Character as gift and erasure. (22nd February 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bialecki, Jon
• Is Part Of: Social anthropology. Volume 26:Number 2(2018)
• Page Start: 211
• Page End: 221
• Publication Date: 2018-02-22
• Subjects: character -- anthropology of ethics -- anthropology of Christianity -- Charismatic and Pentecostal Christianity -- North America; caractère -- anthropologie de l'éthique -- anthropologie du Christianisme -- Christianisme charismatique et pentecôtiste -- Amérique du Nord; Ethnology -- Europe -- Periodicals; Europe -- Social life and customs -- Periodicals; 306
• DOI: 10.1111/1469-8676.12477
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0964-0282

Abstract

Abstract : For Southern Californian members of the Vineyard network of charismatic churches, character is a gift of God, traits bequested on them that are equal in dignity and importance to the classical divine gifts such as tongues, prophecy, healing or casting out demons. The chief difference is that these more classical gifts are not about gaining or valuing character traits, but about submission to God, and therefore are as much moments of character's erasure as they are of elaboration. And both forms of character, as perduring divine gift or as an ascetically earned moral character shaped through submission, help believers understand character in a third sense: as their being participants, and therefore personages, in the wider Gospel narrative of cosmic salvation.