Chapter 17
Wonders in the Heavens Above, Signs
on the Earth Below: Pacific Islands
Pentecostalism, Climate Change
and Acts 2
John D. Griffiths
Abstract Pentecostalism’s understanding of creation is of growing importance as
Pentecostalism continues to grow in areas most effected by climate change. As such,
there is a need to identify, reflect upon and develop a Pentecostal ecology in order
to establish an effective and lasting response to the present ecological crises in areas
like the Pacific Islands. Pentecostalism’s enchanted understanding of creation, where
the material is imbued with the spiritual, leads Pentecostals to propose spiritual solutions (repentance, exorcism) to material problems (ecological crises). This chapter
develops this enchanted understanding of creation by incorporating an ecological
reading of Joel 1–2 and Acts 2: 17–21, which brings to the fore the ecological
themes of interconnectedness and voice. This chapter finishes with a concluding
synthesis, which reflects upon the ways that Pentecostalism’s ecology can be further
advanced through these ecological themes, and ways these insights can be applied
to the modern context of the Pacific Islands.
Introduction
Pentecostalism has firmly established itself as a significant force in Christianity
over the past 120 years, and in the South Pacific Islands, Pentecostalism “exceeds
church growth rates anywhere else in the world” (Gore 2019, p. 297; Brison 2007;
Anderson 2013). A significant factor in Pentecostalism’s growth in the Pacific Islands
is attributed to the similar cosmological worldview that Pentecostalism shares with
the traditional ancestral worship in the Pacific Islands (Smith 2010; Eriksen 2017;
Rio et al. 2017; Gallagher and Gallagher 2019; Macdonald 2019). For example,
Gallagher and Gallagher have argued that Pentecostals and Papua New Guineans have
a similar worldview based on the same “cosmological assumptions”, which leads to
a shared understanding concerning spirituality and the “spirit world” (Gallagher and
Gallagher 2019, p. 328). This similar cosmological worldview, sometimes described
J. D. Griffiths (B)
Alphacrucis College, Parramatta, NSW, Australia
e-mail: john.griffiths@ac.edu.au
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. M. Luetz and P. D. Nunn (eds.), Beyond Belief, Climate Change Management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67602-5_17
329
Wonders in the Heavens Above, Signs
on the Earth Below: Pacific Islands
Pentecostalism, Climate Change
and Acts 2
John D. Griffiths
Abstract Pentecostalism’s understanding of creation is of growing importance as
Pentecostalism continues to grow in areas most effected by climate change. As such,
there is a need to identify, reflect upon and develop a Pentecostal ecology in order
to establish an effective and lasting response to the present ecological crises in areas
like the Pacific Islands. Pentecostalism’s enchanted understanding of creation, where
the material is imbued with the spiritual, leads Pentecostals to propose spiritual solutions (repentance, exorcism) to material problems (ecological crises). This chapter
develops this enchanted understanding of creation by incorporating an ecological
reading of Joel 1–2 and Acts 2: 17–21, which brings to the fore the ecological
themes of interconnectedness and voice. This chapter finishes with a concluding
synthesis, which reflects upon the ways that Pentecostalism’s ecology can be further
advanced through these ecological themes, and ways these insights can be applied
to the modern context of the Pacific Islands.
Introduction
Pentecostalism has firmly established itself as a significant force in Christianity
over the past 120 years, and in the South Pacific Islands, Pentecostalism “exceeds
church growth rates anywhere else in the world” (Gore 2019, p. 297; Brison 2007;
Anderson 2013). A significant factor in Pentecostalism’s growth in the Pacific Islands
is attributed to the similar cosmological worldview that Pentecostalism shares with
the traditional ancestral worship in the Pacific Islands (Smith 2010; Eriksen 2017;
Rio et al. 2017; Gallagher and Gallagher 2019; Macdonald 2019). For example,
Gallagher and Gallagher have argued that Pentecostals and Papua New Guineans have
a similar worldview based on the same “cosmological assumptions”, which leads to
a shared understanding concerning spirituality and the “spirit world” (Gallagher and
Gallagher 2019, p. 328). This similar cosmological worldview, sometimes described
J. D. Griffiths (B)
Alphacrucis College, Parramatta, NSW, Australia
e-mail: john.griffiths@ac.edu.au
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
J. M. Luetz and P. D. Nunn (eds.), Beyond Belief, Climate Change Management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67602-5_17
329