The Practice of Prophecy

The charisma of prophecy is found throughout the history of the global Pentecostal movement. Within the movement, prophecy is seen as the communication of an inspired, spontaneous revelation, bringing edification to the faith community. Despite its prevalence, academic research has mostly focused on the biblical-theological aspect, neglecting the actual contemporary practice. This book addresses this gap with a study on the practice of prophecy within the Assemblies of God of Singapore. The book investigates the nature, purpose, and significance of the phenomenon. It also identifies theological variables that are correlated with its practice and explicates these relationships. The investigation employs the empirical-theological method of Johannes van der Ven, utilizing both a qualitative and a quantitative study. The results provide a rich description of the actual reception, delivery, and judging of prophecy. Significant findings include relationships between prophecy and courage, love, personality types, prayer types, and evangelism. ""Rev. Dr. Lum possesses a strong analytical mind in processing and exegeting God's word. This book validates his contribution to the body of Christ by providing an outstanding empirical analysis of prophecy and explaining the true biblical motivation for the operation of this spiritual gift in the church. His in-depth research brings clarity and understanding to the gift of prophecy and its importance in the edification of the body."" --Wilson Teo, former president, TCA College, Singapore ""This is a thoroughly well-researched study on contemporary prophecy in Singaporean Assembles of God churches, grounded in a solid empirical-theological framework. It not only is relevant to Asian contexts, but is commended to anyone who wishes to understand the practice of prophecy in Pentecostalism."" --Allan H. Anderson, University of Birmingham ""The Holy Spirit is alive and active today, empowering the people of God to be his mouthpiece. Lum's research on the contemporary practice of prophecy provides much-needed insight on this phenomenon in a region where Pentecostalism is flourishing. Christian leaders will find this book to be a powerful resource for their ministries, providing guidelines for its present and continued use in strengthening, encouraging, and comforting the community of faith."" --Dominic Yeo, General Superintendent, The Assemblies of God of Singapore Dennis Lum is the Dean of the School of Theology at TCA College in Singapore. He is an ordained Assemblies of God minister and also serves as a pastor at Trinity Christian Centre.