Pentecostalism
Encyclopedia
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity
that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God
through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion
. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost
, the Greek
name for the Jewish Feast of Weeks. For Christians, this event commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit
upon the followers of Jesus Christ, as described in the second chapter of the Book of Acts. Pentecostals tend to see their movement as reflecting the same kind of spiritual power and teachings that were found in the Apostolic Age
of the early church. For this reason, some Pentecostals also use the term Apostolic or full gospel
to describe their movement.
Pentecostalism is an umbrella term
that includes a wide range of different theologies and cultures. For example, many Pentecostals are Trinitarian and others are Nontrinitarian. As a result, there is no single central organization or church that directs the movement. However some Pentecostal denominations are affiliated with the Pentecostal World Conference
.
Pentecostalism's emphasis on the spiritual gift
s places it within Charismatic Christianity
, a broad grouping of Christians who have accepted some Pentecostal teachings on Spirit baptism and spiritual gifts. Pentecostalism is theologically and historically close to the charismatic movement
as it significantly influenced that movement, and sometimes the terms Pentecostal and charismatic are used interchangeably. Pentecostalism claims more than 250 million adherents worldwide. When charismatics are included with Pentecostals the number increases to nearly a quarter of the world's two billion Christians.
, baptizes with the Holy Spirit according to Acts
2:4, heals bodily according to James
5:15, and is coming again to receive those who are saved according to 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17. It is evangelical
, emphasizing the reliability of the Bible
and the need for the transformation of an individual's life through faith in Jesus.
Pentecostals, like other evangelicals, generally adhere to the Bible's divine inspiration
and inerrancy
—the belief that the Bible, in the original languages in which it was written, is infallible
. However, they differ from other evangelicals by rejecting cessationist teachings. Pentecostals believe that spiritual gifts, such as speaking in tongues and prophecy
, did not cease after the closing of the Biblical canon
and are still available for modern Christians.
To avoid confusion when studying Pentecostal beliefs, it should be noted that Pentecostals identify three distinct uses of the word "baptism
" in the New Testament
:
, burial
, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; sin
s can be forgiven and humanity reconciled
with God. This is the Gospel or "good news". The fundamental requirement of Pentecostalism is that one be born again. The new birth is received by the grace
of God through faith
in Christ and acceptance of him as personal Lord and Savior. In being born again, the believer is regenerated
, justified
, adopted
into the family of God, and sanctified
. Pentecostal soteriology
is generally Arminian rather than Calvinist. The security of the believer
is a doctrine held within Pentecostalism; nevertheless, faith and repentance
are necessary for salvation and remain necessary for the continuance of that salvation. Pentecostals believe in both a literal heaven
and hell
, the former for those who have accepted God's gift of salvation and the latter for those who have rejected it.
For most Pentecostals, there is no other requirement to receive salvation. Baptism with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues are not generally required; though, Pentecostal converts are usually encouraged to seek these experiences. A notable exception is Oneness Pentecostalism
, most adherents of which believe both water baptism and Spirit baptism are integral components of salvation. For a more detailed explanation of Oneness Pentecostal beliefs, see the Oneness Pentecostal section of this article below.
The main purpose of the experience is to grant power for Christian service. Other purposes include power for spiritual warfare (the Christian struggles against spiritual enemies and thus requires spiritual power), power for overflow (the believer's experience of the presence and power of God in his or her life flows out into the lives of others), and power for ability (to follow divine direction, to face persecution, to exercise spiritual gifts for the edification of the church, etc.).
Pentecostals believe that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is available to all Christians. Repentance from sin and being born again are fundamental requirements to receive it. There must also be in the believer a deep conviction of needing more of God in his or her life, and a measure of consecration by which the believer yields himself or herself to the will of God. Citing instances in the Book of Acts where believers were Spirit baptized before they were baptized with water, most Pentecostals believe a Christian need not have been baptized in water to receive Spirit baptism. However, Pentecostals do believe that the biblical pattern is "repentance, regeneration, water baptism, and then the baptism with the Holy Ghost". There are Pentecostal believers who have claimed to receive their baptism with the Holy Spirit while being water baptized.
It is received by having faith in God's promise to fill the believer and in yielding the entire being to Christ. Certain conditions, if present in a believer's life, could cause delay in receiving Spirit baptism, such as "weak faith, unholy living, imperfect consecration, and egocentric motives". In the absence of these, Pentecostals teach that seekers should maintain a persistent faith in the knowledge that God will fulfill his promise. For Pentecostals, there is no prescribed manner in which a believer will be filled with the Spirit. It could be expected or unexpected, during public or private prayer.
Pentecostals expect certain results following baptism with the Holy Spirit. Some of these are immediate while others are enduring or permanent. Some Pentecostal denominations teach that speaking in tongues is an immediate or initial physical evidence that one has received the experience. However, not all Pentecostals share this doctrinal position. It is most prominent among white Pentecostal denominations in the United States; elsewhere, beliefs are more varied. Some teach that any of the gifts of the Spirit can be evidence of having received Spirit baptism. Other immediate evidences include giving God praise, having joy, and desiring to testify about Jesus. Enduring or permanent results in the believer's life include Christ glorified and revealed in a greater way, a "deeper passion for souls", greater power to witness to nonbelievers, a more effective prayer life, greater love for and insight into the Bible, and the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit.
While the baptism with the Holy Spirit is a definite experience in a believer's life, Pentecostals view it as just the beginning of living a Spirit-filled life. Pentecostal teaching stresses the importance of continually being filled with the Spirit. There is only one baptism with the Spirit, but there should be many infillings with the Spirit throughout the believer's life.
Just as fruit should be evident in the life of every Christian, Pentecostals believe that every Spirit-filled believer is given some capacity for the manifestation of the Spirit. It is important to note that the exercise of a gift is a manifestation of the Spirit, not of the gifted person, and though the gifts operate through people, they are primarily gifts given to the Church. They are valuable only when they minister spiritual profit and edification to the body of Christ. Pentecostal writers point out that the lists of spiritual gifts in the New Testament do not seem to be exhaustive. It is generally believed that there are as many gifts as there are useful ministries and functions in the Church. A spiritual gift is often exercised in partnership with another gift. For example, in a Pentecostal church service, the gift of tongues might be exercised followed by the operation of the gift of interpretation.
According to Pentecostals, all manifestations of the Spirit are to be judged by the church. This is made possible, in part, by the gift of discerning of spirits, which is the capacity for discerning the source of a spiritual manifestation—whether from the Holy Spirit, an evil spirit, or from the human spirit. While Pentecostals believe in the current operation of all the spiritual gifts within the church, their teaching on some of these gifts have generated more controversy and interest than others. These can usually be grouped into two categories:the vocal and the power gifts.
It is important to note that these gifts are not the gifts of "wisdom" and "knowledge", terms which imply "an abiding deposit of supernatural" wisdom or knowledge. They are the gifts of "the word of wisdom" and "the word of knowledge" "which implies a spoken utterance through a direct operation of the Holy Spirit at a given moment". These two gifts, the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge, are not to be confused with natural human wisdom
and knowledge
. Pentecostals point out that these cannot simply be natural gifts "sanctified by the Holy Spirit and consecrated to the service of God" because they are placed within a list of "manifestations" of the Holy Spirit. The conclusion Pentecostals come to is that these (and all other spiritual gifts) "[involve] some measure of a supernatural operation" of the Spirit. The two gifts are related, but they are different: wisdom is "knowledge rightly applied" and knowledge is the "raw material that wisdom uses".
Pentecostals agree with the Protestant principle of sola Scriptura
. The Bible is the "all sufficient rule for faith and practice"; it is "fixed, finished, and objective revelation". Alongside this high regard for the authority of scripture is a belief that the gift of prophecy continues to operate within the Church. "Normally, in the operation of the gift of prophecy, the Spirit heavily anoints the believer to speak forth to the body not premeditated words, but words the Spirit supplies spontaneously in order to uplift and encourage, incite to faithful obedience and service, and to bring comfort and consolation".
Any Spirit-filled Christian, according to Pentecostal theology, has the potential, as with all the gifts, to prophesy. Sometimes, prophecy can overlap with the preaching of the Word "where great unpremeditated truth or application is provided by the Spirit, or where special revelation is given beforehand in prayer and is empowered in the delivery".
While a prophetic utterance at times might foretell future events, this is not the primary purpose of Pentecostal prophecy and is never to be used for personal guidance. For Pentecostals, prophetic utterances are fallible, i.e. subject to error. Pentecostals teach that believers must discern whether the utterance has edifying value for themselves and the local church. Because prophecies are subject to the judgement and discernment of other Christians, most Pentecostals teach that prophetic utterances should never be spoken in the first person
(e.g. "I, the Lord") but always in the third person (e.g. "Thus saith the Lord" or "The Lord would have...").
A Pentecostal believer in a spiritual experience may vocalize fluent, unintelligible utterances (glossolalia) or articulate an alleged natural language previously unknown to them (xenoglossy
). Commonly termed "speaking in tongues", this vocal phenomenon is believed by Pentecostals to include an endless variety of languages. According to Pentecostal theology, the language spoken may be an unlearned human language, such as the Bible claims happened on the Day of Pentecost, or it might be of heavenly (angel
ic) origin. In the first case, tongues could work as a sign by which witness is given to the unsaved. In the second case, tongues are used for praise and prayer when the mind is superseded and "the speaker in tongues speaks to God, speaks mysteries, and ... no one understands him".
Within Pentecostalism, there is a belief that speaking in tongues serves two functions. Tongues as the initial evidence of the baptism with the Holy Spirit and in individual prayer serves a different purpose than tongues as a spiritual gift. All Spirit-filled believers, according to initial evidence proponents, will speak in tongues when baptized in the Spirit and, thereafter, will be able to express prayer and praise to God in an unknown tongue. This type of tongue speaking forms an important part of many Pentecostals' personal daily devotions. When used in this way, it is referred to as a "prayer language" as the believer is speaking unknown languages not for the purpose of communicating with others but for "communication between the soul and God". Its purpose is for the spiritual edification of the individual. Pentecostals believe the private use of tongues in prayer (i.e. "prayer in the Spirit") "promotes a deepening of the prayer life and the spiritual development of the personality". From Romans 8:26-27, Pentecostals believe that the Spirit intercedes
for believers through tongues; in other words, when a believer prays in an unknown tongue, the Holy Spirit is supernaturally directing the believer's prayer.
Besides acting as a prayer language, tongues also function as the gift of tongues. Not all Spirit-filled believers possess the gift of tongues. Its purpose is for gifted persons to publicly "speak with God in praise, to pray or sing in the Spirit, or to speak forth in the congregation". There is a division among Pentecostals on the relationship between the gifts of tongues and prophecy. One school of thought believes that the gift of tongues is always directed from man to God, in which case it is always prayer or praise spoken to God but in the hearing of the entire congregation for encouragement and consolation. Another school of thought believes that the gift of tongues can be prophetic, in which case the believer delivers a "message in tongues"—a prophetic utterance given under the influence of the Holy Spirit—to a congregation.
Whether prophetic or not, however, Pentecostals are agreed that all public utterances in an unknown tongue must be interpreted in the language of the gathered Christians. This is accomplished by the gift of interpretation
, and this gift can be exercised by the same individual who first delivered the message (if he or she possesses the gift of interpretation) or by another individual who possesses the required gift. If a person with the gift of tongues is not sure that a person with the gift of interpretation is present and is unable to interpret the utterance him or herself, then the person should not speak. Pentecostals teach that those with the gift of tongues should pray for the gift of interpretation. Pentecostals do not require that an interpretation be a literal word-for-word translation of a glossolalic utterance. Rather, as the word "interpretation" implies, Pentecostals expect only an accurate explanation of the utterance's meaning.
Besides the gift of tongues, Pentecostals may also use glossolalia as a form of praise and worship in corporate settings. Pentecostals in a church service may pray aloud in tongues while others pray simultaneously in the common language of the gathered Christians. This use of glossolalia is seen as an acceptable form of prayer and therefore requires no interpretation. Congregations may also corporately sing in tongues, a phenomenon known as singing in the Spirit
.
Speaking in tongues is not universal among Pentecostal Christians. In 2006, a 10-country survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 49 percent of Pentecostals in the United States, 50 percent in Brazil, 41 percent in South Africa, and 54 percent in India said they "never" speak or pray in tongues.
, and the gift of miracles
. The gift of faith (sometimes called "special" faith) is different from "saving faith" and normal Christian faith in its degree and application. This type of faith is a manifestation of the Spirit granted only to certain individuals "in times of special crisis or opportunity" and endues them with "a divine certainty ... that triumphs over everything". It is sometimes called the "faith of miracles" and is fundamental to the operation of the other two power gifts.
, soul
, and body
, 4) sickness is a consequence of the Fall of Man and salvation is ultimately the restoration of the fallen world. In the words of Pentecostal scholar Vernon L. Purdy, "Because sin leads to human suffering, it was only natural for the Early Church to understand the ministry of Christ as the alleviation of human suffering, since he was God's answer to sin ... The restoration of fellowship with God is the most important thing, but this restoration not only results in spiritual healing but many times in physical healing as well".
For Pentecostals, spiritual and physical healing serves as a reminder and testimony to Christ's future return when his people will be completely delivered from all the consequences of the fall. However, not everyone receives healing when they pray. It is God in his sovereign wisdom and will who either grants or withholds healing. Common reasons that are given in answer to the question why are all not healed include: God teaches through suffering, healing is not always immediate, lack of faith on the part of the person needing healing, and personal sin in one's life (however, this does not mean that all illness is caused by personal sin). Regarding healing and prayer Purdy states:
Pentecostals believe that prayer is central in receiving healing. Pentecostals look to scriptures such as James 5:13-16 for direction regarding healing prayer. One can pray for one's own healing (verse 13) and for the healing of others (verse 16); no special gift or clerical status is necessary. Verses 14-16 supply the framework for congregational healing prayer. The sick person expresses his or her faith by calling for the elders
of the church who pray over and anoint the sick with olive oil. The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
Besides prayer, there are other ways in which Pentecostals believe healing can be received. One way is based on Mark 16:17-18 and involves believers laying hands on the sick
. This is done in imitation of Jesus who often healed in this manner. Another method common in Pentecostal churches is based on the account in Acts 19:11–12 where people were healed when given handkerchiefs or aprons worn by the Apostle Paul. This practice is described by Duffield and Van Cleave in Foundations of Pentecostal Theology:
is for Pentecostals the motivation for practical Christian living including: personal holiness, meeting together for worship, faithful Christian service, and evangelism (both personal and worldwide). Many, if not the majority, of Pentecostals are premillennial dispensationalists believing in a pretribulation rapture.
