Church of England emerged Granted, at this same time, there were other Christian “greats” reacting against the Catholic Church, (such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli).28 However, the creation of theChurch of England was a separate and distinct action from the Protestant Reformation, arising mostly out of the will of the king of England.29 Though, however negatively painted in other books and accounts, Alan Jacobs paints this breaking away from the Catholic Church as well as from the Protestants in a positive light Jacobs argues that the primary reason for the creation of this church, (though it “had both theological and political reasons”), was for political purposes.30Yes, King Henry VIII wished to divorce Catherine of Aragon and to instead marry Anne Boylen However, Henry thought the power of the pope was too far-reaching in general, and insisted, (as did others), “on English rule of the English church…”31 Thus, it was not quite possibly not

simply because of the desire for an annulment, but also due, (at least in part), to the common

atmosphere and thinking at the time that the Catholic Church was too powerful and too reaching, as well as possibly to a sense of English nationalism

far-Regardless of the exact and precise reason or reasons why, the Church of England was established in this time, (though, as has already been mentioned, was not officially completely separate and established until over a century later) With the initial establishment of this church, however, came a need for a high priest or overseeing minister; it needed its own archbishop

27 Spinks, 492.

28 Nathan D Mitchell, “Reforms, Protestant and Catholic” in The Oxford History of Christian Worship, 317-324.

29 Spinks, “Anglicans and Dissenters,” 492.

30 Alan Jacobs, The Book of Common Prayer: A Biography (Princeton: University Press, 2013), 7.

31 Jacobs, 7.

Thus, on March 30, 1533, Thomas Cranmer was appointed and installed as Archbishop of Canterbury Apparently upon installation, he swore an oath saying that

…he would not allow his loyalty to the church to trump his loyalty to the king, and pledging that he would do nothing to interfere with “reformation of the Christian religion,the government of the English church, or the prerogative of the Crown of the well-being

of the commonwealth.”32

Thus, although there are many different hints and elements of an enmeshment of church and state, there is also a theme of rethinking and “reforming” Christianity from the Catholic way of doing things Cranmer immediately set to work on this goal, translating and publishing the litany

in English in 1544, the common language, instead of Latin like it had been given in the Catholic church to this time.33 Archbishop Cranmer then published many other reforms to the liturgy

including the Order of the Communion, and, (most importantly for the purposes of this paper), the Book of Common Prayer.34 This latter publication was originally very simply a rendering of

“the old services…into English,” but officially replaced all of the Latin Catholic rites on

Pentecost Sunday, June 9, 1549.35 However, Cranmer issued a newer, revised Book of Common

Prayer in 1552 on All Saint’s Day This updated edition “moved public worship in an

unmistakably Protestant direction,” although these updates and reforms did not last long, due to Mary Tudor, (a staunch Catholic), coming to the throne.36 Thus, after Mary’s reign, and

Elizabeth’s gain of the country, the prayer book went under yet another revision in 1559, which

seemed to be the most decisive and final revision of the Book of Common Prayer, even to this

It is the idea of a common book of different prayers that began the idea of this paper Especially in contrast with extemporaneous and spontaneous prayer, having a set book in which the whole of the congregation can use to pray seems odd In fact, these two would seem to be at polar and opposite ends of the spectrum from each other: one is a well thought-out, revised, written out book of prayers for an individual or a group of people to follow along with and read from; the other is prayer spoken impromptu and ‘on the spot.’ Granted, it is not the case nor should one assume that the prayers listed in the Common Book of Prayer are the extent of prayers that Anglican adherents pray As Charles Hefling is very quick to point out, “The Prayer Book is not a prayer book, in the sense of a collection of separate prayers It is more like a playbook, the ‘script’ actors use for performing a play.”38 While there are pros and cons to both approaches in praying, and while this paper aims to explore just that, it will now shift to a

discussion over the start and spread of the Pentecostal movement

The Pentecostal Tradition:

When turning from the Anglican tradition to the Pentecostal tradition, clarity needs to be brought in order to gain a common ground and place for understanding in order to move forward

A look into the history of this fairly recent tradition and denomination brings one much insight into the tradition itself, as well as from where and how it has grown Not only this, but an

understanding of the history of the tradition helps one to better understand the future of the movement Thus, this paper will now consider the Pentecostal movement- its beginnings, its spread, and its current state

The Pentecostal tradition has its origins and roots in Topeka, Kansas in Charles F

Parham’s Bethel Bible School It is suggested as being a fairly young and recent denomination or

38 Charles Hefling, “Introduction: Anglicans and Common Prayer” in The Oxford Guide to The Book of Common Prayer: A Worldwide Survey, edited by Charles Hefling and Cynthia Shattuck (Oxford: University Press, 2006), 1.

movement, (as opposed to Anglicanism or Catholicism), starting just one hundred and thirteen years ago on January 1, 1901.39 Through one of Parham’s lessons on the connection between speaking in tongues and baptism in the Holy Spirit, the students and he are recorded as gaining the gift of glossolalia, (or tongue speaking) This message and movement was then picked up by William J Seymour, (who had sat outside the classroom and had heard and witnessed these things), to Los Angeles, California Here, Seymour preached in his Holiness style, proclaiming the message about this phenomenon, and calling for revival It was in this context that the more well-known and more familiar connection with Pentecostalism is seen- Azusa Street.

Azusa Street is the common connection point with the start and spread of the Pentecostal tradition Although some would argue for the earlier beginning with Parham and the Bethel BibleSchool, it was at the Azusa Street mission that much of the Pentecostal theology emerged Burgess and McGee describe it by saying that this church or mission

represented an anomaly on the American religious scene Blacks, whites, and Hispanics worshiped together Men and women shared leadership responsibilities The barrier between clergy and laity vanished, since participants believed that the endowment of spiritual power for minister was intended for all to receive The gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12), understood by most denominations as having ceased at the end of the first century, had been restored.40

The excitement that this revival brought spread throughout the land, so much so that “Before long, Pentecostal revivals could be found in Canada, England, Scandinavia, Germany, India, China, Africa, and South America.”41 Thus, Pentecostalism brought with it an unprecedented

39 Stanley M Burgess and Gary B McGee, “The Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements: Introduction” in The Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements (Grand Rapids: Regency Reference, 1988), 1-3 ; Although

this is the date most often attributed to the rise of the Pentecostal Movement, recent scholarship has found

Pentecostal expressions of faith before this date from around the world, suggesting that perhaps the similar

expressions of Pentecostal faith found in the Bible never actually stopped after the first century For more on this

view, see Stanley M Burgess, “Introduction” in The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002), xv.

40 Burgess and McGee, 3.

41 Burgess and McGee, 3.