Spiritual Explosion
A Review of the Literature on the Sudden Growth of Pentecostalism in Australia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/jasr.37176Keywords:
Pentecostalism, growth, spiritual factors, cultural factors, leadership, governance, demographic factors, charismatic movementAbstract
Australian Pentecostalism may be traced back to the late nineteenth and early twentieth century but remained a very small part of the Australian religious landscape until the late 1970s, when it suddenly began an explosive growth period that was sustained for twenty years. This article explores and analyses the statistics that chart this growth. It reviews the existing literature on the causes of this sudden growth spurt produced by participants and observers of Australian Pentecostalism in books and journal articles. It concludes that, according to this literature, there were four main factors driving this phenomenon: cultural changes in Australia; a spiritual movement that included the 'charismatic movement' and the 'Latter Rain' stream; the emergence of new leadership and governance structures; and demographic factors. The article concludes by raising a number of questions that demand further research.
References
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2017b. ‘Flowing Together’: The Origins and Early Development of Hillsong Church within Assemblies of God in Australia’. In The Hillsong Movement Examined: You Call Me Out Upon the Waters, edited by Tanya Riches and Tom Wagner, 21-38. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, Switzerland. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59656-3_2.
Barclay, John. 1987. ‘Arise!’ The Story of Christian City Church. Covenant Press, Sydney.
Chant, Barry. 1984. Heart of Fire. House of Tabor, Adelaide.. 2011. The Spirit of Pentecost: The Origins and Development of the Pentecostal Movement in Australia 1870–1939. Emeth Press, Lexington, KY.
Cartledge, David. 2000. The Apostolic Revelation. Paraclete Institute, Chester Hill, NSW.
Cettolin, Angelo. 2016. Spirit Freedom and Power: Changes in Pentecostal Spirituality. Wipf & Stock, Eugene, OR.
Clifton, Shane. 2009. Pentecostal Churches in Transition: Analysing the Developing Ecclesiology of the Assemblies of God in Australia. Brill, Leiden.
Cooper, Dudley. 1995. Flames of Revival: The Continuing Story of the Christian Revival Crusade. CRC National Executive, Endeavour Hills, VIC.
Cowan, Nelson. 2017. ‘Heaven and Earth Collide’: Hillsong Music’s Evolving Theological Emphases. Pneuma 39(1-2): 78-104. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/15700747-03901001.
Duncan, P.B.. 1978. The Charismatic Tide. Self-published, Sydney, NSW.
Fogarty, Steven. 2012. The Servant Leadership of David Yonggi Cho. Australasian Pentecostal Studies 14: article 4.
Hey, Sam. 2013. Mega Churches: Origins, Ministry and Prospects. Mosaic Press, Melbourne.
Hughes, Philip. 1996. Pentecostals in Australia. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.. 2016. Charting the Faith of Australians. Christian Research Association, Nunawading, VIC..
2017a. Some Notes about Religious Identi?cation in the 2016 Census. Pointers 27(3): 1-4..
2017b. Immigration and Its Continuing Impact on Religion in Australia. Pointers 27(4): 1-6.
Hughes, Philip, Margaret Fraser, and Stephen Reid. 2012. Australia’s Religious Communities. Christian Research Association, Nunawading, VIC.
Humphreys, Robert, and Rowland Ward. 1995. Religious Bodies in Australia: A Comprehensive Guide. New Melbourne Press, Wantirna, VIC, 3rd edn.
Hutchinson, Mark. 1998. The New Thing God Is Doing: The Charismatic Renewal and Classical Pentecostalism. Australasian Pentecostal Studies 1: 5-21..
2013. ‘Fools and Fundamentalists’: The Institutional Dilemmas of Australian Pentecostalism. In The Many Faces of Global Pentecostalism, edited by Harold Hunter and Neil Ormerod, 219-42. CPT Press, Cleveland, TN..
2016. Australasian Charismatic Movements and the ‘New Reformation of the 20th Century?’ Australian Pentecostal Studies 19: 24-63.
