The Encyclopedia of World Religions

204 S Holiness movement

In the early 1800s many American Methodists did not have much use for Wesley’s teachings about sanctification. Others, however, did, such as the revivalist preacher Charles G. Finney (1792–1875), president of Oberlin College in Ohio. In striving for perfection, the founders of the Holiness move ment actively sought to improve American society. Among other issues, they promoted the abolition of slavery, peace, social work in city slums, and women’s rights. The early Holiness movement differed from most Protestant churches at the time in insisting that women could hold any church office. In fact, in the Holiness churches, many women did hold high offices. Examples include Antoinette Brown (1825–1921), ordained in 1853 as the first female minister in an American church, and Alma White (1862–1946), who was, she herself said, the first woman in the history of Christianity to hold the office of bishop (consecrated in 1918). In addition, many Holiness preachers worked among the urban poor. An example, first organized in Great Britain, is the S ALVATION A RMY . In the early days, the Holiness movement took two forms. Some churches left larger Methodist bodies to form their own independent churches. One example is the Wesleyan Methodist Church, founded in 1843. Another is the Free Method ist Church, founded in 1860. Other people who favored Holiness teachings stayed within the larger churches and tried to influence them. The organi zation that brought them together was called the National Campmeeting Association for the Promo tion of Holiness, founded in 1867. The word camp meeting in the name referred to a form of meeting common since the Second Great Awakening ( see REVIVALISM ). Through campmeetings Methodism had spread widely among settlers on the frontier; in the 1830s, that had meant the area west of the Appalachians but east of the Mississippi. Toward the end of the 19th century, Method ist bishops began to be especially strict in trying to control the activities of members who preached entire sanctification. As a result, most of these groups left the Methodist church to found churches of their own. The most important of these churches

involved a significantly large number of people. Indeed, by the end of the 20th century even ISK CON was primarily serving the needs of immi grants from India. Much of Hinduism is practiced household by household. Many Indian Americans regularly performed daily household RITUALS and the special rituals associated with different stages of human life, from birth to death. In addition, Indian American communities began to build tem ples. The first Hindu temple in the United States, the Venkateshvara temple outside Pittsburgh, was dedicated in 1976. Immigrant Hindus also formed various associations. The Visva Hindu Parishad or “World Hindu Congress” is a good example. One pressing need for Hindu families was how to teach Hinduism to children born in America. To meet this need, Hindu communities developed educational institutions such as Sunday schools. In general, the resources and clientele available for Hindu institutions in North America were con siderably more limited than in India. As a result, American Hindu temples and organizations often combined gods and loyalties that had been kept separate in India. By the end of the 20th century Hindus, espe cially Hindus of Indian descent, constituted a thriving community in North America. American Hinduism was thriving along with them. Holiness movement A movement within P ROT ESTANTISM that emphasizes the possibility of perfec tion, that is, of living without SIN . The Holiness movement began in the United States during the 19th century. Efforts of missionaries have spread it throughout the world. The Holiness movement grew out of the teach ings of John W ESLEY (1703–91) and M ETHODISM . Indeed, Holiness churches see themselves as main taining true Methodism. Wesley taught that, after Christians were justified (forgiven of their sins and put right with G OD ) through God’s grace at bap tism, they could receive a second gift of grace that provided sanctification, that is, that helped them live a life without sin. The goal of all Christians, he taught, should be to seek perfection.