Pentecostalism is a renewal movement within Christianity Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. Christianity comprises three major branches: Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy (which parted ways with Catholicism in 1054 A.D.) and Protestantism (which came into existence during the Protestant Reformation of the 16th that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God In the Christian religion, one definition of God is the eternal being that created and preserves the universe. The Christian Bible never speaks of God in an impersonal sense. Instead, it refers to him in personal terms — as one who is, who speaks, who sees, hears, acts, and loves. God is understood to have a will and personality and is an all through the baptism in the Holy Spirit.[1] The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost Pentecost is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ. The feast is also called Whitsun, Whitsunday, Whit Sunday, or Whitsuntide, especially in the United Kingdom. Pentecost is celebrated seven weeks (50 days) after Easter Sunday, hence its name, a Greek term describing the Jewish Feast of Weeks Shavuot (or Shavuos (help·info), in Ashkenazi usage; Hebrew: שבועות‎, lit. "Weeks") is a Jewish holiday that occurs on the sixth day of the Hebrew month of Sivan (late May or early June). Shavuot commemorates the anniversary of the day God gave the Torah to Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. It is one of the shalosh. For Christians, this event commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit In Christianity, the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is the spirit or essence of God. In Trinitarian Christian belief, it is the third person of the Holy Trinity. Pneumatology is the theology of the Holy Spirit upon the followers of Jesus Christ Jesus of Nazareth , also known as Jesus Christ or simply Jesus, is the central figure of Christianity, which views him as the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament, with most Christian denominations believing him to be the Son of God and God incarnate who was raised from the dead. Islam and the Baha'i Faith consider Jesus a prophet and also the, as described in the second chapter of the Book of Acts The Acts of the Apostles , usually referred to simply as Acts, is the fifth book of the New Testament; Acts outlines the history of the Apostolic Age. The author is traditionally identified as Luke the Evangelist,[2] and Pentecostals tend to see their movement as reflecting the same kind of spiritual power, worship styles and teachings that were found in the early church Early Christianity is commonly defined as the Christianity of, roughly, the three centuries between the Crucifixion of Jesus (circa 30 AD) and the First Council of Nicaea (325 AD). At first the Christian church was centered in Jerusalem and its leaders included James, Peter and John. For this reason, some Pentecostals also use the term Apostolic or full gospel to describe their movement.

Pentecostalism is an umbrella term An umbrella term is a word that provides a superset or grouping of related concepts, also called a hypernym that includes a wide range of different theological and organizational perspectives. As a result, there is no single central organization or church that directs the movement. Furthermore, Pentecostals are theologically diverse with some groups being Trinitarian The Christian doctrine of the Trinity teaches the unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as three persons in one Godhead. The doctrine states that God is the Triune God, existing as three persons, or in the Greek hypostases, but one being. Since the beginning of the third century the doctrine of the Trinity has been stated as "the one God and others Nontrinitarian Nontrinitarianism includes all Christian belief systems that reject, wholly or partly, the doctrine of the Trinity, namely, the teaching that God is three distinct yet coeternal and coequal hypostases who are indivisibly united in one essence or ousia (see also Consubstantiality).[3] Many Pentecostal groups are affiliated with the 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 charismata places it within Charismatic Christianity The term "charismatic" used in a Christian context primarily refers to a Christian theological position, or doctrine. The word charismatic is derived from the Greek word χάρισμα which is the term used in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 12-14. The theological position admits to the validity of miracles, prophecy, glossolalia (speaking in, a broad grouping of Christians which have accepted some Pentecostal teachings on Spirit baptism and spiritual gifts Spiritual gifts , according to some Christian denominations such as Pentecostal, are gifts that are bestowed on Christians, each having his or her own proper gift (or gifts) to strengthen the church. They are described in the New Testament, primarily in First Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4. Pentecostalism is theologically and historically close to the charismatic movement The term Charismatic Movement describes the adoption of certain beliefs typical of those held by Pentecostal Christians by those within the historic denominations. The term "charismatic" was first coined by Harald Bredesen, a Lutheran minister, in 1962, to describe what was happening at that time in the old-line churches. Confronted with as it significantly influenced that movement, and sometimes the terms Pentecostal and charismatic are used interchangeably. Pentecostalism claims more than 250 million adherents worldwide.[4] When charismatics are included with Pentecostals the number increases to nearly a quarter of the world's two billion Christians.[1]

