Signs and Wonders : Why Pentecostalism Is the World's Fastest Growing Faith

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. Signs and Wonders: Why Pentecostalism Is the World's Fastest-Growing Faith......Page 1 Contents......Page 7 Foreword......Page 9 Acknowledgments......Page 15 CHAPTER 1: JUST ASK: A WORLD OF MIRACLES AWAITS......Page 19 Jesus and His Followers Healed People—It’s in the Bible!......Page 23 Praying with Faith: How It Works......Page 25 But Does It Make Sense?......Page 27 What’s the Appeal?......Page 32 Conclusion......Page 35 CHAPTER 2: WORSHIP AND MUSIC......Page 37 But Is This in the Bible?......Page 41 Why Pentecostalism’s Working-Class Enthusiasm Is Appealing......Page 43 Latino Music and the Appeal of Pentecostalism......Page 51 Jazz and the Appeal of Pentecostalism......Page 53 CHAPTER 3: TONGUE-TALKING......Page 59 Six Things Michelle Teaches Us......Page 63 Where Did Tongue-Talking Come From?......Page 66 Nudity, Love, and Tongues: Tongues in Private and in Public......Page 68 Why This Appeals to So Many People......Page 72 Conclusion......Page 76 CHAPTER 4: PROSPERITY (OR MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY)......Page 79 Pentecostals and Money: Contemporary Manifestations......Page 81 The Problems with Prosperity......Page 85 The Promise and Appeal of the Prosperity Gospel......Page 88 CHAPTER 5: STORYTELLING......Page 97 The Bible Is Mostly Stories, or, Once Upon a Time Jesus Told a Lot of Stories......Page 99 Pentecostalism as Acts 29: The Story Continues......Page 103 Witches, Wizards, and Christ, Oh My! The Power of Conversion Stories......Page 106 What’s the Appeal?......Page 108 CHAPTER 6: POWER AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE......Page 113 Power and Spirits in the Bible......Page 120 What Are the Problems?......Page 125 What’s the Appeal?......Page 128 CHAPTER 7: PROPHECY, VISIONS, AND DREAMS......Page 133 Prophecy, Visions, and Divine Revelation......Page 136 Prophecy, Visions, and Dreams in the Bible......Page 143 The Worm in the Apple......Page 146 What’s the Appeal?......Page 147 CHAPTER 8: HOPE, JOY, AND EMOTION......Page 149 Hope, Joy, and Emotion in the Bible......Page 158 What Are the Problems?......Page 162 What’s the Appeal?......Page 164 NOTES......Page 169 THE AUTHOR......Page 185 INDEX......Page 187

Praise for Signs & Wonders

"I urge the reading of Paul Alexander's Signs and Wonders as a second-best introduction to Pentecostalism, the first being 'being there.' He offers a clear narrative line, issues helpful explanations, and gives something of the experience one recognizes at Pentecostal events or in Pentecostal ventures." —From the Foreword by Martin E. Marty Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus at the University of Chicago and an ordained Lutheran minister

"When I teach about religion in the current world situation the most frequent question I get is 'But why is Pentecostalism growing so quickly and in so many places?' I try to explain, but after reading this book my answer can now be much more complete and well grounded. This is the book that answers that question. It is fair, accurate, balanced, and written in an accessible style. No one seriously interested in the fastest growing Christian movement in the world can afford to miss it." —Harvey Cox Harvard Divinity School and author, Fire From Heaven