the same time, experience matters. Who we are and where we come from do influence our theologies, and God cares about our experiences. More, God can use experience in powerful ways, both in individual lives and in churches and communities. The Pietist theologian Philip Jacob Spener (1635–1705) focused on the Holy Spirit’s work in transforming the lives of believers into reflections of God’s grace. “It is not enough that we hear the Word with our outward ear,” he argued, “but we must let it penetrate