Global Pentecostalism

Undergraduate / Graduate

One of the most remarkable developments of the past six decades is the global ascendance of Pentecostalism, a Christian charismatic movement that has redefined Christianity in crucial ways. This course will account for the global explosion through a study of the internal qualities and the external systemic factors that have propelled Pentecostal charismatic movements to become the vanguard of Christianity worldwide. We will also learn how the Pentecostal-Charismatic movements are acquiring cultural and political power while transforming themselves to be a major force for social justice in various countries. Students will engage religious resources (such as performances, rituals, texts, and materials) that have supported the global mobility and motility of Pentecostalism in multiple continents. Through an interdisciplinary approach that will draw readings from sociology, media studies, performance studies, religious studies, theology/social ethics, political theory, economics, history, and anthropology, we will explore the cultural and political factors, the missiological initiatives, demographical changes, and technological developments that have resulted in the move of the Holy Spirit beyond human-made borders.