Jagelman, Ian. 1998. Church Growth: Its Promise and Problems for Australian Pentecostalism. Australasian Pentecostal Studies 1: 27-40.
Kaldor, Peter, Robert Dixon, and Ruth Powell. 1999. Taking Stock: A Pro?le of Australian Church Attenders. Open Book Publishers, Adelaide, SA.
Knowles, Brett. 2001. ‘From the ends of the earth we hear songs’: Music as an Indicator of New Zealand Pentecostal Theology and Spirituality. Paper presented at the 30th annual meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies.
McClymond, Michael. 2014. Charismatic Renewal and Neo-Pentecostalism: From North American Origins to Global Permutations. In The Cambridge Companion to Pentecostalism, edited by Cecil M. Robeck, Jr and Amos Yong, 31-51. Cambridge University Press, New York. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/CCO9780511910111.005.
Morgan, David. 2010. Priesthood, Prophethood and Spirit-Led Community: A Practical-Prophetic Pentecostal Ecclesiology. Lambert Academic Publishing, Saarbrucken, DE.
Riches, Tanya. 2010. Next Generation Essay: The Evolving Theological Emphasis of Hillsong Worship (1996–2007). Australasian Pentecostal Studies 13: article 6.
Riches, Tanya, and Tom Wagner. 2017. The Hillsong Movement Examined: You Call Me Out Upon the Waters. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, Switzerland. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59656-3.
Riss, Richard M.. 2002. Latter Rain Movement. In The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, edited by Stanley M. Burgess and Eduard M. Van Der Maas, 830-33. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI.
Rose, Gerald, Philip Hughes, and Gary Bouma. 2014. Re-Imagining Church: Positive Ministry Responses to the Age of Experience. Christian Research Association, Melbourne, VIC.
Singleton, Andrew. 2017. Strong Church or Niche Market? The Demography of the Pentecostal Church in Australia. Paper presented at a symposium on Pentecostal Charismatic Christianities in Australia, School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Western Sydney University, 11-12 August, Parramatta.
Stockley, Frank. 2007. A Story Worth Telling: History of the Assemblies of God in Western Australia 1922–2000. Australian Christian Churches, Western Australia.
Smith, Denis, and Gwen Smith. 1987. A River Is Flowing. Assemblies of God in Australia Commonwealth Conference, St Agnes, SA.
Thompson, Roger. 2002. Religion in Australia: A History. Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, VIC, 2nd edn.
2017b. ‘Flowing Together’: The Origins and Early Development of Hillsong Church within Assemblies of God in Australia’. In The Hillsong Movement Examined: You Call Me Out Upon the Waters, edited by Tanya Riches and Tom Wagner, 21-38. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, Switzerland. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59656-3_2.
Barclay, John. 1987. ‘Arise!’ The Story of Christian City Church. Covenant Press, Sydney.
Chant, Barry. 1984. Heart of Fire. House of Tabor, Adelaide.. 2011. The Spirit of Pentecost: The Origins and Development of the Pentecostal Movement in Australia 1870–1939. Emeth Press, Lexington, KY.
Cartledge, David. 2000. The Apostolic Revelation. Paraclete Institute, Chester Hill, NSW.
Cettolin, Angelo. 2016. Spirit Freedom and Power: Changes in Pentecostal Spirituality. Wipf & Stock, Eugene, OR.
Clifton, Shane. 2009. Pentecostal Churches in Transition: Analysing the Developing Ecclesiology of the Assemblies of God in Australia. Brill, Leiden.
Cooper, Dudley. 1995. Flames of Revival: The Continuing Story of the Christian Revival Crusade. CRC National Executive, Endeavour Hills, VIC.
Cowan, Nelson. 2017. ‘Heaven and Earth Collide’: Hillsong Music’s Evolving Theological Emphases. Pneuma 39(1-2): 78-104. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/15700747-03901001.
Duncan, P.B.. 1978. The Charismatic Tide. Self-published, Sydney, NSW.
Fogarty, Steven. 2012. The Servant Leadership of David Yonggi Cho. Australasian Pentecostal Studies 14: article 4.
