Global Pentecostal Studies

José Casanova, professor of sociology at Georgetown University and head of the Program on Globalization, Religion and the Secular at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, recently spoke at Duke University on globalization and Christianity. An interview with Casanova can be found here . Casanova makes excellent observations about globalization and Christianity that highlight the importance of seeing that globalization is not just about the spread of Christianity around the world. Globalization is also about a new social context and an awareness of the world as a single place that has implications for new social arrangements. This argument reflects what Roland Robertson has argued for decades. The one implication for Pentecostal studies is to move away from simply seeing Pentecostalism "everywhere" and to recognize that a new global context also means a new type of Pentecostalism, one that is transforming. Scholars of Pentecostalism need to refle...

Pentecostals have theological views of the world that range from embracing it to rejecting it. The world for some Pentecostals can be a hostile place where evil spirits come under the authority of Jesus Christ. Pentecostals also view the world as a place for the Holy Spirit's activity where the kingdom of God is advanced as witnessed through spiritual gifts like healing. Theological responses offer important insight into how Pentecostals view the world. And the intersection of these theological views with sociological observations about worldwide change provides researchers with interesting cases for exploration. There are four that are especially interesting for me at this time that require sustained research and discussion. The first has to do with the way Pentecostals engage public issues especially when they are in conflict with other religions. Africa offers some fascinating examples. In Nigeria, for example, there is religious conflict between Pentecostals and Muslims over ...