One hundred years after the Azusa Street Revival stunned Los Angeles and changed Western Christianity, Pentecostalism has become the fastest growing religious movement in the world. However, many Pentecostal denominations in the United States are in a slow decline. Will Pentecostalism survive in North America in the twenty-first century? If so, what forms will it take? The Future of Pentecostalism in the United States brings together leading scholars of charismatic and Pentecostal Christianity to discuss and forecast these issues. The book looks at American Pentecostalism from a variety of disciplinary perspectives including sociology, theology, history, and the arts. The book also considers various traditions and sub-movements within U.S. Pentecostalism, such as African American Pentecostal and charismatic Latino churches, urban postmodern charismatic congregations, and the role of Pentecostal institutions of higher education.

Pentecostalism is one of the most significant modern movements in global Christianity today. A mixture of ecstatic expression and earnest piety, metaphysical nuance and embodied spirituality, it is far more than the stereotype of a supernatural sideshow. In this presumably secular era, Pentecostalism continues to grow, adapting to a diverse religious marketplace and becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. Originally an American phenomenon, it is now a globe-spanning religion. In this book, Arlene M. Sánchez Walsh provides a thematic overview of Pentecostalism in America, covering Pentecostal faith and practices, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, trends and offshoots, and the future of American Pentecostalism. She also considers Pentecostalism’s spiritual lineages, examining colorful leaders, ordinary adherents, and prominent outliers, as well as its deep roots in American popular culture. She examines Pentecostalism as a narrative performance, aiming to explain what Pentecostalism is through the experiences and stories of its adherents. Sánchez Walsh treats this Christian movement with the critical eye it has often lacked, and places it in context within the larger narrative of American religious history. An indispensable introduction to Pentecostalism, rich with insights for experienced readers, Pentecostals in America is an essential study of a vibrant religious movement.

They also reveal the potential these movements hold for transforming unjust economic, social, and political structures and discuss what the church at large might learn from the Pentecostal experience." "Unique for its interdisciplinary approach to Pentecostal movements, this volume is important not only as a study of a significant religious phenomenon but also as a resource for reflection on Christian social responsibility in today's world."--BOOK JACKET.

The explosive growth of Pentecostalism has radically transformed Latin America’s religious landscape within the last half century or so. In a region where Catholicism reigned hegemonic for centuries, the expansion of Pentecostalism has now resulted in a situation of religious pluralism and competition, bearing much more resemblance to the United States than to the Iberian motherlands. Furthermore, the fierce competition from Pentecostal churches has inspired significant renewals of Latin American Catholicism, most notably the growth of a Catholic Charismatic movement. However, another and more recent source of religious pluralism and diversity in Latin America is an increasing pluralization and diversification of Pentecostalism itself and of the ways in which individual Pentecostals exercise their faith. By carefully exploring this diversification, the book at hand breaks new ground in the literature on Latin American Christianity. Particular attention is focused on new ways of being Pentecostal and on the consequences of recent transformations of Christianity for individuals, faith communities and societies. More specifically, the chapters of the book look into certain transformations of Pentecostalism such as: theological renewals and new kinds of religious competition between Pentecostal churches; a growing political and civic engagement of Pentecostals; an observed de-institutionalization of Pentecostal religious life and the negotiation individual Pentecostal identities, composed of multiple intra- and extra-ecclesial points of identification; and the emergence of new generations of Pentecostals (children of Pentecostal parents), many of whom have higher levels of education and higher incomes than the previous generations within their churches. In addition, Catholic responses to Pentecostal competition are also addressed in several chapters of the book.

In 2006, the contemporary American Pentecostal movement celebrated its 100th birthday. Over that time, its African American sector has been markedly influential, not only vis-à-vis other branches of Pentecostalism but also throughout the Christian church. Black Christians have been integrally involved in every aspect of the Pentecostal movement since its inception and have made significant contributions to its founding as well as the evolution of Pentecostal/charismatic styles of worship, preaching, music, engagement of social issues, and theology. Yet despite its being one of the fastest growing segments of the Black Church, Afro-Pentecostalism has not received the kind of critical attention it deserves. Afro-Pentecostalism brings together fourteen interdisciplinary scholars to examine different facets of the movement, including its early history, issues of gender, relations with other black denominations, intersections with popular culture, and missionary activities, as well as the movement’s distinctive theology. Bolstered by editorial introductions to each section, the chapters reflect on the state of the movement, chart its trajectories, discuss pertinent issues, and anticipate future developments. Contributors: Estrelda Y. Alexander, Valerie C. Cooper, David D. Daniels III, Louis B. Gallien, Jr., Clarence E. Hardy III, Dale T. Irvin, Ogbu U. Kalu, Leonard Lovett, Cecil M. Robeck, Jr., Cheryl J. Sanders, Craig Scandrett-Leatherman, William C. Turner, Jr., Frederick L. Ware, and Amos Yong

This state-of-the-field overview of Pentecostalism around the world focuses on cultural developments among second- and third-generation adherents in regions with large Pentecostal communities, considering the impact of these developments on political participation, citizenship, gender relations, and economic morality. Leading scholars from anthropology, sociology, religious studies, and history present useful introductions to global issues and country-specific studies drawn from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the former USSR.

