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Hold on to the good, a qualitative research on the discernment of prophecies in the Bewegung Plus, Switzerland
This study examines how members of the Bewegung Plus, a charismatic movement in Switzerland, discern between true and false prophecy, and compares their method of discernment to ways of testing mentioned in the Old and New Testament and selected literature from the second century A.D. until today. For this purpose, the study categorizes those discerning criteria mentioned in the Bible and in selected literature from the early church period, the monastic tradition and the fifteenth century, as well as those formulated by different parties of the Reformation and today's charismatics. This categorization serves to analyze interviews with 12 members of the Bewegung Plus concerning their discerning criteria. The findings show that in the Bewegung Plus the prophecy's agreement with Scripture is the most important discerning criterion in that it is the only one that can single-handedly reject a prophecy; by contrast, all other criteria concerning the revelation, the prophets and their authorization, and the transmission are not decisive. Since none of the criteria suffices on its own to make a prophecy acceptable, interviewees weigh them as to their importance, compare the prophecies with Scripture and traditional teachings in the movement and former experiences, or discuss the messages with the rest of the leadership in order to reach a final decision. Most decisive for the acceptance of a prophecy, however, is the inner certainty that God has spoken. The study concludes: (1) that the Bewegung Plus integrates most discerning criteria mentioned in the literature and expands some in accordance with its own Sitz im Leben; (2) that including the teachings of the monastic tradition would enrich its practice since the Bewegung Plus gives relatively little attention to the mode of revelation; and (3) that a refinement of the definition of prophecy would enhance its prophetic ministry.
- "This study examines how members of the Bewegung Plus, a charismatic movement in Switzerland, discern between true and false prophecy, and compares their method of discernment to ways of testing mentioned in the Old and New Testament and selected literature from the second century A.D. until today. For this purpose, the study categorizes those discerning criteria mentioned in the Bible and in selected literature from the early church period, the monastic tradition and the fifteenth century, as well as those formulated by different parties of the Reformation and today's charismatics. This categorization serves to analyze interviews with 12 members of the Bewegung Plus concerning their discerning criteria. The findings show that in the Bewegung Plus the prophecy's agreement with Scripture is the most important discerning criterion in that it is the only one that can single-handedly reject a prophecy; by contrast, all other criteria concerning the revelation, the prophets and their authorization, and the transmission are not decisive. Since none of the criteria suffices on its own to make a prophecy acceptable, interviewees weigh them as to their importance, compare the prophecies with Scripture and traditional teachings in the movement and former experiences, or discuss the messages with the rest of the leadership in order to reach a final decision. Most decisive for the acceptance of a prophecy, however, is the inner certainty that God has spoken. The study concludes: (1) that the Bewegung Plus integrates most discerning criteria mentioned in the literature and expands some in accordance with its own Sitz im Leben; (2) that including the teachings of the monastic tradition would enrich its practice since the Bewegung Plus gives relatively little attention to the mode of revelation; and (3) that a refinement of the definition of prophecy would enhance its prophetic ministry."@en
- "Hold on to the good, a qualitative research on the discernment of prophecies in the Bewegung Plus, Switzerland"@en