Post Charismatic?

I really don't like all the post-this and post-that business, but I did venture to get Rob McAlpine's new book, Post-Charismatic?, which I started a couple of days ago.

In terms of the question of whether the gifts of the Spirit are around today, I'm an unashamed charismatic. The popular way of justifying the theory that the gifts vanished with the death of the last apostles is to eisegete into 1 Cor. 13:9-10, but the 'perfection' there named is not a biblical canon, at least not in Paul's mind. However, when it comes to charismatic culture, I often want little to do with it. And, if I am honest, I sometimes struggle with the tension this creates. Just recently a well meaning person tried to speak with 'prophetic authority' into my life, but to put it politely ... they didn't bless me. As my charismatic friends would say, the person apparently spoke 'from the flesh' (which is also a polite way of putting it – I thought of other ways, but alas that aspect of my creative urge is best left unpublished. Besides, they meant well).

To be honest, my understanding of what counts as 'prophecy' has changed somewhat. I would understand particularly socio-political theological engagement (e.g. aspects of liberation theology, and books like Colossians Remixed) to be sometimes profoundly prophetic, for me more so than the 'I had a picture but don't know what it means' variety. But through whatever manner God chooses to speak I want to be ready to hear (1 Thess. 5:20 'don't despise prophecies'; 1 Cor. 14:1 'Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy'). Hopefully this books will help me out on at least that front.