Pentecostalism: A Guide for the Perplexed

by Wolfgang Vondey

Publisher:

Bloomsbury

, 2013

Overview

Pentecostalism is the fastest growing religious movement of our time. The unexpected birth of the modern Pentecostal movement at the doorsteps of the twentieth century is as perplexing as its continuing existence and unprecedented expansion worldwide. Once marginalized from public discourse, Pentecostals have now entered into mainstream culture, religion, politics, academia, and social action. However, the unprecedented growth of Pentecostalism in all its diversity has led to characterizations ripe with platitudes, stereotypes, and misrepresentations.

This volume sheds light on the most persistent contrasts characterizing the Pentecostal movement: the tension between local manifestations and global Pentecostalism, the inconsistency between spiritual discernment and charismatic excess, the gap between rampant denominationalism and the pursuit of Christian unity, the disparity between poverty among many Pentecostals and the popularity of the prosperity gospel, the division between Oneness Pentecostals and their Trinitarian counterparts, and the worldview of Pentecostals beyond the confines of a religious movement. Those tensions form the essence of global Pentecostalism and represent the emergence of a global Christian world.

The Logos Bible Software edition of this volume streamlines and enhances your study. Scripture passages link directly to your English translations and original-language texts, and important theological concepts link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches by topic to find what other authors, scholars, and theologians have to say.

Key Features

• Discusses the history and theology of Pentecostalism
• Simplified explanation of technical concepts
• Syntheses of diverse theological perspectives from experts in the field

Contents

• Local Roots and Global Pluralism
• Holistic Spirituality and Charismatic Extremism
• Ecumenical Ethos and Denominationalism
• Orthodox Doctrine and Sectarianism
• Social Engagement and Triumphalism
• Egalitarian Practices and Institutionalism
• Scholarship and Anti-intellectualism

Top Highlights

“A third element of the global character of the Charismatic Movements is their intellectual and academic dimension. Whereas many classical Pentecostals traditionally emphasized faith and spirituality over intellectualism and education, espousing at times a radical anti-intellectualism, the charismatic movements embrace the educational elite and academia.” (Page 20)

“The most common distinction is between the so-called classical Pentecostals connected with the revival at the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles (1906–9), the members of the so-called Charismatic Movements in the established Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox churches that surfaced in North America during the 1960s, and so-called neocharismatic groups, ‘a catch-all category that comprises 18,810 independent, indigenous, postdenominational denominations and groups that cannot be classified as either Pentecostal or charismatic but share a common emphasis on the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, Pentecostal-like experiences (not Pentecostal terminology), signs and wonders, and power encounters’” (Pages 16–17)

“over 500 million Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians in the world today” (Page 9)

“Finally, the global temperament can be seen in the foundational position of classical Pentecostalism as a catalyst for changes in worship, liturgical practices, and particularly the kinesthetic and spiritual elements of the Christian life.⁴⁴ The array of ‘typical’ Pentecostal practices, among them dancing, jumping, waving, clapping, shouting, and swaying, express not merely the particular spirituality of a group but have come to represent a broadly accepted and replicated understanding of Christian worship in interaction with God and with one another. Classical Pentecostalism is global in terms of its charismatic, cross-social, multicultural, trans-ethnic, evangelistic, and missionary character.” (Pages 18–19)

Praise for the Print Edition

Vondey is a sure guide to the global phenomenon of Pentecostalism and its primary and scholarly resources, expertly sifting out the complexities of the many tongues of the movement and charting helpful frameworks to understanding and engaging with it. Beginner students and informed observers alike will benefit from this perspicacious study.

—Amos Yong, J. Rodman Williams Professor of Theology, Regent University

Product Details

• Title: Pentecostalism
• Author: Wolfgang Vondey
• Series: Guides for the Perplexed
• Publisher: Bloomsbury
• Print Publication Date: 2013
• Logos Release Date: 2014
• Pages: 176
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Pentecostalism
• ISBNs: 9780567627315, 0567627314
• Resource ID: LLS:PNTCSTLSM
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2022-09-30T02:16:53Z

About Wolfgang Vondey

Associate Professor of Systematic Theology, Regent University.