preview

Pentecostalism Research Paper

Decent Essays

The second major movement occurred during the neo-charismatic renewal of the 1960s. Pentecostalism began to gain acceptance and respect in the white-middle class in part to a change in attitude of social mobility, greater disposable income and suburbanization due to the economic boom following World War II. Alister McGrath attributes the specific event to an even in Van Nuys, California in 1960. McGrath writes:
The rector of the local Episcopalian church, Dennis Bennett, told his congregation that he had been filed with the Holy Spirit and spoken in tongues. Reaction varied from bewilderment to outrage; the local Episcopalian bishop promptly banned speaking in tongues from his churches. However, it soon became clear that others in the mainline …show more content…

This theology and the growth of the movement, especially in the Assemblies of God denomination, threatened the status quo as evidenced by the response of the heart of evangelical leadership. The Pentecostal and charismatic movement’s impact on the landscape of Christian spirituality today is undeniable. Prior to the advent of Pentecostalism, there had largely been a loss of interest in power of the Holy Spirit. So much so, that American holiness followers believed that they had been called to re-Christianize the Church. It is not surprising then that Pentecostalism, raising out of the holiness movement, rekindled interest in spiritual gifts associated with the Holy Spirit. As Mark Knoll aptly suggests:
If turning points could be identified in the history of Christian spirituality, renewed appreciation for the person and work of the Holy Spirit would certainly qualify as such a turning point in the recent past. Pentecostal and charismatic movements have led the way in this recovery, but fresh attention to the Spirit’s quickening, sustaining, guiding, convicting, and nurturing work now appears prominently in almost all Christian

Get Access