Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies

Pentecostalism, which emphasizes direct spiritual experience, divine healing, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit, has grown from a marginal early-twentieth-century movement into one of the most globally influential expressions of Christianity, reshaping how hundreds of millions of people read scripture, organize congregations, and engage with public life. Scholars working at its intersection with religious studies examine how Pentecostal practice travels across cultural contexts — particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and East Asia — and how it adapts, transforms, or challenges local theological traditions along the way. Central questions concern how communities without formal seminaries develop their own hermeneutical norms, and whether the movement's rapid globalization produces a coherent ecclesiology or a loose family of largely independent spiritualities. Ongoing research also asks how Pentecostalism navigates tensions between its historic roots in racial reconciliation and social justice on one hand, and its frequent alignment with prosperity theology and conservative politics on the other.

Works

153,715

Total citations

103,040

Keywords

PentecostalismBiblical InterpretationAfrican ChristianitySpiritualityHermeneuticsChurch History