Constructing Pentecostalism: On Issues Of Methodology And Representation

AbstractPentecostalism may be broadly or narrowly defined though, for practical purposes, a broad understanding is preferable. Questions about the origins of Pentecostalism have long been debated: did it spread out to the rest of the world from the USA or were its origins more diffuse? Historiographical problems occur in any account and a solution to these is to see Pentecostalism as a missionary movement, or at least deriving one of its roots from pre-existing missionary organisations and activities. After its establishment and the failure of early hopes, Pentecostalism re-thought itself and subsequent historical analysis needs to take account of the various categories of networks by which it is expressed; indeed it is the proposal of this paper that Pentecostalism may be defined by reference to the historical and contemporary networks to which its adherents belong. Indigenous Pentecostal churches (those not directly connected with western Pentecostal denominations) are not always free of western influence, and this makes the theological analysis complex.