Azusa Street was the prelude, but the beginning of Pentecostalism was reached when a global Pentecostal network was established. Neither a creed, an institution nor a place is the beginning of Pentecostalism, but a vast and vague international network; and in that specific sense Pentecostalism was a global movement right from its beginnings. And it is in this context that the beginnings of Pentecostalism in India have to be understood. Making up approximately 20 percent of South India's Protestants, Pentecostals are an influential part of India's Christian culture, yet there is a distinct lack of scholarly focus on this increasingly large denomination. This careful study ably fills that gap. After a brief introduction outlining the history of the worldwide growth of Pentecostalism, Bergunder delves into the history of the south Indian Pentecostal movement in the first section. The second section gives a systematic profile of the current movement in south India, based on formal interviews with nearly 200 leading pastors and evangelists, as well as a wide-range of source materials. Bergunder finishes with prospects for the future of this unique Pentecostal movement.

With its remarkable ability to adapt to many different cultures, Pentecostalism has become the world's fastest growing religious movement. More than five hundred million adherents worldwide have reshaped Christianity itself. Yet some fundamental questions in the study of global Pentecostalism, and even in what we call 'Pentecostalism', remain largely unaddressed. Bringing together leading scholars in the social sciences, history, and theology, this unique volume explores these questions for this rapidly growing, multidisciplinary field of study. A valuable resource for anyone studying new forms of Christianity, it offers insights and guidance on both theoretical and methodological issues. The first section of the book examines such topics as definitions, essentialism, postcolonialism, gender, conversion, and globalization. The second section features contributions from those working in psychology, anthropology, sociology, and history. The third section traces the boundaries of theology from the perspectives of pneumatology, ecumenical studies, inter-religious relations, and empirical theology.