It was once popular in modernist academic Bible study to contrast early charismatic spontaneity and later institutional structure. This was done in the imagined developmental histories of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The distinction does not hold up in either case. For instance, 1 and 2 Chronicles is among the later and more institutional of Old Testament writings, and the place for charismatic spontaneity is evident frequently within its accounts. Likewise, Acts is considered among the more institutional of the New Testament writings, but again one cannot find greater biblical testimony to the ongoing role of charismatic spontaneity than in this book. The writings attributed to John are among the latest New Testament writings, and they also reserve a strong role for immediate prophetic inspiration alongside whatever traces of institutional structure one may find in them.

Neither the biblical data nor the history of religious development in general will support this distinction between early spontaneity and later structure as a general rule. To be sure, some kinds of spontaneity and some kinds of structure do at times come into tension, and sometimes structures accumulate to the point that they inhibit spontaneity, but charismatic spontaneity and institutional structure are not necessarily at opposite ends of some continuum, nor is one more primitive and the other more advanced. They exist side-by-side in the beginning, at the high point, and in the decline of religious movements. Sometimes they are complementary. Indeed, structure can provide the boundaries within which spontaneity can thrive.

After the charismatic movement had its effect among Roman Catholics in the 1960’s through 1980’s, I heard one non-charismatic Protestant complain that it was getting so that you could hardly tell the Catholics from the Pentecostals. It was apparently confusing the stereotypes by which he distinguished himself from each movement.

Even the spontaneous kind of communitas they describe depends on the structure of the pilgrimage to bring folks together.

K, my fellow pilgrim, of course I’ll bring my book list! I ain’t dragging along many books, though. I’m so happy that you dreamed about otters. Gambol, gambol.

on a random side note (not really), there were otters gamboling in one of my dreams last night.

cheers