Contents

Beliefs

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 3:16, 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.[5] It is evangelical Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian theological stream which began in Great Britain in the 1730s. Most adherents consider its key characteristics to be:, emphasizing the reliability of the Bible The Bible refers to collections of sacred scripture of Judaism and Christianity. There is no single version: both the individual books and their order vary. The Hebrew Bible contains 39 books, while Christian Bibles range from the 66 books of the Protestant canon to 81 books in the Ethiopian Orthodox Bible. The oldest surviving Christian Bibles and the need for the transformation of an individual's life through faith in Jesus.[6] Pentecostals generally adhere to the doctrine of biblical inerrancy Biblical inerrancy is the doctrinal position that the Bible is considered accurate and totally free of error. Within Christianity, some mainstream Evangelical and Protestant groups adhere to the current inerrancy of Scripture as it reads today. Additionally, some faith groups, to include the Latter Day Saints , believe the Bible is without error, believing that the Bible has definitive authority in matters of faith and adopt a literalist approach to its interpretation. However, they differ from other evangelicals by rejecting cessationist teachings.[7] Pentecostals believe that spiritual gifts, such as speaking in tongues Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. Though some consider these utterances to be meaningless, others consider them to be a holy language and prophecy A prophecy is the message that has been communicated to a prophet which the prophet then communicates to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of events to come, did not cease after New Testament The New Testament is the name given to the second major division of the Christian Bible, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament. Unlike the Old Testament, the contents of the New Testament deal explicitly with Christianity, although both the Old and New Testament are regarded, together, as Sacred Scripture. The New Testament times and are still available for modern Christians.

Salvation

Main article: Christian soteriology Christian Soteriology is the branch of Christian theology that deals with salvation. It is derived from the Greek sōtērion (from sōtēr savior, preserver) + English -logy. For similar concepts in other religions, see Salvation

Reflecting its Methodist influences, Pentecostal soteriology Salvation theory occupies a place of special significance and importance in some religions. In the academic field of religious study, soteriology is understood by scholars as signifying a key theme in a number of different religions, and is often studied in a comparative context: i.e., comparing various ideas about what salvation is, and how it is is generally Arminian Arminianism is a school of soteriological thought within Protestant Christianity based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic followers, the Remonstrants. The doctrine's acceptance stretches through much of mainstream Christianity, including evangelical Protestantism.[citation needed] rather than Calvinist Calvinism is a theological system and an approach to the Christian life. The Reformed tradition was advanced by several theologians such as Martin Bucer, Heinrich Bullinger, Peter Martyr Vermigli, and Huldrych Zwingli, but this branch of Christianity bears the name of the French reformer John Calvin because of his prominent influence on it and.[8] Pentecostals believe that in order to receive salvation The theological study of salvation is called soteriology. It covers the means by which salvation is effected or achieved, and its results. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or "redemption" from sin and its effects and enter Heaven In religion, Heaven is the English name for a transcendental realm in which it is believed that people who have died continue to exist in an afterlife. The term "heaven" may refer to the physical heavens, the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the universe beyond, the traditional literal meaning of the term in English, one must accept the teachings of Jesus Christ as described in the Bible. This includes being born again In Christianity, being born again represents a spiritual and metaphorical rebirth, accepting Jesus as the Messiah and receiving the Holy Spirit. The origin of the term "born again" is the New Testament: "Jesus replied, 'Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born again.'"[John 3:3] It is a term or being regenerated 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 (Ephesians 2:4). While the exact Greek noun palingensia, and is the fundamental requirement of Pentecostalism. Most Pentecostals also believe that salvation is a gift received by grace Divine grace is a theological term which is present in many and varied spiritual traditions. However, there are significant differences between the way people of different traditions use the word through faith Faith is the confident belief or trust in the truth or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. The word "faith" can refer to a religion itself or to religion in general in Jesus Christ, and cannot be earned through good deeds alone such as penance Penance is repentance of sins as well as the proper name of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox Christian, and Anglican Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation/Confession. It also plays a part in non-sacramental confession among Lutherans and other Protestants. The word penance derives from Old French and Latin poenitentia, both of which derive from the. Also, most do not believe that Spirit baptism or speaking in tongues is required for salvation; though believers are encouraged to seek these experiences. However, there are notable differences among them as to exactly how one is born again, especially between Oneness believers and other Pentecostals. For the Oneness Pentecostal perspective on salvation, see the Oneness Pentecostal section of this article below.

Spirit baptism and spiritual gifts

Main article: Spiritual gifts Spiritual gifts , according to some Christian denominations such as Pentecostal, are gifts that are bestowed on Christians, each having his or her own proper gift (or gifts) to strengthen the church. They are described in the New Testament, primarily in First Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4

Pentecostal belief and practice center on their understanding of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Most Pentecostals believe that at the moment a person is born again (regeneration), the new believer has the presence of the Holy Spirit, the "indwelling".[9] While the Spirit dwells in every Christian, Pentecostals believe that Christ desires to fill the believer with the Holy Spirit. For Pentecostals, this "infilling" or the baptism with the Holy Spirit is a definite experience which happens after salvation and provides those who have been filled with power to serve and to witness and allows them to experience spiritual gifts Spiritual gifts , according to some Christian denominations such as Pentecostal, are gifts that are bestowed on Christians, each having his or her own proper gift (or gifts) to strengthen the church. They are described in the New Testament, primarily in First Corinthians 12, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4 which are described in the Bible.[10][11] Traditionally, Pentecostals have taught that the "initial evidence" of Spirit baptism is speaking in tongues.

