Pentecostal-charismatic Movement Research Articles

A Theological Framework Approach with Gentle Mentoring to Effectiveness Re-Evangelizing Pentecostal-Charismatic Congregations

The Pentecostal charismatic movement is growing very fast around the world in quantity. Christian doctrine has little meaning, so spiritual and social behavior becomes distorted according to personal feelings and lifestyles, becoming selfish or individualist. This study aims to show that re-evangelizing charismatic Pentecostals using a gentle attitude is very important so that the big picture of Christian theology can be conveyed and well accepted by them so that the understanding of doctrine and attitude of worship becomes correct. It used a descriptive quantitative approach with a sample of 258 respondents by conducting multiple linear regressions . The study used a quantitative approach with a sample of 258 respondents. The R square value derived from the Influence of Bible understanding and knowledge of the person of Jesus Christ on church behaviour was 52%; other influences were absent in this study. The F table value is 141,377 with a significance value of 0.000 or < 0.5%, indicating that there is a simultaneous influence between the variables of Bible understanding and knowledge of the person of Jesus Christ on the congregation's behaviour is significant. The t value obtained was 8,195 for the Bible understanding of church behaviour variable with a significance of 0.000 or <0.5%, meaning there is a significant partial influence. The t-table value for the variable understanding of the person of Jesus Christ is 12,057 with a significance of 0.000 or <0.5%, meaning there is a significant partial influence. Gentle personal re-evangelism presents the big picture of God's redemptive narrative.

Is the Spiritual Man Pentecostal? Watchman Nee’s Perspective on the Charismatic Experiences

Watchman Nee (Ni Tuosheng, 1903–1972), one of the most prominent theologians in Republican China (1911–1949), developed a “spiritual theology” that is concentrated on the work of the Holy Spirit. This theological perspective shares parallels with Pentecostal-Charismatic theology. This paper examines Nee’s attitude toward Pentecostalism and the charismatic experience. First, based on his teaching of the three-stage work of the Holy Spirit, Nee argued that the inner guidance of the Holy Spirit was more important than any external manifestation and that the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” in the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement was not a personal experience that Christians should pursue. Second, in terms of subjective experience, Nee’s trichotomous view of human nature as consisting of spirit, soul, and body suggested that many charismatic experiences originate in the soul and need to be overcome. Third, concerning the spiritual world, Nee regarded as the work of evil spirits those charismatic experiences that occur in irrational and unconscious situations. Nee’s negative stance towards Pentecostalism and the charismatic experience serves as a means of distinguishing his spiritual theology from Pentecostalist-Charismatic movements. Both Nee’s theology and his church practices reveal a strong elitist element, in stark contrast to Pentecostalism.

Shifting Centres of Christian Vitality

Abstract This article highlights for African Pentecostal Christianity some implications of the current shift in the centre of Christian vitality to the south, as well as the rapid growth of Pentecostalism. Through a qualitative analysis of the activities of the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement in Africa, the article explores the implications of the two phenomena for Pentecostal-Charismatic theological education in Africa as well as African Pentecostal-Charismatic leadership. The article concludes by inviting both scholars and practitioners of Pentecostal-Charismatic mission in Africa to take advantage of the opportunities and at the same time confront the challenges facing Pentecostal mission on the continent.

Metacostalism

Abstract This article will explore Carlton Pearson’s Metacostalism as an example of the continuing problem of Pentecostal heterodoxy within the Pentecostal-Charismatic Movement. These theological currents, which are often found at the margins, represent a unique growing subset of Pentecostal believers that do not fit regular Evangelical orthodoxy. In considering the future of Pentecostal theology, this article will suggest that Pentecostal heterodoxy will only grow as conventional Evangelical orthodoxy continues to face sharp criticism and deconstruction. It will suggest that Pearson’s Pentecostal heterodoxy is an example of the type of conversations that will inform the future of Pentecostal thought.

‘The memory of persecution is in our blood’: documenting loyalties, identities and motivations to political action in the Ugandan Pentecostal Movement

AbstractMuch attention has been paid to the growth of Pentecostal-charismatic Christianity in Uganda and the way it has shifted over the past decades from being a minority religion to influencing and shaping the Ugandan public and political spheres. Most of the literature, however, associates the Pentecostal-charismatic dynamic public action with its motivation to promote conservative Christian values, especially around issues of sexuality, HIV/AIDS, reproduction and family values. This article extends this literature by providing a fuller explanation for the reasons behind its public transformation and its relation to power, in particular its loyalty to and support for President Museveni. Drawing on participant observation and interviews conducted over several years, this article argues that along with theological and moral explanations, it is important to understand how local and contextual dynamics interplay. Indeed, the uncertainties and memories of the difficult origins of the Pentecostal-charismatic movement and the lack of legal recognition as fully registered churches, still impact on the present and motivate them to be catalytic socio-political actors in need of forging strong connections with centres of power in Museveni's Uganda.

