Is Abortion Always Murder?
Summary
In this scholarly essay, Douglas F. Olena argues that the modern anti-abortion movement lacks a firm biblical and statistical foundation, often producing outcomes that contradict its stated goal of protecting life. He contends that restrictive legislation actually correlates with higher abortion rates and diminished health outcomes for women, while failing to recognize the legal and spiritual primacy of the mother over the fetus. By distinguishing between biological humanity and legal personhood, the author suggests that true Christian ethics should prioritize the autonomy and well-being of existing persons rather than enforcing patriarchal control. Ultimately, the text critiques the alliance between evangelicalism and partisan politics, advocating for a compassionate, evidence-based approach to reproductive healthcare that aligns with pluralistic democratic values.
The Nature and Purpose of the Church: A Pentecostal Response
Summary
This scholarly paper provides a Pentecostal theological response to the World Council of Churches' influential ecumenical document, The Nature and Purpose of the Church (NPC). The author evaluates the NPC's core idea that the Church's visible unity is based on participation in the divine Trinitarian koinonia (communion), suggesting that Pentecostals typically prefer a more experiential pneumatological framework rooted in the presence and action of the Holy Spirit. While the Pentecostal view aligns with the NPC's focus on proclamation, the analysis highlights divergences concerning the necessity of sacraments like the Eucharist and the distinction Pentecostals draw between water and Spirit baptism. Ultimately, the response urges the NPC to avoid creating a dualism between the Church's divine essence and its ambiguous historical reality, calling for an integrated perspective that foregrounds mission, service, and charismatic manifestations as crucial to its very being.