Charismatic movement (Christianity)

The charismatic movement is an approach to worship and faith in some Christian denominations that emphasizes the active presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. While it has its origin in the denomination of Pentecostalism, adherents of the charismatic movement can be found in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches, most mainline Protestant denominations, and non-denominational Christian churches as well.

The movement promotes worship and expression of faith through special spiritual gifts such as speaking in tongues, translating tongues, healing, prophecy, discerning spirits, words of knowledge, and words of wisdom. These gifts are associated with what charismatics refer to as baptism in the Holy Spirit. Many Christians believe that these gifts ceased in the first century as the original disciples of Jesus Christ died, while others believe that they are still rarely bestowed on certain individuals. Charismatics, on the other hand, believe that the presence of the Holy Spirit and the spiritual gifts as well as miracles can and should be part of the life of every practicing Christian.

Background

The charismatic movement, sometimes known as charismatic renewal or neo-Pentecostalism, takes its name from charisma, a Latinized version of the Greek word kharisma, meaning "a favor" or "divine gift." It refers to a special gift or power bestowed by God, usually for the purposes of strengthening and spreading Christian faith. Charismatics associate these gifts with the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Christian Trinity. Christians worship one God who manifests in three equally divine and eternal persons: God the Father; God the Son, or Jesus Christ; and God the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is a difficult concept, even for well-schooled Christians, and most Christians simply take it as a matter of faith beyond human understanding. One way to look at it is this: the Triune God is similar to the way a man is one being, but can simultaneously be a brother, husband, and father. He fills multiple roles, though he is one person. Christians believe that the Holy Spirit’s role is to provide direction, understanding of faith matters, and comfort to believers.

The modern charismatic movement can trace its roots to the holiness movement in Protestant churches in the nineteenth century. The holiness movement taught that it was possible for people to not only gain forgiveness for their sins through water baptism but also to be purified from the desire to continue to sin by baptism in the Holy Spirit. This Holy Spirit baptism was acquired by total consecration to God through special prayers.

By the early 1900s, adherents of the holiness movement began to see glossolalia, or the ability to speak in tongues, as evidence of baptism in the Spirit. Those who speak in tongues believe that the Holy Spirit is giving them words from a language unknown to them as a form of prayer. The practice is traced to the Book of the Acts of the Apostles in the Christian Bible, where the Holy Spirit filled the men and women who had been closest to Jesus while he was alive. When they spoke, the people around them understood them no matter what their own native language was.

This emphasis on speaking in tongues and the presence of the other gifts of the Spirit—interpreting tongues, healing, and others—gave rise to the Pentecostal movement. Holiness pastor Charles Fox Parham (1873–1929) and his colleague, William J. Seymour (1870–1922), are considered the founders of the Pentecostal movement, which exploded in popularity between 1906 and 1909 in a small congregation on Azusa Street in Los Angeles, California.

The Azusa Street Revival led to the formation of Pentecostal churches, an entire denomination devoted to Holy Spirit spirituality. Then, half a century later, aspects of the Pentecostal movement spread to other denominations. It began on April 3, 1960, in St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Van Nuys, California. The church’s rector, Reverend Dennis Bennett (1917–1991), announced to his congregation that he had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the gift of speaking in tongues. While this controversial announcement led to Bennett’s dismissal from that congregation, it also led to interest among other Christian denominations in Holy Spirit baptism and the start of the charismatic movement.

Overview

Charismatics put great emphasis on the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of every Christian. This is largely drawn from the practices of the first Christians, as outlined in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles in the Christian Bible. Instead of forming their own congregations that include only other charismatics, they remain in congregations of various Christian denominations and encourage others within those congregations to adopt their beliefs. While they believe the outward sign gifts, such as speaking in tongues, are important, they do not consider them essential to salvation. Salvation refers to the Christian belief that anyone who professes that Jesus Christ died to take away the punishment of humanity’s sins and believes in their hearts that he was resurrected, or rose from the dead, will go on to eternal life in heaven with God after their time on earth ends.

In addition to speaking in tongues and the related gift of interpreting tongues, charismatics associate other gifts with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. These include healing, or restoring health and function that has been lost; miracles, such as giving sight to someone who was born blind; prophecy, or foretelling future events; words of knowledge and words of wisdom, both teaching gifts that help people understand what God is doing in their lives; discerning spirits, both evil and good; and the laying on of hands, where a person is able to bring the baptism of the Holy Spirit on someone with physical touch.

The charismatic movement operates within various Christian denominations and has no specific religious practices. Instead, adherents participate in the rituals and observances of the denominations to which they belong. The emphasis is on a connection to the Holy Spirit, so many charismatics take a very personal approach to worship and their faith. However, charismatics are known for being more physical in displays of emotion, such as swaying with raised arms when singing and praying out loud.

Bibliography

Atherstone, Andrew, et al., editors. Transatlantic Charismatic Renewal, c.1950 – 2000. Brill, 2021.

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Black, Brian. “A Brief History of the Holiness Movement.” Holiness Movement, www.holinessmovement.org/history-of-the-holiness-movement. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

Cremeens, Timothy Brant. Marginalized Voices: A History of the Charismatic Movement in the Orthodox Church in North America, 1972-1993. Pickwick Publications, 2018.

Fosu-Ankrah, Joseph Fiifi, and Akwasi Kwarteng Amoako-Gyampah. “Prophetism in the Wake of a Pandemic: Charismatic Christianity, Conspiracy Theories, and the Coronavirus Outbreak in Africa.” Research in Globalization, vol. 3, 2021. doi:10.1016/j.resglo.2021.100068. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

Hummel, Charles E. “Worldwide Renewal: The Charismatic Movement.” Christian History Institute, 1984, christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/worldwide-renewal-charismatic-movement. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

Mather, Anne. “Talking Points: The Charismatic Movement.” Themelios, vol. 9, no. 3, 1984, www.thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/article/talking-points-the-charismatic-movement. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

“Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement.” Association of Religion Data Archives, www.thearda.com/us-religion/history/timelines/entry?etype=3&eid=42. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

Schreiner, Tom. “Strengths and Weaknesses of the Charismatic Movement.” Outreach Magazine, 12 June 2018, outreachmagazine.com/resources/books/discipleship-and-spiritual-growth-books-and-media/30506-strengths-weaknesses-charismatic-movement.html. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.