Pentecostalism Vs Charismatic Christianity

Christianity has approximately two billion followers today across the globe, and of these two billion more than one-quarter identify as Charismatic or Pentecostal (Western Traditions 210). Pentecostal/ Charismatic Christian tradition is a way of taking something old and making it new and exciting, while still holding on to traditional values and morals. Pentecostal/ Charismatic Christian tradition is quite interesting because in recent times, the number of people attached to religious movements is actually in decline from years past. There are many reasons why Pentecostalism is gaining such popularity, but much of it comes from the focus on spirit and joy. The term “Pentecostal” itself has roots in a biblical story about a feast that took place

The Pentecostal Charismatic movement only truly began approximately one century ago (Jacobsen 50), which on the timeline of Christianity as a whole is very new. Although sharing many of the same beliefs, the inception of Charismatic Christianity differs from Pentecostalism. Charismatic Christianity is very similar to Pentecostalism, but what sets them apart is their ability to remain part of other denominations of Christianity, while simultaneously identifying as Charismatic (Jacobsen 57). Charismatic Christianity began in the early 1960’s, but the number of followers is harder to identify, as they can fit into other sectors such as: Catholic, Baptist, Methodist etc. The history of the movements is also difficult to discuss, as many of the teachings were passed orally, and generally through followers who possessed little education or even lacked literacy completely (Jacobsen 60). The movement has not only gained popularity in North America, but also in Asia, Latin America and Africa (Jacobsen 60). Although many of the elements of Pentecostal/ Charismatic Christianity are not “new”, as they can be found in very early forms of Christianity, the excitement and passion the followers have, set the movement

According to Jacobsen, “Pentecostal spirituality is experiential and physical, human feelings are at its core. This is so much the case that some Pentecostal /Charismatic theologians say that as emphasis on "orthopathy" (right feelings) and not just on orthodoxy (right belief) or Orthopraxy (right behavior) is what distinguishes the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement from the other major Christian traditions” (52). This defining feature of the movement makes it quite different from other Christian sectors – which value right belief and behavior so highly. This element of Pentecostal/ Charismatic Christian tradition speaks to why the religion is so popular – it encourages happiness and positivity over nearly everything