‘Thou shalt not worship idols’

Classic ethnographic studies focusing on traditional chieftaincy in Ghana, West Africa, have revolved around issues such as succession rules, installation rituals, or competition for positions of power. However, becoming and being a chief in a predominantly Christian society, like present-day Ghana, has raised new kinds of concerns. Many churches, particularly those that belong to the Pentecostal-charismatic movement, reject traditional ritual life aimed at ancestors and other kinds of spirits as immoral. Since chiefs are fundamentally ritual leaders, who perform sacrifices on behalf of their communities, chieftaincy has assumed an increasingly negative character in Pentecostal discourses. In them chieftaincy is often equated with ‘idol worship’ and thus in direct conflict with the Ten Commandments. Ethical rules of ‘world religions’, such as the Ten Commandments, transcend particularity and their strength is based on an impression that they are applicable everywhere. As pointed out by Webb Keane, this requires mediation work that makes the rules transportable and gives them a potential to be re-contextualized in different places. The article looks at how different interpretations of religious rules are used by Ghanaian Christians and chiefs when debating the in/compatibility of traditional chieftaincy with Christianity. These debates are understood as a part of a process of historical and cultural recontextualization, that is, determining what the commandments mean in the particular time and place that they inhabit.

The Spirituality of Jesus for the Unchurched and the Unaffiliated: A Pentecostal-Charismatic Perspective

This article calls for an examination of the spirituality of Jesus in light of the unique historical and theological distinctives of the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement. Although the topic of spirituality is wide and deep, this study will approach it as personally transformative Christian experiences and practices that enrich one’s life and the lives of others. By drawing from the research of statisticians and social scientists, I will discuss notable ways in which the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement has the potential to make the spirituality of Jesus accessible to the unchurched and the unaffiliated (nones) in the United States. The results of my research reveal that, although such persons do not regularly attend church, they are, in part, open to religious experiences and desire a deeper spirituality. A such, this paper shows that the experience-based, supernaturally empowered, every-member-is-a-minister nature of the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement may indeed appeal to and meet the needs of certain unchurched and the unaffiliated persons. Furthermore, this paper will conclude by presenting suggestions for reform that may enhance this movement’s ability to reach the unchurched and unaffiliated in days to come. In the final analysis, this paper provides a historical foundation and theoretical framework from which Pentecostal-Charismatic influences upon such groups can be further assessed.

Independence Day in a would-be Christian nation

When the West African nation of Ghana attained its independence from colonial rule in 1957, its traditional culture was to be promoted in all sectors of public life. Similarly, what was construed as Ghanaian traditional religion was to be treated equally with Christianity and Islam. The ritual offering of libations to ancestral spirits and deities was considered the Ghanaian equivalent to Christian and Muslim prayers, and it has been performed side by side with them in all sorts of national events. Later on, the libation ritual became a symbol of both Ghana’s religious diversity and its national culture, transcending religious divisions. Many Christian groups, especially from the Pentecostal-charismatic movement, have refused to accept the public status of the libation ritual in view of its alleged immoral ‘pagan’ associations. When the pouring of libations was removed from the Independence Day ceremonies held at the state capital in 2011, the public debate soon turned to the relationship between the government and Pentecostal churches, and accusations of religious intolerance were levelled. This article discusses how the arguments about the status of the ritual boil down to differences in semiotic ideology and notions about proper agency – namely, how forms of agency pertaining to words, objects, persons and spiritual beings involved in the ritual are understood differently by the disputants.

The Third Pentecostal Phenomenon in Indonesia

Abstract This article examines the Holy Spirit’s outpouring phenomenon in Indonesia, named as the ‘third Pentecost’ by Indonesian Pastor Niko Njotorahardjo from Gereja Bethel Church. Njotorahardjo suggests that the first Pentecost was reported in Acts 2, the second Pentecost occurred at the Azusa Street revival, and the third Pentecost is being poured out now. This research uses discourse analysis to study discourse collected from literature, sermons, conferences, and media recordings. While the analysis of the data used in this research is descriptive, this article is expected to provide constructive input to the global church in general and to the Pentecostal–Charismatic movement in particular.