"Seeks to provide a history of the Latino AG [Assemblies of God] that can also serve as a case study and window into the larger Latino Pentecostal, Evangelical, and Protestant movements along with the changing flow of North American religious history." (page 2).

How and why is Christianity's center of gravity shifting to the developing world? To understand this rapidly growing phenomenon, Donald E. Miller and Tetsunao Yamamori spent four years traveling the globe conducting extensive on-the-ground research in twenty different countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. The result is this vividly detailed book which provides the most comprehensive information available on Pentecostalism, the fastest-growing religion in the world. Rich with scenes from everyday life, the book dispel many stereotypes about this religion as they build a wide-ranging, nuanced portrait of a major new social movement.

In many ways, the story of the Pentecostal movement in Europe reads like the biblical book of Acts. Just as the early disciples were led by the Holy Spirit to carry the message of the Gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, so also the 20th-century Pentecostals were compelled by the Spirit to leave their homelands and share the Full Gospel with all of Europe. After his introduction to the early beginning and expansion of the Pentecostal movement, Paul Schmidgall tells the story of Pentecostalism in Europe. Moving country-by-country through Europe, he describes the theological soil from which the roots of Pentecost emerged; he recounts the lives and ministries of Pentecostal founders and leaders; and he unfolds the social, political, and theological trends that influenced Pentecostalism's development. Schmidgall's narrative reveals a variety of theological emphases and ecclesiastical commitments that persist in Pentecostalism throughout Europe. The story concludes with Schmidgall's vision of the future of Pentecostalism in Europe, in which he affirms the value of Pentecostal theology and practice for postmodern humanity. Extensive bibliographies and up-to-date statistics add to the value of this work as an introduction to Pentecostalism in Europe.

Early Pentecostalism emerged from the nineteenth-century holiness movement, and holiness (both in theology and practice) has been a significant, if at times contentious, feature of the Pentecostal movement throughout its brief history. This book is an attempt to stimulate conversation regarding fresh Pentecostal approaches to the theology of holiness. Twenty Pentecostal scholars identify both opportunities and challenges for the future of holiness in Pentecostalism from the perspectives of the various academic disciplines. The Contents are as follows: Introduction-Lee Roy Martin; 1. Wilderness: Holy Yahweh's Innate Habitat?-Narelle Melton; 2. The Acknowledgement of Holy Ground as Prerequisite to Israel's Advancement Under the Leadership of Joshua (Joshua 5.13-15)-Robert C. Crosby; 3. Beauty and Holiness in the Calling of Isaiah-Jacqueline Grey; 4. Holiness and the Path of Suffering: Lessons for Pentecostals from the Book of Hebrews-Faith McGhee; 5. Let the Holy Yet Be Holy: Holiness in the Apocalypse-Dan Morrison; 6. Have We Been Sanctified?: Renewing the Role of Experience in Interpreting the Biblical Text-Scott A. Ellington; 7. 'Not I, but Christ': Holiness, Conscience, & the (Im)Possibility of Community-Chris E.W. Green; 8. The Pentecostal Triple Way: An Ecumenical Model of the Pentecostal Via Salutis and Soteriological Experience-Monte Lee Rice; 9. Holiness and Economics: Towards Recovery of Eucharistic Being in a Market-shaped World-Daniela C. Augustine; 10. Liberating Holiness for the Oppressed and the Oppressors-Patrick Oden; 11. A Future for Holiness in Pentecostal Theology-Daniel Castelo; 12. Twenty-First Century Holiness: Living at the Intersection of Wesleyan Theology & Contemporary Pentecostal Values-Johnathan E. Alvarado; 13. Holiness, the Church, and Party Politics: Toward a Contemporary Practical Theology of Holiness-Antipas L. Harris; 14. Holiness and Undocumented Immigration: A Dramatic Challenge to my Church-Wilfredo Estrada Adorno; 15. The Practice of Holiness: Implications for a Pentecostal Moral Theology-Terry Johns; 16. Holiness as Play: A Developmental Perspective on Christian Formation-Stephen Parker; 17. From Fear-Based to Holiness-Based: Thoughts About the Work of the Holy Spirit in Youth Ministry-Joshua Ziefle; 18. A Future for Holiness in Pentecostal Practice-Marcia Clarke; A Concluding Parable: The Fire and the Fence-Rickie D. Moore.