Global Pentecostalism and Revival

Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity, emphasizing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, has become one of the fastest-growing religious movements in the world and a major force in global Christianity.

Definition

The study of Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity and related revival movements as a global religious phenomenon.

Scope

This topic surveys the origins of Pentecostalism in early twentieth-century revivalism, its core emphases on spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues and healing, its explosive growth in the global South, and its social and economic dimensions. It also covers broader patterns of religious revival. The treatment is historical and sociological, describing the movement and scholarship about it without endorsing its claims.

Core questions

• How did Pentecostalism originate and spread so rapidly?
• What religious emphases define Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity?
• Why has it grown most dramatically in the global South?
• What are its social, economic, and political effects?

Key theories

Experiential spirituality and growth

Harvey Cox's argument that Pentecostalism's appeal lies in its recovery of primal, experiential religiosity—ecstatic worship, healing, and direct experience of the Spirit—in a disenchanting modern world.

Globalization and indigenization

Joel Robbins's analysis of how Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity spreads globally while being adapted to local cultures, combining a portable form with strong local rootedness.

History

Pentecostalism emerged from holiness and revival movements in the early twentieth century, notably the Azusa Street revival of 1906, spread through missions and indigenous initiative, and grew explosively in the later twentieth century, especially in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, reshaping the global demographics of Christianity.

Debates

Explaining Pentecostal growth

Scholars debate the relative importance of experiential worship, social support, economic aspiration (including prosperity teaching), and adaptability in accounting for the movement's rapid expansion.

Key figures

• Allan Anderson
• Harvey Cox
• Joel Robbins

Seminal works

• anderson2004
• cox1995
• robbins2004

Frequently asked questions

What is speaking in tongues?

Known as glossolalia, it is a practice in which worshippers speak in what is understood as a spiritual language, regarded in Pentecostal Christianity as a gift of the Holy Spirit.

Where is Pentecostalism growing fastest?

Its most dramatic growth in recent decades has been in the global South, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia.