© The Author(s) 2016 143
K.J. Archer, L.W. Oliverio, Jr. (eds.), Constructive
Pneumatological Hermeneutics in Pentecostal Christianity,
DOI 10.1057/978-1-137-58561-5_9
CHAPTER 9
When the Spirit Trumps Tradition:
A Pentecostal Reading of Isaiah 56:1–8
Jacqueline Grey
J. Grey ( )
Alphacrucis College , Sydney , Australia
A key characteristic of global Pentecostalism is its ability to adapt to new
contexts. This dynamic capacity to reshape itself for contemporary situ-
ations is not isolated to its worship, organizational structures or tradi-
tions. It is also a feature of its hermeneutic. The following chapter will
explore this dynamic in the reading of a text from the Old Testament,
namely Isaiah 56:1–8. In this Scripture, the prophet calls those marginal-
ized by the exile and traditionally disqualifi ed from access to the Temple to
now join as honored participants. By this invitation, the Spirit essentially
“trumps” both tradition and text (i.e., previous interpretations of Torah).
A comparable dynamic reading approach, whereby tradition and text are
“trumped” by the new work of the Spirit, can similarly be observed in
some New Testament interpretations of the Old. These reading approaches
have, in turn, modeled and infl uenced Pentecostal reading practices. Yet,
in the light of contemporary debates in hermeneutics, is this modeling of
ancient reading practices appropriate for a contemporary hermeneutic?
What are the ethical implications of this dynamic reading approach for
contemporary ethical issues such as homosexuality?