. Many Christians call these sacraments, but this term is not generally used by Pentecostals as they do not see ordinances as imparting grace. Instead the term sacerdotal ordinance is used to denote the distinctive belief that grace is received directly from God by the congregant with the officiant serving only to facilitate rather than acting as a conduit or vicar
.
The ordinance of water baptism
is an outward symbol of an inner conversion that has already taken place. Therefore, most Pentecostal groups practice believer's baptism
by immersion
. The majority of Pentecostals do not view baptism as essential for salvation, and likewise, most Pentecostals are Trinitarian and use the traditional Trinitarian baptismal formula. However, Oneness Pentecostals view baptism as an essential and necessary part of the salvation experience and, as non-Trinitarians, reject the use of the traditional baptismal formula. For more information on Oneness Pentecostal baptismal beliefs, see the Oneness Pentecostal section below.
The ordinance of Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper, is seen as a direct command given by Jesus at the Last Supper
, to be done in remembrance of him. Pentecostal denominations reject the use of wine as part of communion, using grape juice instead.
Foot washing is also held as an ordinance by some Pentecostals. It is considered an "ordinance of humility" because Jesus showed humility when washing his disciples' feet in . Other Pentecostals do not consider it an ordinance; however, they may still recognize spiritual value in the practice.
models (also known as "praise and worship").
A distinctive feature of Pentecostalism has been a "vibrant and kinetic worship style" characterized by "clapping, waving, and raising hands; dancing, marching, and falling in the Spirit, shouting; a call-and-response form of preaching and a general sense of spontaneity". Even as Pentecostalism became more organized and formal, with more control exerted over services, the concept of spontaneity has retained an important place within the movement and continues to inform stereotypical imagery, such as the derogatory "holy roller
". The phrase "Quench not the Spirit", derived from 1 Thessalonians 5:19, is used commonly and captures the thought behind Pentecostal spontaneity.
Some Pentecostals believe they experience manifestations (physical responses) of the Holy Spirit's presence. Two of the most well known examples are "dancing in the Spirit" and a form of prostration
known as being "slain in the Spirit
". Traditionally, dancing in the Spirit has been defined as, "a single participant spontaneously 'dancing' with eyes closed without bumping into nearby persons or objects, obviously under the power and guidance of the Spirit. . . . If the experience happens, it is because the worshipper (sic) has become so enraptured with God's presence that the Spirit takes control of physical motions as well as the spiritual and emotional being". A different, more recent definition of dancing in the Spirit has also developed among some Pentecostals. This understands dancing in the Spirit as an act of congregational worship, similar to corporate singing and prayer. According to this definition, it is "spontaneous dancing by the congregation (usually in place and without partners)". Those who adhere to the traditional definition tend to discourage identifying the latter type with dancing in the Spirit. Slaying or resting in the Spirit (also known as "falling under the power") is a phenomenon in which a person falls (usually) backwards while being prayed over. It is believed by Pentecostals to be caused by "an overwhelming experience of the presence of God".
The "running the aisles
" and the "Jericho march" are also traditional Pentecostal practices. The Jericho march, a form of corporate worship, involves a congregation marching with loud shouts of prayer and singing. Another practice in some Pentecostal churches is running the aisles
.
While phenomena such as these have been present in Pentecostalism from the beginning, not all Pentecostals agree with the biblical legitimacy and appropriateness of certain or all forms of such practices. . The frequency and prominence of their occurrence in a Pentecostal worship service can vary, from being common in one local church to being nonexistent in another. Slaying and dancing in the Spirit are two such practices originating in classical Pentecostalism but are now more common among independent neo-Pentecostal and charismatic groups.
, Finished Work
, and Oneness denominations. Wesleyan Pentecostals are sometimes referred to as the "Methodistic" type Pentecostals while those of the Finished Work persuasion are called the "Baptist
ic" or "Reformed" type. The difference between Wesleyan and non-Wesleyan Pentecostalism centers around the understanding of sanctification.
Wesleyan Pentecostals believe in the experience of entire sanctification, a definite event that occurs after salvation but before Spirit baptism. This experience cleanses the believer, rooting out the sinful, fallen nature. Two important Wesleyan denominations are the Church of God in Christ
and the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)
. Finished Work Pentecostals reject entire sanctification as a definite event. They believe that one is initially sanctified at the moment of salvation. After conversion, the believer grows in grace through a life-long process. The Assemblies of God
and the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
are examples of the Reformed branch. With the exception of Oneness Pentecostals, classical Pentecostal churches share basic beliefs with the rest of evangelical Christianity.
. They do not describe God as three persons but rather as three manifestations of the one living God. Oneness Pentecostals practice Jesus' Name Baptism
—water baptisms performed in the name of Jesus Christ, rather than that of the Trinity.
Oneness Pentecostal adherents believe repentance, baptism in Jesus' name, and Spirit baptism are all essential elements of the conversion experience. Oneness Pentecostals hold that repentance is necessary before baptism to make the ordinance valid, and receipt of the Holy Spirit manifested by speaking in other tongues is necessary afterwards, to complete the work of baptism. This differs from other Pentecostals, along with evangelical Christians in general, who see only repentance and faith in Christ as essential to salvation. This has resulted in Oneness believers being accused by some (including other Pentecostals) of a "works-salvation" soteriology, a charge they vehemently deny. Oneness Pentecostals insist that salvation comes by grace through faith in Christ, coupled with obedience to his command to be "born of water and of the Spirit"; hence, no good works or obedience to laws or rules can save anyone. For them, baptism is not seen as a "work" but rather the indispensable means that Jesus himself provided to come into his kingdom.
The major Oneness churches include the United Pentecostal Church International
and the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
.
in the Word of Faith movement, and the followers of Earl Paulk
in the Kingdom Now theology
. Some of these groups have been successful in utilizing the mass media, especially television and radio, to spread their message.
These new movements are often at odds with the classical Pentecostals over disagreements in doctrine and practice. Many classical Pentecostal leaders seek to distance themselves and their organizations from these newer movements.
Estimated to number around 115 million followers worldwide in 2000, Pentecostalism is sometimes referred to as the "third force of Christianity", the first two being Catholicism and Protestantism. Pentecostal and Charismatic church growth is rapid in many parts of the world. The great majority of Pentecostals are to be found in developing countries although much of their international leadership is still in North America. The movement is enjoying its greatest surge today in the global South, which includes Africa, Latin America, and most of Asia. One reason for this growth is Pentecostalism's appeal to the poor. According to a United Nations
report, the movement has "been the most successful at recruiting its members from the poorest of the poor."
In 1998, there were about 11,000 different Pentecostal or charismatic denominations worldwide. The largest Pentecostal denomination in the world, the Assemblies of God
, claims approximately 57 million adherents worldwide. It has a significant presence in many countries including Cuba
, Egypt
, India
, Indonesia
and Nigeria
. The Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)
has a membership of over 6 million, the Church of God in Christ
has a membership of 5.5 million, the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
has 5 million members, the United Pentecostal Church International
has a membership of over 4 million, and the International Pentecostal Holiness Church
has over 3 million members.
The largest single Pentecostal church in the world is the Yoido Full Gospel Church
in South Korea
. Founded and led by David Yonggi Cho
since 1958, it has to 1 million members in 2007. Australia's largest church, Hillsong, is an Assemblies of God in Australia
church with a membership exceeding 19,000. The largest Malayalam, an Indian language speaking church in the world with over 10,000 communicant members is headed by Rev Dr. M A Varughese in Bangalore
India.
Within this radical evangelicalism, expressed most strongly in the holiness and higher life movements, themes of restorationism, premillennialism
, faith healing
, and greater attention on the person and work of the Holy Spirit were central to emerging Pentecostalism. Evangelicals felt that modern Christianity was missing the power and authority of the New Testament church. Believing that the second coming of Christ was imminent, many evangelicals expected an endtime revival that would bring many people to Christ. Many leaders began to speak of an experience available to all Christians which would empower believers to evangelize the world, often termed baptism with the Holy Spirit. The earliest Pentecostals understood their movement historically within the framework of a "Latter Rain motif"—a modified version of dispensationalism
in which the return to prominence of the charismata within the church was a sign of the imminence of Christ's Second Coming.
Certain Christian leaders and movements had important influences on early Pentecostals. Albert Benjamin Simpson
and his Christian and Missionary Alliance
was very influential in the early years of Pentecostalism, especially on the development of the Assemblies of God. Another early influence on Pentecostals was John Alexander Dowie
and his Christian Catholic Apostolic Church
. The teachings of Simpson, Dowie, Adoniram Judson Gordon
and Maria Woodworth-Etter
(she later joined the Pentecostal movement) on healing were embraced by Pentecostals. Edward Irving
's Catholic Apostolic Church
also shared many characteristics later found in the Pentecostal revival.
There was no one founder of modern Pentecostalism. Instead, isolated Christian groups were experiencing charismatic phenemena such as divine healing and speaking in tongues. The Wesleyan holiness movement
provided a theological explanation for what was happening to these Christians. They adapted Wesleyan soteriology to accommodate their new understanding.
Charles Fox Parham
, an independent holiness evangelist who believed strongly in divine healing, was an important figure to the emergence of Pentecostalism as a distinct Christian movement. In 1900, he started a school near Topeka, Kansas
, which he named Bethel Bible School
. There he taught that speaking in tongues was the scriptural evidence for the reception of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. On January 1, 1901, after a watch night service, the students prayed for and received the baptism with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Parham received this same experience sometime later and began preaching it in all his services. Parham believed this was xenoglossia and that missionaries would no longer need to study foreign languages. After 1901, Parham closed his Topeka school and began a four year revival tour throughout Kansas and Missouri. He taught that the baptism with the Holy Spirit was a third experience, subsequent to conversion and sanctification. Sanctification cleansed the believer, but Spirit baptism empowered for service.
At about the same time that Parham was spreading his doctrine of initial evidence in the Midwestern United States, news of the Welsh Revival of 1904-1905
ignited intense speculation among radical evangelicals around the world and particularly in the United States of a coming move of the Spirit which would renew the entire Christian Church. This revival saw thousands of conversions and also exhibited speaking in tongues.
In 1905, Parham moved to Houston, Texas, where he started a Bible training school. One of his students was William J. Seymour
, a one-eyed black preacher. Seymour traveled to Los Angeles where his preaching sparked the three-year-long Azusa Street Revival
in 1906. Worship at the racially integrated
Azusa Mission featured an absence of any order of service. People preached and testified as moved by the Spirit, spoke and sung in tongues, and fell in the Spirit. The revival attracted both religious and secular media attention, and thousands of visitors flocked to the mission, carrying the "fire" back to their home churches. Despite the work of various Wesleyan groups such as Parham's and D. L. Moody's revivals, the beginning of the widespread Pentecostal movement in the United States is generally considered to have begun with Seymour's Azusa Street Revival.
, wrote a book against the movement titled Demons and Tongues in 1910. She called Pentecostal tongues "satanic gibberish" and Pentecostal services "the climax of demon worship". Famous holiness preacher W. B. Godbey characterized those at Azusa Street as "Satan's preachers, jugglers, necromancers, enchanters, magicians, and all sorts of mendicants". To Dr. G. Campbell Morgan
, Pentecostalism was "the last vomit of Satan", while Dr. R. A. Torrey thought it was "emphatically not of God, and founded by a Sodomite". Ironically, the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene, one of the largest holiness groups, was strongly opposed to the new Pentecostal movement. To avoid confusion, the church changed its name in 1919 to the Church of the Nazarene
. A. B. Simpson's Christian and Missionary Alliance negotiated a compromise position unique for the time. Simpson believed that Pentecostal tongues speaking was a legitimate manifestation of the Holy Spirit, but he did not believe it was a necessary evidence of Spirit baptism. This view on speaking in tongues ultimately led to what became known as the "Alliance position" articulated by A. W. Tozer as "seek not—forbid not".
Azusa participants returned to their homes carrying their new experience with them. In many cases, whole churches were converted to the Pentecostal faith, but many times Pentecostals were forced to establish new religious communities when their experience was rejected by the established churches. Because speaking in tongues was initially believed to always be actual foreign languages, it was believed that missionaries would no longer have to learn the languages of the peoples they evangelized because the Holy Spirit would provide whatever foreign language was required. (When the majority of missionaries, to their disappointment, learned that tongues speech was unintelligible on the mission field, Pentecostal leaders were forced to modify their understanding of tongues.) Thus, as the experience of speaking in tongues spread, a sense of the immediacy of Christ's return took hold and that energy would be directed into missionary and evangelistic activity. Early Pentecostals saw themselves as outsiders from mainstream society, dedicated solely to preparing the way for Christ’s return.
An associate of Seymour's, Florence Crawford
, brought the message to the Northwest
, forming what would become the Apostolic Faith Church by 1908. After 1907, Azusa participant William Howard Durham
, pastor of the North Avenue Mission in Chicago, returned to the Midwest
to lay the groundwork for the movement in that region. It was from Durham's church that future leaders of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
would hear the Pentecostal message. One of the most well known Pentecostal pioneers was Gaston B. Cashwell
(the "Apostle of Pentecost" to the South
), whose evangelistic work led three Southeastern
holiness denominations into the new movement.
International visitors and Pentecostal missionaries would eventually export the revival to other nations. The first foreign Pentecostal missionaries were A. G. Garr and his wife, who were Spirit baptized at Azusa and traveled to India and later Hong Kong. The Norwegian Methodist pastor T. B. Barratt
was influenced by Seymour during a tour of the United States. By December 1906, he had returned to Europe and is credited with beginning the Pentecostal movement in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, France and England. A notable convert of Barratt was Alexander Boddy
, the Anglican
vicar of All Saints'
in Sunderland, England, who became a founder of British Pentecostalism. Other important converts of Barratt were German minister Jonathan Paul
who founded the first German Pentecostal denomination (the Mülheim Association
) and Lewi Pethrus
, the Swedish Baptist minister who founded the Swedish Pentecostal movement.