While speaking in tongues frequently receives strong emphasis among Pentecostals, most also believe in the existence of other supernatural gifts that may be received from the Holy Spirit. Most Pentecostals believe that not all Christians necessarily receive all of these gifts. One frequently cited list is 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 which includes the following gifts: words of wisdom (the ability to provide supernatural guidance in decisions), words of knowledge (impartation of factual information from the Spirit), faith Faith in Christianity, as in other Abrahamic religions, centers on a belief in God, a belief in the reality of a transcendent domain that God administers as His kingdom, and in the benevolence of God's will or plan for humankind. Christianity differs from other Abrahamic religions in that it centers on a belief in the ministry of Jesus, and in his, healing Faith healing is a concept that religious belief or faith can bring about healing—either through prayers or rituals that, according to adherents, evoke a divine presence and power toward correcting disease and disability in particular indicated individuals. Belief in divine intervention in illness or healing is related to religious belief in, miracle-working A miracle is an unexpected event attributed to divine intervention. Sometimes an event is also attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that God may work with the laws of nature to perform what people perceive as miracles, prophecy A prophecy is the message that has been communicated to a prophet which the prophet then communicates to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of events to come (the pronouncement of a message from God, not necessarily involving knowledge of the future), discerning of spirits The English word spirit has many differing meanings and connotations, all of them relating to a non-corporeal substance contrasted with the material body. The spirit of a human being is thus the animating, sensitive or vital principle in that individual, similar to the soul taken to be the seat of the mental, intellectual and emotional powers. The (the ability to tell if evil spirits are at work), tongues, and interpretation of tongues The interpretation of tongues is noted in 1 Corinthians 12:10 as one of nine manifestation gifts of the Holy Spirit. This gift is a supernatural enablement for one to interpret unknown tongues when they are spoken among Christian believers.[11]

Speaking in tongues

Main article: Glossolalia Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. Though some consider these utterances to be meaningless, those that use them consider them to be part of a holy language

Speaking in tongues Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. Though some consider these utterances to be meaningless, others consider them to be a holy language is a distinctive Pentecostal practice. A Pentecostal believer in a spiritual experience may vocalize fluent, unintelligible utterances (glossolalia Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. Though some consider these utterances to be meaningless, those that use them consider them to be part of a holy language), or articulate an alleged natural language previously unknown to them (xenoglossy).

Within Pentecostalism, there is usually a recognition that speaking in tongues serves two functions. One of the functions is being the initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit; this is when a believer speaks in tongues for the first time.[12] Most Pentecostal denominations consider this to be the sign of that believer being filled with the Holy Spirit.[13] The other function speaking in tongues has is as the gift of tongues.[12] This is when a person gives a "message in tongues", under the influence of the Holy Spirit, to a congregation. For the church to understand the message in tongues, a person with the gift of interpretation—whether that be another person or the same one who gives the tongue— must interpret the tongue into the common language of the gathered Christians, so that all can understand the message. Pentecostals base their understanding of the gift of tongues and its operation in the church on 1 Corinthians 14:13 and 14:27-28.

Speaking in tongues also forms an important part of many Pentecostal's personal daily devotions. When used in this way, it is referred to as a "prayer language". When exercised in this way, no interpretation is needed as the believer is speaking unknown languages (including that of angels) not for the purpose of communicating with others but for "communication between the soul and God".[14]

Early in the 20th century, the majority of Pentecostal missionaries, along with prominent Pentecostal leaders, maintained that speaking in tongues was a form of xenoglossia in which the Holy Spirit enabled them to speak in other languages. As continued investigations repeatedly concluded that speaking in tongues was a form of utterance that lacked all syntactical structure In linguistics, syntax is the study of the principles and rules for constructing sentences in natural languages, and almost always consisted of syllables taken from the speaker's native language, Pentecostal theologians redefined their beliefs.[15] While Pentecostals still maintain that it is a possiblilty that a Christian under the Spirit's influence could speak in an unknown human language, Pentecostals usually describe speaking in tongues as supernatural or heavenly languages. The important thing for Pentecostals is not whether the tongue is of a human or supernatural nature but that whether in private prayer or in a message given to a congregation, the individual and Body of Christ Body of Christ is a term of Christian theology, implicitly traceable to Jesus's statement at the Last Supper that "This is my body" in Luke 22:19-20, and explicitly used by the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 12:12-14 are spiritually strengthened.

