Reflections on the Potential of Gender Theory for North American Pentecostal History

Abstract

In this article we show how gender is a useful category of analysis for students of North American pentecostal history. First, we provide a working definition of the term gender (a term with a plethora of meanings!). Then we cite a few examples from current scholarship that demonstrate how gender as a theoretical construct illuminates certain aspects of the North American movement. Finally, we reflect on the potential benefit of using gender to recount a variety of pentecostal histories, both North American and beyond.