What I Mean By “New Charismatics”

As I relaunch this blog as Faithfindings, I want to designate a space here for posts by and about the New Charismatics.

But who are the New Charismatics, you ask?

I wrote this piece for Onfaith a few months ago that gives at least a summary glance at what I mean by the term. It’s not a formal category (you know, like Southern Baptist or Episcopalian), but it is descriptive of a stream, a movement of sorts, that a growing number of us identify with. And no matter what you call it, there are characteristics that we seem to hold in common – 10 that I came up with, and more that I probably overlooked:

1. We are spiritual . . . AND religious.

While the infamous “nones” are known for avoiding organized religion in favor of an independent spiritual path, New Charismatics are seeking a both-and way. On the one hand, we understand our faith primarily as spiritual experience, or rather, Spiritual experience. On the other, we are passionate about rooting our faith in the Great Tradition of the church, so it is both historically connected and futuristically sustainable.

You can find some of us New Charismatics inhabiting liturgical or traditional churches and denominations, and you can find others of us bringing liturgical rhythms to our evangelical churches, seeker churches, or charismatic churches.

2. We are Eucharistic holy rollers.

While we resonate with the passionate worship styles that charismatics have largely innovated, we are seeking a deeper, contemplative center in the regular practice of the Eucharist. We meet and receive from Jesus uniquely in this quiet but intense moment — a moment that grounds the charismatic tendency to seek a shallow or contrived spiritual high.

Read the rest of the list over at Onfaith!

And stay tuned here for a growing number of posts from New Charismatic voices – voices like Brian Zahnd, Sarah Bessey, Jonathan Martin, Ed Gungor, Chris Green, and more. 

We’d love for you to hang out with the Eucharistic Holy Rollers :).