Ordinances and practices

Main article: Ordinance (Christian) Ordinance is a Protestant Christian term for baptism, communion and other religious rituals. Some Protestants do not call them sacraments because they believe these rituals are outward expressions of faith, rather than impartations of God's grace

Like other Christian churches, Pentecostals believe that certain rituals or ceremonies were instituted as a pattern and command by Jesus in the New Testament. Some Pentecostals commonly call these ceremonies ordinances Ordinance is a Protestant Christian term for baptism, communion and other religious rituals. Some Protestants do not call them sacraments because they believe these rituals are outward expressions of faith, rather than impartations of God's grace. Many Christians call these sacraments A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is what Roman Catholics believe to be "a rite in which God is uniquely active." Augustine of Hippo defined a Christian sacrament as "a visible sign of an invisible reality." The Anglican Book of Common Prayer speaks of them as "an outward and visible sign of, however, this term is not used by some Pentecostals as they do not see ordinances as imparting grace.[4] Instead the term sacerdotal Sacerdotalism is from the Latin sacerdos, priest, literally one who presents sacred offerings, sacer, sacred, and dare, to give. Sacerdotalism is the idea that a propitiatory sacrifice for sin must be offered by the intervention of an order of men separated to the priesthood. This system of the priesthood is taught in the Old Testament 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 In the broadest sense, a vicar is a representative, anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). In this sense, the title is comparable to lieutenant, literally the "place-holder". Usually the title appears in a number of Christian.

Members of the Pentecostal Church of God in Lejunior, Kentucky pray for a girl in 1946.

The ordinance of baptism is the outward symbol of an inner conversion that has already taken place. The majority of Pentecostals do not view baptism as necessary for salvation, and likewise, most Pentecostals are Trinitarian and use the traditional Trinitarian baptismal formula. However, Oneness Pentecostals view baptism as a requirement to be saved and, as non-Trinitarians, reject the use of the traditional baptismal formula. For more information on Oneness Pentecostal baptismal beliefs, see the Oneness Pentecostalism 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. Some Pentecostal denominations reject the use of wine as part of communion, using grape juice instead.[16][17] Foot washing is also held as an ordinance by some Pentecostals, particularly the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI) and the Church of God in Christ (COGIC).[18][19] It is considered an "ordinance of humility" because Jesus showed humility when washing his disciples' feet in John 13:14-17.[4] Other denominations, such as the Assemblies of God (AG) and the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, do not hold this to be an ordinance but leave it to individual conscience.[20][21]

While not an ordinance, prayer for the sick is an important practice in many Pentecostal churches. Practices vary but usually this prayer will include the pastor anointing the sick with olive oil and with the assistance of church elders, along with pastoral associates, laying hands on the person requesting prayer.[22] Based on the account in Acts 19:11-12, some Pentecostals may anoint and pray over "prayer cloths" which can be placed near an afflicted body part and are believed to carry the prayers and divine healing to the ill person.[4]

Types

Classical Pentecostalism

Classical Pentecostalism is the earliest form of Pentecostalism and is divided into three major orientations/origins: Wesleyan-holiness, Reformed-Higher Life, and Oneness denominations.[23] Examples of Wesleyan holiness denominations include the Church of God in Christ and the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC). The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel and the Assemblies of God are examples of the Reformed branch.[23][24] The major Oneness churches include the United Pentecostal Church International and the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World (PAW). With the exception of Oneness Pentecostals, classical Pentecostal churches share basic beliefs with the rest of evangelical Christianity.

The difference between Wesleyan and non-Wesleyan Pentecostals is largely over understanding of sanctification. Wesleyan Pentecostals believe that sanctification is an experience or crisis event that occurs after salvation and before Spirit baptism. This experience cleanses the believer, rooting out the sinful, fallen nature. Non-Wesleyan Pentecostals believe that sanctification is a life-long process. In addition to the Reformed and Higher Life labels, many non-Wesleyan Pentecostal groups are also classified as Finished Work or Baptistic Pentecostals.[23]

Oneness Pentecostalism

Main article: Oneness Pentecostalism

The Oneness movement, which eventually arose from the Wesleyan-holiness and Higher Life movements, differs from the rest of Pentecostalism in several significant ways.

Oneness doctrine differs from trinitarian Christian denominations by rejecting the doctrine of "Trinity". Oneness adherents do not describe God as three persons but rather as three manifestations of the one living God. Oneness Pentecostals practice Jesus' Name Baptism—that water baptisms must be performed in the name of Jesus Christ, rather than that of the Trinity.

