Tongues of Fire: Giving Voice to Pentecostal Theology

This article is a review and analysis of Frank D. Macchia’s Tongues of Fire: A Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith. The method of our review encompasses two basic principles, that of summary and critical analysis. In the summary sections, our aim is simply to highlight the main features of Macchia’s system. The principle that emerges from this summary is the attempt on Macchia’s part to relate the whole of his system to a “theology of the third article.” The article divides into four parts. Part one establishes Macchia’s general method, with special reference to his appeal to “a theology of the third article.” Parts two and three turn to a basic summary of the main features of the doctrines of God, Christ, Spirit, Church, and Eschatology. Part four is a brief critical analysis that highlights both the successes and questions that have emerged in Macchia’s system.