Theological Roots of Pentecostalism

Pentecostalism has been with us now for three quarters of a century. But in spite of the scholarship of recent years, the origins and background of this movement are still unclear. This is in part due to the fact that most interpretations-whether historical, theological, psychological, or sociological-have focused on Pentecostalism's most distinctive feature, the practice of "speaking in tongues" or "glossolalia." This orientation not only obscures the fact that Pentecostalism asserts a distinctive gestalt of broader theological ideas, but makes difficult any effort to contextualize the movement-whether historically or theologically.