Oneness Pentecostalism retains the earlier Wesleyan holiness and Higher Life understanding of salvation—however some insist that baptism is necessary for salvation. These 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.[25] However, due to biblical interpretation, baptism is required for salvation. For them, baptism is not seen as a "work," but rather the indispensable means that Jesus himself provided to come into his kingdom, as opposed to a "sinner's prayer" or mere belief alone—which is the belief held by most Evangelicals. This has resulted in Oneness believers being accused by some (including other Pentecostals) of a "works-salvation" soteriology,[26] a charge they vehemently deny. 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.

Oneness believers tend to emphasize strict "holiness standards" in dress, grooming and other areas of personal conduct that are not necessarily shared by other Pentecostal groups—at least not to the degree that is generally found in Oneness churches.

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 centered around a charismatic leader, these "latest move of God" groups are constantly emerging and dividing the movement, creating more variety but also schism and bitterness. Some of these indepedent movements include the followers of Charles Simpson in the Covenant churches movement, the followers of Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copeland in the Word of Faith movement, and the followers of Earl Paulk in the Kingdom Now theology.[27] 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

Hillsong Church, a Pentecostal mega church in Sydney, Australia. Main article: List of Christian denominations#Pentecostalism Further information: Pentecostalism in China Further information: Pentecostalism in Norway Further information: Pentecostalism in Romania

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.[28] Pentecostal and Charismatic church growth is rapid in many parts of the world.[29][30] 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.[31][32] One reason for this growth is Pentecostalism's appeal to the poor.[33] According to a United Nations report, the movement has "been the most successful at recruiting its members from the poorest of the poor."[34]

A Pentecostal church in Ravensburg, Germany.

In 1998, there were about 11,000 different Pentecostal or charismatic denominations worldwide.[citation needed] The largest Pentecostal denomination in the world, the Assemblies of God, claims approximately 57 million adherents worldwide.[35] It has a significant presence in many countries including Cuba, Egypt, India, Indonesia and Nigeria.[36] The Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) has a membership of over 6 million,[37] the Church of God in Christ has a membership of 5.5 million,[2] the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel has 5 million members, the United Pentecostal Church International has a membership of over 4 million,[38] and the International Pentecostal Holiness Church has over 3 million members.[39]

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 had 780,000 members in 2003.[40] Australia's largest church, Hillsong, has a membership exceeding 19,000 and its songs are sung in churches around the world.[citation needed]

History

Origins

The charismatic experiences found in Pentecostalism have precedents in earlier movements in Christianity.[41] Some adhere to successionism of the Pentecostal Church. 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.[42] However 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, 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.[43]

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, who would later join the Pentecostal movement, on healing were embraced by Pentecostals.[44] An important precursor to the Pentecostal revival was the 1904-1905 Welsh Revival which 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.

Early Pentecostalism

There was no one founder of modern Pentecostalism. Instead, isolated Christian groups were experiencing charismatic phenemenon such as speaking in tongues. The Wesleyan holiness movement provided a theological explanation for what was happening to these Christians, and they adapted the Wesleyan two stage soteriology to accommodate their three stage understanding: 1) saved by grace, 2) emptied or sanctified, 3) filled with the Spirit.[6][45][46] Charles Parham began teaching that speaking in tongues was the biblical sign of the Holy Spirit's baptism at his Bethel Bible College in Topeka, Kansas on January 1, 1901.[47] Charles Parham later moved to Houston, Texas. In spite of segregation in Houston, William J. Seymour, a one-eyed African-American preacher, was allowed to attend Parham's Bible classes there. Seymour traveled to Los Angeles, where his preaching sparked the Azusa Street Revival in 1906. 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.[48]

The Azusa revival was the first Pentecostal revival to receive significant attention, and many people from around the world became drawn to it.[citation needed] The Los Angeles Press gave close attention to Seymour's revival, which helped fuel its growth.[49] A number of new, smaller, groups started up, inspired by the events of this revival. International visitors and Pentecostal missionaries would eventually bring these teachings to other nations, so that practically all classic Pentecostal denominations today trace their historical roots to the Azusa Street Revival.

