Description
This is study on the central concept of power in early Pentecostalism which examines the historical development of the language of power in Wesleyan Holiness and American Revivalism and how it fueled early Pentecostal experiences of the Spirit, spiritual practices and theological descriptions. Authors Abstract: Using methods of historical analysis, theological interpretation and sociological theory, this study investigates the way that the language of power coalesced and formed the spiritual and theological culture of twentieth century Pentecostalism. The underlying ideology of power shaped and defined early American Pentecostalism and provided a hermeneutical key for how Pentecostals understood God, themselves and the world. Next, a perusal of early Pentecostal writings and testimonies reveals that notions of power were fundamental to the Pentecostals understanding of their experiences with God and fellow human sojourners, as they sought personal and social empowerment to live a life of spiritual discipline, service, and ministry to others in the world. Finally, Webers theories of charisma and Durkheims theories of symbolic interaction are employed to make sense of the Pentecostal world, one in which both personal and social transformations occur.
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