Synopses & Reviews
???Azusa Street was the prelude, but the beginning of Pentecostalism was reached when a global Pentecostal network was established. Neither a creed, an institution nor a place is the beginning of Pentecostalism, but a vast and vague international network; and in that specific sense Pentecostalism was a global movement right from its beginnings. And it is in this context that the beginnings of Pentecostalism in India have to be understood.???
? from the introduction
Making up approximately 20 percent of South India??'s Protestants, Pentecostals are an influential part of India??'s Christian culture, yet there is a distinct lack of scholarly focus on this increasingly large denomination. This careful study ably fills that gap.
After a brief introduction outlining the history of the worldwide growth of Pentecostalism, Bergunder delves into the history of the south Indian Pentecostal movement in the first section. The second section gives a systematic profile of the current movement in south India, based on formal interviews with nearly 200 leading pastors and evangelists, as well as a wide-range of source materials. Bergunder finishes with prospects for the future of this unique Pentecostal movement.
Synopsis
Making up approximately 20 percent of South India's Protestants, Pentecostals are an influential part of India's Christian culture, yet there is a distinct lack of scholarly focus on this increasingly large group. This careful, well-informed study by Michael Bergunder ably fills that gap.
After a brief historical introduction to the worldwide growth of Pentecostalism, Bergunder delves into the history of the South Indian Pentecostal movement in the first section. The second section gives a systematic profile of the current movement in South India, based on a wide range of source materials and on formal interviews with nearly two hundred leading pastors and evangelists. Bergunder finishes his work with prospects for the future. Three appendixes and an extended bibliography offer ample ground for further research.
Table of Contents
Early Beginnings -- Kerala -- Tamil Nadu -- Karnataka -- Andhra Pradesh -- Evangelists, Interchurch fellowships, and marginal movements -- Context -- Themes -- Ordo Salutis -- Gifts of the Spirit -- Ethics -- Ministry -- Church Life -- Social Structure and Ecumenical Relations -- Pentecostalism and Contextualization of Christianity -- Selected Biographies -- Missionaries and Leadership Positions -- Church Statistics.