Brian Fulthorp shared a wonderful article from Charisma magazine on Gordon D. Fee titled “Professor Proves Pentecostalism and Scholarship Can Coexist” (read here). This is the opening paragraph to which anyone with a Pentecostal background and an interest in biblical scholarship can relate:
“Gordon Fee knows how it feels to be a lone ranger. Regarded as the first Bible scholar of the modern Pentecostal movement, Fee is a maverick. For 40 years he has fought an uphill battle in Pentecostal circles, within a movement that has been traditionally wary of theological endeavors and has placed far stronger emphasis on spiritual experience. “
All of those who have followed Fee from Pentecostal backgrounds into academia can say “thank you” as this paragraph notes:
“Fee and his wife, Maudine—who thought they would head to the mission field—felt the Holy Spirit’s nudge in a different direction. Maudine worked nights so her husband could juggle his Ph.D. studies and look after their four young children. Poring over endless manuscripts put Fee under enormous pressure, but in 1966 he became the first scholar from a Pentecostal background to earn a doctorate in biblical studies.”
I am grateful for Fee. He has proven that one can be a charismatic Christian while being taken seriously in the arena of critical, biblical scholarship. Many of us owe him much for his pioneering boldness.
More than a charismatic – a Pentecostal! 🙂
also I originally got the link from Nick’s blog, went to the article link and shared it on FB.
True, he is proud to be Pentecostal. I’ve wrestled with what this means because I see things like Fee does in many areas, but I have been told I am outside the circles of Pentecostal orthodoxy. I am sure Fee has been told the same.
Personally I like Fee because he is a good biblical scholastic, and not because he is a Pentecostal. And what is “Pentecostal orthodoxy”? A very subjective thing I would say. Just as not all Reformed are Reformed orthodox, etc. Our presupposition must be the Bible and Text itself.
I love Fee and am heartened by his work. I too am a pentecostal; though I fellowship at a Baptist church at the moment. I am currently finishing my degree at a Pentecostal college and God willing will follow through with a Masters and Ph.D.
Fee is also one of the Hero’s of the faith among the college faculty. I have a deep concern that Pente’s are not taught to read the Bible properly. I deeply value my Anglican experience where I was saved and filled with the Spirit. There I was taught to value both the word and the work of the Spirit and to understand both.
Prosperiety and wealth health may be a subset of pentecostalism…but is not truly representative of Pentecostalism…at least I hope so…though something tells me I could be wrong here…
@ Fr. Robert: Not sure what Pentecostal orthodoxy is. I have received mixed messages!
@Craig: Yes, Spirit and text. Too often charismatic Christianity has Spirit but ignores text like the Corinthians. Too often the rest of Christendom “despises prophecy” and “quenches the Spirit” like the Thessalonians. We need to avoid both mistakes.
As far as the health-and-wealth error is concerned I don’t think it is Pentecostal/charismatics only, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it started there.
Ah, so good. Add my name to this tribute. Fee has helped me in the area of the Charismatic. Should I even mention his works on Paul? 😉
Yes. I, too, am thankful to the work of Fee for these many decades.