Charismatic Christianity
Encyclopedia
Charismatic Christianity is a Christian
doctrine
that maintains that modern-day believers experience miracle
s, prophecy
, speaking in tongues
, and other spiritual gift
s as described in of the Bible
. The term "charismatic" derives from the Greek word ("gift," itself derived from , "grace" or "favor") which is the term used in the aforementioned passage.
"Charismatic Christian" and "renewalist" also can be used as umbrella term
s to describe those modern Christians
who are in agreement with this theological position, and believe that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit
seen in the 1st century Christian Church are available to contemporary Christians and may be experienced and practised today. Charismatic Christians include Pentecostals
, neocharismatics
, and members of the charismatic movement
.
, Pentecostals and charismatic Christians numbered at least 500 million, a quarter of the world's 2 billion Christians. This means that charismatics are the second largest branch of Christianity
after the Roman Catholic Church
(though the 120 million Catholic Charismatics do not consider themselves separate from Roman Catholicism).
that started in 1906, with a clear emphasis on the use of spiritual gifts. Many Pentecostal denominations believe that it is necessary to speak in tongues as "initial evidence" for Baptism in the Holy Spirit to occur. A similar emphasis on the gift of healing can also be found amongst Pentecostals.
emerged in the historic Protestant denominations from 1960 onwards, and in the Catholic Church from 1967. The Charismatic Movement
is defined as those who use spiritual gifts but remain part of a mainline church.
Several interdenominational organisations, like Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International
(FGBMFI), Aglow
and several others, may also be considered charismatic.
Supportive:
Critical:
Neutral:
Literature:
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
doctrine
Doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
that maintains that modern-day believers experience miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s, prophecy
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
, speaking in tongues
Glossolalia
Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. The significance of glossolalia has varied with time and place, with some considering it a part of a sacred language...
, and other spiritual gift
Spiritual gift
In Christianity, spiritual gifts are endowments given by the Holy Spirit. These are the supernatural graces which individual Christians need to fulfill the mission of the church. They are described in the New Testament, primarily in , , and . also touches on the spiritual gifts...
s as described in of the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. The term "charismatic" derives from the Greek word ("gift," itself derived from , "grace" or "favor") which is the term used in the aforementioned passage.
"Charismatic Christian" and "renewalist" also can be used as umbrella term
Umbrella term
An umbrella term is a word that provides a superset or grouping of concepts that all fall under a single common category. Umbrella term is also called a hypernym. For example, cryptology is an umbrella term that encompasses cryptography and cryptanalysis, among other fields...
s to describe those modern Christians
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
who are in agreement with this theological position, and believe that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit (Christianity)
For the majority of Christians, the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and is Almighty God...
seen in the 1st century Christian Church are available to contemporary Christians and may be experienced and practised today. Charismatic Christians include Pentecostals
Pentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
, neocharismatics
Neo-charismatic churches
Neo-charismatic churches are a category of churches in the Christian Renewal movement. The Christian renewal movement incorporates Pentecostal, Charismatic and neo-charismatic churches...
, and members of the charismatic movement
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
.
, Pentecostals and charismatic Christians numbered at least 500 million, a quarter of the world's 2 billion Christians. This means that charismatics are the second largest branch of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
after the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
(though the 120 million Catholic Charismatics do not consider themselves separate from Roman Catholicism).
Modern movements that are charismatic
The term "charismatic" represents a theological position that a number of modern movements share.Pentecostals
Pentecostalism emerged out of the Azusa Street RevivalAzusa Street Revival
The Azusa Street Revival was a historic Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California and is the origin of the Pentecostal movement. It was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher. It began with a meeting on April 14, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915...
that started in 1906, with a clear emphasis on the use of spiritual gifts. Many Pentecostal denominations believe that it is necessary to speak in tongues as "initial evidence" for Baptism in the Holy Spirit to occur. A similar emphasis on the gift of healing can also be found amongst Pentecostals.
Charismatic movement
Beliefs similar to PentecostalismPentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
emerged in the historic Protestant denominations from 1960 onwards, and in the Catholic Church from 1967. The Charismatic Movement
Charismatic movement
The term charismatic movement is used in varying senses to describe 20th century developments in various Christian denominations. It describes an ongoing international, cross-denominational/non-denominational Christian movement in which individual, historically mainstream congregations adopt...
is defined as those who use spiritual gifts but remain part of a mainline church.
