Publications

My publishing interests are in the areas of early Pentecostalism, denominational history, eschatology, and Oral Roberts studies. See my GoogleScholar page here: 

Books

Imagining the Future: The Origin, Development and Future of Assemblies of God Eschatology (Tulsa: ORU Press, 2021).

Screen Shot 2021-10-14 at 7.05.00 PMSince the Assemblies of God began in 1914, a great importance was placed on the belief in the second coming of Christ. However, in recent decades, a segment of AG ministers and educators have begun to re-examine the theological underpinnings of the denomination’s eschatology. Many of the historic expressions of eschatology are losing popularity within Pentecostal circles, particularly the long relationship with dispensational premillennialism.

Through doctrinal criticism, this book provides comprehensive analysis of AG eschatological positions over the past century from three distinct voices within the AG community. First, it surveys the field of attitudes about AG eschatological positions within the field of Pentecostal academics by leading AG scholars. Second, it offers a historical analysis of the development of official AG statements on eschatology found in the statements of faith and approved position papers. Third, it provides a reception history of how eschatological doctrines were received and expressed by AG adherents in the Pentecostal Evangel, the official organ of the AG, from 1914–2005. In each of these voices, particular attention is given to how these expressions were shaped by the pneumatological beliefs, historical events, and the influence of dispensationalism.

The work concludes by drawing from the pneumatological imagination to imagine the future of AG eschatology by integrating the various historical expressions of AG eschatology into a contemporary, yet contextual, set of eschatological doctrinal expressions to solidify the importance of the second coming of Christ for a new generation of Pentecostal believers.

Pentecost in Tulsa: The Revivals and Race Massacre that Shaped the Pentecostal Movement (Lanham, MD: Seymour Press 2020).

Pentecost in Tulsa tells the story of how Tulsa became an important epicenter of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity in the United States. In its earliest days, revivals helped establish important Pentecostal churches. Later, well-known evangelists in the movement, launched worldwide ministries from Tulsa that impacted millions around the globe. This book also reveals the untold story of a resilient black Pentecostal community that endured the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and succeeded in reviving the famous Greenwood District. Through these triumphs and tragedies, Tulsa has emerged as a significant city with continuing impact on the Pentecostal movement

Receiving Scripture in the Pentecostal Tradition: A Reception History, edited with Martin Mittelstadt and Rick Wadholm, Jr. (Cleveland, TN: CPT Press, 2021).

Receiving Scripture in the Pentecostal Tradition offers groundbreaking analysis of how the Pentecostal tradition read, interpreted, viewed, and performed Scripture. Included in this volume are twelve essays by global scholars who bring their methodological, biblical, and theological expertise to Pentecostal readings of Scripture. Each contributor documents not only how Pentecostals received the Scriptures, but also provide insights and analysis for these interpretations in their respective communities.

Articles: 2022-2023

“Metacostalism: Carlton Pearson and the Future of Pentecostal Heterodoxy,” Journal of Pentecostal Theology 32, no. 1 (2023): 73-89. https://brill.com/view/journals/pent/32/1/article-p73_008.xml

“’Rescued Women’: Early Pentecostal Responses to Sex Trafficking.” Pneuma 44, nos. 3-4 (2022): 442-61. https://doi.org/10.1163/15700747-bja10071

“A Revival in Greenwood: The Story of Black Pentecostal Churches and the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.” Chronicles of Oklahoma 3, no. 3 (2022): 330-339.

“The Unfinished Task in North American Evangelism and its Impact on Spirit-empowered Christianity.” Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology 7, no. 2 (2022): 151-68. https://digitalshowcase.oru.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1274&context=spiritus

2021

“The Concept of Disease in the Pentecostal Tradition,” in Beth Snodderly and Daniel O’Neill, eds., All Creation Groans: Toward a Theology of Disease (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2021), 102-22.

