This book deals with the largest global shift in religion over the last forty years, the astonishing rise of Pentecostalism and charismatic Christianity. Conservative estimates suggest that a quarter of a billion people are now members of Pentecostal churches, mainly in the developing world. David Martin examines the widely differing forms of Pentecostal religion across the five continents, drawing deeply significant conclusions about the future of Christianity itself.

David Martin's "Tongues of Fire "was a pioneering examination of Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity in Latin America. This book extends the argument of that book and applies it globally. The author looks at the roots of the Pentecostal movement to explain how it crosses cultural boundaries, appealing to people as diverse as the respectable poor in Latin American and Africa, the new middle classes of South East Asia, and minorities in the Andes or Nepal. Martin offers a sensitive and illuminating account of the life-world of Pentecostals which looks at the specificities of history, politics, culture and economics while drawing out a wide-ranging theory and explanation of the secular and the sacred.

"Pentecostalism: The World Their Parish "is a major milestone in the work of one of the most respected sociologists of religion writing today. It will become essential reading for students, academics and general readers interested in the rise of global religion.

How has a Christian movement, founded at the turn of the twentieth century by the son of freed slaves, become the fastest-growing religion on Earth? Neo-Charismatic Pentecostalism has some 600 million followers worldwide, and by 2050 their numbers will grow to 1 billion: that's one in ten people. This is the religion of the Holy Spirit, with believers gaining direct experience of God and all that comes with it: success for the mind, body, spirit and wallet. But Pentecostalism is also a cultural movement. It speaks to the most impoverished people in Africa and Latin America, and inspires anti-establishment leaders from Europe to Australia, South Korea to Brazil. It throws itself into culture wars and online activism, offering meaning and community to rootless Westerners adrift in a fragmenting world. Beyond Belief is the first journalistic investigation into this revolution exploding across the globe. Visiting twelve countries and eight American states, Elle Hardy exposes a timeless tale of miracles, money and power, set in our volatile age of extremes. She exposes the Pentecostalist agenda: not just saving souls, but transforming societies. These modern prophets, quietly embedded in our institutions, have the cash and the influence to do it. 'A fantastic read. Hardy gets right into the nucleus of the Pentecostal movement with empathy and a sharp journalistic eye. An incredibly important book.' - Erica Buist, author of This Party's Dead: Grief, Joy and Spilled Rum at the World's Death Festivals 'An arresting, page-turning narrative, worthy of the pageantry, vivacity and charm of Pentecostalism. Ambitious in its coverage and earnest in its exploration, Beyond Belief is a truly compelling account of the world's foremost Christian renewal movement.' - Ebenezer Obadare, author of Pentecostal Republic 'Informative, engaging, and unsettling, Beyond Belief is an in-depth exploration of global Pentecostalism in lively, accessible prose.' - Chrissy Stroop, journalist, commentator and senior researcher on the Postsecular Conflicts Project

Combining personal stories and sound scholarship, Paul Alexander, a young scholar with a Pentecostal background, examines the phenomenal worldwide success of Pentecostalism. While most other works on the subject are either for academics or believers, this book speaks to a broader audience. Interweaving stories of his own and his family's experiences with an account of Pentecostalism's history and tenets, Alexander provides a unique and accessible perspective on the movement.

Presents a multidisciplinary study of how Nigerian pentecostals conceive of and engage with a spirit-filled world, arguing that the character of the movement is defined through an underlying "spell of the invisible." This book presents a multidisciplinary study of how Nigerian Pentecostals conceive of and engage with a spirit-filled world. It seeks to discern the spirituality of the charismatic religious movement in Nigeria in relation to issues of politics, national sovereignty, economic development, culture, racial identity, gender, social ethics, and epistemology. Nimi Wariboko describes the faith's core beliefs and practices, revealing a "spell of the invisible" that defines not only the character of the movement but also believers' ways of seeing, being, and doing. Written by an insider to the tradition, Nigerian Pentecostalism will also engage outsiders with an interest in criticalsocial theory, political theory, and philosophy. Nimi Wariboko is the Katherine B. Stuart Professor of Christian Ethics at Andover Newton Theological School, Newton, Massachusetts.

In Lewi Pethrus' Ecclesiological Thought 1911-1974: A Transdenominational Pentecostal Ecclesiology, Tommy Davidsson presents a chronological survey of the ecclesiology of the Swedish Pentecostal pioneer, Lewi Pethrus (1884-1974). The presentation is the first study of its kind and it demonstrates by means of a historical analysis the underlying factors that contributed to the formation of ecclesiological beliefs among Pentecostals. The insights from the historical analysis are then applied to a global setting. By employing Roger Haight's Transdenominational Ecclesiology, Davidsson proposes a methodology that serves as a helpful tool when assessing the unifying values that characterise highly diverse Pentecostal communities worldwide.