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The history of pentecostalism
Introduction of modern pentecostal
Azusa street revival research paper
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Introduction
Beginning in the early 1900s, the Pentecostal movement has expanded and grown into a worldwide phenomenon that spanned in many different countries and generated hundreds of different denominations. Indeed, Pentecostalism has grown so large that it is now almost impossible to tally the existing numbers of Pentecostal believers. Worldwide, it is estimated that the Pentecostals constitute the second largest group of Christians, following after the Catholics. As large and complex global Pentecostalism has become, the origin of this Christian movement remains as intricate. It is the scope of this paper to focus the discussion to the origin of North American Pentecostalism. This author’s contention is that Pentecostalism in America (if not worldwide) began and started with the Topeka, Kansas Outpouring/Azusa Street Revival, with deep roots in the late 1900s American Holiness movement.
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a unique phenomenon that has occurred in the latest progression of modern Christianity. Sometimes dubbed as “Holly Rollers,” Pentecostals are often times perceived as tongue babbling, uneducated people from the backwoods, who would fall down when they are prayed for. Nevertheless, it is hard to discount the formidable worldwide magnitude this phenomenon has developed into. Pentecostalism has out-grown past the status of a mere denomination into a global phenomenon, giving birth to hundreds of denominations out from the Pentecostal movement. The largest and arguably most influential Pentecostal denomination is the Assembly of God, with branches in many different countries in the world. Started in 1914, a few years after the start of Pentecostalism in America, the Assembly of God represents a four-fold Gos...
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...f hands almost outnumbered the accounts of people getting baptized in the Spirit.
Conclusion
As seen above, there are uncanny similarities in characteristics between the Azusa Street Revival and the Upper Room Experience in Acts 2. Just as the Lord Jesus said, the Upper Room Experience endued the disciples with power from on high, and they went out and did mighty exploits for God and His Kingdom. This is what we can consider the “original Pentecost.” With similar characteristics as the first Pentecostal experience in Acts 2, the Azusa Street Revival marked the beginning of what we now commonly refer to as the Pentecostal movement. Additionally, because of its strategic position within America’s early 20th century social and religious landscape, the revival qualifies as the single point of origin from which American (if not global) Pentecostalism radiated from.
forefront of time, never waning and never dying out. It has evolved overtime to include interesting ways of worship and faith basis. From the standard worship of God, or he who is all powerful, to the ideological notion that our bodies are occupied by alien spirits who were brought to earth long ago and killed off due to overpopulation of their planet, religion has definitely come a long way. One such interesting religious practice that I’d like to discuss, is the snake-handling Pentecostal Christians of the Appalachian Mountains. Furthermore, I will discuss the relevancy to the groups’ stereotype and attempt to showcase how it’s virtually nonexistent in today’s society as it used to be by comparing and contrasting Mary Lee Daugherty’s piece
Johnson, through the revival, shows a growing Protestant influence within Rochester, New York. Charles Finney came, Bible in hand, proclaiming that the Millennium was in reach, but only through the efforts of the willing: this was a revival for social ch...
Anthony F.C. Wallace’s definition, “belief and ritual concerned with supernatural powers and forces,” can be seen in this religions praying for healing, not actual medical help, but requesting supernatural or divine intervention. Emile Durkheim’s definition, “religious effervescence, the collective emotional intensity of worship,” this aligns with their intense prayers, when they are overcome with the Holy Spirit, and have involuntary movements, this is certainly an intense emotion and reaction. This could also be applied to their speaking in tongues, or “glossolalia,” which we also saw many people do. Victor Turner’s understanding, “communities, or the feeling of intense social solidarity, equality and togetherness,” even though this church eventually split in different racial divides, in the beginning it was described as a place for everyone, of all races, very egalitarian and women held positions of power, this demonstrates the social solidarity, equality and togetherness Turner
Robert Laurence Moore has written a delightful, enlightening, and provocative survey of American church history centered around the theme of "mixing" the "sacred" with the "secular" and vice versa. The major points of conversation covered include the polarization caused by the public display of religious symbols, the important contribution that women and Africans have made to the American religious mosaic, the harmony and friction that has existed between science and religion, the impact of immigration on religious pluralism, and the twin push toward the union and separation of religion and politics.
Heaton, Allan. An Introduction to Pentecostalism: Global Charismatic Christianity. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Print.