“How Long Shall We Tarry? A Reception History of Tarrying for the Baptism in the Spirit in Early Pentecostal Testimonies,” Daniel D. Isgrigg, Rick Wadholm, Martin Mittelstadt, eds., Receiving Scripture in the Pentecostal Tradition: A Reception History, ed. (Cleveland, TN: CPT Press, 2021).

“Internal Needs Assessments: A Worthwhile Endeavor?” with Carolyn Prescott, Mary Ann Walker, Angela Sample, Journal of Library Administration 61, no. 2 (2021): 252-80

2020

“Toward Spirit-Empowered Leadership Distinctives: A Literature Review” Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology 5, no. 2 (2020): 199-216.

“‘I Tried Poverty’: Exploring the Psychological Impact of Poverty and Prosperity in the Life of Oral Roberts” Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology 5, no. 1 (2020), 5-24.

“How Pentecostals Responded to the 1918 ‘Spanish Influenza’ Pandemic,” Influence Magazine, 23 March 2020 (online).

2019

“The Origin, Development, and Future of Assemblies of God Eschatology,” PhD dissertation, Bangor University, 2019.

“The Latter Rain Revisited: Exploring the Origins of the Central Metaphor in Pentecostalism,” Pneuma 41, no. 3–4 (2019): 439–457. (Winner of the Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship Outstanding Article 2020).

“Healing for All Races: Oral Roberts’ Legacy of Racial Reconciliation in a Divided City,” Spiritus 4, no. 2 (2019): 227-256.

2018

“An Early Account of Oral Roberts’ Healing Testimony,” Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology 4, no. 2 (2018), co-authored with Vinson Synan, exploring a previously unknown account of his healing from Tuberculosis that differs from later accounts.

“Oral Roberts: Man of the Spirit,” Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology 4, no. 2 (2018), an exploration of the role that the baptism in the Spirit played in the life and healing ministry of Oral Roberts.

“Oral Roberts: A Brief Bibliography” Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology 4, no. 2 (2018). I complied and published as director of the HSRC.

I have had the amazing opportunity to write two books about things I am passionate about: Pentecostal Theology and Eschatology. You can find these books on Amazon.com HERE

Pilgrimage Into Pentecost: The Pneumatological Legacy of Howard M. Ervin:   Word & Spirit Press, 2008


41eTLmculdLPilgrimage into Pentecost explores the life and legacy of Howard M. Ervin,Th.D., chronicling Ervin’s pilgrimage from his beginnings as Baptist pastor to his global influence as a Pentecostal leader. His exegetical theology led him to advocate a distinctively Lukan theology of the Holy Spirit, and he became for a while the leading scholarly apologist for the classical Pentecostal doctrine of Spirit baptism. Ervin’s scholarship spurred fruitful theological debate on the contemporary work of the Holy Spirit, especially with New Testament scholar James D.G. Dunn, while his extensive ecumenical pastoral ministry demonstrated the Spirit’s work of unifying the body of Christ. Pilgrimage into Pentecost not only pays well-deserved tribute to a pioneer of Pentecostal scholarship but also offers his devout scholarship and distinguished forty-year teaching career at Oral Roberts University (ORU) as an example for others.

Read a sample chapter here:

Why I Want To Be Left Behind;  Word & Spirit Press, 2008

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Why I Want To Be Left Behind is a look at the biblical exegesis of some of the most important end times passages and images. Each chapter engages a position held by Left Behind Theology and exposes the problems.  Chapters discuss the nature of images such as the tribulation, the two witnesses, the mark of the beast and the 144,000.  Each image that is proposed as part of the left behind theology is examined in light of the historical context of the related scripture passages.  This book presents an alternative to the Left Behind scenario and build a new passion for the Book of Revelation.

The Average Pastor: Reflections of an Average Pastor of an Average Church (2017)

The Average Pastor is a memoir of my seven years pastoring a small church. The average church in America is 75 people.  This means that most churches aren’t small, they are average.  This book is for the average pastor who serves the average church in America. The Average Pastor is a collection of reflections on pastoring the average church from an average pastor. I cover a variety of topics such as leadership in the small church, finances, the church size debate, staff and practical tips learned in the small church.