Orthodox Extremist Equals Charismatic Revival to Liberation Theology
By Julio Severo
Does Liberation Theology equal to a charismatic revival? No way. In fact, the best opposition to Liberation Theology has come from charismatic, Pentecostal and neo-Pentecostal Christians.
Yet, enemies of charismatic revivals will use any excuse to attack what the Holy Spirit is doing in our days. Recently, a radical Orthodox Christian in an article entitled “Liberation Theology — a KGB Invention?” said:
“This is where everything comes full-circle, and really shows that everything that seems opposed is really of the same! It certainly explains a lot, and also offers a solid ground for understanding what we have noted since the beginning – that the current Moscow political and religious authorities are trying to take Orthodoxy down the road of charismatic revival, by posing as the saviours of Christianity from under the rule of a Western (or Muslim) dictatorship, thus appearing as the liberators of humanity from under the rule of the coming ruthless ‘antichrist.’ This subject has been most written about on our website and much can be found about in our past articles.”
When the author says that Liberation Theology being created by the KGB “certainly explains a lot,” he seems to suggest that the Charismatic Movement also was created by the KGB. By the way, according to a conservative Catholic source in Brazil, Liberation Theology ideas were present in the Catholic Church before the birth of the Soviet Union and its KGB.
What does the Charismatic Movement have to do with the KGB and Liberation Theology? Nothing. Nevertheless, the radical Orthodox author insists that “current Moscow political and religious authorities are trying to take Orthodoxy down the road of charismatic revival.”
Presumably, in his view, what these authorities are doing is as wicked as Liberation Theology.
I know this radical traditionalist religious modus operandi. (By radical traditionalist I mean mostly “cessationist” people. For more information, see this link: http://bit.ly/1OX58vq) When traditionalist Protestant Brazilians say, even in their theological essays published in the United States, that there are spiritual problems in the Brazilian Church, largely they mean charismatics, Pentecostals and neo-Pentecostals and their (lack of) theology.
The real problem in the Evangelical Church in Brazil is the Theology of Integral Mission, which is the Protestant version of Liberation Theology.
Whether radical Orthodoxies or Protestants, they need excuses to attack charismatics, Pentecostals and neo-Pentecostals, and now do they want to use KGB and Liberation Theology, which is rampant among Catholics, Protestants and Orthodoxies, as an additional pretext?
If, as the radical Orthodox complainer said, “the current Moscow political and religious authorities are trying to take Orthodoxy down the road of charismatic revival,” this is just wonderful!
If they really advance in this road, they will be able to help Christianity in Russia to survive pro-sodomy Western politically correct dictatorships and Muslim dictatorships.
And, yes, a charismatic revival can save Russia. Before the Turkish Islamic genocide against Armenian Christians, a Russian Pentecostal boy received prophetic warnings that Christians should flee Armenia and Turkey. Those who believed in the prophetic warning were saved. Those who disbelieved were destroyed by Islamic Turkey.
The Orthodox Church, whose priests are married and have families, has no pope. It split from the Catholic Church 1,000 years ago. Russia is today the largest Orthodox Christian nation in the world.
Radical Orthodoxies should stop criticizing what the Holy Spirit is doing to save Russians.
If actually “the current Moscow political and religious authorities are trying to take Orthodoxy down the road of charismatic revival,” they should be encouraged, not discouraged, in this spiritually victorious road.
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