Neo-charismatics
New churches and denominations emerged alongside the Charismatic Movement from the late 1950s onwards. Many of these were concerned not only for the use of spiritual gifts, but also the restoration of the church. Being neither Pentecostal nor part of the Charismatic Movement, they are termed neo-Charismatic. Examples of this include the Vineyard Movement in the US (and elsewhere) and the British New Church Movement.Charismatics in the USA
Charismatic Christianity has grown in the last decade. As of 2008, according to Barna surveys, one out of every four Protestant churches in the United States (23%) is a charismatic congregation. A slight majority of all "born-again" Christians (51%) are charismatic. Nearly half of all adults who attend a Protestant church (46%) are charismatic.Several interdenominational organisations, like Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International
Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International
The Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship International is a fellowship of lay businessmen. Its main purpose is to arouse interest in the gospel. Theologically, the organisation has its roots in Pentecostalism. It is currently active in 160 countries around the world...
(FGBMFI), Aglow
Aglow International
Aglow International is an interdenominational organization of Christian women and men. Formerly known as Women's Aglow Fellowship, it is one of the largest Christian associations in the world, with more than 200,000 members meeting together each month through local Aglow groups in 171 nations. More...
and several others, may also be considered charismatic.
See also
- GlossolaliaGlossolaliaGlossolalia or speaking in tongues is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. The significance of glossolalia has varied with time and place, with some considering it a part of a sacred language...
- Direct revelationDirect revelationDirect revelation is a term used by some Christian churches to express their belief in a communication from God to a person, by words, impression, visions, dreams or actual appearance. Direct revelation is believed to be an open communication between God and man, or the Holy Spirit and man, without...
- ContinuationismContinuationismContinuationism is a Christian theological belief that the gifts of the Holy Spirit have continued to this present age, specifically the sign gifts such as tongues and prophecy...
- Renewal theologianRenewal theologianRenewal theologians are those theologians who represent the Pentecostal, Charismatic and Neocharismatic movements. Notable Renewal theologians are noted under the grouping with which they are most closely identified.- Pentecostal theologians :...
- CessationismCessationismIn Christian theology, Cessationism is the view that the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as tongues, prophecy and healing, ceased being practiced early on in Church history. The opposite of Cessationism is Continuationism...
- the opposite of Charismatics (and Pentecostals for that matter) - Cessationism versus Continuationism
- Pentecostal - related to, but different from, Charismatics
Further reading
Encyclopedic:- Burgess, Stanley M., ed. and Eduard M. van der Maas, assoc. ed., The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic MovementsThe New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic MovementsThe New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements is a comprehensive reference work on charismatic Christianity . It is edited primarily by Stanley M. Burgess...
, revised and expanded edition (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2002); publisher's page - Burgess, Stanley M., ed. Encyclopedia of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity (Routledge, 2006); publisher's page
Supportive:
- Deere, JackJack DeereJack Deere is a charismatic pastor and theologian from the USA.He was an associate professor of Old Testament at Dallas Seminary, a bastion of cessationism, the doctrine that the charismatic gifts of the Spirit, such as tongues, prophecy and healing, ended at the close of the 1st century...
. Surprised by the Power of the Spirit - Grudem, WayneWayne GrudemWayne A. Grudem is a Protestant theologian and author. He was born in 1948 in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin and married Margaret White on June 6, 1969 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin...
. The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today - Maria Stethatos. The Voice of a Priest Crying in the Wilderness
Critical:
- MacArthur, JohnJohn F. MacArthurJohn Fullerton MacArthur, Jr. is a United States evangelical writer and minister noted for his internationally known and broadcast radio program titled Grace to You...
. Charismatic Chaos - Hanegraaff, HankHank HanegraaffHendrik "Hank" Hanegraaff also known as the Bible Answer Man is an American author, radio talk-show host and advocate of evangelical Christianity. He was born in the Netherlands and raised in the United States since childhood. He is married with 12 children...
. Counterfeit Revival - Gardiner, George E. Corinthian Catastrophe
- Warfield, B. B. Counterfeit Miracles
- Gaffin, Richard B.Richard GaffinRichard B. Gaffin, Jr. is a Calvinist theologian, Presbyterian minister, and Charles Krahe Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Biography:...
Perspectives on Pentecost - O. Palmer Robertson Final Word A response to Wayne Grudem
- Michael De Semlyen All Roads Lead To Rome Dorchester House Publications (March 1993)
- Davis, R., True to His Ways: Purity & Safety in Christian Spiritual Practice (ACW Press, Ozark, AL, 2006), ISBN 1932124616.
Neutral:
- Grudem, Wayne (editor). Are Miraculous Gifts for Today?
Literature:
- Coelho, Paulo. By the River Piedra I Sat Down and WeptBy the River Piedra I Sat Down and WeptBy the River Piedra I sat Down and Wept is one of Paulo Coelho's most prominent titles. This is the first part in Coelho's trilogy "On the Seventh Day". The other two parts are Veronika Decides to Die and The Devil and Miss Prym...
External links
Academic study:- The European Research Network on Global Pentecostalism (GloPent) is an initiative by three leading European Universities in Pentecostal studies networking academic research on Pentecostal and Charismatic movements.
- PentecoStudies: Online Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements published under the auspices of GloPent