William Seymour, leader of the Azusa Street Revival

Social aspects

Early Pentecostals were fueled by their understanding that all of God’s people would prophesy in the last days before Christ’s second coming. They looked to the biblical passages concerning Pentecost in the second chapter of Acts, in which Peter cited the prophecy contained in Joel 2, "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams." (Acts 2:17) Thus, as the experience of speaking in tongues spread among the men and women of Azusa Street, a sense of immediacy took hold, as they began to look toward the Second Coming of Christ. Early Pentecostals saw themselves as outsiders from mainstream society, dedicated solely to preparing the way for Christ’s return.[50][51]

Pentecostalism, like any major movement, has given birth to a large number of organizations with political, social and theological differences. The early movement was countercultural regarding race, gender, and war: African-Americans and women were important leaders in the Azusa Revival, and helped spread the Pentecostal message far beyond Los Angeles.[citation needed]

African-Americans played an important role in the early Pentecostal movement. The first decade of Pentecostalism was marked by interracial assemblies, "...Whites and blacks mix in a religious frenzy," noted a local newspaper account, at a time when government facilities were racially separate and Jim Crow laws were about to be codified.[citation needed] While the interracial assemblies that characterized Azusa Street would continue for a number of years even in the segregated South, the enthusiasm and support for such assemblies eventually waned.[citation needed] After a while, interracial assemblies were nearly non-existent in most Pentecostal churches. However, this trend is starting to be reversed in many Pentecostal churches today.

Women were the catalyst of the early Pentecostal movement.[52] Even before Azusa Street, women led their own revivals as a result of Agnes Ozman speaking in tongues at Parham’s Bible college.[53][54][55] Florence Crawford was a prominent convert of Azusa Street. While at the Azusa Mission, she was active in The Apostolic Faith newspaper and became one the first from Azusa to evangelize, primarily through the Midwestern United States. Later, she moved to Portland where she established the Apostolic Faith Church and ministered. Since Pentecostals believed in the presence and interaction of the Holy Spirit in their assemblies, and since these gifts came to both men and women, the use of spiritual gifts were encouraged in everyone. 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.[56] Since the movement relied on the efforts and participation of lay members, both within the church and outside, women gained great cultural influence in Pentecostalism and helped to shape it. Women wrote religious songs, edited Pentecostal papers, and taught and ran Bible schools.[57] The preponderance of its female adherents may stem from the availability of such opportunities to women from the start of the movement. 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.[58]

Other aspects of Pentecostalism also promoted the participation of women. Pointing to the biblical prophecy of Joel 2:28, Pentecostals focused their attention upon the end times, during which Christ would return. Given that the baptism of the Holy Spirit led to speaking in tongues, whoever was blessed with this gift would have the responsibility to use it towards the preparation for Christ’s second coming.[53][59] Due to this responsibility, any restrictions that culture or other denominations placed on women were often disregarded during the early part of the movement. Joel 2:28 also specifically included females, saying that both sons and daughters and male and female servants would receive the Holy Spirit, and prophecy in the end times. 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.

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,[60] 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 nonviolence and adopted military service articles that advocated conscientious objection.[61] As the Azusa Revival began to wane, however, doctrinal differences began to surface as pressure from social, cultural and political developments from the time began to affect the church. As a result, major divisions, isolationism, sectarianism and even the increase of extremism were apparent.[citation needed]

Early controversies

In the first decade of the 20th century, controversy arose over a new doctrine, Finished Work, that differs from Wesleyan-holiness and Higher Life Pentecostalism. The Finished Work doctrine professes a two-fold experience of conversion and Spirit baptism, as sanctification is viewed as progressive rather than instantaneous.

The Pentecostal movement split over the "New Issue" or "New Revelation" which Frank Ewart, an Australian Baptist preacher, claimed to have received as a divine prophecy in 1913.[62] The Oneness Pentecostals separated from the wider Pentecostal movement during this time.

Latter Rain Movement

This section requires expansion.
Main article: Latter Rain (post-World War II movement)‎

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.[63] 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".[63] The Latter Rain Movement was the most important controversy to affect Pentecostalism since World War II.

Charismatic movement

Main article: Charismatic movement

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Christians from mainline churches in the United States, 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."[citation needed]

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.[citation needed] 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

Main article: Neo-charismatic churches

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.[64]

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".[65] "Third wave" has more of a Western focus.