Faith, Fortune and the Future: Christianity and Enterprise in Human Development

Insufficient attention has been paid to the interface between religion, business and development, allowing assumptions and stereotypes to abound. This paper takes a broadly conceptual and sociological approach to the development potential of the Evangelical Pentecostal Charismatic Movement (EPCM). Taking their cue from Weber, three questions are addressed, and three corresponding suggestions are made that are important to understanding this potential. Using the notion of ‘calling’ as an example, the first suggestion is that the cognitive, behavioural and social characteristics of the EPCM that are significant for development relate closely to personal and corporate purpose. Secondly, in contrast to what Weberian and secular perspectives tend to assume, the EPCM and its associated virtues will not necessarily decline as economies grow. Thirdly, while alternatives (such as Confucianism) are possible, the EPCM demonstrates considerable potential in terms of practical development impact. None of this challenges existing evidence that the movement is influenced by the ‘prosperity gospel’; by world-denying pietism and supernaturalism; and by socio-economic factors often described as ‘neo-liberal’—influences that have received much scholarly attention. It does indicate, however, that a more nuanced understanding of the movement and of its causal relationships is needed, given the complexity of the religion–business–development nexus.

Prophets making gendered interventions: a feminist discourse analysis of gendered online miracles, advice, advertisements, and testimonies

ABSTRACT The global Pentecostal-charismatic movement is pervaded by freestanding, entrepreneurial, initiatives set up by individuals of diverse credentials and convictions who peddle miracles and advice as “goods”. Many also use self-promoting or income-generating efforts that in some cases can be crassly exploitative. This article examines 40 posts on two websites set up by self-styled “prophets” in the “prosperity”, healing, and deliverance segment of the movement. The prophets proffer healing remedies and advises for a variety of ailments or physical needs mainly related to family, marriage, and infertility. The two websites under study offer readers solutions to marriages, sexual inadequacy, and infertility. Using feminist critical discourse analysis (FCDA), the article unpacks how the advice offered on their advertisements reinforce dominant beliefs around “normal” womanhood. The content of the adverts, testimonials and advice contain purvey gendered norms that reinforce patriarchy, emphasize heterosexuality, reify virginity, and endorse procreation in ways that regulate female bodies.

Future of North American Pentecostalism

Abstract This essay proposes first to chart the future of the pentecostal-charismatic movement in North America in terms of demographers’ projection of the movement’s numerical growth and other factors. Demographic growth is related to the continual arrival, in the near future, of pentecostal-charismatic Christians, other Christians, and potential converts to North America by way of diasporas mostly associated with the Global South. Second, within North America, these diasporas will continue to form transnational pentecostal-charismatic denominations with their international headquarters located in a country of the Global South. Related to these diasporas will be the further development of multiracial denominations led by American and Canadian citizens in North America. Third, the presence of transnational and multiracial denominations could prompt a reconfiguration of the movement, reshaping the religious infrastructure, racial politics, and post-secular engagement of the pentecostal-charismatic movement in North America. These demographic shifts offer the movement an opportunity to re-engage racial politics away from White supremacy with a critical use of the Racial Reconciliation Manifesto of the 1990s. Such a re-engagement could offer a sector within the pentecostal-charismatic movement a way to exit its alliance with the Christian Right, to participate with pentecostal-charismatic Christians of color in reconstituting the movement on the basis of the gospel rather than race, and to partner with secularists in generating post-secular sensibilities animated by post-racist practices that cultivate amicable civic relationships.

Envisioning an alternative: a Pentecostal Charismatic movement and everyday life in postcolonial Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT The fragility of the postcolonial Zimbabwean state and concomitant failed governance has opened crevices through which alternative forms of self-organising and social formation are emerging. In the face of state-inspired uncertainties One God Ministry (OGM) members have organised themselves along religious lines to strengthen their livelihoods and wellbeing. This article draws on the findings of an ethnographic study of members of an anonymised Pentecostal Charismatic Christian movement (PCC) that self-organised to push for the attainment of economic democracy through provision of decent housing and income-generating activities for its members. It argues that OGM is filling the void left by the weakening postcolonial state. The Pentecostal movement’s success is derived from its ability to proffer pragmatic solutions to structural challenges that members face. Furthermore, OGM builds its solutions around diversity in membership, transnational relations, and followers’ hopes and aspirations.

