An interconnected account of the progress of the Pentecostal and charismatic movements in Europe has long been needed but has never before been attempted because of the diversity of languages spoken across the continent. This book provides historical, theological and sociological perspectives on European Pentecostalism.

A comprehensive history of Christianity in the century when it truly became a global religion.

In many ways, the story of the Pentecostal movement in Europe reads like the biblical book of Acts. Just as the early disciples were led by the Holy Spirit to carry the message of the Gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, so also the 20th-century Pentecostals were compelled by the Spirit to leave their homelands and share the Full Gospel with all of Europe. After his introduction to the early beginning and expansion of the Pentecostal movement, Paul Schmidgall tells the story of Pentecostalism in Europe. Moving country-by-country through Europe, he describes the theological soil from which the roots of Pentecost emerged; he recounts the lives and ministries of Pentecostal founders and leaders; and he unfolds the social, political, and theological trends that influenced Pentecostalism's development. Schmidgall's narrative reveals a variety of theological emphases and ecclesiastical commitments that persist in Pentecostalism throughout Europe. The story concludes with Schmidgall's vision of the future of Pentecostalism in Europe, in which he affirms the value of Pentecostal theology and practice for postmodern humanity. Extensive bibliographies and up-to-date statistics add to the value of this work as an introduction to Pentecostalism in Europe.

Over the past thirty years, Italy—the historic home of Catholicism—has become a significant destination for migrants from Nigeria and Ghana. Along with suitcases and dreams of a brighter future, these Africans bring their own form of Christianity, Pentecostalism, shaped by their various cultures and religious worlds. At the heart of Annalisa Butticci’s beautifully sculpted ethnography of African Pentecostalism in Italy is a paradox. Pentecostalism, traditionally one of the most Protestant of Christian faiths, is driven by the same concern as Catholicism: real presence. In Italy, Pentecostals face harsh anti-immigrant sentiment and limited access to economic and social resources. At times, they find safe spaces to worship in Catholic churches, where a fascinating encounter unfolds that is equal parts conflict and communion. When Pentecostals watch Catholics engage with sacramental objects—relics, statues, works of art—they recognize the signs of what they consider the idolatrous religions of their ancestors. Catholics, in turn, view Pentecostal practices as a mix of African religions and Christian traditions. Yet despite their apparently irreconcilable differences and conflicts, they both share a deeply sensuous and material way to make the divine visible and tangible. In this sense, Pentecostalism appears much closer to Catholicism than to mainstream Protestantism. African Pentecostals in Catholic Europe offers an intimate glimpse at what happens when the world’s two fastest growing Christian faiths come into contact, share worship space, and use analogous sacramental objects and images. And it explains how their seemingly antithetical practices and beliefs undergird a profound commonality.

Global Pentecostalism and Charismatic Christianity in all its diversity is the fastest expanding religious movement in the world today. Allan Anderson, a former Pentecostal minister and a leading authority on global Pentecostalism, aims to make more visible the 'non-western' nature of Pentecostalism without overlooking the importance of the movement emanating from North America. Offering an innovative interpretation of Pentecostalism, he takes seriously the contributions of the Majority World to its development and, concentrating on its history and theology, reflects on the movement's development and significance throughout the world. Anderson also examines those theological issues that helped form a distinctive spirituality and how this relates to different peoples and their cultures. Finally, Anderson discusses the development of Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity in the different countries from its origins at the beginning of the twentieth century to its theological emphases in the present, together with the impact of the processes of globalization.

How and why is Christianity's center of gravity shifting to the developing world? To understand this rapidly growing phenomenon, Donald E. Miller and Tetsunao Yamamori spent four years traveling the globe conducting extensive on-the-ground research in twenty different countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. The result is this vividly detailed book which provides the most comprehensive information available on Pentecostalism, the fastest-growing religion in the world. Rich with scenes from everyday life, the book dispel many stereotypes about this religion as they build a wide-ranging, nuanced portrait of a major new social movement.