People

Main page: :Category:Pentecostals

Forerunners

Leaders

See also

Further reading

References

  1. ^ a b Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. "Pentecostalism". http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=140. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
  2. ^ a b "Pentecostalism". The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Pentcstl.html. Retrieved 2008-12-19.
  3. ^ Patterson, Eric; Rybarczyk, Edmund (2007). The Future of Pentecostalism in the United States. New York: Lexington Books. pp. 123. ISBN 978-0-7391-2102-3.
  4. ^ a b c d BBC - Religion & Ethics (2007-06-20). "Pentecostalism". http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/subdivisions/pentecostal_1.shtml. Retrieved 2009-02-10.
  5. ^ Dayton, Donald W. (1980). Theological Roots of Pentecostalism. 2. 3–21. ISBN 0943575796.
  6. ^ a b Menzies, William W. (2007). "The Reformed Roots of Pentecostalism". PentecoStudies 6 (2): 78–99.
  7. ^ Synan, Vinson (1987). "Pentecostalism: Varieties and Contributions". Pneuma: the Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies 9: 32.
  8. ^ Stanley M. Horton Systematic Theology: A Pentecostal Perspective, 1994
  9. ^ Arrington, French L. (Fall). "The Indwelling, Baptism, and Infilling with the Holy Spirit: A Differentiation of Terms". Pneuma: the Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies 3 (1): 1–2.
  10. ^ Horton, Stanley M. (2005). What the Bible Says about the Holy Spirit, Revised Edition. Springfield, Missouri: Gospel Publishing House. pp. 139–140. ISBN 0-88243-359-8.
  11. ^ a b Amos Yong (March 7, 2006). "Discerning the Spirit". http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=3345. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
  12. ^ a b Robeck, Cecil M. (2003). "An Emerging Magisterium? The Case of the Assemblies of God". Pneuma: the Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies 25 (2): 177.
  13. ^ Livingstone, E.A. (2000). "Pentecostalism". The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-Pentecostalism.html. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
  14. ^ Robeck, Cecil M. (2003). "An Emerging Magisterium? The Case of the Assemblies of God". Pneuma: the Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies 25 (2): 174–175.
  15. ^ Glossolalia as Foreign Language an Investigation of twentieth-Century Pentecostal Claim, available online at http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyan_theology/theojrnl/31-35/31-1-05.htm
  16. ^ Abstinence: A Biblical Perspective on Abstinence. Springfield,MO 65802-1894: General Council of the Assemblies of God. 1985. p. 2. http://www.ag.org/top/Beliefs/position_papers/pp_downloads/pp_4187_abstinence.pdf.
  17. ^ Blumhofer. The Assemblies of God: A Chapter in the Story of America Pentecostalism Volume 1- -To 1941. pp.156-158
  18. ^ See under "The Church," in Essential Doctrines of the Bible, copyright 1990, by Word Aflame Press.
  19. ^ "The Doctrine of the Church of God in Christ". Cogic.com. http://www.cogic.com/doctrine.html. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
  20. ^ "Statement of Fundamental Truths". Ag.org. http://www.ag.org/top/beliefs/Statement_of_Fundamental_Truths/sft_short.cfm. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
  21. ^ "The Foursquare Declaration of Faith". Foursquare.org. 2008-05-12. http://www.foursquare.org/landing_pages/4,3.html. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
  22. ^ Roozen. p. 101.
  23. ^ a b c Patterson, Eric; Rybarczyk, Edmund (2007). The Future of Pentecostalism in the United States. New York: Lexington Books. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-7391-2102-3. http://books.google.com/?id=ZOSjBO-vVZQC&printsec=frontcover&q.
  24. ^ Blumhofer, Edith L. (1993). Restoring the Faith: The Assemblies of God, Pentecostalism, and American Culture. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press. p. 2. ISBN 978-0-252-06281-0. http://books.google.com/?id=tKuTIfCPeJwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Restoring+the+Faith&cd=1#v=onepage&q.
  25. ^ See Essential Doctrines of the Bible, "New Testament Salvation", subheading "Salvation by grace through faith", Word Aflame Press, 1979.
  26. ^ See, for instance, Thomas A. Fudge: Christianity Without the Cross: A History of Salvation in Oneness Pentecostalism. Universal Publishers, 2003.
  27. ^ Synan, Vinson (1987). "Pentecostalism: Varieties and Contributions". Pneuma: the Journal of the Society for Pentecostal Studies 9: 33–34.
  28. ^ Christianity's Third Force – Pentecostals Return to "Scandalous" Roots. By Dan Ramirez. May 13, 1997
  29. ^ David Stoll, "Is Latin America Turning Protestant?" published Berkeley: University of California Press. 1990
  30. ^ Jeff Hadden (1997). "Pentecostalism". http://web.archive.org/web/20060427204250/religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/penta.html. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
  31. ^ Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life (2006-04-24). "Moved by the Spirit: Pentecostal Power and Politics after 100 Years". http://pewforum.org/events/?EventID=109. Retrieved 2008-09-24.