This mass enterprise is reviewed through five traditions in the early nineteenth century: the Christian movement, the Methodists, the Baptists, the black churches, and the Mormons. Hatch explains that these major American movements were led by young men who shared “an ethic of unrelenting toil, a passion for expansion, a hostility to orthodox belief and style, a zeal for religious reconstruction, and a systematic plan to realize their ideals” (4). These leaders changed the scope of American Christianity by orientating toward democratic or populist ideals. Their movements offered both individual potential and collective aspiration, which were ideas ready to be grasped by the young and booming population. These early leaders had a vision of a faith that disregarded social standing, and taught all to think, interpret, and organize their faith for themselves. It was a faith of “religious populism, reflecting the passions of ordinary people and the charisma of democratic movement-builders” (5).
Gaustad, Edwin S. The Religious History of America: The Heart of the American Story from Colonial Times to Today. N.p.: HarperOne, 2004. Print.
Protestantism and Pentecostalism has risen to 15% of the population. Their members are mostly poor or part of the working class. Their ministers are from the same social class as its members, unlike catholicism where most priests come from the elites of the neighborhood. The rise of evangelicals has surprised the region and has grown exponentially.
In the first chapter of Nathan Hatch’s book, The Democratization of American Christianity, he immediately states his central theme: democratization is central to understanding the development of American Christianity. In proving the significance of his thesis, he examines five distinct traditions of Christianity that developed in the nineteenth century: the Christian movement, Methodists, Baptists, Mormons and black churches. Despite these groups having diverse structural organization and theological demeanor, they all shared the commonality of the primacy of the individual conscience.
The purpose of this research was to draw a conclusion as to the validity and significance of the Eucharist by examining the purpose ascribed to it in the Early Church. Unfortunately, the conclusion that was drawn was not as conclusive as was hoped. The conclusion that is drawn, it that the Eucharist is what one makes it. If there is a deep spiritual meaning in it for one church, and there is a deep sense of importance that is communicated in a meaningful and inspirational way, then that church will place its importance higher than most. But unfortunately in the Pentecostal Church specifically, it is an afterthought connected to the traditions of liturgy that hold little more meaning than foot washings or circumcision.
The Yoruba people, who were brought over from Nigeria as slaves, came to the Caribbean in the 1500’s with their own religion, which was seen as unfit by the white slave owners. Most plantation owners in the Caribbean were members of the Roman Catholic Church, so they forced their slaves to disregard their native religions and become Catholic. Soon, the slaves realized that they could still practice their West African religion as long as it was disguised as Catholicism, and Santería was born. Now it’s practiced in the United States, Cuba, the Caribbean, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Great Britain, Canada, Venezuela, and Panama.
Christianity’s role in America has rapidly changed over the last decades. Although it is still the most popular religion in the country its power over the people has decreased significantly. However, there are still many misconceptions towards American Christianity and in order to understand the unique nature of this religiously diverse country; one must understand its history and its citizens own views on the matter.
Lynn Malone, is currently the senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Monroe, Louisiana. On June 13, 2008, Malone gave a homily that entailed a very key component of the Christian faith, the church. In this homily, the main concept of the homily is the church as being one whole entity. Throughout the homily, numerous examples are given that exemplify this concept. I will be discussing two themes more in depth throughout this paper, the Christian Church as one entity, and the universality of Christianity and Christ’s teachings.
The history of Pentecostalism is widely disputed amongst historians; some believe that Pentecostalism began with Jesus’ disciple’s baptism in the Holy Spirit at the first Pentecost, while other historians argue that the religion itself dates as recent as the early ninety’s. In the historiographical essay, “Assessing the Roots of Pentecostalism,” Randall J. Stephens claims that the Pentecostal movement started in 1901 and the famous 1906 Los Angeles revival on Azusa Street helped the religion grow to currently contain approximately 420 million followers. The followers, being mostly lower and middle-class groups who were “multi-ethnic and often challenged racial norms” (Wilma Wells Davies 2), of the revival were unhappy...
William McLaughlin notes in his book Revivals, Awakenings and Reform that there have been several “Awakenings” in American religious history ,and that not all of these moments of renewal resembled the fiery preaching frenzies of the famed eighteenth century. Each “Awakening” had at its core a specific issue it was addressing. The issues in question could be spiritual declension (first Great Awakening), national back-sliding (second Great Awakening), biblical interpretation and liberalism (third Great Awakening), or American identity and progressivism (fourth Great Awakening). Thus, it is perhaps my own limitations that bristle at the idea of preaching the n...