Charismatic Christianity

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Lore & Background

Charismatic Christianity grew out of Protestantism, with its charismatic movement beginning in 1960 at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Van Nuys, California, when rector Dennis Bennett announced he had received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The movement reached Lutherans and Presbyterians in 1962, Roman Catholics around 1967, and Methodists in the 1970s. Some nondenominational evangelical churches followed this movement, with Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California, being one of the first evangelical neo-charismatic churches, started in 1965. In the United Kingdom, the Jesus Army, founded in 1969, exemplifies the impact outside the United States. The spread of the charismatic movement outside the US was also encouraged by Bennett, who traveled to Vancouver to minister there. Many other congregations were established in the rest of the world. The neo-charismatic movement, also known as the Third Wave, a term coined by C. Peter Wagner, has spread widely since 1970; these churches often reject the charismatic or Pentecostal label but accept the general practice of accepting gifts of the Spirit.

Reader's Guide

Charismatic Christianity is significant for its rapid global expansion and its emphasis on supernatural experiences such as miracles, signs, wonders, prophecy, and healing as expected parts of a believer's life. It has reshaped worship and spirituality across many denominations, from mainline Protestant and Catholic churches to independent evangelical congregations. The movement's success is attributed by some scholars to its effective use of mass media and the physical, personal experience of religion it provides. Charismatic Christianity is not a single denomination but an overarching grouping of connected beliefs and practices, divided into three main groups: Pentecostalism, the charismatic movement within historic churches, and the neo-charismatic movement. Its influence continues to grow, with over 584 million adherents worldwide as of 2011, making it a major force in contemporary Christianity.

Did You Know?

• The term 'charismatic' comes from the Koine Greek word χάρισμα (khárisma), meaning 'gift', which itself derives from χάρις (kháris), meaning 'grace' or 'favor'.
• The charismatic movement began in 1960 when Dennis Bennett, rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Van Nuys, California, announced to his congregation that he had received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
• The neo-charismatic movement is also known as the 'Third Wave', a term coined by C. Peter Wagner.
• Classical Pentecostalism grew out of the holiness movement and was popularized by Charles Fox Parham and his student William J. Seymour, who founded the first Pentecostal ministry in Los Angeles in 1906.
• According to the Pew Research Center, as of 2011, Pentecostals and Charismatic Christians together numbered over 584 million worldwide.

Origins and the Denominational Wave

The charismatic movement's modern chapter opened in 1960 at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Van Nuys, California, when rector Dennis Bennett told his congregation he had received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That single announcement triggered a cross-denominational ripple. Lutheran and Presbyterian churches embraced charismatic practices by 1962, Roman Catholics around 1967, and Methodists in the 1970s. Bennett himself helped push the movement past American borders, ministering in Vancouver and inspiring congregations to form across the globe. In the United Kingdom the house church movement wove in charismatic elements, while Australia's Hillsong Church blended Pentecostal and charismatic traditions. The neo-charismatic stream, a label C. Peter Wagner dubbed the "Third Wave," expanded widely after 1970; its churches frequently rejected the Pentecostal name yet still affirmed the gifts of the Spirit. Scholars credit the movement's rapid, successful spread to two complementary forces: its effective use of mass media platforms and the deeply personal, physical experience of religion it offers believers.

Three Branches Under One Umbrella

Charismatic Christianity functions as a broad family of connected beliefs rather than a single denomination, and it is typically sorted into three streams: Pentecostalism, the charismatic movement within historic churches, and the neo-charismatic or Third Wave. All three share a worldview in which miracles, signs, wonders, and other supernatural occurrences are expected features of a believer's daily life, with spiritual gifts such as prophecy and healing playing a central role. Yet important distinctions separate the groups. Charismatics remain embedded in mainline denominations and are more likely than Pentecostals to hold that glossolalia, or speaking in tongues, is not a necessary evidence of Spirit baptism. Neo-charismatic churches, many of which emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, often reject both the charismatic and Pentecostal labels while still accepting the practice of receiving the Spirit's gifts. Some scholars have noted parallels between this emphasis on experiential spirituality and the broader New Age revival of the 1960s and 1970s in the United States, as well as the rising popularity of Kundalini practices in Hindu mysticism.

Pentecostal Roots and Core Doctrines

The Pentecostal stream, from which the wider charismatic family partly descends, forged its distinct identity in the early twentieth century. Charles Fox Parham and his student William J. Seymour are credited with popularizing its theology, and Seymour founded what is regarded as the first Pentecostal ministry in Los Angeles in 1906. Classical Pentecostalism grew out of the holiness movement at a time when most denominations affirmed cessationism, the belief that spiritual gifts had ceased. Pentecostals countered by insisting those gifts were being restored to the church. Their signature doctrine holds that a second work of grace follows conversion, called the baptism in the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaking in tongues. Beyond this, Pentecostalism has several core doctrines: salvation through Jesus, healing through Jesus, baptism through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and the expectation that Jesus is coming again. The tradition also carries a strong moralistic dimension, often forbidding followers to drink alcohol or wear jewelry. A nontrinitarian branch, the Oneness Pentecostals, shares the commitment to active spiritual gifts but differs on the nature of the Godhead and teachings on outward holiness.

Global Footprint and Cultural Resonance

By 2011 the Pew Research Center estimated that Pentecostals and Charismatic Christians together numbered more than 584 million people worldwide, a figure that underscores the movement's extraordinary global footprint. The spread was never confined to the United States. Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, California, founded in 1965, stands as one of the earliest evangelical neo-charismatic congregations, while the Jesus Army, established in the United Kingdom in 1969, illustrates the movement's reach beyond American shores. Dennis Bennett's own ministry in Vancouver helped catalyze growth in other countries, and modern churches internationally have either embraced charismatic practices outright or adapted their worship to incorporate them. Scholars attribute the movement's rapid and successful expansion to two complementary factors: its effective use of mass media platforms to reach wide audiences, and the deeply personal, physical experience of religion it offers, which fosters a direct sense of spiritual connection for believers. This blend of technological reach and embodied spirituality has allowed charismatic Christianity to take root in diverse cultural contexts across the globe.