Sanctified Imagination: Christian Holiness in Afro-Pentecostal Tradition
Ebook
The first of its kind, this seminal work charts the unlikely theological quest for Christian holiness by founder Charles Harrison Mason and the Wesleyan-Holiness Pentecostal tradition known as the Church of God in Christ (COGIC), the largest Pentecostal denomination in the United States. Through fresh research and critical analysis, this book challenges existing assumptions by scholars and reveals how little-known black renewal movements informed Mason's theological understanding and that of the movement.
The rich theological resources of this historically marginalized movement are not primarily accessible in academic journals, position papers, or theological treatises. Instead, these resources function as "lived religion," where the theological presuppositions are embedded in primitive worship, ecstatic religious practices, and countercultural distinctives.
By unpacking the "lived religion" of this self-professed sanctified church, this book explores how sanctification and the practice of Christian holiness shaped and empowered the COGIC, its people, and its practices in creative and profound ways--resulting in a radical holiness ethic that emerged from an inexhaustible exilic vitality with personal, social, and political implications. Given the challenge of Christian nationalism today, this book provides a framework that informs Christian identity and faithful living for the broader Christian community.
“For academic theologians, it is sometimes easy to forget that the church’s theological wisdom is not conveyed primarily through books, but rather through the preaching, worship, and embodied praxis of her living members. In this insightful work, Ivan Hartsfield provides a compelling analysis of Christian holiness as it came to be understood and practiced within the church of God in Christ. Readers will discover here not only a rich theological history, but also an invaluable resource for faithful reflection upon the doctrine of sanctification today.”
—David Luy, associate professor of systematic theology, North American Lutheran Seminary
“Sanctified Imagination is part of a new stream of vibrant black Pentecostal scholarship. In this timely book, Ivan Hartfield reminds us of the importance of a sanctified mind in an age where spiritual holiness, formation, and virtue have been substituted for wealth, online popularity, and media celebrity.”
—Clifton R. Clarke, president, Alliance for Black Pentecostal Scholarship
- Title: Sanctified Imagination: Christian Holiness in Afro-Pentecostal Tradition
- Authors: David D. Daniels, Ivan L. Hartsfield
- Publisher: Pickwick Publications
- Print Publication Date: 2023
- Logos Release Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781666754353, 9781666754339, 1666754331, 9781666754346, 166675434X, 1666754358
- Resource ID: LLS:9781666754353
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2023-07-20T22:35:17Z
Ivan L. Hartsfield previously served as academic dean and adjunct professor at Northern Seminary. He is an ordained pastor-theologian, church planter, and entrepreneur. He and his wife founded and pastor Thrive Christian Ministries. Ivan is an advisory board member and business director for the Alliance for Black Pentecostal Scholarship. He has authored numerous articles and is heavily involved in planting churches, preaching, and teaching in a global context. Read more from Hartsfield at www.ivanhartsfield.com.