The Encyclopedia of World Religions

Pentecostalism S 339

Especially in Africa and Latin America people have found it attractive. There are a number of reasons for this. Unlike many other preachers, Pentecostal preachers have not hesitated to prom ise success and prosperity. Such promises echo the traditional concerns of religions in these regions, which often tried to help people achieve material well-being. They also appeal to needy people, as Pentecostalism seems especially to have done in Latin America. Pentecostal preachers have also advocated a morally strict lifestyle. This lifestyle has often countered certain characteristics of male-domi nated cultures. A good example is the culture of machismo in Latin America, which people in the region often associate with Roman Catholicism. Pentecostals preach against drinking and gam bling. They deplore marital infidelity and male violence against women. They urge people to take responsibility for their actions, and they advo cate values such as thriftiness and cleanliness. Women often find these emphases appealing. It is not surprising, then, that Pentecostalism in Latin America attracts about twice as many women as it does men. It is also not surprising that people who become Pentecostals often find that their lives improve. When they abandon a lifestyle that involves drinking, gambling, and spending a great deal of money, they have more resources at their disposal. Pentecostalism has yet another advantage over more traditional forms of Christianity in these regions. Pentecostal organization is looser than the structure of the Roman Catholic Church and the various Protestant churches. As a result, Pentecos talism changes to fit local conditions more easily. It often spreads through the activities of an inde pendent preacher, who can adapt to local condi tions quickly without having to convince his or her superiors of the need to do so. Pentecostals have also been willing to improvise by using readily available materials—vacant storefronts, overhead projectors rather than hymnbooks, easily learned songs, informal and emotional worship—instead of insisting on traditions that come from other times and places.

nies about their religious experiences. The style of Pentecostal worship is contemporary. Pente costals have been willing to adapt contemporary styles, musical instruments, and technology for use in worship. The majority of Pentecostals are women. Some studies suggest that Pentecostal women are more open to religious experiences and talk about them in more detail than Pentecostal men. Official Pentecos tal church leaders, however, continue to be men. PENTECOSTALISM IN THE UNITED STATES Pentecostal Christianity has been a visible part of American life. Almost from the beginning, Pen tecostalism has produced public figures. A good early example is Aimee Semple McPherson (1890– 1944), founder of the Foursquare Gospel Church. She captured headlines in the 1920s when, as it seems, she engineered her own kidnapping. Another prominent Pentecostal healer was Oral Roberts (b. 1918), who established a large com plex in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1969, Roberts joined the United Methodist Church. In the 1980s Pente costals Jim (b. 1939) and Tammy Faye (b. 1942) Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart (b. 1935) were some of the best-known television evangelists ( see TEL EVANGELISM ). Eventually, however, they suffered public disgrace because of sexual indiscretions. Pentecostals have not traditionally been prominent in American government, but perhaps the most prominent American Pentecostal in the early years of the 21st century was John Ashcroft (b. 1942), the U.S. Attorney General 2001–2005. People such as Oral Roberts and John Ashcroft may occupy prominent places in the public imagi nation, but they should not overshadow the impor tance of various Pentecostal groups. Such groups include University Christian Fellowship, Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship, and—not to be overlooked—Pentecostal congregations them selves. Many of the latter remain unaffiliated with any denomination. PENTECOSTALISM ELSEWHERE Outside of North America, Pentecostalism has grown with tremendous speed since the 1950s.