Pentecostals and charismatics make political and religious waves
-10/10/06
A survey co
Pentecostals and charismatics make political and religious waves
-10/10/06
A survey conducted in ten countries by the US-based Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has found that Pentecostal churches and the charismatic movement are the fastest-growing in world Christianity (both Catholic and Protestant), and are poised to have a significant political impact as well.
Released this month, the survey found that ìspirit-filled Christiansî, who practice glossolalia [speaking in tongues] and healing prayer, constitute at least 10 percent of the population in the areas studied, according to Spero News.
Extrapolating, this means that some 25 per cent of the worldís 2 billion Christians fall into these two groups. ìRenewalistî is the umbrella term used by the Pew Forum study to refer to both groups.
As far as politics is concerned, the research found that this group of Pentecostals and charismatics are much more willing to bring their values to the fore in shaping government policies and public debates than had previously been recognised.
The surveys were conducted in mid-2006 across Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa India, the Philippines, South Korea, and the United States.
Pentecostals, (who are grouped into denominations such as Assemblies of God) and charismatics nominally members of the Catholic Church and mainline Protestant churches, were polled in the survey.
The Pew Forum study estimates that, together, the two groups constitute at least half the population of Brazil, Guatemala, and Kenya; in the Philippines they constitute 44 percent. In Chile and South Africa, ìrenewalistsî represent one-third of the respective populations, while in Nigeria and the US the represent 25 percent.
In South Korea, the figure was but 11 percent, while the study could not determine a national figure for India since Christians were polled in the three states having the largest Christian population.
The study also found that Pentecostal beliefs have had a strong hold in the major churches in several countries. In Brazil, Guatemala, and the Philippines, charismatics constitute a larger share of the population than Pentecostals.
In six of the 10 countries, Pentecostals and charismatics together make up the majority of the overall Protestants.
The study found that a majority of Pentecostals in all the countries surveyed, save South Korea, believe that religious groups should express their views on all social and political matters. Seventy percent of the charismatics were agreed in this regard in seven in seven of the 10 countries studies.
The director of Pew Forum, Luis Lugo, said that for Pentecostals and charismatics, ìthe world of spirit is remarkably aliveî, yet their commitment to the poor is in no way diminished. The majority of renewalists assert that it is important that their political leaders espouse Christian views.
Renewalists are more likely than other Christian groups to report having witnessed or experienced exorcisms, divine healings and direct revelations from God. Biblical literalism is more common in this group than other Christian groups.
Two years ago the Catholic bishops in Africa discussed the impact of Pentecostalism and initiated response to the ìrenewalistî drift away from their own parishes.
In Latin America, liberation theologians have sought a more positive response to the charismatic phenomena than they had previously allowed.
Leonardo Boff once cryptically observed: ìWe liberationists opted for the poor, but the poor opted for the Pentecostals.î
[Also on Ekklesia: Growing concern over violent church exorcisms; Globalization needs communion, theologians say; Asian and Pentecostal; Dread and Pentecostal: a Political Theology for the Black Church (book); : More churches closing than opening, survey finds; Pentecostal Origins 1907 – 1925; Pentecostal Commentary on the Johannine Epistles; Faith Cure: Divine Healing in the Holiness and Pentecostal churches; ‘U2 Eucharists’ radicalising the faithful in US]
Pentecostals and charismatics make political and religious waves
-10/10/06
A survey conducted in ten countries by the US-based Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has found that Pentecostal churches and the charismatic movement are the fastest-growing in world Christianity (both Catholic and Protestant), and are poised to have a significant political impact as well.
Released this month, the survey found that ìspirit-filled Christiansî, who practice glossolalia [speaking in tongues] and healing prayer, constitute at least 10 percent of the population in the areas studied, according to Spero News.
Extrapolating, this means that some 25 per cent of the worldís 2 billion Christians fall into these two groups. ìRenewalistî is the umbrella term used by the Pew Forum study to refer to both groups.
As far as politics is concerned, the research found that this group of Pentecostals and charismatics are much more willing to bring their values to the fore in shaping government policies and public debates than had previously been recognised.
The surveys were conducted in mid-2006 across Brazil, Chile, Guatemala, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa India, the Philippines, South Korea, and the United States.
Pentecostals, (who are grouped into denominations such as Assemblies of God) and charismatics nominally members of the Catholic Church and mainline Protestant churches, were polled in the survey.
The Pew Forum study estimates that, together, the two groups constitute at least half the population of Brazil, Guatemala, and Kenya; in the Philippines they constitute 44 percent. In Chile and South Africa, ìrenewalistsî represent one-third of the respective populations, while in Nigeria and the US the represent 25 percent.
In South Korea, the figure was but 11 percent, while the study could not determine a national figure for India since Christians were polled in the three states having the largest Christian population.
The study also found that Pentecostal beliefs have had a strong hold in the major churches in several countries. In Brazil, Guatemala, and the Philippines, charismatics constitute a larger share of the population than Pentecostals.
In six of the 10 countries, Pentecostals and charismatics together make up the majority of the overall Protestants.
The study found that a majority of Pentecostals in all the countries surveyed, save South Korea, believe that religious groups should express their views on all social and political matters. Seventy percent of the charismatics were agreed in this regard in seven in seven of the 10 countries studies.
The director of Pew Forum, Luis Lugo, said that for Pentecostals and charismatics, ìthe world of spirit is remarkably aliveî, yet their commitment to the poor is in no way diminished. The majority of renewalists assert that it is important that their political leaders espouse Christian views.
Renewalists are more likely than other Christian groups to report having witnessed or experienced exorcisms, divine healings and direct revelations from God. Biblical literalism is more common in this group than other Christian groups.
Two years ago the Catholic bishops in Africa discussed the impact of Pentecostalism and initiated response to the ìrenewalistî drift away from their own parishes.
In Latin America, liberation theologians have sought a more positive response to the charismatic phenomena than they had previously allowed.
Leonardo Boff once cryptically observed: ìWe liberationists opted for the poor, but the poor opted for the Pentecostals.î
[Also on Ekklesia: Growing concern over violent church exorcisms; Globalization needs communion, theologians say; Asian and Pentecostal; Dread and Pentecostal: a Political Theology for the Black Church (book); : More churches closing than opening, survey finds; Pentecostal Origins 1907 – 1925; Pentecostal Commentary on the Johannine Epistles; Faith Cure: Divine Healing in the Holiness and Pentecostal churches; ‘U2 Eucharists’ radicalising the faithful in US]