An investigation of the pneumatological praxes of montanism with lessons for the contemporary African church

Abstract

Some Pentecostal and African Indigenous Churches lay claim to the Holy Spirit’s inspiration and revelation for some practices that are inimical to biblical doctrine. Similarly, Montanism, an early Christian movement of the late second century, emphasized the Holy Spirit’s work through the manifestation of spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. However, it was considered heretical because of its outrageous pneumatological praxes. A study of the Montanism is historically valuable to learn lessons for sustaining the health of churches in Africa. This is the aim of this study. The study adopted the historical analysis method, generating information from personal observation and a qualitative survey of existing literature. Although Montanism emphasized the significance of holiness in a believer's life some doctrinal positions were confusing to the early church. Valuable lessons for the contemporary African church are, proactively dealing with heresies, promoting spiritual discipline towards utilizing members’ spiritual gifts, emphasizing women’s ministry, pursuing doctrinal purity, attending to discipline and discipleship, and promoting sound theological education. The result of the findings is significant because it creates historical consciousness for churches in Africa not to repeat past mistakes. The article proceeds through the following steps: It first surveys abuses among contemporary prophets and pastors. Next, it provides an introduction to Pneumatology. After that comes a historical overview of the Montanism movement. Lastly, it draws lessons for the modern African Church.