4E: The Charismatic Movement Flashcards
(102 cards)
1
Q
Charismata
A
Greek term for ‘gifts of grace’
2
Q
Charismatic
A
Special qualities received through the Holy Spirit. term first used by St Paul
3
Q
Charismatic Worship
A
Non-liturgical worship with a focus on receiving and experiencing charismatic gifts
4
Q
Charismatic Movement
A
The experience of the Spirit in churches other than Pentecostal denominations from the 1960s-
5
Q
Fruits of the Spirit
A
the positive qualities people seem to develop as a result of their experiences with the spirit; typically charity, bravery, self sacrifice, love
6
Q
Gifts of the Spirit
A
the ‘gifts of grace’ that are associated with direct experience of the Holy Spirit; typically wisdom, prophecy, healing and speaking in tongues
7
Q
House Church Movement
A
also known as Restorationism. Movement to encourage Christians to worship together at home, including charismatic worship
8
Q
Pentecost
A
event recorded in Acts when the disciples first experience the Holy Spirit. Seen as the birthday of the church
9
Q
Pentecostalism
A
Early 20th century renewal movement inspired by the events in Acts where the Early Church experienced the gifts of the spirit
10
Q
Tongues/glossolalia
A
experience of being taken over by the Spirit and speaking in an unknown language
11
Q
Xenolalia
A
Speaking in tongues, as an unknown foreign language
12
Q
What is the Pentecostal Movement?
A
a movement within US churches in particular that focused on worship that directly draws upon the Holy Spirit and experiencing the gifts of the Spirit
13
Q
What does the Apostle Paul use ‘charismatic’ to refer to?
A
the special qualities that Christians receive through the Holy Spirit
14
Q
What gifts are mentioned in Romans 12:6-8 and who seems to receive them?
A
- prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, showing mercy
- received by “the grace given to each of us”
15
Q
What gifts are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 and who seems to receive them?
A
- message of wisdom, message of knowledge, gifts of healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, speaking in different kinds of tongue and the interpretation of tongues
- received by “each one, just as he determines”
16
Q
What gifts are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:28 and who seems to receive them?
A
- gifts of healing, helping, guidance and different kinds of tongues
- received by “the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers”
17
Q
What gifts are mentioned in Ephesians 4:11-12 and who seems to receive them?
A
- equip his people for works of service
- received by “the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers”
18
Q
What gifts are mentioned in 1 Peter 4:11 and who seems to receive them?
A
- speak and serve
- received by “anyone”
19
Q
What would you expect to see in charismatic worship?
A
- speaking tongues
- dancing
- priest praying for healings
- worship bands
- music
- joy
- swaying
- healing
20
Q
What is Pentecostalism?
A
a form of Christianity that emphasise the work of the Holy Spirit and the direct experience of the presence of God by the believer
21
Q
What did research in December 2006 state about Pentecostalism?
A
they are the fastest growing group of Christian’s in the UK
22
Q
What key event in the life of the early Christians is Pentecostalism based on?
A
the baptism of the twelve disciples by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost
23
Q
What is the relationship between Pentecostalism and the Charismatic Movement?
A
- both focus on spirit and receiving gifts of grace from God
- worship similarly
- Pentecostalism is a movement of renewal that includes many different churches
24
Q
What is the name of the largest Pentecostal church?
A
Yoido Full Gospel Church, Seoul, South Korea
- up to 25,000 people attend each Sunday
25
What are the main features of Pentecostalism?
- belief in the events of the Book of Acts
- outpouring of the spirit
- mass conversions
- miracles of healing
26
What was striking about Seymour’s Azusa St Mission?
Seymour was African American and worked with an interracial congregation of African Americans, Mexican Americans, and European Americans
27
Pentecostal churches are known as being evangelical in nature. What are the 4 features of evangelicalism according to Alister McGrath?
1. Scripture is the ultimate authority
2. The saving death of Jesus on the cross is the only source of redemption
3. All people need a conversion experience
4. Christian faith should be shared through Evangelism
28
What distinguishes Pentecostal churches from other evangelical churches?
Pentecostal churches believe that there is a second baptism; that of the Holy Spirit.
- this second baptism takes place after conversion. many believe that speak in tongues is confirmation that one has received the Holy Spirit
29
Do you see any significance in the fact that the first person to speak tongues in the modern Pentecostal movement was a woman?
