Pentecostalism Symbolism

Pentecostalism is now the second -largest Christian subdivision in the world after Catholicism, with its numerical centre firmly located, and growing, in the global south (Freston, 2004). Etymologically, Pentecostalism is derived from the word “Pentecoste” which is the English version of the New Testament (NT) Greek word “Pentecoste” meaning fiftieth day. The day of Pentecost is noted in the Christian Church as the day on which the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, and on which, under Peter's preaching, so many thousands were converted in Jerusalem. Additionally, it parallels the Jewish “feast of weeks” popularly known as the “Shabuoth” in the Old Testament (OT) of the Bible (Gabriel, 2015) . Pentecostalism is a charismatic Protestant

The conversion experience deals with a transformation from an ‘old life’ to a ‘new’ one. This produces a change of conduct in the converts, who now consciously try not to return to their ‘old life’ represented by their pre-conversion years (Adeboye, 2003 ; 2004).

Pentecostalism is arguably the most important mass religious movement of the twentieth century. Today, this association is the second largest sub-group of global Christianity. It has over 30 million American adherents and a worldwide following of more than 430 million (Anderson, 1992). Pentecostalism’s gloomy beginnings at the turn of the twentieth century make the movement’s growth all the more

This Revival occurred as an expression of social and theological discontent among the nation’s lower and middle-class groups. Advocates for holiness disapproved of the impiety in forefront denominations and were alienated by the growing wealth and grandiosity of their churches. With dissatisfaction in these principal churches, they formed new religious communities devoted to the theological doctrine of perfectionism. These previous Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists believed they were experiencing a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit which bore a resemblance to the early church experience as described in the book of Acts in the Bible. The Holiness Revival produced zeal for "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" (a heavenly enablement for believers) and for other gifts of the Holy Spirit such as healing and prophecy (Dieter, 1996). Holiness leaders such as John Alexander Dowie, Charles Cullis, and Albert B. Simpson set up healing missions across the U.S. They, like other holiness advocates, believed a new, miraculous era of the spirit was taking place which would end in the second coming of Christ (Dieter,