Margaret Poloma on Pentecotalism, the Assemblies of God, and Godly Love

tonygill — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 09:00:35 +0000

Prof. Margaret Poloma (professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Akron) joins Tony to discuss her new book The Assemblies of God: Godly Love and the Revitalization of American Pentecostalism (co-authored with John Green), which represents an updated look at her critically-acclaimed 1989 work The Assemblies of God at the Crossroads. We begin by exploring the general category of Pentecostalism, looking at both the history and characteristics of this fast-growing faith movement, and comparing it to evangelical Christianity. Poloma notes that although Pentecostalism is commonly referred to as a denomination, it maintains a rather loose “umbrella” structure that contains a number of different theological and stylistic identities. We then turn our attention specifically to the Assemblies of God (AoG), which represents one of the largest “denominations” within the Pentecostal movement. (We briefly discuss that the AoG do not formally consider themselves a “denomination” even though they have the institutional features of a denomination.) Our examination of the AoG turns towards the issue of “routinization of charism,” wherein movements borne of emotional and spiritual fervor often find themselves becoming more tame and institutionalized in successive generations, often leading to slower rates of growth, dissention within the ranks and schismatic movements. Leaders of the movement and then faced with the challenge of how to constantly revitalize the clergy and laity. Margaret provides a number of examples of how this has played out in the Assemblies of God, including the spiritually-energized challenge provided by “immigrant churches” within the AoG such as Pastor Bismark Osei Akomeah’s Jesus Power Assembly of God (founded in Ohio and now with several locations throughout the US). We also discuss the rise of neo-Pentecostalism and the recent emphasis on Godly Love, a revitalizing tendency within Pentecostalism (based on the Great Commandment) and designed to emphasize the dynamic intereaction between the benevolence of God’s grace and human nature. Recorded: November 2, 2010.

Philip Jenkins on Global Christianity

tonygill — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:00:54 +0000

In a conversation that covers two millenia of Christian history and every region of the world, noted historian Philip Jenkins — the Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of the Humanities at the Pennsylvania State University and Distinguished Senior Fellow at Baylor University’s Institute for Study of Religion — talks about the ever-changing nature of Christianity. Our discussion begins with a reminder that a strong understanding of history is essential for understanding the contemporary religious world. Contrary to the popular notion that Christianity is a European faith, Jenkins reveals that this religious tradition had an extensive geographic reach through its inception up until the 13th century. The podcast then turns attention to how Christianity has been growing and changing in the “global South,” which includes Africa, Asia and Latin America. We see how Pentecostal and charismatic forms of Christianity tend to predominate in these regions and discuss how Christians on these continents view The Bible. We end our discussion with some speculation on how religion in the “global South” may be influencing Christian beliefs and practices in Europe and North America. Prof. Jenkins also reveals his three favorite Western movies. Recorded: July 15, 2010.

Research On Religion » Holiness Movement

Margaret Poloma on Pentecotalism, the Assemblies of God, and Godly Love

Philip Jenkins on Global Christianity