Yes because it defied gender roles and opened the door for women to have more prominent roles in the Church
30
Do you see any significance in the fact that this movement began in Black Majority churches in the US?
Yes because it emphasises that Christianity is not a predominantly white religion and is diverse in its roots
31
When was the beginning of the pentecostal movement?
Charles Fox Parham: temporary Bible school is Topeka, Kansas
32
What happened at Parham’s school?
he believed the Holy Spirit was going to descended in a special way on the Church
- he asked his students to read the book of Acts and pray that they would receive the Spirit
- 1 January 1901: one of the students (Agnes Ozman) reported to have spoken in tongues
- soon after, many of the students experienced the ‘gift of the Spirit’
33
Who was William James Seymour and what did he do?
- African American preacher
- moved to LA in 1906 and led a small prayer group which rapidly grew as a result of having similar experiences
- 1906: group moved to 312 Azusa St, became the largest church in LA
34
What Pentecostal denominations have been formed in the first few decades of the last century?
- The Assemblies of God
- The Foursquare Gospel Church
- Elim Pentecostal Church
- The Apostolic Church
35
What qualities do Pentecostal denominations manifest that distinguish them from other Evangelical Churches?
- they believe there is a second baptism; that of the Holy Spirit. takes place after conversion
- speaking in tongues confirms that one has received the second baptism
- focuses on spontaneous worship and healing, and a belief that these are ‘end times’
- the Pentecostal Churches in the first decades of 20th century were anti-ecumenical
36
What is the Charismatic Movement?
the experience of the gifts of the Spirit in churches outside of Pentecostal denominations
37
What is meant by a renewal movement?
seeking to revive their faith to its core practice in response to the decline of Christianity
38
Why is the Charismatic Movement described as a renewal movement?
it seeks to revitalise the spiritual experiences and practices with established Christian denominations
39
Which denominations have experienced renewal through the Charismatic movement?
Anglican Communion and Roman Catholic Church
40
What were mainstream churches concerned about initially in regards to the Charismatic Movement?
whether the movement was anti-intellectual and made people less interested in traditional beliefs
41
What positives meant that the Churches explored charismatic experiences?
the Bible advocated spiritual gifts and the testimony of those in the movement had strengthened faith
42
When did the Charismatic movement spread?
1960s
43
Who was Dennis Bennett and what did he do?
an Episcopalian minister in California
- had a charismatic experience and introduced it to his congregation
- a small group of the congregation voiced their opposition and instead of causing a split within the church, Bennett resigned
- moved to a dying church in Seattle, which he turned to the largest in the diocese and hosted conferences on the Charismatic Movement
44
Who was David du Plessis?
an Assemblies of God minister who felt called to witness to Pentecostalism in ecumenical circles
- was known widely as Mr Pentecost by those in traditional churches
45
Who is Oral Roberts?
a Methodist Minister who brought Pentecostalism to a large audience as a televangelist. his fundraising techniques earned him much criticism
46
What is The Full Gospel Businessman’s Fellowship?
- a popular movement that brought together businessmen with Pentecostal speakers in informal settings
47
When did the first Church of England declare itself as Charismatic?
1963
48
What was The Fountain Trust?
a national network to encourage charismatic worship across denominations in the United Kingdom
49
What was the Church of England 1970 report?
- a new Vicar was experiencing a new opening out of his faith and shared this with the church
- many people were influenced and as they opened up their lives (through prayer, confession etc), they began to know a much closer relationship with God and experienced his activities in their lives
- the movement spread and more people were affected, there was a growing sense of blessing and expectancy
- prayer groups sprang up and worship was enlivened and became to be freed from over formalism
50
What is the Church of England report suggesting?
the Charismatic movement is reawakening Christianity and reversing its decline
51
What is gentrification and what does Mason mean by it?
the process in which the character of a poor urban area is changed by wealthier inhabitants. the Charismatic movement was stolen from the Black community and attached to White Christians
52
Key events in the development of Charismatic Movement in the Catholic Church
- prior to the rise of CM within the Catholic Church, Vatican II focused on the need for renewal: opened with “divine spirit, renew your wonders in this our age, as in a new Pentecost”
- scholars cite Feb 1967 as the start of the Charismatic renewal in the Catholic Church which occurred as Duquesne University
53
What does Vatican II assert?
the authority of the Church and the need to be open to new spiritual expressions
54
Key points of Lumen Gentium (Vatican II)
- the Holy Spirit gives special abilities and gifts to all believers to help build and renew the Church
- Apostles: “the manifestation of the Spirit is given to everyone for profit”
- people shouldn’t actively seek gifts
- leaders in the Church should be responsible for deciding how the gifts should be used
55
What happened in Duquesne University in 1967?
