Do you think there will be any significant anti-charismatic books or conferences like "Strange Fire" in 25 years?
Poll Results
Do you think there will be any significant anti-charismatic books or conferences like “Strange Fire” in 25 years?
Yes Votes: 10
Perhaps Votes: 3
Probably not Votes: 0
No Votes: 2
Other Votes: 0
I am not a charismatic, but neither do I take a hardcore cessation view. I certainly agree that there have been many abuses, and charismatic hermeneutics have often proved subjective and not the best, although that has changed in many circles.
It is my observation that fewer non-charismatics are hardcore anti-charismatic as once was the case. With conservative evangelicalism’s top scholars (e.g., D.A. Carson, Wayne Grudem) taking a somewhat moderate position. and with many charismatics in the U.S. becoming more moderate (especially second generation charismatics who see no difference in the lives of their non-charismatic Christian friends from their charismatic ones), it appears in the U.S. that we are moving in toward a tolerable middle. For example, many of us non-charismatics appreciated Chuck Smith and the Calvary Chapel group.
This, of course, is apart from the health and wealth Gospel [and can border on heresy] which is the rage in much of the third world. If there are future “strange fire” type conferences, I would imagine they would be outside the U.S.
So what do you think? Is the “Strange Fire” conference the last gasp of a bygone era (whether regrettable or not), or is it the wave of the future?
"The Midrash Detective"
I think there will be new arguments but the debate will continue, I would not be surprised if the cessationist camp got smaller. I could be wrong on this but the argument seems to be getting a little more exegetical. The arguments from ten or fifteen years ago used to be more at the popular level and addressing the extreme but now it seems like non-cessationists are getting more notable scholars on their side. I could be wrong on this since I have not read much recent stuff on it. With the continual cultural spiral towards processing feelings above thinking I think non-cessationists will gain more of a hearing.
Discussion