Pentecostalism hasn’t been known for producing systematic theologians, but Frank D. Macchia is changing that narrative. 2023 saw the publication of two significant works: Tongues of Fire and Introduction to Theology. These books, aimed at different audiences, address the same need: to present a complete systematic theology of the Christian faith from a Spirit-filled perspective.

As the name suggests, Introduction to Theology is aimed at undergraduates. Having recently read his Jesus the Spirit Baptizer on Christology, I was curious to see how he would adjust his style. Macchia’s work is always important but not what you’d call easy reading. I can happily report that while this introduction is still dense (in a good way), it is absolutely readable for people with minimal theological background.

Despite the brevity of this work (184 pages), Macchia handles important concepts with nuance. A good example of this is his discussion of divine impassibility. He mentions how the church has traditionally regarded God as impassive, yet goes on to describe how “God still suffers” (47). He charts a middle path through this discussion, with gracious respect for theologians like Kitamori and Moltmann who reject divine impassibility outright:

I respond to this rejection of divine impassibility with both gratitude and hesitance. There is no question that creation matters to God and that God desires it, willing grace rather than wrath for it. As Daniel Castelo has shown, God’s impassibility does not mean divine apathy. It just means that God does not lose any divine perfection and fullness. (48)

This sort of nuance is difficult to find in an introductory work.

Another feature of this text is its Spirit-filled focus. This book covers all the loci of classic systematic theology—God, Jesus, Spirit, Church, and Eschatology—from the vantage point of Pentecost. Macchia works with theologians you’d expect from Augustine to Barth, while also interacting with important pentecostal scholarship from people like Sammy Alfaro and Daniela Augustine.

This work deserves a place on the theology syllabi of pentecostal and charismatic Bible Colleges around the world. It is also a rich resource for discipling people in the church who have a passion to understand how to think about God more clearly. Introduction to Theology will not only give people food for thought, but like all good theology, will prompt a response of praise.

Macchia, Frank D. Introduction to Theology: Declaring the Wonders of God. Baker Academic, 2023. Foundations for Spirit-Filled Christianity.