- 2 lecturers had been praying for renewal in the Church: they asked 20 students to read ‘The Cross and the Switchblade’ and to gather for a weekend conference
- the group had dramatic experiences of speaking in tongues and other spiritual gifts
- movement spread to University of Notre Dame which started to host annual conferences with thousands of Catholics attending
56
How has the charismatic movement been recognised in the Catholic church?
- 1975: Pope Paul VI welcomed 10,000 Christians attending a conference on the Charismatic Movement
- 1980: Pope John Paul II appointed Raniero Cantalamessa as a preacher to the papal household
- 1993: Vatican recognised the International Charismatic Renewal Services, which promotes charismatic renewal amongst Catholics across the world
57
Summarise the status of the Charismatic Movement in the modern Catholic Church
- amount involved in charismatic renewal today accounts for 10-15% of all Catholics worldwide
- estimated to be 150million charismatic Catholics
- a highly diverse collection of individuals, groups and activities: covenant communities, prayer groups, small faith sharing groups and renewal parishes
- they all share the same fundamental experience
58
What was the fastest growing Christian movement in Britain in the 80s?
the House Church movement (Restorationism)
59
What is restorationism?
the belief that God was restoring his kingdom in the last days
- followers believed strict religious rules and fixed rituals were being replaced by influence of the Holy Spirit (Dr Andrew Walker)
60
Who was restorationism composed of?
Christians who had left established denominations (eg Baptists and those from classic Pentecostal denominations) and new Christians
61
What did restorationism followers believe?
they were living in the end times when demonic powers would be overcome
62
Which movements/festivals/leaders have been influential in spreading the CM amongst evangelical Christians?
Toronto Blessing, the Vineyard association of churches founded by John Wimber, the Spring Harvest ministries
63
What is Spring Harvest?
a non denominational gathering of Christians of all ages in a festival setting at several locations across the UK. known for its charismatic worship and inspiring speakers
64
What is the Alpha Course?
- developed at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton, London
- includes teaching on Christian belief but also encourages charismatic experiences
- popular in the 80s and 90s
- still going
- made to attract rich people into the Church of England
- involves sitting in a circle which encourages Charismatic experience
- no longer growing
- huge service. on the Saturday of the 10th week, speaking in tongues
- huge growth; 4 courses in 1991 to 2,500 in 1995, to 10,500 in 1998
65
What are the main beliefs and implications for Christian practice in the Charismatic Movement?
1. Speaking in tongues
2. Prophecy
3. Healing
4. Inspiration in worship
66
What does ‘glossalia’ mean?
speaking in a language unknown to the speaker
67
What is xenolalia?
speaking in a known language that one has not consciously learned
68
What happens in 1 Corinthians 12-14?
Paul speaks a kind of heavenly language that cannot be understood by anyone without the spiritual gift of interpretation. it is made clear that the language is meant for a divine audience, not a human one
69
What do most Pentecostals and those in the Charismatic Movement see tongues as?
a divine prayer language that leads one to making an incomprehensible babbling kind of noise while simultaneously feeling close to god
70
How have some theologians challenged the idea that what is happening in Acts is not xenolalia?
the Apostles were instead speaking in a heavenly language and the spirit of God was simultaneously giving listeners a miracle of interpretation (a minority position: most theologians believe these passages are about two different phenomena)
71
What is a prophet?
someone who conveys the word of God in a direct way. sometimes to do with foretelling future events, but more often has to do with speaking a message that will bring about greater loyalty to God or increased morality
72
What is a prophecy?
a direct exhortation that claims to come directly from God
73
What is an example of a prophecy?
1 Corinthians 14:29: “God says to not worry about your decision about your job, for he will guide you and lead you”
74
What criteria does the church have to discern true from false prophecy?
