Are Pentecostals Oblivious to Social Justice? Theological and Ecumenical Perspectives

Pentecostals, who are known for aggressive mission work, are often accused of being indifferent to social needs of the people to whom they proclaim the gospel. Even though Pentecostals have not had a viable theology of social concern until recently, their mission work has always included care of physical and social needs. The extended ecumenical dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church, especially the fourth phase (1990–1997) that focused on mission and social justice, has given the Pentecostals an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between proclamation and social justice. This article discusses the recent attempts of Pentecostal theologians and the Catholic-Pentecostal dialogue to construct a theology of social concern. 1