Holiness and Pentecostal

Pentecostalism and the Holiness Movement are charismatic religious traditions within Protestant Christianity that gave rise in the 19th and 20th centuries in the United States. Pentecostal and Holiness churches are often characterized by their emphasis on a post-conversion encounter with God through an experience called the "baptism of the Holy Spirit." Though different in origin and organization, Pentecostal and Holiness churches have some commonalities. The Holiness Movement can be traced back to John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Holiness Christians believed that faith in Jesus included sanctification from sin and transition into a life of holiness. The Holiness Movement spread to the western and southern United States and urged followers to live by a strict moral code. Pentecostalism rose out of the Holiness Movement and can be traced back to the Azusa Street revival in 1906, which impacted a wide variety of Christians-black and white, rich and poor-who sought a deeper experience of the Holy Spirit. Shortly thereafter, Pentecostal groups sprang up across the United States, in rural areas as well in urban neighborhoods. The Pentecostal worship experience often includes the act of glossolalia (or "speaking in tongues"). Besides speaking in tongues, Pentecostals also believe in the activity of other supernatural gifts such as prophecy and the ability to heal. Besides these unique characteristics, Pentecostal and Holiness churches adhere to basic doctrines and practices within the Evangelical and Fundamentalist branches of Protestantism including the authority of the Bible in matters of life and faith. In recent years, Pentecostalism has spread throughout the world.

Contributors : Jacob N. Kinnard, Kathleen A. Mulhern

Pentecostal activity has a history as old as Christianity. Groups claiming the same supernatural activity as described in the Bible exist from the early Church through the development of Protestantism.

Methodist, Pietist, and Holiness influences were chiefly responsible for giving Pentecostalism its distinct emphasis on the Holy Spirit as an agent for spiritual regeneration.

Pentecostalism's founders, specifically William J. Seymour and Charles F. Parham, contributed theological innovations to the movement. Parham taught "initial evidence doctrine," and Seymour began a radical experiment with racial and gender egalitarianism.

Pentecostals elevate the Book of Acts and parts of Paul's first Letter to the Corinthians; they interpret the Old Testament as part of a continuum of supernatural activity that occurs today.

Pentecostal history has until recently suffered from reliance on the accepted providential narrative of its history. With mainstream acceptance, current scholarship has matured to be more critical and analytical.

There is no fixed center to Pentecostalism's origins; Pentecostalism began with small groups of dedicated followers intent on spreading the faith globally.

Schisms are a natural process in Pentecostalism, a movement characterized by fluidity, innovation, and practicality. The development of sects occurs as a reaction to that theological innovation.

Pentecostal views of missions have not changed much since their first foray into missions over 100 years ago. Evangelism is the goal of all mission activity.

Pentecostal missions began and to some extent continue as an eschatological enterprise. Regional adaptations and changes to the faith demonstrate the effect of local socio-cultural influences.

Pentecostalism is one of the movements within Protestant Christianity that is growing. Since the 1970s, Pentecostalism has become a largely two-thirds world phenomenon, with Latin America, Asia, and Africa benefiting most.

Aside from the Bible, which is the basis of their faith, Pentecostals have made testimonial narratives sacred through repetition in order to promote certain doctrines.

Pentecostals believe in traditional Christian teaching about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and angels. Differences emerge with the Oneness branch's view of the Godhead.

The biblical story of the "fall of humanity" defines Pentecostal understandings of our separation from God and our need for a mediator.

Pentecostals have not developed a complete answer to the complex issues surrounding evil. For Pentecostals, the reality of evil is tangible and can be overcome.

Pentecostals fundamentally maintain that one must believe in Jesus to be saved. Heaven is exclusively for believers.

Without a liturgical calendar to guide their sacramental lives, Pentecostals rely on the supernatural activity of the Holy Spirit to bridge the gap between chronological and sacred time.

Pentecostals sacralize spaces that have historical significance to them or spaces where healing occurs. Unlike some other Christians, however, they do not wish to imbue material objects with supernatural powers.

side from the two traditional rites of baptism and the Lord's Supper, Pentecostals have added the baptism of the Holy Spirit, healing, and prophecy to the rites of the church.

Pentecostal worship and devotional life are essential to the theological foundation of the movement. As an experiential faith, Pentecostalism thrives on innovations in worship and an intense devotional life.

Key Pentecostal symbols - fire, doves, and water - are all associated with the Holy Spirit, who, as the main spiritual catalyst for Pentecostals, is the most visible expression of Pentecostal faith.

Two of the most notable developments in Pentecostal leadership have been the changing role of women and the professionalization of the Pentecostal clergy.

Pentecostals view their role in their communities as being the spiritual refuge and a resource for that community. Pentecostals operate within a variety of denominational and parachurch structures.

The primacy of piety has surfaced as integral to Pentecostal morality. Social justice has historically been and is now a part of that moral action.

Pentecostals believe that individual conversion will make society better. Other visions encompass a broader view of early Pentecostals' aspirations to ethnic diversity and progressive causes.

Pentecostals base their views on traditional readings of the Bible. Pentecostals tend to view gender roles as divinely ordained and sexuality as reserved for marriage.