It is a theology of the ordinary people, rather than narrowly text-
focused theologians!
I wondered, how can you understand the theology of Pentecostals and
Charismatics when their academic texts have not been written yet? On the
subject of prophecy, it was basically a choice between Wayne Grudem and
Bruce Yocum. 1 The year was 1987.
I did my empirical research, completed my ministerial training, worked
in a parish, worked in a seminary in Nigeria, and upon my return found
myself in New College Library in the University of Edinburgh in Scotland
perusing the shelves, as you do, when I discovered the Journal of Empirical
Theology associated with the Roman Catholic University at Nijmegen in
the Netherlands. I found what I had been looking for, even if I could not
at that stage make head nor tail of the numbers. The year was 1993 and so
my journey with empirical theology began.
This essay recounts much of its results. In it, I shall address the follow-
ing concerns in relation to the Spirit, meaningful experience, empirical
theology, and Pentecostal hermeneutics and theology. I shall address these
themes using the following headings: (1) empirical studies in theology; (2)
empirical studies of Pentecostalism; (3) the Spirit in Pentecostal experi-
ence; and (4) hermeneutics and theological discourse.
E MPIRICAL STUDIES IN THEOLOGY
The Journal of Empirical Theology was initiated in order to study the
nature of religion, and in particular Christianity, by means of the methods
of the social sciences. Its initial aim was to interpret empirical data theo-
logically and this was driven by conceiving the key research question as a
theological one, informed by theological theory. Given the continental
European context, it is a research-driven discourse shaped by the conven-
tions of the social sciences in terms of the presentations of fi ndings and
the discussion of those fi ndings. The theological beliefs and practices of
individuals and communities were regarded as not merely dependent vari-
ables to be explained in terms of theoretical variables, for example from
sociology or social psychology. This is the standard approach of the social
sciences, that is, religious beliefs and values are largely explained by fac-
tors that are derived from non-theological concepts, for example, social
deprivation, secularization, rational choice, or personality theory. These
studies are extremely valuable, but they do not build theology theory in
any meaningful manner. Let me explain the problem slightly differently. If
LOCATING THE SPIRIT IN MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE: EMPIRICAL THEOLOGY... 253