Through Durham's ministry, Italian immigrant Luigi Francescon received the Pentecostal experience in 1907 and established Italian Pentecostal congregations in the United States, Argentina, and Brazil. In 1908, Giacomo Lombardi led the first Pentecostal services in Italy. In November 1910, two Swedish Pentecostal missionaries arrived in Belem, Brazil and established what would become the Assembleias de Deus
(Assemblies of God of Brazil). In 1908, John G. Lake
, a follower of Alexander Dowie who had experienced Pentecostal Spirit baptism, traveled to South Africa and founded what would become the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa
and the Zion Christian Church
. As a result of this missionary zeal, practically all Pentecostal denominations today trace their historical roots to the Azusa Street Revival.
churches. In 1910, William Durham of Chicago first articulated the Finished Work
, a doctrine which located sanctification at the moment of salvation and held that after conversion the Christian would progressively grow in grace in a lifelong process. This teaching polarized
the Pentecostal movement into two factions. The Wesleyan doctrine was strongest in the Southern denominations, such as the Church of God (Cleveland), Church of God in Christ
, and the Pentecostal Holiness Church. The Finished Work, however, would ultimately gain ascendancy among Pentecostals. After 1911, most new Pentecostal denominations would adhere to Finished Work sanctification.
In 1914, a group of 300 white Pentecostal ministers and laymen from all regions of the United States gathered in Hot Springs, Arkansas
, to create a new, national Pentecostal fellowship—the General Council of the Assemblies of God. These white ministers had been nominally affiliated with C. H. Mason
's African-American Church of God in Christ, but by 1911, many had become dissatisfied with the existing arrangement. It adopted a congregational polity (whereas the COGIC and other Southern groups were largely episcopal
) and a Finished Work understanding of sanctification. Thus, the creation of the Assemblies of God marked an official end of Pentecostal doctrinal unity. It was also the end of the early Pentecostal experiment with racial integration.
The new Assemblies of God would soon face a "new issue" which first emerged at a 1913 camp meeting. During a baptism service, the speaker, R. E. McAlister, mentioned that the Apostles baptized converts once in the name of Jesus Christ, and the words "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost" were never used in baptism. This inspired Frank Ewart
who claimed to have received as a divine prophecy revealing a nontrinitarian conception of God. Ewart believed that there was only one personality in the Godhead
—Jesus Christ. The terms "Father" and "Holy Ghost" were titles designating different aspects of Christ. Those who had been baptized in the Trinitarian fashion needed to submit to rebaptism in Jesus' name. Furthermore, Ewart believed that Jesus' name baptism
and the gift of tongues were essential for salvation. Ewart and those who adopted his belief called themselves "oneness" or "Jesus' Name" Pentecostals, but their opponents called them "Jesus Only".
Amid great controversy, the Assemblies of God rejected the Oneness teaching, and a large amount of its churches and pastors were forced to withdraw from the denomination in 1916. They organized their own Oneness groups. Most of these joined Garfield T. Haywood
, an African-American preacher from Indianapolis, to form the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
. This church maintained an interracial identity until 1924 when the white ministers withdrew to form the Pentecostal Church, Incorporated. This church later merged with another group forming the United Pentecostal Church International
.
The crowds of blacks and whites worshiping together at Seymour's Azusa Street Mission set the tone for much of the early Pentecostal movement. During the period of 1906-1924, Pentecostals defied social norms of the time that called for racial segregation
and the enactment of Jim Crow laws
. The Church of God in Christ
, the Church of God (Cleveland), the Pentecostal Holiness Church, and the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
were all interracial denominations before the 1920s. These groups, especially in the South, were under great pressure to conform to segregation. Ultimately, North American Pentecostalism would divide into white and black branches. Though it never entirely disappeared, interracial worship within Pentecostalism would not reemerge as a widespread practice until after the Civil Rights Movement
.
Given the emphasis on spreading the gospel, Spirit baptized women felt a sense of empowerment and justification to engage in activities traditionally denied them. Whoever was blessed with the Pentecostal experience had the responsibility to use it towards the preparation for Christ’s second coming. Thus, the focus on spiritual gifts, the nature of the worship environment, and dispensationalist thinking all encouraged women to participate in all areas of worship.
Women were vital to the early Pentecostal movement. Agnes Ozman
was the first person at Parham’s Bible college to speak in tongues. Florence Crawford was active in the Azusa Street Mission's The Apostolic Faith newspaper and later founded the Apostolic Faith Church. Women wrote religious songs, edited Pentecostal papers, and taught and ran Bible schools. In addition, evidence from three of the oldest Pentecostal groups—Assemblies of God, the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) and the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
—shows a number of women serving as clergy and missionaries. The unconventionally intense and emotional environment generated in Pentecostal meetings dually promoted, and was itself created by, other forms of participation such as personal testimony and spontaneous prayer and singing. Women did not shy away from engaging in this forum, and in the early movement the majority of converts and church-goers were female.
While the immediacy and the fervor of the initial revival atmosphere were subsiding, questions of authority and the organization of churches arose. Institutionalism took root. While it was clear that both men and women spoke in tongues, many started to see this gift as a non-intellectual one, holding that more intellectual acts, such as preaching, should be undertaken by women only in conditions controlled by male leaders. The subsiding of the early Pentecostal movement allowed a socially more conservative approach to women to settle in, and as a result female participation was channeled into more supportive and traditionally more accepted roles. Institutionalism brought gender segregation, and the Assemblies of God along with other Pentecostal groups created auxiliary women’s organizations. At this time, women became much more likely to be evangelists and missionaries than pastors; when they were pastors, they often co-pastored with their husbands. It also became the norm for men to hold all official positions: board members, college presidents, and national administrators. While the early movement eschewed denominationalism because of the dead spirituality they saw in other Protestant sects, later Pentecostal churches began to mirror the more-traditional evangelical community. However, while the number of female pastors declined, most Pentecostal denominations continued to ordain women.
The majority of early Pentecostal denominations taught pacifism
and adopted military service articles that advocated conscientious objection.
The Latter Rain Movement began out of an independent Bible school in Saskatchewan
, Canada
, and spread among many Pentecostal groups in the 1940s. Latter Rain leaders taught "an extreme congregationalism" where local authority was exercised by a restored fivefold ministry, led by apostles who through the laying on of hands
could impart spiritual gifts. Many traditional Pentecostal bodies, such as the Assemblies of God and the Pentecostal Fellowship of North America, were critical of the movement and condemned many of its practices as unscriptural. One reason for the conflict between the traditional denominations and the "New Order", as the movement was also called, was the tendency of Latter Rain leaders to label existing groups as "apostasized [sic]" and "the old apostate Church of England". The Latter Rain Movement was the most important controversy to affect Pentecostalism since World War II
.
, Europe
, and other parts of the world began to accept the Pentecostal idea that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is available for Christians today, even if they did not accept other tenets of formal Pentecostalism. Charismatic movements began to grow in mainline denominations. Charismatic Episcopalians, Lutherans, Catholics, and Methodists emerged, and during that time period, Charismatic was used to refer to similar movements that existed within mainline denominations. Pentecostal, on the other hand, was used to refer to those who were a part of the churches and denominations that grew out of the earlier Azusa Street revival. Unlike classic Pentecostals, who formed strictly Pentecostal congregations or denominations, charismatics adopted as their motto, "Bloom where God planted you."
In recent decades many independent charismatic churches and ministries have formed, or have developed their own denominations and church associations, such as the Vineyard Movement. In the 1960s and still today, many Pentecostal churches were still strict with dress codes and forbidding certain forms of entertainment, creating a cultural distinction between Charismatics and Pentecostals. There is a great deal of overlap now between the charismatic and Pentecostal movements, though some Pentecostals still retain a strict understanding of "holiness living" principles.
This movement incorporates what has been called the "third wave
", a term coined by C. Peter Wagner
. Wagner described Pentecostalism as the "first wave", and the charismatic movement as the "second wave". The editors of the 2002 work The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements
"broadened and relabeled" the term "third wave" to "neocharismatic". "Third wave" has more of a Western
focus.
External links
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God
God in Christianity
In Christianity, God is the eternal being that created and preserves the universe. God is believed by most Christians to be immanent , while others believe the plan of redemption show he will be immanent later...
through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion
Religious experience
Religious experience is a subjective experience in which an individual reports contact with a transcendent reality, an encounter or union with the divine....
. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
, the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
name for the Jewish Feast of Weeks. For Christians, this event commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit (Christianity)
For the majority of Christians, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and is Almighty God...
upon the followers of Jesus Christ, as described in the second chapter of the Book of Acts. Pentecostals tend to see their movement as reflecting the same kind of spiritual power and teachings that were found in the Apostolic Age
Apostolic Age
The Apostolic Age of the history of Christianity is traditionally the period of the Twelve Apostles, dating from the Crucifixion of Jesus and the Great Commission in Jerusalem until the death of John the Apostle in Anatolia...
of the early church. For this reason, some Pentecostals also use the term Apostolic or full gospel
Full Gospel
The term Full Gospel is often used as a synonym for Pentecostalism, a Protestant movement originating in the 19th century. Early Pentecostals saw their teachings on baptism with the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, and divine healing as a return to the doctrines and power of the Apostolic Age...
to describe their movement.
Pentecostalism is an umbrella term
Umbrella term
An umbrella term is a word that provides a superset or grouping of concepts that all fall under a single common category. Umbrella term is also called a hypernym. For example, cryptology is an umbrella term that encompasses cryptography and cryptanalysis, among other fields...
that includes a wide range of different theologies and cultures. For example, many Pentecostals are Trinitarian and others are Nontrinitarian. As a result, there is no single central organization or church that directs the movement. However some Pentecostal denominations are affiliated with the Pentecostal World Conference
Pentecostal World Conference
The Pentecostal World Conference or Pentecostal World Fellowship is a fellowship of Pentecostal believers and denominations from across the world....
.
Pentecostalism's emphasis on the spiritual gift
Spiritual gift
In Christianity, spiritual gifts are endowments given by the Holy Spirit. These are the supernatural graces which individual Christians need to fulfill the mission of the church. They are described in the New Testament, primarily in , , and . also touches on the spiritual gifts...
s places it within Charismatic Christianity
Charismatic Christianity
Charismatic Christianity is a Christian doctrine that maintains that modern-day believers experience miracles, prophecy, speaking in tongues, and other spiritual gifts as described in of the Bible...
, a broad grouping of Christians who have accepted some Pentecostal teachings on Spirit baptism and spiritual gifts. Pentecostalism is theologically and historically close to the charismatic movement
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
as it significantly influenced that movement, and sometimes the terms Pentecostal and charismatic are used interchangeably. Pentecostalism claims more than 250 million adherents worldwide. When charismatics are included with Pentecostals the number increases to nearly a quarter of the world's two billion Christians.
Beliefs and practices
Pentecostals emphasize the teaching of the "full gospel" or "foursquare gospel". The term foursquare refers to the four fundamental beliefs of Pentecostalism: Jesus saves according to John 3:16John 3:16
John 3:16 is one of the most widely quoted verses from the Christian Bible, and has been called the most famous Bible verse...
, baptizes with the Holy Spirit according to Acts
ACTS
Acts or ACTS may refer to:Christianity* Acts of the Apostles , a genre of early Christian literature* Acts of the Apostles, the fifth book in the Bible's New Testament...
2:4, heals bodily according to James
Epistle of James
The Epistle of James, usually referred to simply as James, is a book in the New Testament. The author identifies himself as "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ", with "the earliest extant manuscripts of James usually dated to mid-to-late third century."There are four views...
5:15, and is coming again to receive those who are saved according to 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17. It is evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
, emphasizing the reliability of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and the need for the transformation of an individual's life through faith in Jesus.
Pentecostals, like other evangelicals, generally adhere to the Bible's divine inspiration
Biblical inspiration
Biblical inspiration is the doctrine in Christian theology that the authors and editors of the Bible were led or influenced by God with the result that their writings many be designated in some sense the word of God.- Etymology :...
and inerrancy
Biblical inerrancy
Biblical inerrancy is the doctrinal position that the Bible is accurate and totally free of error, that "Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact." Some equate inerrancy with infallibility; others do not.Conservative Christians generally believe that...
—the belief that the Bible, in the original languages in which it was written, is infallible
Biblical infallibility
Biblical infallibility is the belief that what the Bible says regarding matters of faith and Christian practice is wholly useful and true. It is the "belief that the Bible is completely trustworthy as a guide to salvation and the life of faith and will not fail to accomplish its purpose...
. However, they differ from other evangelicals by rejecting cessationist teachings. Pentecostals believe that spiritual gifts, such as speaking in tongues and prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
, did not cease after the closing of the Biblical canon
Biblical canon
A biblical canon, or canon of scripture, is a list of books considered to be authoritative as scripture by a particular religious community. The term itself was first coined by Christians, but the idea is found in Jewish sources. The internal wording of the text can also be specified, for example...
and are still available for modern Christians.
To avoid confusion when studying Pentecostal beliefs, it should be noted that Pentecostals identify three distinct uses of the word "baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
" in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
:
- Baptism into the body of Christ: This refers to salvation. Every believer in Christ is made a part of his body, the Church, through baptism. The Holy Spirit is the agent, and the body of Christ is the medium.
- Water baptism: Symbolic of dying to the world and living in Christ, water baptism is an outward symbol of that which has already been accomplished by the Holy Spirit, namely baptism into the body of Christ.
- Baptism with the Holy Spirit: This is an empowering experience distinct from baptism into the body of Christ. In this baptism, Christ is the agent and the Holy Spirit is the medium.
Salvation
The central belief of Pentecostalism is that through the deathCrucifixion of Jesus
The crucifixion of Jesus and his ensuing death is an event that occurred during the 1st century AD. Jesus, who Christians believe is the Son of God as well as the Messiah, was arrested, tried, and sentenced by Pontius Pilate to be scourged, and finally executed on a cross...
, burial
Entombment of Christ
The Entombment redirects here. For other uses, The Entombment The Entombment of Christ, that is to say the burial of Jesus Christ, occurred after his death by crucifixion, when, according to the gospel accounts, he was placed in a new tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea.-Biblical account:All four...
, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
s can be forgiven and humanity reconciled
Reconciliation (theology)
Reconciliation, a theological term, is an element of salvation that refers to the results of atonement. Reconciliation as a theological concept describes the end of the estrangement, caused by sin, between God and humanity. John Calvin describes reconciliation as the peace between humanity and...
with God. This is the Gospel or "good news". The fundamental requirement of Pentecostalism is that one be born again. The new birth is received by the grace
Grace (Christianity)
In Christian theology, grace is God’s gift of God’s self to humankind. It is understood by Christians to be a spontaneous gift from God to man - "generous, free and totally unexpected and undeserved" - that takes the form of divine favour, love and clemency. It is an attribute of God that is most...
of God through faith
Faith in Christianity
Faith, in Christianity, has been most commonly defined by the biblical formulation in the Letter to the Hebrews as "'the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen". Most of the definitions in the history of Christian theology have followed this biblical formulation...
in Christ and acceptance of him as personal Lord and Savior. In being born again, the believer is regenerated
Regeneration (theology)
Regeneration, while sometimes perceived to be a step in the Ordo salutis , is generally understood in Christian theology to be the objective work of God in a believer's life. Spiritually, it means that God brings Christians to new life from a previous state of subjection to the decay of death...
, justified
Sola fide
Sola fide , also historically known as the doctrine of justification by faith alone, is a Christian theological doctrine that distinguishes most Protestant denominations from Catholicism, Eastern Christianity, and some in the Restoration Movement.The doctrine of sola fide or "by faith alone"...
, adopted
Adoption (theology)
Adoption, in Christian theology, is the term that describes the admission of a believer into the family of God. In the evangelical ordo salutis , adoption is usually regarded as a step immediately subsequent to justification...
into the family of God, and sanctified
Sanctified
Sanctified is the fourth album for Swedish heavy metal band Morgana Lefay.-Track listing:All music & lyrics written & arranged by: Morgana Lefay#Out In The Silence - 4:05#Time Is God - 5:09#To Isengard - 5:17#Why? - 5:03#Mad Messiah - 5:04...
. Pentecostal soteriology
Soteriology
The branch of Christian theology that deals with salvation and redemption is called Soteriology. It is derived from the Greek sōtērion + English -logy....
is generally Arminian rather than Calvinist. The security of the believer
Conditional preservation of the saints
The Conditional preservation of the saints, or commonly conditional security, is the Arminian belief that believers are kept safe by God in their saving relationship with Him upon the condition of a persevering faith in Christ...
is a doctrine held within Pentecostalism; nevertheless, faith and repentance
Repentance
Repentance is a change of thought to correct a wrong and gain forgiveness from a person who is wronged. In religious contexts it usually refers to confession to God, ceasing sin against God, and resolving to live according to religious law...
are necessary for salvation and remain necessary for the continuance of that salvation. Pentecostals believe in both a literal heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
and hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
, the former for those who have accepted God's gift of salvation and the latter for those who have rejected it.
For most Pentecostals, there is no other requirement to receive salvation. Baptism with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues are not generally required; though, Pentecostal converts are usually encouraged to seek these experiences. A notable exception is Oneness Pentecostalism
Oneness Pentecostalism
Oneness Pentecostalism refers to a grouping of denominations and believers within Pentecostal Christianity, all of whom subscribe to the nontrinitarian theological doctrine of Oneness...
, most adherents of which believe both water baptism and Spirit baptism are integral components of salvation. For a more detailed explanation of Oneness Pentecostal beliefs, see the Oneness Pentecostal section of this article below.
Baptism with the Holy Spirit
While Christ and his redemptive work are at the center of Pentecostal theology, that redemptive work is believed to provide for a fullness of the Holy Spirit of which believers in Christ may take advantage. The majority of Pentecostals believe that at the moment a person is born again, the new believer has the presence (indwelling) of the Holy Spirit. While the Spirit dwells in every Christian, Pentecostals believe that all Christians should seek to be filled with him. The Spirit's "filling", "falling upon", "coming upon", or being "poured out upon" believers is called the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Pentecostals define it as a definite experience occurring after salvation whereby the Holy Spirit comes upon the believer to anoint and empower him or her for special service. It has also been described as "a baptism into the love of God".The main purpose of the experience is to grant power for Christian service. Other purposes include power for spiritual warfare (the Christian struggles against spiritual enemies and thus requires spiritual power), power for overflow (the believer's experience of the presence and power of God in his or her life flows out into the lives of others), and power for ability (to follow divine direction, to face persecution, to exercise spiritual gifts for the edification of the church, etc.).
Pentecostals believe that the baptism with the Holy Spirit is available to all Christians. Repentance from sin and being born again are fundamental requirements to receive it. There must also be in the believer a deep conviction of needing more of God in his or her life, and a measure of consecration by which the believer yields himself or herself to the will of God. Citing instances in the Book of Acts where believers were Spirit baptized before they were baptized with water, most Pentecostals believe a Christian need not have been baptized in water to receive Spirit baptism. However, Pentecostals do believe that the biblical pattern is "repentance, regeneration, water baptism, and then the baptism with the Holy Ghost". There are Pentecostal believers who have claimed to receive their baptism with the Holy Spirit while being water baptized.
It is received by having faith in God's promise to fill the believer and in yielding the entire being to Christ. Certain conditions, if present in a believer's life, could cause delay in receiving Spirit baptism, such as "weak faith, unholy living, imperfect consecration, and egocentric motives". In the absence of these, Pentecostals teach that seekers should maintain a persistent faith in the knowledge that God will fulfill his promise. For Pentecostals, there is no prescribed manner in which a believer will be filled with the Spirit. It could be expected or unexpected, during public or private prayer.
Pentecostals expect certain results following baptism with the Holy Spirit. Some of these are immediate while others are enduring or permanent. Some Pentecostal denominations teach that speaking in tongues is an immediate or initial physical evidence that one has received the experience. However, not all Pentecostals share this doctrinal position. It is most prominent among white Pentecostal denominations in the United States; elsewhere, beliefs are more varied. Some teach that any of the gifts of the Spirit can be evidence of having received Spirit baptism. Other immediate evidences include giving God praise, having joy, and desiring to testify about Jesus. Enduring or permanent results in the believer's life include Christ glorified and revealed in a greater way, a "deeper passion for souls", greater power to witness to nonbelievers, a more effective prayer life, greater love for and insight into the Bible, and the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit.
While the baptism with the Holy Spirit is a definite experience in a believer's life, Pentecostals view it as just the beginning of living a Spirit-filled life. Pentecostal teaching stresses the importance of continually being filled with the Spirit. There is only one baptism with the Spirit, but there should be many infillings with the Spirit throughout the believer's life.
Spiritual gifts
Pentecostals are continuationists, meaning they believe that all of the spiritual gifts, including the miraculous or "sign gifts", found in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 12:27-31, Romans 12:3-8, and Ephesians 4:7-16 continue to operate within the Church in the present time. Pentecostals place the gifts of the Spirit in context with the fruit of the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is the result of the new birth and continuing to abide in Christ. It is by the fruit exhibited that spiritual character is assessed. Spiritual gifts are received as a result of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. As gifts freely given by the Holy Spirit, they cannot be earned or merited, and they are not appropriate criteria with which to evaluate one's spiritual life or maturity. Pentecostals see in the biblical writings of Paul an emphasis on having both character and power, exercising the gifts in love.Just as fruit should be evident in the life of every Christian, Pentecostals believe that every Spirit-filled believer is given some capacity for the manifestation of the Spirit. It is important to note that the exercise of a gift is a manifestation of the Spirit, not of the gifted person, and though the gifts operate through people, they are primarily gifts given to the Church. They are valuable only when they minister spiritual profit and edification to the body of Christ. Pentecostal writers point out that the lists of spiritual gifts in the New Testament do not seem to be exhaustive. It is generally believed that there are as many gifts as there are useful ministries and functions in the Church. A spiritual gift is often exercised in partnership with another gift. For example, in a Pentecostal church service, the gift of tongues might be exercised followed by the operation of the gift of interpretation.
According to Pentecostals, all manifestations of the Spirit are to be judged by the church. This is made possible, in part, by the gift of discerning of spirits, which is the capacity for discerning the source of a spiritual manifestation—whether from the Holy Spirit, an evil spirit, or from the human spirit. While Pentecostals believe in the current operation of all the spiritual gifts within the church, their teaching on some of these gifts have generated more controversy and interest than others. These can usually be grouped into two categories:the vocal and the power gifts.
Vocal gifts
The gifts of prophecy, tongues, and interpretation of tongues are called the vocal gifts. The word of wisdom and the word of knowledge could also be included as vocal gifts, but a word of wisdom is not necessarily a vocal gift. Pentecostals look to 1 Corinthians 14 for instructions on the proper use of the spiritual gifts, especially the vocal ones. Pentecostals believe that prophecy is the vocal gift of preference, a view derived from 1 Corinthians 14. Some teach that the gift of tongues is equal to the gift of prophecy when tongues are interpreted. Prophetic and glossolalic utterances must be limited to two or three within a single service, and they are not to replace the preaching of the Word of God.Word of wisdom and word of knowledge
It is important to note that these gifts are not the gifts of "wisdom" and "knowledge", terms which imply "an abiding deposit of supernatural" wisdom or knowledge. They are the gifts of "the word of wisdom" and "the word of knowledge" "which implies a spoken utterance through a direct operation of the Holy Spirit at a given moment". These two gifts, the word of wisdom and the word of knowledge, are not to be confused with natural human wisdom
Wisdom
Wisdom is a deep understanding and realization of people, things, events or situations, resulting in the ability to apply perceptions, judgements and actions in keeping with this understanding. It often requires control of one's emotional reactions so that universal principles, reason and...
and knowledge
Knowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
. Pentecostals point out that these cannot simply be natural gifts "sanctified by the Holy Spirit and consecrated to the service of God" because they are placed within a list of "manifestations" of the Holy Spirit. The conclusion Pentecostals come to is that these (and all other spiritual gifts) "[involve] some measure of a supernatural operation" of the Spirit. The two gifts are related, but they are different: wisdom is "knowledge rightly applied" and knowledge is the "raw material that wisdom uses".
Prophecy
Pentecostals agree with the Protestant principle of sola Scriptura
Sola scriptura
Sola scriptura is the doctrine that the Bible contains all knowledge necessary for salvation and holiness. Consequently, sola scriptura demands that only those doctrines are to be admitted or confessed that are found directly within or indirectly by using valid logical deduction or valid...
. The Bible is the "all sufficient rule for faith and practice"; it is "fixed, finished, and objective revelation". Alongside this high regard for the authority of scripture is a belief that the gift of prophecy continues to operate within the Church. "Normally, in the operation of the gift of prophecy, the Spirit heavily anoints the believer to speak forth to the body not premeditated words, but words the Spirit supplies spontaneously in order to uplift and encourage, incite to faithful obedience and service, and to bring comfort and consolation".
Any Spirit-filled Christian, according to Pentecostal theology, has the potential, as with all the gifts, to prophesy. Sometimes, prophecy can overlap with the preaching of the Word "where great unpremeditated truth or application is provided by the Spirit, or where special revelation is given beforehand in prayer and is empowered in the delivery".
While a prophetic utterance at times might foretell future events, this is not the primary purpose of Pentecostal prophecy and is never to be used for personal guidance. For Pentecostals, prophetic utterances are fallible, i.e. subject to error. Pentecostals teach that believers must discern whether the utterance has edifying value for themselves and the local church. Because prophecies are subject to the judgement and discernment of other Christians, most Pentecostals teach that prophetic utterances should never be spoken in the first person
Grammatical person
Grammatical person, in linguistics, is deictic reference to a participant in an event; such as the speaker, the addressee, or others. Grammatical person typically defines a language's set of personal pronouns...
(e.g. "I, the Lord") but always in the third person (e.g. "Thus saith the Lord" or "The Lord would have...").
Tongues and interpretation
A Pentecostal believer in a spiritual experience may vocalize fluent, unintelligible utterances (glossolalia) or articulate an alleged natural language previously unknown to them (xenoglossy
Xenoglossy
Xenoglossy , also written xenoglossia , is the putative paranormal phenomenon in which a person is able to speak or write a language he or she supposedly could not have acquired by natural means...
). Commonly termed "speaking in tongues", this vocal phenomenon is believed by Pentecostals to include an endless variety of languages. According to Pentecostal theology, the language spoken may be an unlearned human language, such as the Bible claims happened on the Day of Pentecost, or it might be of heavenly (angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
ic) origin. In the first case, tongues could work as a sign by which witness is given to the unsaved. In the second case, tongues are used for praise and prayer when the mind is superseded and "the speaker in tongues speaks to God, speaks mysteries, and ... no one understands him".
Within Pentecostalism, there is a belief that speaking in tongues serves two functions. Tongues as the initial evidence of the baptism with the Holy Spirit and in individual prayer serves a different purpose than tongues as a spiritual gift. All Spirit-filled believers, according to initial evidence proponents, will speak in tongues when baptized in the Spirit and, thereafter, will be able to express prayer and praise to God in an unknown tongue. This type of tongue speaking forms an important part of many Pentecostals' personal daily devotions. When used in this way, it is referred to as a "prayer language" as the believer is speaking unknown languages not for the purpose of communicating with others but for "communication between the soul and God". Its purpose is for the spiritual edification of the individual. Pentecostals believe the private use of tongues in prayer (i.e. "prayer in the Spirit") "promotes a deepening of the prayer life and the spiritual development of the personality". From Romans 8:26-27, Pentecostals believe that the Spirit intercedes
Intercession
Intercession is the act of interceding between two parties. In both Christian and Islamic religious usage, it is a prayer to God on behalf of others....
for believers through tongues; in other words, when a believer prays in an unknown tongue, the Holy Spirit is supernaturally directing the believer's prayer.
Besides acting as a prayer language, tongues also function as the gift of tongues. Not all Spirit-filled believers possess the gift of tongues. Its purpose is for gifted persons to publicly "speak with God in praise, to pray or sing in the Spirit, or to speak forth in the congregation". There is a division among Pentecostals on the relationship between the gifts of tongues and prophecy. One school of thought believes that the gift of tongues is always directed from man to God, in which case it is always prayer or praise spoken to God but in the hearing of the entire congregation for encouragement and consolation. Another school of thought believes that the gift of tongues can be prophetic, in which case the believer delivers a "message in tongues"—a prophetic utterance given under the influence of the Holy Spirit—to a congregation.
