2.1.2. Interaction with the Supernatural

For type ℵ (aleph), the Interaction with the Supernatural appears typically evangelical. They regard the individual a sinner who needs personal salvation, individual redemption. Accordingly, they regard the individual as separated by his or her sin from God, and in need of reconciliation, as granted by the atoning blood sacrifice of Jesus at the cross of Golgotha (Riecker 1953, Graham 1986).

Individuals' testimonies will usually trace how God drew the sinner to himself, to convict him of sin, and to assure her or him of the complete reconciliation in Christ's sacrifice. By repentance and acceptance of Jesus as personal saviour, the individual becomes born again, in-dwelled by the Holy Spirit. As elsewhere in Christian mission situations, individuals can have unusual encounters with the supernatural; auditions, visions and exorcism can be part of it (Hoekendijk 1992: 53-66). Such experiences need not make the individual a charismatic or pentecostal.

Exceptionally a congregation of this type can have a written constitution (10/95). In Weber's terms, it binds culture and social structure not to the social charismatic authority of an individual leader, but to rational-legal authority (Wilterdink and Heerikhuizen 1989: 101). While such a written constitution can claim Jewish identity in its preamble, I hardly found it explicated in its further text. It appeared so obviously Christian, containing the „Apostles” Creed” and the „Nicene Creed”, which Orthodox Jews would find impossible to embrace. Accordingly, they perceive God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit fully and only in Christian terms. The cover page of such constitution can even carry Christian denominational symbols like the Lutheran rose.

To the individual, the mode of religious construction is revelatory with conversion. Subsequently it becomes ever more explanatory, as the perception is that everything the believer needs to live a pious live can be found in Scripture, in the Bible. Individual and collective Bible study and preaching dominates the congregational life. They seek guidance for the personal and collective life, first through Bible study, then through counselling of pastors and elders. Some leaders, pastors and elders occasionally received specialised psychological training for such at Christian institutions abroad (1/97, 2/95).

I encountered no evidence of spontaneous, exploitative approaches of the supernatural. The emphasis is on devotion and to accept that life's situations are God's tools to sanctify, that is to change the individual into Christ's likeness. Getting changed one self into the likeness of Christ is more important than to change the environment according to Scripture's ideals or one's own wishes. Still, evangelization has an exploitative trace, in as far as mission and evangelization can cause the „fullness” of Israel's salvation and „the full number of the Gentiles”, „so all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:12.25-26 NIV). Accordingly, some perceive evangelization as a means to foster the return of Christ and the visible appearance of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 24:14).