  32. ^ "Pentecostalism". Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. 2007. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1B1-374862.html. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
  33. ^ "The CT Review: Pie-in-the-Sky Now". Christianity Today. 2000. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/013/36.107.html. Retrieved 2008-01-30.
  34. ^ Ed Gitre, Christianity Today Magazine (2000-11-13). "The CT Review: Pie-in-the-Sky Now". http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/november13/36.107.html.
  35. ^ World Christian Database, Asia Pacific Mission Office
  36. ^ Johnstone, Patrick; Schirrmacher, Thomas (2003). Gebet für die Welt. Hänssler, ISBN 978-0813342757.
  37. ^ "A Brief History of the Church of God". http://www.churchofgod.org/about/history.cfm. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
  38. ^ United Pentecostal Church International. "About Us". http://upci.org/about.asp. Retrieved 2009-03-30.
  39. ^ International Pentecostal Holiness Church (2007). "24th General Conference Highlights". http://arc.iphc.org/timeline/gencon24.html. Retrieved 2009-03-01.
  40. ^ "Pentecostal churches". Oikoumene.org. http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/church-families/pentecostal-churches.html. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
  41. ^ Patheos. "Pentecostal Origins". http://www.patheos.com/Library/Pentecostal/Origins/Beginnings?offset=0&max=1. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
  42. ^ Johnson, William, The Church Through the Ages,Bethesda Books, 2003
  43. ^ Blumhofer, Edith L. (1993). Restoring the Faith: The Assemblies of God, Pentecostalism, and American Culture. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press. pp. 11–34. ISBN 978-0-252-06281-0. http://books.google.com/?id=tKuTIfCPeJwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Restoring+the+Faith&cd=1#v=onepage&q.
  44. ^ Blumhofer, Edith L. (1993). Restoring the Faith: The Assemblies of God, Pentecostalism, and American Culture. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press. pp. 20–24. ISBN 978-0-252-06281-0. http://books.google.com/?id=tKuTIfCPeJwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Restoring+the+Faith&cd=1#v=onepage&q.
  45. ^ McGee, Gary B. (September 1999). ""Latter Rain" Falling in the East: Early-Twentieth-Century Pentecostalism in India and the Debate over Speaking in Tongues". Church History (Cambridge University Press) 68 (3): 648–65. doi:10.2307/3170042. http://jstor.org/stable/3170042. Retrieved 2009-01-20.
  46. ^ Blumhofer, Edith (1989). Pentecost in My Soul: Explorations in the Meaning of Pentecostal Experience in the Early Assemblies of God. Springfield,MO 65802-1894: Gospel Publishing House. p. 92. ISBN 0-88243-646-5.
  47. ^ "History of the Assemblies of God". Ag.org. http://ag.org/top/About/history.cfm. Retrieved 2009-11-12.
  48. ^ Blumhofer. The Assemblies of God: A Chapter in the Story of America Pentecostalism, Volume 1—To 1941. pp.97-112
  49. ^ "Weird Babble of Tongues", Los Angeles Daily Times: April 18, 1906.
  50. ^ Blumhofer, Edith L. Restoring the Faith: The Assemblies of God, pentecostalism, and American culture. The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 1993. 3–5.
  51. ^ Burgess. Encyclopedia of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity. 460.
  52. ^ Wacker, Grant. Heaven Below: Earlier Pentecostals and American Culture. Harvard University Press. 2001. 160–161.
  53. ^ a b Burgess. Encyclopedia of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity. 460.
  54. ^ Burgess. Dictionary. 893, 895.
  55. ^ Wacker. Heaven Below. 158–59.
  56. ^ Keller. Encyclopedia of Women and Religion. 395–96.
  57. ^ Keller. Encyclopedia of Women and Religion. 401.
  58. ^ Wacker. Heaven Below. 160.
  59. ^ Keller. Encyclopedia of Women and Religion. 394.
  60. ^ Blumhofer. Restoring the Faith. 173.
  61. ^ Paul Alexander. Peace to War: Shifting Allegiances in the Assemblies of God (Telford, PA: Cascadia, 2009). Jay Beaman, "Pentecostal Pacifism" (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2009)
  62. ^ Blumhofer. The Assemblies of God. Vol 1. pp.217-239
  63. ^ a b Patterson, Eric; Rybarczyk, Edmund (editors) (2007). The Future of Pentecostalism in the United States. New York: Lexington Books. pp. 159–160. ISBN 978-0-7391-2102-3.
  64. ^ Stanley M Burgess, Eduard M van der Maas (eds) The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002) s.v. "neocharismatics"
  65. ^ Dictionary, "Introduction", page xvii–xviii
  66. ^ Lewis, Meharry H. (2005). Mary Lena Lewis Tate VISION!. The New and Living Way Publishing Company. ISBN 0910003084. http://www.clgpgt.org/ORG/founder1.html. Retrieved 2008-01-29.
  67. ^ "The Church of the Living God". WikiChristian. 2008. http://www.wikichristian.org/index.php/Religious_Organizations:Church_Of_the_Living_God:Index. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
  68. ^ "Global Pentecostalism : Donald E. Miller and Tetsunao Yamamori". Ucpress.edu. http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/10061.php#copy. Retrieved 2009-11-12.

External links

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