Whether prophetic or not, however, Pentecostals are agreed that all public utterances in an unknown tongue must be interpreted in the language of the gathered Christians. This is accomplished by the gift of interpretation
Interpretation of tongues
In Christian theology, interpretation of tongues is one of the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12. This gift is used in conjunction with that of the gift of tongues—the supernatural ability to speak in a language unknown to the speaker. The gift of interpretation is the supernatural...
, and this gift can be exercised by the same individual who first delivered the message (if he or she possesses the gift of interpretation) or by another individual who possesses the required gift. If a person with the gift of tongues is not sure that a person with the gift of interpretation is present and is unable to interpret the utterance him or herself, then the person should not speak. Pentecostals teach that those with the gift of tongues should pray for the gift of interpretation. Pentecostals do not require that an interpretation be a literal word-for-word translation of a glossolalic utterance. Rather, as the word "interpretation" implies, Pentecostals expect only an accurate explanation of the utterance's meaning.
Besides the gift of tongues, Pentecostals may also use glossolalia as a form of praise and worship in corporate settings. Pentecostals in a church service may pray aloud in tongues while others pray simultaneously in the common language of the gathered Christians. This use of glossolalia is seen as an acceptable form of prayer and therefore requires no interpretation. Congregations may also corporately sing in tongues, a phenomenon known as singing in the Spirit
Singing in the Spirit
Singing in the Spirit, in Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity, describes the act of worshiping through glossolalic song. The term derives from 1 Corinthians 14:15 where Paul the Apostle said, "I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but...
.
Speaking in tongues is not universal among Pentecostal Christians. In 2006, a 10-country survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 49 percent of Pentecostals in the United States, 50 percent in Brazil, 41 percent in South Africa, and 54 percent in India said they "never" speak or pray in tongues.
Power gifts
The gifts of power are distinct from the vocal gifts in that they do not involve utterance. Included in this category are the gift of faith, gifts of healingGifts of healing
In Christian theology, the Gifts of healing are among the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12. As an extraordinary charism, gifts of healing are supernatural enablements given to a believer to minister various kinds of healing and restoration to individuals through the power of the Holy Spirit...
, and the gift of miracles
Gift of miracles
In Christian theology, the gift of miracles is among the spiritual gifts mentioned by St. Paul in his First Epistle to the Corinthians. As a charism, the gift is imparted to individuals by the power of the Holy Spirit...
. The gift of faith (sometimes called "special" faith) is different from "saving faith" and normal Christian faith in its degree and application. This type of faith is a manifestation of the Spirit granted only to certain individuals "in times of special crisis or opportunity" and endues them with "a divine certainty ... that triumphs over everything". It is sometimes called the "faith of miracles" and is fundamental to the operation of the other two power gifts.
Divine healing
Pentecostalism is a holistic faith, and the belief that Jesus is Healer is one-fourth of the full gospel. Pentecostals cite four major reasons for believing in divine healing: 1) it is reported in the Bible, 2) Jesus' healing ministry is included in his atonement (thus divine healing is part of salvation), 3) "the whole gospel is for the whole person"—spiritSpirit
The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, most of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body.The spirit of a living thing usually refers to or explains its consciousness.The notions of a person's "spirit" and "soul" often also overlap,...
, soul
Soul
A soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
, and body
Body
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
, 4) sickness is a consequence of the Fall of Man and salvation is ultimately the restoration of the fallen world. In the words of Pentecostal scholar Vernon L. Purdy, "Because sin leads to human suffering, it was only natural for the Early Church to understand the ministry of Christ as the alleviation of human suffering, since he was God's answer to sin ... The restoration of fellowship with God is the most important thing, but this restoration not only results in spiritual healing but many times in physical healing as well".
For Pentecostals, spiritual and physical healing serves as a reminder and testimony to Christ's future return when his people will be completely delivered from all the consequences of the fall. However, not everyone receives healing when they pray. It is God in his sovereign wisdom and will who either grants or withholds healing. Common reasons that are given in answer to the question why are all not healed include: God teaches through suffering, healing is not always immediate, lack of faith on the part of the person needing healing, and personal sin in one's life (however, this does not mean that all illness is caused by personal sin). Regarding healing and prayer Purdy states:
Pentecostals believe that prayer is central in receiving healing. Pentecostals look to scriptures such as James 5:13-16 for direction regarding healing prayer. One can pray for one's own healing (verse 13) and for the healing of others (verse 16); no special gift or clerical status is necessary. Verses 14-16 supply the framework for congregational healing prayer. The sick person expresses his or her faith by calling for the elders
Elder (Christianity)
An elder in Christianity is a person valued for his wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions an elder is a clergy person who usually serves a local church or churches and who has been ordained to a ministry of Word,...
of the church who pray over and anoint the sick with olive oil. The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
Besides prayer, there are other ways in which Pentecostals believe healing can be received. One way is based on Mark 16:17-18 and involves believers laying hands on the sick
Laying on of hands
The laying on of hands is a religious ritual that accompanies certain religious practices, which are found throughout the world in varying forms....
. This is done in imitation of Jesus who often healed in this manner. Another method common in Pentecostal churches is based on the account in Acts 19:11–12 where people were healed when given handkerchiefs or aprons worn by the Apostle Paul. This practice is described by Duffield and Van Cleave in Foundations of Pentecostal Theology:
Eschatology
The last element of the fourfold gospel is that Jesus is the "Soon Coming King". For Pentecostals, "every moment is eschatological" since at any time Christ may return. This "personal and imminent" Second ComingSecond Coming
In Christian doctrine, the Second Coming of Christ, the Second Advent, or the Parousia, is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven, where he sits at the Right Hand of God, to Earth. This prophecy is found in the canonical gospels and in most Christian and Islamic eschatologies...
is for Pentecostals the motivation for practical Christian living including: personal holiness, meeting together for worship, faithful Christian service, and evangelism (both personal and worldwide). Many, if not the majority, of Pentecostals are premillennial dispensationalists believing in a pretribulation rapture.
Ordinances
Like other Christian churches, Pentecostals believe that certain rituals or ceremonies were instituted as a pattern and command by Jesus in the New Testament. Pentecostals commonly call these ceremonies ordinancesOrdinance (Christian)
Ordinance is a Protestant Christian term for baptism, communion and other religious rituals. Some Protestants, like the Mennonites, do not call them "sacraments" because they believe these rituals are outward expressions of faith, rather than impartations of God's grace.While a sacrament is seen...
. Many Christians call these sacraments, but this term is not generally used by Pentecostals as they do not see ordinances as imparting grace. Instead the term sacerdotal ordinance is used to denote the distinctive belief that grace is received directly from God by the congregant with the officiant serving only to facilitate rather than acting as a conduit or vicar
Vicar
In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior . In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant...
.
The ordinance of water baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
is an outward symbol of an inner conversion that has already taken place. Therefore, most Pentecostal groups practice believer's baptism
Believer's baptism
Believer's baptism is the Christian practice of baptism as this is understood by many Protestant churches, particularly those that descend from the Anabaptist tradition...
by immersion
Immersion baptism
Immersion baptism is a method of baptism that is distinguished from baptism by affusion and by aspersion , sometimes without specifying whether the immersion is total or partial, but very commonly with the indication that the person baptized is immersed completely...
. The majority of Pentecostals do not view baptism as essential for salvation, and likewise, most Pentecostals are Trinitarian and use the traditional Trinitarian baptismal formula. However, Oneness Pentecostals view baptism as an essential and necessary part of the salvation experience and, as non-Trinitarians, reject the use of the traditional baptismal formula. For more information on Oneness Pentecostal baptismal beliefs, see the Oneness Pentecostal section below.
The ordinance of Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper, is seen as a direct command given by Jesus at the Last Supper
Last Supper
The Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
, to be done in remembrance of him. Pentecostal denominations reject the use of wine as part of communion, using grape juice instead.
Foot washing is also held as an ordinance by some Pentecostals. It is considered an "ordinance of humility" because Jesus showed humility when washing his disciples' feet in . Other Pentecostals do not consider it an ordinance; however, they may still recognize spiritual value in the practice.
Worship
Traditional Pentecostal worship has been described as a "gestalt made up of prayer, singing, sermon, the operation of the gifts of the Spirit, altar intercession, offering, announcements, testimonies, musical specials, Scripture reading, and occasionally the Lord's supper". Early Pentecostals placed a high emphasis on congregational participation. This meant that anyone could initiate a song or chorus. Public testimony (testifying to what God is doing in one's life) was also an important element. Today, many Pentecostal churches have adopted contemporary worshipContemporary worship
Contemporary worship is a form of Christian worship that emerged within Western evangelical Protestantism in the twentieth century. It was originally confined to the charismatic movement, but is now found to varying extents in a wide range of churches, including many that do not subscribe to a...
models (also known as "praise and worship").
A distinctive feature of Pentecostalism has been a "vibrant and kinetic worship style" characterized by "clapping, waving, and raising hands; dancing, marching, and falling in the Spirit, shouting; a call-and-response form of preaching and a general sense of spontaneity". Even as Pentecostalism became more organized and formal, with more control exerted over services, the concept of spontaneity has retained an important place within the movement and continues to inform stereotypical imagery, such as the derogatory "holy roller
Holy Roller
Holy Roller is a term in American English used to describe Pentecostal Christian churchgoers. The term is commonly used derisively, as if to describe people literally rolling on the floor or speaking in tongues in an uncontrolled manner....
". The phrase "Quench not the Spirit", derived from 1 Thessalonians 5:19, is used commonly and captures the thought behind Pentecostal spontaneity.
Some Pentecostals believe they experience manifestations (physical responses) of the Holy Spirit's presence. Two of the most well known examples are "dancing in the Spirit" and a form of prostration
Prostration
Prostration is the placement of the body in a reverentially or submissively prone position. Major world religions employ prostration either as a means of embodying reverence for a noble person, persons or doctrine, or as an act of submissiveness to a supreme being or beings...
known as being "slain in the Spirit
Slain in the Spirit
Being "slain in the Spirit" is a term used within charismatic Christianity. It describes a religious behaviour in which an individual falls to the floor...
". Traditionally, dancing in the Spirit has been defined as, "a single participant spontaneously 'dancing' with eyes closed without bumping into nearby persons or objects, obviously under the power and guidance of the Spirit. . . . If the experience happens, it is because the worshipper (sic) has become so enraptured with God's presence that the Spirit takes control of physical motions as well as the spiritual and emotional being". A different, more recent definition of dancing in the Spirit has also developed among some Pentecostals. This understands dancing in the Spirit as an act of congregational worship, similar to corporate singing and prayer. According to this definition, it is "spontaneous dancing by the congregation (usually in place and without partners)". Those who adhere to the traditional definition tend to discourage identifying the latter type with dancing in the Spirit. Slaying or resting in the Spirit (also known as "falling under the power") is a phenomenon in which a person falls (usually) backwards while being prayed over. It is believed by Pentecostals to be caused by "an overwhelming experience of the presence of God".
The "running the aisles
Running the aisles
"Running the aisles" is an ecstatic expression of worship that occurs occasionally in some contexts of worship in the Pentecostal and Holiness movements...
" and the "Jericho march" are also traditional Pentecostal practices. The Jericho march, a form of corporate worship, involves a congregation marching with loud shouts of prayer and singing. Another practice in some Pentecostal churches is running the aisles
Running the aisles
"Running the aisles" is an ecstatic expression of worship that occurs occasionally in some contexts of worship in the Pentecostal and Holiness movements...
.
While phenomena such as these have been present in Pentecostalism from the beginning, not all Pentecostals agree with the biblical legitimacy and appropriateness of certain or all forms of such practices. . The frequency and prominence of their occurrence in a Pentecostal worship service can vary, from being common in one local church to being nonexistent in another. Slaying and dancing in the Spirit are two such practices originating in classical Pentecostalism but are now more common among independent neo-Pentecostal and charismatic groups.
Classical Pentecostalism
Classical Pentecostalism is the earliest form of Pentecostalism and is divided into three major doctrinal orientations: WesleyanWesleyanism
Wesleyanism or Wesleyan theology refers, respectively, to either the eponymous movement of Protestant Christians who have historically sought to follow the methods or theology of the eighteenth-century evangelical reformers, John Wesley and his brother Charles Wesley, or to the likewise eponymous...
, Finished Work
Finished Work
The Finished Work is a doctrine within Pentecostal Christianity which locates sanctification at the time of conversion, and afterward, the converted Christian progressively grows in grace...
, and Oneness denominations. Wesleyan Pentecostals are sometimes referred to as the "Methodistic" type Pentecostals while those of the Finished Work persuasion are called the "Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
ic" or "Reformed" type. The difference between Wesleyan and non-Wesleyan Pentecostalism centers around the understanding of sanctification.
Wesleyan Pentecostals believe in the experience of entire sanctification, a definite event that occurs after salvation but before Spirit baptism. This experience cleanses the believer, rooting out the sinful, fallen nature. Two important Wesleyan denominations are the Church of God in Christ
Church of God in Christ
The Church of God in Christ is a Pentecostal Holiness Christian denomination with a predominantly African-American membership. With nearly five million members in the United States and 12,000 congregations, it is the largest Pentecostal church and the fifth largest Christian church in the U.S....
and the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)
Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)
The Church of God, with headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee, is a Pentecostal Christian denomination. With over seven million members in over 170 countries, it is one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the world...
. Finished Work Pentecostals reject entire sanctification as a definite event. They believe that one is initially sanctified at the moment of salvation. After conversion, the believer grows in grace through a life-long process. The Assemblies of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
and the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, commonly referred to as the Foursquare Church, is an evangelical Pentecostal Christian denomination. As of 2000 it had a worldwide membership of over 8,000,000, with almost 60,000 churches in 144 countries. In 2006, membership in the United States...
are examples of the Reformed branch. With the exception of Oneness Pentecostals, classical Pentecostal churches share basic beliefs with the rest of evangelical Christianity.
