Charisma Eclipsed

Abstract

Paul may have been the leading Christian missionary of the period and his writings may constitute a significant portion of the New Testament, but the legacy of his thought and preaching was mixed. Even in the first and second centuries, his thought was not the dominant influence in the developing church. While some of his emphases — such as the importance of divine grace — were accepted into mainstream Christian theology, others — including his concept of charisma — were not. While charisma in Paul’s most general sense — the gift of God’s grace offering salvation — was acceptable, the ecstatic spiritual powers associated with the charismata were not encouraged by later church authorities. The significance of the supernatural gifts described by Paul was marginalised in the church, and with it much of the sense of charisma as a special or extraordinary quality. The eclipse of the Pauline notion of charisma was effected with remarkable speed.