24 - Pentecostalism

Summary

There are three broad types of Pentecostalism: first, Classical Pentecostalism, which emerged from the overflow of the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles (1906-1909) and led to the founding of denominations like the Assemblies of God, the Church of God, and the Church of God in Christ; second, the Charismatic Movement, which arose in the early 1960s and took shape within long-established Christian traditions, both Catholic and Protestant; and third, Neo-Pentecostalism or the Neo-Charismatic Movement, which constitutes the post-denominational and largely indigenous “Third Wave” of renewal. Pentecostals coalesce around a focus on Jesus; a flow of praise; a thirst for the Scriptures; an expectation of God’s present-day speaking and acting; an urgency in mission; an awareness of the powers of evil; the use of charismatic gifts, including tongues, healing, and prophecy; a fervent expectation of the Parousia; and a commitment to the renewal of the churches through the life-giving power of the Spirit.