- the prophecy does not contradict the teaching of the Bible
- the prophecy is accepted by Church leaders
- the prophecy clearly recognised that Jesus is God
- the prophecy inspires love, joy, peace and other ‘fruits of the spirit’
75
Mark 16 quote and context
Jesus gives a command to the disciples to spread the Gospel across the world. he said many signs would accompany their work, one of them being healing.
“they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover”
76
What do prayers for healing often involve?
- laying on of hands by several people
- spiritual gift of healing
- healing prayers sometimes offered during administration of Eucharist
- healing can be psychological, emotional, can be healing of relationships, buried memories
77
What do Charismatic worshipers generally do during services?
move their bodies, swaying with the music, raising hands in the air, clapping, dancing and linking arms
78
What style of music is usually used in charismatic worship?
contemporary: worship band uses a variety of instruments such as guitars, drums, bass, keyboards
- lyrics are projected on screen so that worshippers are free from using books
- times of prayer can be punctuated with spontaneous singing of familiar songs/choruses
- can be gentle singing during Eucharist and songs can conclude with worshippers transitioning into speaking/singing in tongues
79
Why might the Charismatic Movement be seen as appealing?
it offers an experience of God to Christians who may have only possessed an intellectual relationship with Christianity
80
What criteria do Churches have to judge the validity of experiences?
1. Do the messages that come from charismatic experiences (eg prophecy) conform to the teaching of the Bible?
2. Does the experience produce spiritual fruits such as joy and peace?
3. Is the message/experience supportive of the direction set by the leaders of the congregation?
4. Do the experiences affirm that Jesus is Lord, to be esteemed as God and followed?
81
William James quote and what it suggests
“by their fruits ye shall know them, not by their roots”
- we can only know the truth of a religious experience by looking at how someone lives afterwards
- the fruits of RE were the best qualities known to humanity: charity, devotion, trust, patience, bravery
82
What are the issues around verification of Charismatic experiences?
- Ayer: all knowledge outside of formally true statements must be able to be verified through sense experience.
- there is no physical way to prove that the physical signs notion towards an experience of God
- most current accounts of speaking in tongues are of heavenly languages, known only to God. the speaker uses nonsense syllables. when an interpretation is given, there is no way to verify a relationship between the interpretation and the language it was supposedly based on
- claims for xenolalia have never been confirmed by any scientific studies
83
What are some difficulties of Christians being tempted to credit prayer for their healing?
- some diseases (eg multiple sclerosis) are known to have symptoms which come and go erratically
- there are reports of healing which when followed up, find patients just as ill or worse
- claims for miraculous cures of cancer through prayers have been made when the cancer was merely a medical hypothesis, rather than proven. so they may not have had cancer in the first place
- spontaneous remission of disease is rare, but can happen outside of prayers for healing
- no scientifically conducted study has yet proven a correlation between prayers for healing and actual healing
84
What did Flew say made an assertion meaningful?
if it is falsifiable. there must be conditions which would make the assertion false
- without the ability to falsify claims, science cannot proceed
- the claim that God has healed in response to prayer but then claim the healing may not be physical, sounds like a claim that can never be falsifiable so there meaningless
85
What is the strongest scientific claim that has been made about religious experience?
there is a correlation between religious participation and physical and emotional health. there have been scientifically conducted studies which demonstrated benefits to religious belonging. however these results can be questioned because only people already in fairly good health can attend church
- however it could still be true that people are emotionally strengthened after receiving prayers of healing, experiencing tongues, or other charismatic gifts. but this does not verify the existence of god
86
What is cultural phenomenon?
- cultural context plays a role in RE.
eg someone raised in a Christianity influenced area is more likely to have experience of Jesus than of Krishna, but the opposite would be true in India
- in cultures of Christianity speaking in tongues is viewed as a sign of the Holy Spirit, but for others there would be a different understanding
- challenges the claim that the origin of these experiences is specifically Christian
87
What is the psychological naturalistic explanation for charismatic experiences?
- we live in a world full of anxiety and neediness, meaning some of us may be especially open to experiences that ease our anxieties and meet our emotional needs, no matter how questionable
- Freud viewed religion as an illusion based on our primal need for a father figure; are people who lack familial figures more likely to have a charismatic experience?
88
What is the sociological naturalistic explanation for charismatic experiences?
