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Dennis Smith is a mission worker for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and works as general coordinator of the Latin American Evangelical Center for Pastoral Studies (CELEP). He has lived and worked in Latin America since 1978 and now lives in Guatemala City with his wife and two children. EM>THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT, was edited by Benjamin F. Gutierrez & Dennis A. Smith It was published in 1996 by the Presbyterian Church (USA) and AIPRAL/CELEP, and translated by Peter Kemmerle. All rights reserved. Permission to use this material has been granted by the editors. This book was prepared for Religion Online by Ted & Winnie Brock.

Introduction, by Benjamin F. Gutierrez

Chapter 1: Pentecostalism, Theology and Social Ethics, by Bernardo L. Campos M.
Four arguments are presented for why the Pentecostal movement can be understood as a sign of the power of God's Spirit moving in the church.

Chapter 2: Theological Characteristics of an Indigenous Pentecostalism: Chile, by Juan Sepulveda
Chilean Pentecostalism is different from worldwide Pentecostalism. This chapter describes Chile's unique contribution.

Why Historic Churches Are Declining and Pentecostal ChurchesAre Growing in Brazil, by Leonildo Silveira C.
What challenges do the Pentecostals they represent for Brazilian Protestants? What lessons may be learned from the success of this movement? Might these lessons help us to discover where main line Protestants "missed the boat" of history?

Chapter 4: Pentecostalism and Confrontation with Poverty in Brazil, by Cecilia Loreto Mariz
Pentecostalism is efficient in supporting individuals in situations of extreme privation or family crisis. It also helps the poor by offering a mutual support network and the subjective experiences of power and dignity and of belonging to a community.

Chapter 5: Between Pentecostalism and the Crisis of Denominationalism, by Paul Freston
A review of the history of Pentecostalism in Latin America, it's use of mass media, it's involvement in politics, it's contrast with traditional Protestantism and the future of both

Chapter 6: Provocations
Mainline churches must abandon our historic triumphalism, assume our minority position with dignity and, without abandoning our principles, learn to establish relationships of mutual respect with both ancient and new spiritualities that proclaim values not wholly alien to the Reign of God.

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