Oneness Pentecostalism
The Oneness movement, which eventually arose from the Finished Work branch of classic Pentecostals, differs from the rest of Pentecostalism in several significant ways. Oneness Pentecostals reject the doctrine of the TrinityTrinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
. They do not describe God as three persons but rather as three manifestations of the one living God. Oneness Pentecostals practice Jesus' Name Baptism
Jesus' Name doctrine
Jesus' Name Doctrine is a minority nontrinitarian theology, characterised by a belief that baptism must be performed "in the name of Jesus", rather than the more common Trinitarian formula "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit"....
—water baptisms performed in the name of Jesus Christ, rather than that of the Trinity.
Oneness Pentecostal adherents believe repentance, baptism in Jesus' name, and Spirit baptism are all essential elements of the conversion experience. Oneness Pentecostals hold that repentance is necessary before baptism to make the ordinance valid, and receipt of the Holy Spirit manifested by speaking in other tongues is necessary afterwards, to complete the work of baptism. This differs from other Pentecostals, along with evangelical Christians in general, who see only repentance and faith in Christ as essential to salvation. This has resulted in Oneness believers being accused by some (including other Pentecostals) of a "works-salvation" soteriology, a charge they vehemently deny. Oneness Pentecostals insist that salvation comes by grace through faith in Christ, coupled with obedience to his command to be "born of water and of the Spirit"; hence, no good works or obedience to laws or rules can save anyone. For them, baptism is not seen as a "work" but rather the indispensable means that Jesus himself provided to come into his kingdom.
The major Oneness churches include the United Pentecostal Church International
United Pentecostal Church International
The United Pentecostal Church International is a Pentecostal Christian denomination, headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Hazelwood, Missouri. It is a part of the Oneness or "Apostolic" portion of the Pentecostal Movement, and was formed in 1945 by a merger of the former Pentecostal Church,...
and the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
The Pentecostal Assemblies of the World is a Pentecostal Christian denomination. Founded in 1914, it is one of the oldest Oneness Pentecostal organizations in existence. Headquarters are in Indianapolis, Indiana, and The Christian Outlook is the church's official publication...
.
Independent groups
While the classical Pentecostal denominations form a major part of the movement over the years, many smaller independent groups not connected to the historical churches have developed. Often having a charismatic leader, these groups are constantly emerging and forming new groups within the movement. Some of these independent movements may also be considered "Charismatic" rather than Pentecostal and include the followers of Charles Simpson in the Covenant churches movement, the followers of Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth CopelandKenneth Copeland
Kenneth Copeland is an American author, public speaker, and televangelist. He is the founder of Kenneth Copeland Ministries, which preaches a “prosperity gospel”: "Prosperity gospel assures followers that the more they give including in the form of tithes to the church, the more they will receive...
in the Word of Faith movement, and the followers of Earl Paulk
Earl Paulk
Earl Pearly Paulk, Jr. was the American founder of the Cathedral at Chapel Hill, a charismatic/Pentecostal megachurch in Decatur, Georgia; a suburb of Atlanta...
in the Kingdom Now theology
Kingdom theology
Kingdom theology is a system of Christian thought that elaborates on inaugurated eschatology, which is a way of understanding the various teachings on the kingdom of God found throughout the New Testament. It is often associated with the Vineyard movement...
. Some of these groups have been successful in utilizing the mass media, especially television and radio, to spread their message.
These new movements are often at odds with the classical Pentecostals over disagreements in doctrine and practice. Many classical Pentecostal leaders seek to distance themselves and their organizations from these newer movements.
Denominations and adherents
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
report, the movement has "been the most successful at recruiting its members from the poorest of the poor."
In 1998, there were about 11,000 different Pentecostal or charismatic denominations worldwide. The largest Pentecostal denomination in the world, the Assemblies of God
Assemblies of God
The Assemblies of God , officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 140 autonomous but loosely-associated national groupings of churches which together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination...
, claims approximately 57 million adherents worldwide. It has a significant presence in many countries including Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. The Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)
Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee)
The Church of God, with headquarters in Cleveland, Tennessee, is a Pentecostal Christian denomination. With over seven million members in over 170 countries, it is one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the world...
has a membership of over 6 million, the Church of God in Christ
Church of God in Christ
The Church of God in Christ is a Pentecostal Holiness Christian denomination with a predominantly African-American membership. With nearly five million members in the United States and 12,000 congregations, it is the largest Pentecostal church and the fifth largest Christian church in the U.S....
has a membership of 5.5 million, the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, commonly referred to as the Foursquare Church, is an evangelical Pentecostal Christian denomination. As of 2000 it had a worldwide membership of over 8,000,000, with almost 60,000 churches in 144 countries. In 2006, membership in the United States...
has 5 million members, the United Pentecostal Church International
United Pentecostal Church International
The United Pentecostal Church International is a Pentecostal Christian denomination, headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Hazelwood, Missouri. It is a part of the Oneness or "Apostolic" portion of the Pentecostal Movement, and was formed in 1945 by a merger of the former Pentecostal Church,...
has a membership of over 4 million, and the International Pentecostal Holiness Church
International Pentecostal Holiness Church
The International Pentecostal Holiness Church or simply Pentecostal Holiness Church is a Pentecostal Christian denomination founded in 1911 with the merger of two older denominations. Traditionally centered in the Southeastern United States, particularly the Carolinas and Georgia, the Pentecostal...
has over 3 million members.
The largest single Pentecostal church in the world is the Yoido Full Gospel Church
Yoido Full Gospel Church
Yoido Full Gospel Church is a Pentecostal church on Yeouido in Seoul, South Korea. With about 1,000,000 members , it is the largest Pentecostal Christian congregation in South Korea, and the world...
in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Founded and led by David Yonggi Cho
David Yonggi Cho
David Yonggi Cho is a Korean Christian minister. He is Senior Pastor and founder of the Yoido Full Gospel Church , the world's largest congregation with a membership of 1,000,000...
since 1958, it has to 1 million members in 2007. Australia's largest church, Hillsong, is an Assemblies of God in Australia
Assemblies of God in Australia
Australian Christian Churches , also known as Assemblies of God in Australia , is a Pentecostal Christian denomination and the Australian branch of the Assemblies of God, the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world...
church with a membership exceeding 19,000. The largest Malayalam, an Indian language speaking church in the world with over 10,000 communicant members is headed by Rev Dr. M A Varughese in Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
India.
Background
The charismatic experiences found in Pentecostalism have precedents in earlier movements in Christianity. Church historian Dr. Curtis Ward proposes the existence of an unbroken Pentecostal lineage from the early church to the present, with glossolalia and gifts following. However, early Pentecostals considered the movement a latter day restoration of the church's apostolic power, and most historians of modern Pentecostalism write that the movement emerged from late 19th century radical evangelical revival movements in America and Great Britain.Within this radical evangelicalism, expressed most strongly in the holiness and higher life movements, themes of restorationism, premillennialism
Premillennialism
Premillennialism in Christian end-times theology is the belief that Jesus will literally and physically be on the earth for his millennial reign, at his second coming. The doctrine is called premillennialism because it holds that Jesus’ physical return to earth will occur prior to the inauguration...
, faith healing
Faith healing
Faith healing is healing through spiritual means. The healing of a person is brought about by religious faith through prayer and/or rituals that, according to adherents, stimulate a divine presence and power toward correcting disease and disability. Belief in divine intervention in illness or...
, and greater attention on the person and work of the Holy Spirit were central to emerging Pentecostalism. Evangelicals felt that modern Christianity was missing the power and authority of the New Testament church. Believing that the second coming of Christ was imminent, many evangelicals expected an endtime revival that would bring many people to Christ. Many leaders began to speak of an experience available to all Christians which would empower believers to evangelize the world, often termed baptism with the Holy Spirit. The earliest Pentecostals understood their movement historically within the framework of a "Latter Rain motif"—a modified version of dispensationalism
Dispensationalism
Dispensationalism is a nineteenth-century evangelical development based on a futurist biblical hermeneutic that sees a series of chronologically successive "dispensations" or periods in history in which God relates to human beings in different ways under different Biblical covenants.As a system,...
in which the return to prominence of the charismata within the church was a sign of the imminence of Christ's Second Coming.
Certain Christian leaders and movements had important influences on early Pentecostals. Albert Benjamin Simpson
Albert Benjamin Simpson
Albert Benjamin "A.B." Simpson was a Canadian preacher, theologian, author, and founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance , an evangelical Protestant denomination with an emphasis on global evangelism....
and his Christian and Missionary Alliance
Christian and Missionary Alliance
The Christian and Missionary Alliance is an evangelical Protestant denomination within Christianity.Founded by Rev. Albert Benjamin Simpson in 1887, the Christian & Missionary Alliance did not start off as a denomination, but rather began as two distinct parachurch organizations: The Christian...
was very influential in the early years of Pentecostalism, especially on the development of the Assemblies of God. Another early influence on Pentecostals was John Alexander Dowie
John Alexander Dowie
John Alexander Dowie was a Scottish evangelist and faith healer who ministered in Australia and the United States. He founded the city of Zion, Illinois, and the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church...
and his Christian Catholic Apostolic Church
Christian Catholic Apostolic Church
Christ Community Church in Zion, Illinois, formerly the Christian Catholic Church or Christian Catholic Apostolic Church, is an evangelical Protestant church founded in 1896 by John Alexander Dowie. The city of Zion was founded by Dowie as a religious community to establish a society on the...
. The teachings of Simpson, Dowie, Adoniram Judson Gordon
Adoniram Judson Gordon
Adoniram Judson Gordon was an American Baptist preacher, writer, composer, and founder of Gordon College and Gordon–Conwell Theological Seminary.-Life:...
and Maria Woodworth-Etter
Maria Woodworth-Etter
Maria Woodworth-Etter was an American healing evangelist. Her ministry style would serve as a model for Pentecostalism.-Life:...
(she later joined the Pentecostal movement) on healing were embraced by Pentecostals. Edward Irving
Edward Irving
*For Edward Irving, the Canadian geologist, see Edward A. Irving.Edward Irving was a Scottish clergyman, generally regarded as the main figure behind the foundation of the Catholic Apostolic Church.-Youth:...
's Catholic Apostolic Church
Catholic Apostolic Church
The Catholic Apostolic Church was a religious movement which originated in England around 1831 and later spread to Germany and the United States. While often referred to as Irvingism, it was neither actually founded nor anticipated by Edward Irving. The Catholic Apostolic Church was organised in...
also shared many characteristics later found in the Pentecostal revival.
There was no one founder of modern Pentecostalism. Instead, isolated Christian groups were experiencing charismatic phenemena such as divine healing and speaking in tongues. The Wesleyan holiness movement
Holiness movement
The holiness movement refers to a set of beliefs and practices emerging from the Methodist Christian church in the mid 19th century. The movement is distinguished by its emphasis on John Wesley's doctrine of "Christian perfection" - the belief that it is possible to live free of voluntary sin - and...
provided a theological explanation for what was happening to these Christians. They adapted Wesleyan soteriology to accommodate their new understanding.
Parham and Seymour
Charles Fox Parham
Charles Fox Parham was an American preacher and evangelist. Together with William J. Seymour, Parham was one of the two central figures in the development and early spread of Pentecostalism...
, an independent holiness evangelist who believed strongly in divine healing, was an important figure to the emergence of Pentecostalism as a distinct Christian movement. In 1900, he started a school near Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
, which he named Bethel Bible School
Bethel Bible College
Bethel Bible College or Bethel Gospel School was a Bible college founded in 1900 by Charles Parham at Topeka, Kansas. The school is credited with starting the Pentecostal movement due to a series of fasting days that ended in what was interpreted as speaking in tongues on January 1, 1901...
. There he taught that speaking in tongues was the scriptural evidence for the reception of the baptism with the Holy Spirit. On January 1, 1901, after a watch night service, the students prayed for and received the baptism with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Parham received this same experience sometime later and began preaching it in all his services. Parham believed this was xenoglossia and that missionaries would no longer need to study foreign languages. After 1901, Parham closed his Topeka school and began a four year revival tour throughout Kansas and Missouri. He taught that the baptism with the Holy Spirit was a third experience, subsequent to conversion and sanctification. Sanctification cleansed the believer, but Spirit baptism empowered for service.
At about the same time that Parham was spreading his doctrine of initial evidence in the Midwestern United States, news of the Welsh Revival of 1904-1905
1904-1905 Welsh Revival
The Welsh Revival was the largest Christian revival in Wales during the 20th century. While by no means the best known of revivals, it was one of the most dramatic in terms of its effect on the population, and it had repercussions that reached far beyond the Welsh border, triggering a series of...
ignited intense speculation among radical evangelicals around the world and particularly in the United States of a coming move of the Spirit which would renew the entire Christian Church. This revival saw thousands of conversions and also exhibited speaking in tongues.
In 1905, Parham moved to Houston, Texas, where he started a Bible training school. One of his students was William J. Seymour
William J. Seymour
William Joseph Seymour was an African American minister, and an initiator of the Pentecostal religious movement.-Biography:...
, a one-eyed black preacher. Seymour traveled to Los Angeles where his preaching sparked the three-year-long Azusa Street Revival
Azusa Street Revival
The Azusa Street Revival was a historic Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California and is the origin of the Pentecostal movement. It was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher. It began with a meeting on April 14, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915...
in 1906. Worship at the racially integrated
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...
Azusa Mission featured an absence of any order of service. People preached and testified as moved by the Spirit, spoke and sung in tongues, and fell in the Spirit. The revival attracted both religious and secular media attention, and thousands of visitors flocked to the mission, carrying the "fire" back to their home churches. Despite the work of various Wesleyan groups such as Parham's and D. L. Moody's revivals, the beginning of the widespread Pentecostal movement in the United States is generally considered to have begun with Seymour's Azusa Street Revival.
Criticism and spread
The first generation of Pentecostal believers faced immense criticism and ostracism from other Christians, most vehemently from the holiness movement from which they originated. Alma White, leader of the Pillar of Fire ChurchPillar of Fire Church
The Pillar of Fire International is a Christian organization founded in Denver, Colorado in 1901 by Alma White, with headquarters in Zarephath, New Jersey. The Pillar of Fire was originally incorporated as the Pentecostal Union, but changed its name to distance itself from Pentecostalism in 1915...
