While browsing a Tübingen bookshop today I excitedly noticed that Jürgen Moltmann has just published his autobiography or ‘Lebensgeschichte’. Weiter Raum is 400 pages long and as I flicked through, I began salivating in greedy anticipation. As one does. Click here for more information.Towards the end I read about the interesting story of his meeting with the Pastor of the world largest church, the South Korean Pentecostal, David Yongi Cho. He tells us that Cho, during their meeting, held Moltmann’s hands and prayed for his healing (the great Tübingen based theologian suffers from Asthma). Moltmann tells us that for a number of weeks his Asthma cleared up entirely.
For more on his meeting with Cho, see the Journal of Pentecostal Theology article (JPT 13.2 (2005) 147-161) in which he describes the Korean as a ‘learned and profound theologian and an independent thinker’. The article abstract runs as follows:
From the perspective of the author’s own theology of hope, this article offers an affirmation and a constructive critical engagement of the ‘Full Gospel’ theology of Korean pastor, David Yonggi Cho. After acknowledgement of certain commonalities in the originating contexts of both Cho’s and the author’s respective theological perspectives, particular points of agreement and suggestions for further expansion and development are presented and elaborated with a view toward a ‘Full Gospel of the Advent of Christ’.By the way, this article also suggests that Moltmann is no longer as confident in his Universalism as he arguably once was. In The Coming of God he wrote: ‘It is only there [i.e. in the depths of Christ’s death on the cross of Golgotha] that we find the certainty of reconciliation without limits ... for universal salvation’ (250). However, in this article he closes with the following words: ‘Will all human beings be redeemed in the end? We do not know, but we can hope that they will and pray that they will’ (161)
I’m hoping that my lovely wife will have picked up the (not so subtle) hints and that I’ll be unpacking this book for my birthday in a few weeks!
7 comments:
ah man, think it might ever get translated into English for us sadly non german speaking folk? I imagine it would be a facinating read!
also I see hints of his dialoging with pentecostals. I wonder about its influence on him or his thoughts about pentecostals.
I sooooooo need to learn to sprechen ze deutch! I'm salivating just thinking of that book. BTW Molty is in a vid I saw the other day - God's Earth. Kung is in there too along with copious quantities of Thomas Berry. Sweet action indeed!
Wow, this is great news! I'm sure it will be an excellent book -- Moltmann has had such a fascinating life and career.
Hi Brain,
Yes, these hints are onimous. There was nothing, as far as I could see from my quick look through, about his 'becoming a Pentecostal', but it may be there and I missed it.
Frank, do learn German! And send me the video while you are at it
;-)
I have read this article on JPT, I also think that David Yonggi Cho is not that simple as many people think, and his theology is a kind of hope theology. Many people view his "Full Gospel" as shamanism or Prosperity theology, but as moltmann and William Menzies---a long-time American Assemblis of God scholar indicated, when we have to consider his theological concepts from the context of post warII and post Korean War era. His church has established from slums, and most of his church members used to be the poors, hence, his ministry is in accordanced with Petnecostalism's spirit, that is "Pentecostal church is for the poors". His masseges are used to encourage and inspire those people who have been living a despair life. He has said that poverty is a curse, I think this is a kind of socialism christian religion. Isn't property a crucial problem for humen beings? Many ministers or theologian merely appeal to Parousia or the hope in the future. But Cho's approach is to face it.Furthermore, I have read that he announced that" Jesus is the deliver, North Korea must be saved from opression of human rights", on the newspaper, dosen't it sound like a liberational theologian? Hence I think Cho is worthy to be rethought or researched by us.
"Cho is worthy to be rethought or researched by us" Moltmann would certainly agree with you! Thanks for your thoughts.
You could read Volume 7, Number 1 (January 2004)of Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies. Many contributors talk about cho in that number of Journal.
Click the following like to browse
http://www.apts.edu/ajps/04-1/04-1_index.htm
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