A Contemporary Pentecostal Theodicy of a Just God on a Killing Spree
Kwasi Atta-Agyapong 
, Emmanuel Foster Asamoah , Diana Adjei-Fianko & Emmanuel Agyei Kwafo
Issue: Vol.5 No.1 February 2024 Article 2 pp. 12-19
DOI : https://doi.org/10.38159/pecanep.2024512 | Published online 23rd February 2024.
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
The portrayal of God in the Old Testament differs from that in the New Testament, suggesting an evolving perception and understanding over time. This has led to confusion and a dualistic view of God among individuals throughout history. Particularly perplexing is the divine sanction for the complete annihilation of the Canaanite population, seemingly contradicting God’s just nature. This study investigates the command to exterminate men, women, children, and infants belonging to the Canaanite nations and seeks to reconcile the notion of a just God sanctioning such perceived cruelty and bias. Analyzing the moral, religious, and theological complexities surrounding this issue, the study aims to shed light on the hypothetical inconsistency in God’s attitude. Ultimately, the study asserts that God’s sanctioned killings were justifiable actions driven by His foreknowledge and intended for the salvation of humanity as a whole. However, the study emphasizes that this divine approach does not justify or endorse any contemporary acts of religious extremism, as such violence serves no salvific purpose in God’s current plan for humanity. Grounded in the principles of action, consequence, and responsibility, the Pentecostal theodicy explored in this qualitative investigation, based on literature review and textual analysis, provides insights into the academic question of why a just God would command the total obliteration of the Canaanites. Through this analysis, this study contributes to the advancement of knowledge on the topic.
Keywords: Pentecostal Theodicy, Justice, Canaanites, Violence, Extremism, and Biblical text.
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Kwasi Atta Agyapong holds a Bachelor of Theology degree, a Master of Arts degree in Pentecostal Studies, and is currently pursuing a PhD at the Philippines Christian University. His area of expertise lies in the study of African Pentecostal Spirituality and Cultural Adaptation within academia. His research primarily centers around Pentecostalism, witchcraft studies, mythology, and philosophy of religion. Alongside his academic pursuits, he is an ordained minister within The Church of Pentecost, a member of the American Anthropological Association, and actively contributes as a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals.
Emmanuel Foster Asamoah is a Ph.D. candidate at Stellenbosch University, South Africa. He is actively involved in the academic community as a member of the Institute of Biblical Scholarship in Africa. He contributes to scholarly discourse by reviewing works for various peer-reviewed journals. Ordained as a minister of The Church of Pentecost, he currently serves in Winneba Abasraba, Ghana. Committed to education, Asamoah is also an adjunct lecturer at Pentecost University, Ghana. His diverse scholarly interests span Bible Translation, New Testament Biblical Studies, Mother Tongue Hermeneutics, African Christianity, Pentecostal Studies, and Missiology.
Diana Adjei-Fianko, MPhil, is currently pursuing her PhD at the Department of Arts Education, University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Alongside her academic endeavors, she serves as a Religious and Moral Educator at the University of Education, Winneba, located in the Central Region. With a wealth of teaching experience spanning from basic education to tertiary levels, she brings a diverse educational background to her research pursuits. Her research interests encompass Biblical Exegesis and Hermeneutics, Comparative Religion, Pedagogies and Approaches for teaching Religious and Moral Education, and the intersection of Faith-Based Organizations and Child Development.
Emmanuel Agyei Kwafo (Bachelor of Science Education, MA Theology and Missions, MPhil Leadership) is an adjunct lecturer at the Pentecost University, Ghana. He is an ordained minister of the Church of Pentecost and the National Coordinator for the Home and Urban Missions of the church of Pentecost from 2019 to date. His research interest focuses on leadership and Missions to the Unreached People Groups of Africa.
Atta-Agyapong, Kwasi, Emmanuel Foster Asamoah, Diana Adjei-Fianko & Emmanuel Agyei Kwafo . “A Contemporary Pentecostal Theodicy of a Just God on a Killing Spree.” Pentecostalism, Charismaticism and Neo-Prophetic Movements Journal 5, no.1 (2024): 12-19. https://doi.org/10.38159/pecanep.2024512
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