, wrote a book against the movement titled Demons and Tongues in 1910. She called Pentecostal tongues "satanic gibberish" and Pentecostal services "the climax of demon worship". Famous holiness preacher W. B. Godbey characterized those at Azusa Street as "Satan's preachers, jugglers, necromancers, enchanters, magicians, and all sorts of mendicants". To Dr. G. Campbell Morgan
G. Campbell Morgan
Reverend Doctor George Campbell Morgan D.D. was a British evangelist, preacher and a leading Bible scholar...
, Pentecostalism was "the last vomit of Satan", while Dr. R. A. Torrey thought it was "emphatically not of God, and founded by a Sodomite". Ironically, the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene, one of the largest holiness groups, was strongly opposed to the new Pentecostal movement. To avoid confusion, the church changed its name in 1919 to the Church of the Nazarene
Church of the Nazarene
The Church of the Nazarene is an evangelical Christian denomination that emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement in North America with its members colloquially referred to as Nazarenes. It is the largest Wesleyan-holiness denomination in the world. At the end of 2010, the Church of the...
. A. B. Simpson's Christian and Missionary Alliance negotiated a compromise position unique for the time. Simpson believed that Pentecostal tongues speaking was a legitimate manifestation of the Holy Spirit, but he did not believe it was a necessary evidence of Spirit baptism. This view on speaking in tongues ultimately led to what became known as the "Alliance position" articulated by A. W. Tozer as "seek not—forbid not".
Azusa participants returned to their homes carrying their new experience with them. In many cases, whole churches were converted to the Pentecostal faith, but many times Pentecostals were forced to establish new religious communities when their experience was rejected by the established churches. Because speaking in tongues was initially believed to always be actual foreign languages, it was believed that missionaries would no longer have to learn the languages of the peoples they evangelized because the Holy Spirit would provide whatever foreign language was required. (When the majority of missionaries, to their disappointment, learned that tongues speech was unintelligible on the mission field, Pentecostal leaders were forced to modify their understanding of tongues.) Thus, as the experience of speaking in tongues spread, a sense of the immediacy of Christ's return took hold and that energy would be directed into missionary and evangelistic activity. Early Pentecostals saw themselves as outsiders from mainstream society, dedicated solely to preparing the way for Christ’s return.
An associate of Seymour's, Florence Crawford
Florence Crawford
Florence Crawford was an American silent film actress.-Filmography:*The Scarlet West .... Mrs. Harper*The Path of Happiness .... Doris Ingraham*The Man Inside ......
, brought the message to the Northwest
Northwestern United States
The Northwestern United States comprise the northwestern states up to the western Great Plains regions of the United States, and consistently include the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, to which part of southeast Alaska is also sometimes included...
, forming what would become the Apostolic Faith Church by 1908. After 1907, Azusa participant William Howard Durham
William Howard Durham
William Howard Durham was an early Pentecostal preacher and theologian, best known for advocating the Finished Work doctrine.-Early life and career:...
, pastor of the North Avenue Mission in Chicago, returned to the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
to lay the groundwork for the movement in that region. It was from Durham's church that future leaders of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada is a Pentecostal Christian denomination and the largest evangelical church in Canada. It reports 234,385 adherents and 1,077 member congregations throughout Canada...
would hear the Pentecostal message. One of the most well known Pentecostal pioneers was Gaston B. Cashwell
Gaston B. Cashwell
Gaston Barnibus Cashwell was an early Pentecostal leader in the southern United States. He was born in Sampson County, North Carolina. His importance lies in bringing several Holiness movements into the Pentecostal camp....
(the "Apostle of Pentecost" to the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
), whose evangelistic work led three Southeastern
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
holiness denominations into the new movement.
International visitors and Pentecostal missionaries would eventually export the revival to other nations. The first foreign Pentecostal missionaries were A. G. Garr and his wife, who were Spirit baptized at Azusa and traveled to India and later Hong Kong. The Norwegian Methodist pastor T. B. Barratt
Thomas Ball Barratt
Thomas Ball Barratt was a British-born Norwegian pastor and founder of the Pentecostal movement in Norway....
was influenced by Seymour during a tour of the United States. By December 1906, he had returned to Europe and is credited with beginning the Pentecostal movement in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, France and England. A notable convert of Barratt was Alexander Boddy
Alexander Boddy
Alexander Alfred Boddy was an Anglican vicar and one of the founders of Pentecostalism in Britain.-Early life:...
, the Anglican
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
vicar of All Saints'
All Saints' Church, Monkwearmouth
All Saints’ Church is a church in Monkwearmouth, Sunderland, England. A parish of All Saints was formed in 1844 when it became clear that there was no longer enough room in the only parish church for Monkwearmouth , and a church for the new parish was completed and consecrated in 1849...
in Sunderland, England, who became a founder of British Pentecostalism. Other important converts of Barratt were German minister Jonathan Paul
Jonathan Paul
Jonathan Anton Alexander Paul was a German Pentecostal minister, writer, theologian, and Bible scholar and translator.Paul graduated from the Studium der Theologie in the University of Griefswald and pastored in Pomerania...
who founded the first German Pentecostal denomination (the Mülheim Association
Mülheim Association of Free Churches and Evangelical Communities
Mülheim Association of Free Churches and Evangelical Communities is a German Pentecostal fellowship.-History:...
) and Lewi Pethrus
Lewi Pethrus
Petrus Lewi Pethrus was a Swedish Pentecostal minister who played a decisive role in the formation and development of the Pentecostal movement in his country.-Life:...
, the Swedish Baptist minister who founded the Swedish Pentecostal movement.
Through Durham's ministry, Italian immigrant Luigi Francescon received the Pentecostal experience in 1907 and established Italian Pentecostal congregations in the United States, Argentina, and Brazil. In 1908, Giacomo Lombardi led the first Pentecostal services in Italy. In November 1910, two Swedish Pentecostal missionaries arrived in Belem, Brazil and established what would become the Assembleias de Deus
Assembleias de Deus
The Assembléias de Deus are a group of Pentecostal denominations in Brazil related to the Assemblies of God.- History :The Assembléias de Deus began when Daniel Berg and Gunnar Vingren, two Swedish Baptist immigrants from South Bend, Indiana had the Pentecostal experience in Chicago and departed...
(Assemblies of God of Brazil). In 1908, John G. Lake
John G. Lake
John Graham Lake , usually known as John G. Lake, was a businessman who became known for his ministry as a missionary, faith healer, and founder of the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa...
, a follower of Alexander Dowie who had experienced Pentecostal Spirit baptism, traveled to South Africa and founded what would become the Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa
Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa
The Apostolic Faith Mission of South Africa is a classical Pentecostal Christian denomination in South Africa. With 1.2 million adherents, it is South Africa's largest Pentecostal church. Dr. Isak Burger has led the AFM as president since 1996 when the white and black branches of the church were...
and the Zion Christian Church
Zion Christian Church
The Zion Christian Church is one of the largest African initiated churches in southern Africa, with members belonging to ZCC star and members belonging to the saint Engenas ZCC...
. As a result of this missionary zeal, practically all Pentecostal denominations today trace their historical roots to the Azusa Street Revival.
Early controversies
The first Pentecostal converts were mainly derived from the holiness movement and adhered to a Wesleyan understanding of sanctification as a definite, instantaneous experience and "second work of grace". Problems with this view arose when large numbers of converts entered the movement from non-Wesleyan backgrounds, especially from BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
churches. In 1910, William Durham of Chicago first articulated the Finished Work
Finished Work
The Finished Work is a doctrine within Pentecostal Christianity which locates sanctification at the time of conversion, and afterward, the converted Christian progressively grows in grace...
, a doctrine which located sanctification at the moment of salvation and held that after conversion the Christian would progressively grow in grace in a lifelong process. This teaching polarized
Polarization (politics)
In politics, polarization is the process by which the public opinion divides and goes to the extremes. It can also refer to when the extreme factions of a political party gain dominance in a party. In either case moderate voices often lose power and influence as a consequence.-Definitions of...
the Pentecostal movement into two factions. The Wesleyan doctrine was strongest in the Southern denominations, such as the Church of God (Cleveland), Church of God in Christ
Church of God in Christ
The Church of God in Christ is a Pentecostal Holiness Christian denomination with a predominantly African-American membership. With nearly five million members in the United States and 12,000 congregations, it is the largest Pentecostal church and the fifth largest Christian church in the U.S....
, and the Pentecostal Holiness Church. The Finished Work, however, would ultimately gain ascendancy among Pentecostals. After 1911, most new Pentecostal denominations would adhere to Finished Work sanctification.
In 1914, a group of 300 white Pentecostal ministers and laymen from all regions of the United States gathered in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
, to create a new, national Pentecostal fellowship—the General Council of the Assemblies of God. These white ministers had been nominally affiliated with C. H. Mason
Charles Harrison Mason
Bishop Charles Harrison 'C.H.' Mason was an American Pentecostal–Holiness and Charismatic, denomination leader. He was the founder, Chief Apostle and first Senior Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Inc. He was also the grandfather of Bishop J.O...
's African-American Church of God in Christ, but by 1911, many had become dissatisfied with the existing arrangement. It adopted a congregational polity (whereas the COGIC and other Southern groups were largely episcopal
Episcopal polity
Episcopal polity is a form of church governance that is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a bishop...
) and a Finished Work understanding of sanctification. Thus, the creation of the Assemblies of God marked an official end of Pentecostal doctrinal unity. It was also the end of the early Pentecostal experiment with racial integration.
The new Assemblies of God would soon face a "new issue" which first emerged at a 1913 camp meeting. During a baptism service, the speaker, R. E. McAlister, mentioned that the Apostles baptized converts once in the name of Jesus Christ, and the words "Father, Son, and Holy Ghost" were never used in baptism. This inspired Frank Ewart
Frank Ewart
Francis John Ewart was a Pentecostal preacher, author and one of the founders of Oneness Pentecostalism and the UPCI.-Early ministry:...
who claimed to have received as a divine prophecy revealing a nontrinitarian conception of God. Ewart believed that there was only one personality in the Godhead
Godhead (Christianity)
Godhead is a Middle English variant of the word godhood, and denotes the Divine Nature or Substance of the Christian God, or the Trinity. Within some traditions such as Mormonism, the term is used as a nontrinitarian substitute for the term Trinity, denoting the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit not as...
—Jesus Christ. The terms "Father" and "Holy Ghost" were titles designating different aspects of Christ. Those who had been baptized in the Trinitarian fashion needed to submit to rebaptism in Jesus' name. Furthermore, Ewart believed that Jesus' name baptism
Jesus' Name doctrine
Jesus' Name Doctrine is a minority nontrinitarian theology, characterised by a belief that baptism must be performed "in the name of Jesus", rather than the more common Trinitarian formula "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit"....
and the gift of tongues were essential for salvation. Ewart and those who adopted his belief called themselves "oneness" or "Jesus' Name" Pentecostals, but their opponents called them "Jesus Only".
Amid great controversy, the Assemblies of God rejected the Oneness teaching, and a large amount of its churches and pastors were forced to withdraw from the denomination in 1916. They organized their own Oneness groups. Most of these joined Garfield T. Haywood
Garfield Thomas Haywood
Garfield Thomas Haywood was an African American pastor and song writer who served as Presiding Bishop of the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World from 1925 to 1931.-Early life:...
, an African-American preacher from Indianapolis, to form the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
The Pentecostal Assemblies of the World is a Pentecostal Christian denomination. Founded in 1914, it is one of the oldest Oneness Pentecostal organizations in existence. Headquarters are in Indianapolis, Indiana, and The Christian Outlook is the church's official publication...
. This church maintained an interracial identity until 1924 when the white ministers withdrew to form the Pentecostal Church, Incorporated. This church later merged with another group forming the United Pentecostal Church International
United Pentecostal Church International
The United Pentecostal Church International is a Pentecostal Christian denomination, headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Hazelwood, Missouri. It is a part of the Oneness or "Apostolic" portion of the Pentecostal Movement, and was formed in 1945 by a merger of the former Pentecostal Church,...
.
Racial integration
The crowds of blacks and whites worshiping together at Seymour's Azusa Street Mission set the tone for much of the early Pentecostal movement. During the period of 1906-1924, Pentecostals defied social norms of the time that called for racial segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
and the enactment of Jim Crow laws
Jim Crow laws
The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
. The Church of God in Christ
Church of God in Christ
The Church of God in Christ is a Pentecostal Holiness Christian denomination with a predominantly African-American membership. With nearly five million members in the United States and 12,000 congregations, it is the largest Pentecostal church and the fifth largest Christian church in the U.S....
, the Church of God (Cleveland), the Pentecostal Holiness Church, and the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
Pentecostal Assemblies of the World
The Pentecostal Assemblies of the World is a Pentecostal Christian denomination. Founded in 1914, it is one of the oldest Oneness Pentecostal organizations in existence. Headquarters are in Indianapolis, Indiana, and The Christian Outlook is the church's official publication...
were all interracial denominations before the 1920s. These groups, especially in the South, were under great pressure to conform to segregation. Ultimately, North American Pentecostalism would divide into white and black branches. Though it never entirely disappeared, interracial worship within Pentecostalism would not reemerge as a widespread practice until after the Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
.
Attitudes toward women
Given the emphasis on spreading the gospel, Spirit baptized women felt a sense of empowerment and justification to engage in activities traditionally denied them. Whoever was blessed with the Pentecostal experience had the responsibility to use it towards the preparation for Christ’s second coming. Thus, the focus on spiritual gifts, the nature of the worship environment, and dispensationalist thinking all encouraged women to participate in all areas of worship.
Women were vital to the early Pentecostal movement. Agnes Ozman
Agnes Ozman
Agnes Ozman was a female student at Charles Fox Parham's Bethel Bible School in Topeka, Kansas. Ozman was considered by many as “the first to speak in tongues”. Her experiences sparked the modern Pentecostal-Holiness movement, which began in the early 20th century...
was the first person at Parham’s Bible college to speak in tongues. Florence Crawford was active in the Azusa Street Mission's The Apostolic Faith newspaper and later founded the Apostolic Faith Church. Women wrote religious songs, edited Pentecostal papers, and taught and ran Bible schools. In addition, evidence from three of the oldest Pentecostal groups—Assemblies of God, the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) and the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel
The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, commonly referred to as the Foursquare Church, is an evangelical Pentecostal Christian denomination. As of 2000 it had a worldwide membership of over 8,000,000, with almost 60,000 churches in 144 countries. In 2006, membership in the United States...
