Overlooked by the Spirit-filled: Womanist Pentecostalism and the case of the Hellenistic widows

Stone, Selina

Abstract

From its inception until now, Pentecostalism has thrived among Black communities, women and those experiencing socio-economic deprivation. Pentecostal theological ethicists have dealt in some ways with the themes of race, class and gender but often as single issues, meaning that Black women, who exist at the intersections, can be overlooked. Womanist ethics has a particular contribution to make to Pentecostal theology and Pentecostal studies since womanists centre the Spirit, as well as the lived experiences and faith of Black women in a world (and churches) marked indelibly by racism, sexism and classism. Given the centrality of the Bible in Black Pentecostal women’s spirituality, in this article, I examine the case of the Hellenistic widows in Acts 6 which illustrates the importance of Pentecostal womanism for critiquing the problems of race, gender and class, that shape even the Spirit-filled community not only in the early church but also today.

Citation

Stone, S. (2024). Overlooked by the Spirit-filled: Womanist Pentecostalism and the case of the Hellenistic widows. Journal of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity, 44(1), 26-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/27691616.2024.2334051

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 4, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Apr 4, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024
• Deposit Date: May 28, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: May 28, 2024
• Journal: Journal of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity
• Print ISSN: 2769-1616
• Electronic ISSN: 2769-1624
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 44
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 26-38
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/27691616.2024.2334051
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/2466721