History in the Bible, in Traditional Christianity and in Charismatic-Pentecostal Churches

Kršćani su od najranijih početaka Crkve prepoznavali posebnu ulogu koju povijest ima u razumijevanju Božjega djelovanja među ljudima. Kršćansko pridavanje važnosti povijesti preuzeto je iz hebrejske Biblije i naslijeđeno od židovstva, koje je iznjedrilo kršćansku vjeru. Zatim su teolozi i povjesničari nastojali definirati koja povijest i na koji način je važna. Usprkos raznim razmimoilaženjima, mnogi su imali načelan stav da je povijest izravno ili neizravno otkrivanje Božje volje, planova, putova i karaktera, kao i da se u njoj može naći legitimitet za postojanje vlastite denominacije. S pojavom karizmatsko-pentekostalnog pokreta u dvadesetom stoljeću, velik dio kršćana toga profila postao je izložen drukčijem stavu prema povijesti: nezainteresiranosti. U karizmatsko-pentekostalnim zajednicama naglasak se stavljao na osobni doživljaj i iskustvo koji su vidljivi i mjerljivi u prostoru i vremenu (ovdje i sada), pa je povijesna perspektiva nerijetko ostala zanemarena. Budući da je u crkvama toga profila često postojala, barem latentna, nepovjerljivost prema akademskim izučavanjima općenito, koje su se, osobito na početcima pentekostalizma, smatrala uzročnikom zamiranja pobožnosti, tradicionalno kršćansko zanimanje za izučavanje povijesti je splasnulo. Bespovijesnost koja je iz tog proizišla vidljiva je, donekle, i danas. Nepoznavanje povijesti može imati potencijalno vrlo štetne posljedice: prijezir prema tradicionalnim crkvama i denominacijama, duhovni ekskluzivizam te nezainteresiranost za jedinstvo kršćana. U vrijeme u kojem je važno stvoriti ispravan identitet i razumjeti svoje mjesto u sve intenzivnijoj interakciji različitih kršćanskih denominacija, Izraela i poganskih naroda, bespovijesnost bi se u životima mnogih predanih kršćana mogla pokazati kao generator loše prosudbe. No s druge strane, veće pridavanje važnosti povijesti moglo bi pridonijeti većem jedinstvu među kršćanima, kao što je pridonijelo nastanku suvremenoga kršćanskog filosemitizma.Since the earliest Church age, Christians have recognized the unique role of history in Christian understanding of God’s ways and plans with the humankind. High esteem of history and historicity was inherited from the Hebrew Bible and Judaism. Subsequently, Christian authors and scholars strove to define which history (ancient Israelite history, Church history, world history etc.) and in which way, was significant. Notwithstanding differences, most theologians agreed that God’s will, plans, purposes and character are in some way, directly or indirectly, perceptible in history. History has also often been invoked by different Christian denominations as one of their raisons d’être. Within the Charismatic-Pentecostal movement, however, a different attitude toward history developed: indifference. Emphasis in those churches was put on personal experience measurable in time and space (here and now), in which historical perspective had no immediate significance. As there have also existed at least latent suspicion toward academic enterprise, which was at the dawn of Pentecostalism often regarded as agent of disbelief and skepticism, traditional Christian interest in study of history faded. A lack of sense of history which soon settled in has been visible until the present day. Most Charismatic-Pentecostal churches foster among their members zeal of evangelization and piety, which is the most important Christian task. However, lack of historical perspective could have some potentially harmful consequences, such as contempt for traditional churches and other denominations. View of one’s own church as a place in which God moves in ways unprecedented ever, which any Church historian would easily recognize as unwise and absurd, almost certainly produces spiritual exclusivity, suspicion toward other Christians and unconcern or even opposition toward Christian unity. In a time in which a sound identity and understanding of one’s place in the ever increasing interaction of different Church denominations, Israel and the Gentiles is perhaps more important than ever, lack of historical perspective may easily contribute to some poor judgment, even in devout Christians’ lives. On the other hand, appreciation of historical perspective may prove to be an important factor in pursuit of Christian unity, as it was a factor in the development of modern Christian philo-Semitism