An introduction to Pentecostalism: global charismatic Christianity

Pentecostal churches constitute the fastest growing group of churches in Christianity today, representing already a quarter of all Christians worldwide (1).Depending on the de nition, the global number of Pentecostal adherents may range from about 250 million to over 500 million (11 12).De ning Pentecostalism, however, is not an easy task.Theologian and historian Allan Anderson (13) opts for a very broad de nition: `I think that the term Pentecostal is appropriate for describing globally all churches and movements that emphasize the workings of the Spirit, both on phenomenological and on theological grounds.' Anderson (103 104) follows acknowledged experts on Pentecostalism, like the Swiss Walter Hollenweger and American Pentecostal Harvey Cox, who included African Initiated Churches (AICs) in the Pentecostal family.Including these `Independent' churches in Africa, Latin America, and Asia increases the supposed worldwide number of Pentecostal adherents to over 500 million.But I do wonder whether the classical Pentecostal churches, like the Assemblies of God, would feel comfortable being in the same category as the AICs (and vice versa!).2 The aim of the book is described on page xii as follows: `This study concentrates on the history and theology of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity and its origins, development and signi cance throughout the world.. . . The book discusses Pentecostalism in the different continents from its earliest origins and development to the present day, and the relationship between Pentecostals and Charismatics and their religious, political and social contexts.'On the same page (xii), Anderson writes: `I write as a sympathetic yet critical insider, having had my own `baptism in the Spirit' in 1968, and having spoken in tongues since that time.'The back cover describes the author as `a former Pentecostal minister.' 3 Importantly, the book shows that Pentecostal phenomena like speaking in tongues and prophesying were part and parcel of the early Christian Church (19ff).But already in the 2 nd century AD, the practice of spiritual gifts began to decline as the church institutionalized and gained political power.`The charismatic gifts came to be localized in the of ce of the bishop and in popular legends surrounding individual saints, martyrs and ascetics ' (19).This is a standard style textbook account along the lines of Max Weber: the routinization of charisma in church of ces.