Page 333 - tesis
P. 333

Pentecostal is essential for the Neo-Pentecostals and the rest of the Christians: \u2018we will to expose the false claim of the \u201Cgods that are no gods\u201D, in the debased ethic of the global market\u2019 (1999: 395).\u000ACONCLUSIONS\u000AAccording to the result of the work of field, the NPL of these churches show a social vision in different levels. Their openness toward social concern is a new finding among those lay people. Especially because some authors think that NPL are not interested at all in social issues. The analysis shows that they are more open to those social issues than their pastors. They interpret the context and participate within it from their particular Neo-Pentecostal theology standpoint. They concentrate especially on problems at micro level and give little attention to the country\u2019s structural problems.\u000AThis first part of the NPL shows the way in which they think about their role and presence in society. They reflect a variety of ideas which come from lay people who represent the different social classes in these churches. They reveal a different picture from that of some stereotyped ways of thinking about how they understand the world and take up social challenges. At the least the result shows that they do not live with their backs to the world and that they are open to discuss and think about the social problems that afflict the population. As has been shown, in several cases their opinions go beyond the declarations or discourses of their pastors. In several aspects they coincide with the ideas of their pastors, as we saw in Chapter four, but at the same time it is plain that their ideas go beyond the position held by their pastors on social affairs.\u000AOf course it must be emphasized that the NPL do not all think alike nor do all have a well defined social conscience. Rather, in the majority of cases they show signs of an awakening awareness, springing from their religious idea. In the same way, the researcher observed that lay people in the middle and upper classes show a little bit more interest in social, economic and political affairs and are more able to articulate their ideas about them.\u000A320\u000A


































































































   331   332   333   334   335