Heaven below : early pentecostals and American culture /

Despite copious adherents and a growth curve that defies trends in most mainline groups, Pentecostals remain largely misunderstood by both the general public and their fellow Christians. Wacker (Duke Univ.) endeavors to develop an understanding of this movement in this study of its early history (1900-25). Using countless newspapers, diaries, and other primary sources, Wacker constructs the story of the Pentecostal movement through the words of ordinary people whose adherence to the tenets of the movement affects nearly every aspect of their day-to-day lives. Raised Pentecostal but later converting to Methodism, Wacker approaches the topic evenhandedly. He demonstrates how early Pentecostals struck a balance between what he refers to as the "primitive" and "pragmatic" impulses of their faith--desiring to be guided in all things by God, but adapting their faith to fit societal expectations. Scholars will find Wacker's research thorough, yet his writing is accessible to a popular audience. This volume joins Edith Blumhofer's Restoring the Faith: The Assemblies of God, Pentecostalism, and American Culture (1993) as essential reading for those seeking to understand the Pentecostal movement. Highly recommended for general readers and all academic levels. R. Watts University of Arkansas at Monticello

Pentecostalsfundamentalist Christians who identify speaking in tongues and miraculous healing as divine giftshave long been ridiculed as poor, ignorant, violent and licentious. In this remarkable study, Wacker, raised a pentecostal and now a respected historian at Duke University, devastates the standard stereotypes. But he also departs from the Edenic model of denominational historiography, which imagines, for example, that the Azusa Street mission was a model of interracial harmony before the fatal break between its black and white founders. What emerges instead is a remarkably rich account of the inner lives of ordinary men and women who felt themselves filled with the power of the Holy Ghost. In 15 tightly organized chapters, Wacker offers a comprehensive ethnography of the first generation of pentecostalstheir faith, their social attitudes and their politics. He leads the reader through enchanted landscapes populated by angels and demons, pauses to assess reports of xenolalia (speaking in a human language allegedly unknown to the speaker) and surveys the gulfs that have divided charismatics from their detractors. It is difficult to imagine a more judicious treatment of the subject; meticulously researched, lyrically written and continuously illuminating, Wacker's book is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand the origins of this influential current in American culture. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Pentecostals, or "radical," "primitive" evangelicals, have not only survived but have flourished while embracing beliefs that include personal salvation, Holy Ghost baptism, divine healing, and the anticipation of the imminent return of Christ. They are prospering today, as evidenced by the Brownsville Assembly of God Church in Pensacola, FL, where millions have flocked to a nonstop revival begun in the 1990s. Wacker (history of religion, Duke Univ.), who himself has Pentecostal roots, gives an in-depth, well-researched look at the history, beliefs, and everyday lives of early Pentecostals (1900-25). He discusses their culture, temperament, taboos, use of time, organizational skills, and leadership. While exploring the boundaries that separate the Pentecostals from mainstream U.S. society, he also shows how only a minority fit the stereotype of poor and alienated folk. The genius of the Pentecostal movement, Wacker states, lies in its ability to hold two seemingly incompatible impulses the primitive and the pragmatic in productive tension. Recommended for cultural and theological collections. George Westerlund, formerly with Providence P.L., Palmyra, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.