—shows a number of women serving as clergy and missionaries. The unconventionally intense and emotional environment generated in Pentecostal meetings dually promoted, and was itself created by, other forms of participation such as personal testimony and spontaneous prayer and singing. Women did not shy away from engaging in this forum, and in the early movement the majority of converts and church-goers were female.
While the immediacy and the fervor of the initial revival atmosphere were subsiding, questions of authority and the organization of churches arose. Institutionalism took root. While it was clear that both men and women spoke in tongues, many started to see this gift as a non-intellectual one, holding that more intellectual acts, such as preaching, should be undertaken by women only in conditions controlled by male leaders. The subsiding of the early Pentecostal movement allowed a socially more conservative approach to women to settle in, and as a result female participation was channeled into more supportive and traditionally more accepted roles. Institutionalism brought gender segregation, and the Assemblies of God along with other Pentecostal groups created auxiliary women’s organizations. At this time, women became much more likely to be evangelists and missionaries than pastors; when they were pastors, they often co-pastored with their husbands. It also became the norm for men to hold all official positions: board members, college presidents, and national administrators. While the early movement eschewed denominationalism because of the dead spirituality they saw in other Protestant sects, later Pentecostal churches began to mirror the more-traditional evangelical community. However, while the number of female pastors declined, most Pentecostal denominations continued to ordain women.
Pacifism
The majority of early Pentecostal denominations taught pacifism
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
and adopted military service articles that advocated conscientious objection.
Latter Rain Movement
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and spread among many Pentecostal groups in the 1940s. Latter Rain leaders taught "an extreme congregationalism" where local authority was exercised by a restored fivefold ministry, led by apostles who through the laying on of hands
Laying on of hands
The laying on of hands is a religious ritual that accompanies certain religious practices, which are found throughout the world in varying forms....
could impart spiritual gifts. Many traditional Pentecostal bodies, such as the Assemblies of God and the Pentecostal Fellowship of North America, were critical of the movement and condemned many of its practices as unscriptural. One reason for the conflict between the traditional denominations and the "New Order", as the movement was also called, was the tendency of Latter Rain leaders to label existing groups as "apostasized [sic]" and "the old apostate Church of England". The Latter Rain Movement was the most important controversy to affect Pentecostalism since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Charismatic movement
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Christians from mainline churches in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, and other parts of the world began to accept the Pentecostal idea that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is available for Christians today, even if they did not accept other tenets of formal Pentecostalism. Charismatic movements began to grow in mainline denominations. Charismatic Episcopalians, Lutherans, Catholics, and Methodists emerged, and during that time period, Charismatic was used to refer to similar movements that existed within mainline denominations. Pentecostal, on the other hand, was used to refer to those who were a part of the churches and denominations that grew out of the earlier Azusa Street revival. Unlike classic Pentecostals, who formed strictly Pentecostal congregations or denominations, charismatics adopted as their motto, "Bloom where God planted you."
In recent decades many independent charismatic churches and ministries have formed, or have developed their own denominations and church associations, such as the Vineyard Movement. In the 1960s and still today, many Pentecostal churches were still strict with dress codes and forbidding certain forms of entertainment, creating a cultural distinction between Charismatics and Pentecostals. There is a great deal of overlap now between the charismatic and Pentecostal movements, though some Pentecostals still retain a strict understanding of "holiness living" principles.
Neo-charismatic movement
The "neocharismatic" movement is a broad collection of post-denominational and independent charismatic groups. It is the most recent movement of charismatic Christianity, and also the most numerous.This movement incorporates what has been called the "third wave
Third Wave of the Holy Spirit
The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit is a Christian theological theory first introduced by C. Peter Wagner to describe what he believed to be three historical periods of the activity of the Holy Spirit in the 20th century and beyond...
", a term coined by C. Peter Wagner
C. Peter Wagner
Charles Peter Wagner Christian missionary, writer, teacher, and church growth specialist, notable for his controversial spiritual warfare practices and beliefs...
. Wagner described Pentecostalism as the "first wave", and the charismatic movement as the "second wave". The editors of the 2002 work The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements
The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements
The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements is a comprehensive reference work on charismatic Christianity . It is edited primarily by Stanley M. Burgess...
"broadened and relabeled" the term "third wave" to "neocharismatic". "Third wave" has more of a Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
focus.
Forerunners
- William BoardmanWilliam BoardmanWilliam Edwin Boardman was an American pastor and teacher, and the author in 1858 of The Higher Christian Life, a book which as a major international success and helped ignite the Higher Life movement. Boardman's work attracted international attention, especially in England, where Boardman...
- John Alexander DowieJohn Alexander DowieJohn Alexander Dowie was a Scottish evangelist and faith healer who ministered in Australia and the United States. He founded the city of Zion, Illinois, and the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church...
(1848–1907) - Edward IrvingEdward Irving*For Edward Irving, the Canadian geologist, see Edward A. Irving.Edward Irving was a Scottish clergyman, generally regarded as the main figure behind the foundation of the Catholic Apostolic Church.-Youth:...
- Albert Benjamin SimpsonAlbert Benjamin SimpsonAlbert Benjamin "A.B." Simpson was a Canadian preacher, theologian, author, and founder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance , an evangelical Protestant denomination with an emphasis on global evangelism....
(1843–1919)
Leaders
- A. A. AllenA. A. AllenAsa A. Allen , better known as A.A. Allen, was a controversial evangelist with a Pentecostal healing and deliverance ministry. He was, for a time, associated with the "Voice of Healing" movement founded by Gordon Lindsay. He died at age 59 in San Francisco...
(1911–70) Healing Tent Evangelist of the 1950s and 1960s - Joseph Ayo BabalolaJoseph Ayo BabalolaJoseph Ayo Babalola was the founder of the Christ Apostolic Church, popularly called Aladura in Nigeria. He was credited with healing powers.-Life and mission:...
(1904–59) Oke – Ooye, Ilesa revivalist in 1930. Also, spiritual founder of Christ Apostolic ChurchChrist Apostolic ChurchChrist Apostolic Church is the first Aladura Pentecostal church present in Nigeria and other countries. It has come into existence in the first half of the... - William M. BranhamWilliam M. BranhamWilliam Marrion Branham was a Christian minister, usually credited with founding the post World War II faith healing movement...
(1909–65) Healing Evangelists of the mid 20th century - Jack CoeJack CoeJack Coe was one of the first faith healers with a touring tent ministry after the Second World War in the United States. Coe was ordained in the Assemblies of God in 1944, and began to preach while still serving in World War II. In the following twelve years, travelled the U.S. organizing tent...
(1918–56) Healing Tent Evangelist of the 1950s - Rex HumbardRex HumbardAlpha Rex Emmanuel Humbard was a well-known American television evangelist whose Cathedral of Tomorrow show was shown on over 600 stations at the peak of its popularity....
(1919–2007) The first successful TV evangelist of the 1950s, 1960s, and the 1970s and at one time had the largest television audience of any televangelist in the United States - George JeffreysGeorge Jeffreys (pastor)George Jeffreys was a Welsh minister who founded the Elim Pentecostal Church, one of the first Pentecostal organisations.As a fifteen-year-old from Nantyffylon, Maesteg, Wales, George became a Christian during the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival, along with his older brother Stephen...
(1889–1962) Founder of the Elim Foursquare Gospel Alliance and the Bible-Pattern Church Fellowship in the UK - Kathryn KuhlmanKathryn KuhlmanKathryn Johanna Kuhlman was an American faith healer and evangelist.-Early life:Kathryn Johanna Kuhlman was born in Concordia, Missouri, to German-American parents...
(1907–76) American female evangelist who brought Pentecostalism into the mainstream denominations - Gerald Archie MangunGerald Archie MangunGerald Archie Mangun better known as G. A. Mangun. He is remembered for building one of the largest churches in the United Pentecostal Church International organization, in the city of Alexandria, Louisiana.-Early life:...
(1919–2010) American evangelist/pastor who built one of the largest churches within the United Pentecostal Church InternationalUnited Pentecostal Church InternationalThe United Pentecostal Church International is a Pentecostal Christian denomination, headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Hazelwood, Missouri. It is a part of the Oneness or "Apostolic" portion of the Pentecostal Movement, and was formed in 1945 by a merger of the former Pentecostal Church,...
organization. - Charles Harrison MasonCharles Harrison MasonBishop Charles Harrison 'C.H.' Mason was an American Pentecostal–Holiness and Charismatic, denomination leader. He was the founder, Chief Apostle and first Senior Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Inc. He was also the grandfather of Bishop J.O...
(1866–1961) The Founder of the Church of God In Christ - Aimee Semple McPhersonAimee Semple McPhersonAimee Semple McPherson , also known as Sister Aimee, was a Canadian-American Los Angeles, California evangelist and media celebrity in the 1920s and 1930s. She founded the Foursquare Church...
(1890–1944) American Female Evangelist, pastor, and organizer of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel - Charles Fox ParhamCharles Fox ParhamCharles Fox Parham was an American preacher and evangelist. Together with William J. Seymour, Parham was one of the two central figures in the development and early spread of Pentecostalism...
(1873–1929) Father of Modern Pentecostalism - David du PlessisDavid du PlessisDavid Johannes du Plessis was a South African-born Pentecostal minister. He is considered one of the main founders of the charismatic movement, in which the Pentecostal experience of baptism with the Holy Spirit spread to non-Pentecostal churches worldwide.-Biography:Born to missionary parents, an...
(1905–87) South-African Pentecostal church leader, one of the founders of the Charismatic movement - Oral RobertsOral RobertsGranville "Oral" Roberts was an American Pentecostal televangelist and a Christian charismatic. He founded the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and Oral Roberts University....
(1918–2009) Healing Tent Evangelist who made the transition to televangelism - William J. SeymourWilliam J. SeymourWilliam Joseph Seymour was an African American minister, and an initiator of the Pentecostal religious movement.-Biography:...
(1870–1922) Azusa Street Mission Founder (Azusa Street RevivalAzusa Street RevivalThe Azusa Street Revival was a historic Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California and is the origin of the Pentecostal movement. It was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher. It began with a meeting on April 14, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915...
) - Smith WigglesworthSmith WigglesworthSmith Wigglesworth , was a British evangelist who was important in the early history of Pentecostalism.- Early life :...
(1859–1947) - Maria Woodworth-EtterMaria Woodworth-EtterMaria Woodworth-Etter was an American healing evangelist. Her ministry style would serve as a model for Pentecostalism.-Life:...
(1844–1924) - Bishop Ida Robinson (August 3, 1891 – April 20, 1946), Founder of the Mount Sinai Holy Church of America
- Jimmy SwaggartJimmy SwaggartJimmy Lee Swaggart is a Pentecostal American pastor, teacher, musician, television host, and televangelist. He has preached to crowds around the world through his weekly telecast...
See also
By country
- Pentecostalism in ChinaPentecostalism in ChinaThe Pentecostal movement in China began when the first missionaries arrived in China in 1907. Almost immediately they put down roots in at least three places which later strongly influenced the development of Chinese Pentecostalism...
- Pentecostalism in NorwayPentecostalism in NorwayPentecostal congregations in Norway is the largest Protestant free church in Norway with a total membership at 39,590 people in 2009....
- Pentecostalism in Romania
Further reading
- Alexander, Paul. Peace to War: Shifting Allegiances in the Assemblies of God. Telford, Pennsylvania: Cascadia Publishing/Herald Press, 2009.
- Alexander, Paul. Signs and Wonders: Why Pentecostalism is the World's Fastest Growing Faith. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass, 2009.
- Clifton, Shane Jack. "An Analysis of the Developing Ecclesiology of the Assemblies of God in Australia". PhD thesis, Australian Catholic University, 2005.
- Cruz, Samuel. Masked Africanisms: Puerto Rican Pentecostalism. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 2005. ISBN 0-7575-2181-9.
- Hollenweger, WalterWalter HollenwegerWalter Jacob Hollenweger is a Swiss theologian and author, recognized as an expert on worldwide Pentecostalism. His two best known books are: The Pentecostals and Pentecostalism: Origins and Developments Worldwide...
. The Pentecostals: The Charismatic Movement in the Churches. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1972. ISBN 0-8066-1210-X. - Hollenweger, Walter. Pentecostalism : Origins and Developments Worldwide. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997. ISBN 0-943575-36-2.
- Lewis, Meharry H. Mary Lena Lewis Tate: Vision!, A Biography of the Founder and History of the Church of the Living God, the Pillar and Ground of the Truth, Inc. Nashville, Tennessee: The New and Living Way Publishing Company, 2005. ISBN 0-910003-08-4.
- Malcomson, Keith. Pentecostal Pioneers Remembered: British and Irish Pioneers of Pentecost. 2008.
- Mendiola, Kelly Willis. OCLC 56818195 The Hand of a Woman: Four Holiness-Pentecostal Evangelists and American Culture, 1840–1930. PhD thesis, University of Texas at Austin, 2002.
- Miller, Donald E. and Tetsunao Yamamori. Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 2007.
- Olowe, Abi Olowe. Great Revivals, Great Revivalist – Joseph Ayo Babalola. Omega Publishers, 2007.
- Robins, R. G. A. J. Tomlinson: Plainfolk Modernist. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2004.
- Robins, R. G. Pentecostalism in America. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger/ABC-CLIO, 2010.
- Steel, Matthew. "Pentecostalism in Zambia: Power, Authority and the Overcomers". MSc dissertation, University of WalesUniversity of WalesThe University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
, 2005. - Wacker, Grant. Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2001.
- Woodberry, Robert. "Pentecostalism and Economic Development", in Markets, Morals and Religion, ed. Jonathan B. Imber, 157–177. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Transaction Publishers, 2008.
External links
- The Rise of Pentecostalism", Christian History 58 (1998) special issue. As of 1998, two special issues of this magazine had addressed Pentecostalism's roots: "Spiritual Awakenings in North America" (issue 23, 1989) and "Camp Meetings & Circuit Riders: Frontier Revivals" (issue 45, 1995)