- nature and society are so chaotic that humans have needed rules in order to survive
- however, society needs to force these rules as much as possible, so it uses religion to do so: “you must live this way because God days so”
- Durkham equates god with society. “God wants us to live this way can be translated as Society wants us to live this way”
89
What do the natural explanations for charismatic experiences suggest?
the experiences are projections onto the universe of our human needs, problems and longings
- people have REs because they need to have them regardless of their ultimate truth value
- suggests those with CEs are ‘weaker’ humans who have more psychological and social needs than the average person
90
How might the Charismatic Movement respond to defend itself against natural explanations?
- claiming all people who have these experiences are especially needy doesn’t fit the fact of the diversity or the movement and has not been proven scientifically
- you can say the brain is involved without saying it originates in the brain: those with CEs could argue that the experience is caused outside of one’s brain, even though the brain plays a role in interpreting the experience. supports Hick’s pluralist view that there is one divine reality refracted by different cultures
- these experiences are part of a cumulative case for God: isn’t there some weight to the fact that millions of people have unusual experiences that bring them joy and renewed confidence to their lives? Swinburne says the sheer number of people who believe and have REs makes a compelling case for Gods existence
91
Quote from Cartledge and evaluation
“Pentecostals have turned to the narrative of Luke - Acts as the main source for their theology”
- Agree. authority has come from the Bible. connects back to Early Church
92
Quote from A Mason
“The Charismatic movement gentrified Pentecostalism”
93
What is meant by secularisation?
Reasons for changes to the scope, importance, function and popularity of religion
- draws upon religion stats eg church attendance, baptisms, religious marriage etc in order to prove that Western religion has become less significant
94
What are the contributions of Martin and Weber to the secularisation debate?
Martin: criticises secularisation - “has roots in rationalist and historicist ideology which needed to be exposed”
Weber: distinctions between different religious groups; churches, sects and denominations
95
What evidence challenges the secularisation hypothesis?
Rationalism; all knowledge comes from reason and critical thinking
Martin: secularisation is influenced by certain philosophical and historical ideas: tended to shape the way people interpreted religious data
96
How does neo-Pentecostalism in the UK challenge the secularisation hypothesis?
- 1904-5: 100k people renewed religious commitments/joined churches or chapels for the first time
- Pentecostal churches began to grow during the 20s and 30s until there was about 1000 congregations. continued until the 50s
- 1970s: Pentecostals combined to form new Churches: Apostolic Networks
97
What is the picture of neo-Pentecostalism outside the UK?
- very appealing to every culture: from struggling post-colonial countries of Africa to the rich skyscrapers of Hong Kong
- popular because it is a form of Christianity which underlines the importance of religious experience and so transcends rational categories
98
Speaking in tongues as a fundamental aspect of the Charismatic Movement
- glossolalia/xenolalia
- glossolalia most common in Charismatic worship: sounds like gentle babbling
- 1 Cor 14.18: “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you” - suggests it is a gift from the holy spirit
- O’Connor: “many have found that tension, depression, fear and temptations… are promptly banished when they pray in tongues”
99
Inspiration as a fundamental aspect of the Charismatic Movement
- joyful and energetic worship: feeling of spirit moving within the believers
- worship bands playing soft rock music, singing, dancing, clapping and spontaneous movement: believer is freely guided by their experience
- White: “in meetings where the Holy Spirit’s power is manifest, some people seem a little drunk”
100
Prophecy as a fundamental aspect of the Charismatic Movement
- direct words of God are conveyed: may involve telling the future or bringing a message leading to greater loyalty to God
- Churches criteria for discerning true from false prophecy: mustn’t contradict the Bible, must be accepted by Church leaders, recognise Jesus is God, and inspire the fruits of the spirit
101
Healing as a fundamental aspect of the Charismatic Movement
- a sign that accompanies evangelism
- Mark 16:18: when disciples spread the word of God, “they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover”
- believe the spirit will heal believers when they gather; may be brought about through laying on of hands/healing prayers
- healing may be interpreted as emotional because it gives a renewed sense of well being as the spirit works within them
102
Strengths of the Charismatic Movement
- it presents a form of Christianity that has not succumbed to passive participation
- traditional worship seems out of depth with our needs for emotions, warmth, joy: devoid services, long sermons, intricate liturgies seem more appealing for weddings and funerals
- it recognises that each Christian has been given a spiritual gift that can be shared with the ‘body of Christ’
