Abstract

This chapter articulates the core commitment and mechanisms underlying the various expressions and modes of articulation of Pentecostal theological identity by suggesting that what holds together this approach to Christian theology in a meaningful coherent manner is the Pentecostal story. An approach to Pentecostal theology through story demands taking seriously Pentecostal history and identity in a manner that has found genuine expression among Pentecostals. The chapter addresses Pentecostal identity by arguing that a basic story line with its central doxological confessions provides a prominent controlling theological narrative of early Pentecostalism regardless of its origins. Although the story has regional accents, important modifications and distinctions, the basic story line, the primary characters, and its central narrative convictions remain stable enough to be identifiable and fluid enough to migrate and adapt to new contexts.