1980/01/01 by Donald W. Dayton · 3 citations
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Pentecostalism and Christianity Studies #Christian Theology and Mission #Religion, Society, and Development
paper · doi:10.1163/157007480x00017
openalex publication_date 1980/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
Abstract Pentecostalism has been with us now for three quarters of a century. But in spite of the scholarship of recent years, the origins and background of this movement are still unclear. This is in part due to the fact that most interpretations-whether historical, theological, psychological, or sociological-have focused on Pentecostalism's most distinctive feature, the practice of "speaking in tongues" or "glossolalia." This orientation not only obscures the fact that Pentecostalism asserts a distinctive gestalt of broader theological ideas, but makes difficult any effort to contextualize the movement-whether historically or theologically.