The gospel of prosperity and its concept of development: A Ghanaian Pentecostal-Charismatic experience

ABSTRACT The prosperity gospel, a doctrine in the global Pentecostal-Charismatic movement, characteristically demonstrates the nexus of the Christian faith and wealth. This article analyses Mensa Otabil, a Ghanaian prosperity preacher’s ‘20-year personal development plan’ for members of his church, the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC). It explores whether or not, why and how the members are aligning their lives and visions to his vision of how to achieve a better, prosperous community. Using ethnographic data obtained from selected members of the ICGC, this article investigates the idea and the implementation of the development plan, in order to understand the plan as Otabil’s conscious effort to change society through the transformation of individuals. It argues that Otabil’s efforts can be analysed as a form of religious engineering, where, the individual members are invited to act as engineers of their own life and subjectivity.

Liturgical Inculturation in Urban Aboriginal Pentecostalism

Many scholars today see the Pentecostal–charismatic movement as moving in waves, thus adhering to Alan Anderson’s definition of “Pentecostalism(s)” as “churches with a family resemblance that empha...

Pentecostalisation of Mainline Churches in Africa: The Case Of The United Church of Zambia

The spread of Pentecostal-charismatic churches is changing the Christian landscape in Africa. In the process mainline churches, including the Roman Catholic Church, are getting transformed. The present article considers the impact of the Pentecostal-charismatic movement on one African mainline church, namely the United Church of Zambia (UCZ). Based on relevant research and using social change theory as an analytical tool, the article concludes that the Pentecostal-charismatic movement in Africa is challenging mainline churches to redefine ways in which they do mission and respond to people’s spiritual, physical, social, and economic needs.

The Rise of Religion and the Future of Capitalism

The rise of religion and the rise of capitalism are currently occurring in roughly the same geographical regions (Latin America, Asia, and Africa). Although both religion and capitalism are often ignored, or are regarded negatively, within development circles, this article reflects on their potential for human wellbeing when they convergence. Its focus is on the socio-economic significance of what the author calls the Evangelical Pentecostal Charismatic Movement (EPCM), which accounts for most of the growth of Christianity, the world’s largest religion. He argues that the movement’s stimulation of selfempowerment (especially of women), church-based social outreach, and the encouragement of trust are of particular significance. They provide ample grounds, he contends, for revisiting the question Max Weber is famous for having posed about the link between religious belief and economic behaviour. They also help overcome victimhood mentalities and promote good stewardship, accountability and integrity. The EPCM thereby acts as a progressive force that, in serving the common good, stands to make a positive contribution to the future of capitalism.

The Three Waves of Spiritual Renewal of the Pentecostal-Charismatic Movement

Abstract The study focuses on the historical dogmatical analysis of the three waves of spiritual renewal which started in the early twentieth century and affected most Christian denominations by focusing on the manifestation of the spiritual gifts. The author will identify the major historical dogmatical influences of the Pentecostal-Charismatic movement, the characteristics and the leaders of the movement, as well as the directions of development on the personal and on the community level.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones’s Influence on Pentecostalism and Neo-Pentecostalism in the UK

Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981), by common consent one of the foremost preachers of the 20th century, led evangelical opinion in the UK in the post-war years. His relationship with the Pentecostal-charismatic movement is a matter of debate since anti-charismatic opinion prefers to see in him purely as a representative of traditional Reformed theology. This article argues that his relationship with experiential Christianity led him to accept a position on the work of the Holy Spirit that was close to that of classical Pentecostalism.

Process-Relational Theology, Pentecostalism, and Postmodernism: Opportunities for Socio-Religious Transformation

Abstract This article is a critical exploration of compatibilities between Pentecostal-Charismatic theology and Process-Relational theology. The purpose of the investigation is to identify similarities that provide sufficient ground for mutual dialogue and transformation between the two traditions. Postmodernism is identified as a context in which such dialogue can occur, insofar as both the Pentecostal-Charismatic movements and Process-Relational theology are understood as reactions to modernism. The theological theme of "concursus," the way in which God and humanity interact, is briefly explored as a point of contact. Several social and ecclesial implications of mutual transformation are identified. Ecclesial implications of mutual transformation include a renewal of Process-Relational spirituality, an intellectualization of Pentecostal-Charismatic experience, ecumenical dialogue between evangelical and mainline denominations, and tempered operation of the charismata for Pentecostals. Social implications of mutual transformation include the possibility for positive social change, concern for healing and justice, and an increased cosmic concern. Ultimately, inasmuch as Pentecostalism is identified as an "experience in search of a theology," Process-Relational theism is identified as a "theology in search of an experience." Through dialogue and engagement, both the Pentecostal-Charismatic and Process-Relational traditions may gain a stronger and more holistic sense of humanity, God, and reality.