Product Description

One of the premier interpreters of Pentecostalism, Walter J. Hollenweger has written what is in many ways a sequel to his magisterial The Pentecostals (1972). This volume assesses the origins of perhaps the fastest-growing religious phenomenon in this century in light of its current development. Hollenweger contends Pentecostalism is at a critical crossroads in its evolution. Focusing on the theological stories of the Pentecostal movement within the contexts of its "Black Oral Root," "Catholic Root," "Evangelical Root," "Critical Root," and "Ecumenical Root," Hollenweger calls our attention to the significance of this movement for religion, politics, and, indeed the future of the world.

"I know of no one else who has the breadth of knowledge, the depth of understanding, or the grasp of such a broad base of scholarship to be able to write this book. . . . This fascinating book is at times playful, at times deadly serious, and at times simply informative. It will stretch the thinking of all who care to be taught, and challenge the hypocrisy of those who think they know it all. And it will help us all to understand better than we have before, the roots that have nurtured one of the most vital Christian movements in the twentieth century."
-Cecil M. Robeck, Jr., Professor of Church History and Ecumenics, Director of the David du Plessis Center for Christaian Spirituality, Fuller Theological Seminary

"Pentecolstalism is the fastest growing and most vital Christian movement on the globe today. What great news that the esteemed elder statesman of Pentecostal studies has now given us this comprehensive and absorbing account of how it started and why it is growing."
-Harvey Cox, Thomas Professor of Divinity, Harvard University

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #678006 in Books
• Published on: 1998-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 495 pages

From Publishers Weekly
This is a fascinating account of one of the fastest-growing segments of contemporary Christianity, a movement that has in this century had a profound impact on the practice of Christianity worldwide. In this volume, Hollenweger, Professor Emeritus of Theology at the University of Birmingham in England, combines oral history and traditional historical scholarship to tell the story of Pentecostalism. He traces the Pentecostal movement to five historical roots, which he identifies as "Black oral," "Catholic," "evangelical," "critical" and "ecumenical." Hollenweger's account is more expansive than other accounts of Pentecostalism, which tend to identify the Great Awakenings of colonial America as the roots of the Pentecostal movement. Hollenweger contends that the ecumenical nature of Pentecostalism has its earliest roots in the theology of John Wesley. Also, shattering the stereotype of Pentecostals in America as an overwhelmingly white and politically conservative group (Pat Robertson being the most visible example), Hollenweger portrays Pentecostalism as a multiracial movement whose progressive social-political dimensions are reflected in such examples as South African pastor Frank Chikane and urban Chicago pastor Arthur Brazier. While Hollenweger's book retains an academic tone, his breezy language is accessible to a general audience.

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About the Author
Walter J. Hollenweger, a Swiss-born theologian, was Professor of Mission at the University of Birmingham. He currently resides in Switzerland.