Charismatic movement

The charismatic movement in Christianity is a movement within established or mainstream Christian denominations to adopt beliefs and practices of Charismatic Christianity, with an emphasis on baptism with the Holy Spirit, and the use of spiritual gifts (charismata). It has affected most denominations in the United States, and has spread widely across the world.

The movement is deemed to have begun in 1960 in Anglicanism, (The Episcopal Church (in the United States) and spread to other mainstream Protestants denominations, including those American Protestants Evangelical Lutherans and Presbyterians by 1962, and to Roman Catholicism by 1967. Methodists became involved in the charismatic movement in the 1970s.

The movement was not initially influential in evangelical churches. Although this changed in the 1980s in the so-called Third Wave, the charismatic movement was often expressed in the formation of separate evangelical churches such as the Vineyard Movement—neo-charismatic organisations that mirrored the establishment of Pentecostal churches. Many traditional evangelical churches remain opposed to the movement and teach a cessationist theology.

The classic Pentecostalism movement usually traces its origin to the early twentieth century, with the ministry of Charles F. Parham^[1] and the subsequent ministry of William Joseph Seymour and the Azusa Street Revival.^[2] Its unique doctrine involved a dramatic encounter with God, termed baptism with the Holy Spirit. Some believed that speaking in tongues was evidence for having had this experience.^[3]

Before 1955 the religious mainstream did not embrace Pentecostal doctrines. If a church member or clergyman openly expressed such views, they would (either voluntarily or involuntarily) separate from their existing denomination. However, by the 1960s many of the characteristic teachings were gaining acceptance among Christians within mainline Protestant denominations.^[1]

The charismatic movement represented a reversal of the previous pattern, as those influenced by Pentecostal spirituality chose to remain in their original denominations.^[4] The popularization and broader acceptance of charismatic teachings and ideas are linked to the Healing Revival that occurred from 1946 to 1958. The revivalists of the time, including William Branham, Oral Roberts, and A. A. Allen, held large interdenominational meetings which emphasized the gifts of the spirit. This global revival led to greater awareness and acceptance of Pentecostal teachings and practices.^[5]

The high church wing of the American Episcopal Church became the first traditional ecclesiastical organization to be affected internally by the new movement. The beginning of the charismatic movement is usually dated to Sunday, April 3, 1960, when Dennis J. Bennett, rector of St Mark's Episcopal Church in Van Nuys, California recounted his Pentecostal experience to his parish; he repeated it on the next two Sundays, including Easter (April 17), during which many of his congregation also shared the experience of spirit. He was forced to resign.^[6][7]

The resulting controversy and press coverage spread an awareness of the emerging charismatic movement. The movement grew to embrace other mainline churches, where clergy began receiving and publicly announcing their Pentecostal experiences. These clergy began holding meetings for seekers and healing services, which included praying over and anointing of the sick. The charismatic movement reached Lutherans and Presbyterians in 1962.^[8]

The Catholic Charismatic Renewal began in 1967 at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.^[9][10] Methodists became involved in the charismatic movement in the 1970s.^[11]

The charismatic movement led to the founding of many covenant communities, such as Sword of the Spirit and Word of God. They are a force of ecumenism in that they have members from many major Christian denominations, such as Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Reformed and Methodists, who live and pray together.^[12][13][14]

Despite the fact that Pentecostals tend to share more in common with evangelicals than with either Roman Catholics or non-evangelical wings of the church,^[15] the charismatic movement was not initially influential among evangelical churches. C. Peter Wagner traces the spread of the charismatic movement within evangelicalism to around 1985. He termed this movement the Third Wave of the Holy Spirit.^[16] The Third Wave has expressed itself through the formation of churches and denomination-like organizations. These groups are referred to as "neo-charismatic" and are distinct from the charismatic movement of the historic Christian churches.^[17] The Vineyard Movement and the British New Church Movement exemplify Third Wave or neo-charismatic organizations.

Charismatic Christians believe in an experience of baptism with the Holy Spirit and that spiritual gifts (Greek charismata χαρίσματα, from charis χάρις, grace) of the Holy Spirit as described in the New Testament are available to contemporary Christians through the infilling or baptism of the Holy Spirit, with or without the laying on of hands.^[18][19]

The charismatic movement holds that Baptism in the Holy Spirit is the "sovereign action of God, which usually occurs when someone with a disposition of surrender and docility, prays for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit in his or her life."^[18][20] Additionally, "baptism in the Holy Spirit unleashes the Holy Spirit that is already present within us, by revitalizing the graces we received in the sacrament of Baptism."^[20] Baptism with the Holy Spirit "equips and inspires the individual for service, for mission, for discipleship and for life."^[18][21] Rev. Brenton Cordeiro teaches that those who have received Baptism with the Holy Spirit "testify that the experience brought them to a new awareness of the reality and presence of Jesus Christ in their lives [as well as] a new hunger for the Word of God, the Sacraments and were filled with a renewed desire for holiness."^[20]

Although the Bible lists many gifts from God through his Holy Spirit, there are nine specific gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8–10 that are supernatural in nature and are the focus of and distinguishing feature of the charismatic movement: word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in different tongues (languages), and interpretation of tongues.

While Pentecostals and charismatics share these beliefs, there are differences. Many in the charismatic movement deliberately distanced themselves from Pentecostalism for cultural and theological reasons. Foremost among theological reasons is the tendency of many Pentecostals to insist that speaking in tongues is always the initial physical sign of receiving Spirit baptism. Although specific teachings will vary by denomination, charismatics generally believe that the Holy Spirit has already been present in a person from the time of regeneration and prefer to call subsequent encounters with the Holy Spirit by other names, such as "being filled".^[19][21] In contrast to Pentecostals, charismatics tend to accept a range of supernatural experiences (such as prophecy, miracles, healing, or "physical manifestations of an altered state of consciousness") as evidence of having been baptized or filled with the Holy Spirit.^[22]

Pentecostals are also distinguished from the charismatic movement on the basis of style.^[23] Also, Pentecostals have traditionally placed a high value on evangelization and missionary work. Charismatics, on the other hand, have tended to see their movement as a force for revitalization and renewal within their own church traditions.^[24]

Cessationists argue these sign and revelatory gifts were manifested in the New Testament for a specific purpose, upon which once accomplished, these signs were withdrawn and no longer function.^[25] Cessationists support this claim by suggesting there was a rapid decline in reports of such gifts from the time of the Church Fathers onwards.^[26] Non-cessationists argue that testimonial claims of God doing signs, wonders and miracles can especially be found in the first three centuries of the church.^[27] Sacramental charismatics also point out that the means of distribution of charismatic gifts in the early church, was not limited to the laying on of hands of the canonical apostles, but was tethered to the receptivity of prayer connected to the sacrament of baptism.^[28] The Charismatic movement is based on a belief that these gifts are still available today.