A brief survey of the Pentecostal tradition through a postcolonial optic

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ABSTRACT The earliest expressions of Pentecostalism, emerging spontaneously around the world at the beginning of the 20th century, are contested due to the outsized influence of the Azusa Street Revival alongside missionary work which erased indigenous-born expressions of the Spirit. Pentecostal distinctives work to emphasise radical equality and challenge societal understandings of gender, race, and age; the Spirit advocates decolonial activity and subverts imperialism. As Pentecostal expressions develop into larger movements, however, entrenched cultural imperatives reassert themselves in the guise of pragmatic considerations, forcing a divide between theology and praxis. The need for rapid responses to the surrounding culture and the imperative for continuous growth often results in a consolidation of power in an individual, reversing the decolonising work of the Spirit to advance the interests of the powerful. Despite this, hope remains as Pentecostal theologians reclaim the decolonial impulses of the movement and advocate for a return to original principles.