Ever since the irruption of Pentecostal spirituality within Protestant and Roman Catholic denominations, there has been a gradual emergence of what might be called "charismatic theology". To be sure a lot of this theology is and has been written at a popular level, but within the last twenty years there has evolved a distinct theology with…

The study surveys the current growth of Pentecostal Christianity, as defined broadly, in Asia, particularly in comparison with Latin America and Africa, predicting that the future growth is expected to be exponential. In a brief historical survey, the continent is divided into four categories depending on the beginning and development of…

The Catholic charismatic movement (renewal) may not have fulfilled all the hopes of its adherents, but it has had more impact on the Catholic Church than many realise. The signs are that this influence will increase as the effects sink deeper into church life. (Contains 33 notes.)

The story is told of Aimee Semple McPherson, a star female evangelist in the USA in the 1920s. Theologically and in her own understanding of doctrine she resisted denominational or classical Pentecostalism and asserted her own view, stemming from Azusa Street, that the message of Spirit baptism belonged to the church at large.

At the start of the 20th century, as denominational resources were accumulated, Pentecostals provided basic bible training for their ministers and missionaries. The narrative shows how simple training schemes blossomed in some cultures into universities and colleges and, in others, into accredited institutions attached to secular bodies or, in the…