specifically objecting to certain aspects of the Azusa worship, which they compared to “heathen ritual.”
It was all African. It was all Voodoo. It was all pagan! Furthermore Seymour took it all to Azusa with him.
1.4 Azusa: A Protestant Brand of Voodoo
The central component for the cloning of slave spirituality at Azusa was speaking in tongues – a manifestation commonly known and practiced by those possessed by demonic spirits in Africa. The same was practiced in Haiti - and in Louisiana, Seymour’s home. Seymour was successful in “Christianizing” speaking in tongues; he syncretized pagan tongues with Protestantism thus creating Pentecostalism. His formula also included breeding slave Christianity, spirit possession and the phenomenon of speaking in
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The methodology of Haitian Voodoo slaves has accomplished the same. To emphasize such a fact Coleman said “slaves seized the right to reinterpret Christianity in light of their own situation.” 51 African Theologians also have espoused such. They set their own parameters for definition of a “new Christianity.”
√ fact check....
African theology and Pentecostalism do not take the Bible as a standalone authority but also use ancient African traditional religion as a guidepost
Well known black theologian James H. Cone wrote in his book Black Theology:
“From their earliest attempt to create an African Theology, African theologians are agreed that their theology must take seriously three sources: the Bible, African traditional religion and the African Independent Churches.” 52
In context, Protestantism in Louisiana, Seymour’s home base, and also specifically at Azusa, syncretism was the code word. This blending of African traditional religion with Christianity was observed in many locations. The Voodoo spirit was given open space to work & to possess among both the white and black population – and under the name of