Hey, Sam. 2013. Mega Churches: Origins, Ministry and Prospects. Mosaic Press, Melbourne.
Hughes, Philip. 1996. Pentecostals in Australia. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.. 2016. Charting the Faith of Australians. Christian Research Association, Nunawading, VIC..
2017a. Some Notes about Religious Identi?cation in the 2016 Census. Pointers 27(3): 1-4..
2017b. Immigration and Its Continuing Impact on Religion in Australia. Pointers 27(4): 1-6.
Hughes, Philip, Margaret Fraser, and Stephen Reid. 2012. Australia’s Religious Communities. Christian Research Association, Nunawading, VIC.
Humphreys, Robert, and Rowland Ward. 1995. Religious Bodies in Australia: A Comprehensive Guide. New Melbourne Press, Wantirna, VIC, 3rd edn.
Hutchinson, Mark. 1998. The New Thing God Is Doing: The Charismatic Renewal and Classical Pentecostalism. Australasian Pentecostal Studies 1: 5-21..
2013. ‘Fools and Fundamentalists’: The Institutional Dilemmas of Australian Pentecostalism. In The Many Faces of Global Pentecostalism, edited by Harold Hunter and Neil Ormerod, 219-42. CPT Press, Cleveland, TN..
2016. Australasian Charismatic Movements and the ‘New Reformation of the 20th Century?’ Australian Pentecostal Studies 19: 24-63.
Jagelman, Ian. 1998. Church Growth: Its Promise and Problems for Australian Pentecostalism. Australasian Pentecostal Studies 1: 27-40.
Kaldor, Peter, Robert Dixon, and Ruth Powell. 1999. Taking Stock: A Pro?le of Australian Church Attenders. Open Book Publishers, Adelaide, SA.
Knowles, Brett. 2001. ‘From the ends of the earth we hear songs’: Music as an Indicator of New Zealand Pentecostal Theology and Spirituality. Paper presented at the 30th annual meeting of the Society for Pentecostal Studies.
McClymond, Michael. 2014. Charismatic Renewal and Neo-Pentecostalism: From North American Origins to Global Permutations. In The Cambridge Companion to Pentecostalism, edited by Cecil M. Robeck, Jr and Amos Yong, 31-51. Cambridge University Press, New York. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/CCO9780511910111.005.
Morgan, David. 2010. Priesthood, Prophethood and Spirit-Led Community: A Practical-Prophetic Pentecostal Ecclesiology. Lambert Academic Publishing, Saarbrucken, DE.
Riches, Tanya. 2010. Next Generation Essay: The Evolving Theological Emphasis of Hillsong Worship (1996–2007). Australasian Pentecostal Studies 13: article 6.
Riches, Tanya, and Tom Wagner. 2017. The Hillsong Movement Examined: You Call Me Out Upon the Waters. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, Switzerland. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59656-3.
Riss, Richard M.. 2002. Latter Rain Movement. In The New International Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements, edited by Stanley M. Burgess and Eduard M. Van Der Maas, 830-33. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI.
Rose, Gerald, Philip Hughes, and Gary Bouma. 2014. Re-Imagining Church: Positive Ministry Responses to the Age of Experience. Christian Research Association, Melbourne, VIC.
Singleton, Andrew. 2017. Strong Church or Niche Market? The Demography of the Pentecostal Church in Australia. Paper presented at a symposium on Pentecostal Charismatic Christianities in Australia, School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Western Sydney University, 11-12 August, Parramatta.
Stockley, Frank. 2007. A Story Worth Telling: History of the Assemblies of God in Western Australia 1922–2000. Australian Christian Churches, Western Australia.
Smith, Denis, and Gwen Smith. 1987. A River Is Flowing. Assemblies of God in Australia Commonwealth Conference, St Agnes, SA.
Thompson, Roger. 2002. Religion in Australia: A History. Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, VIC, 2nd edn.
Published
2018-11-21
Issue
Section
Articles
License
Equinox Publishing Ltd.
How to Cite
Newton, J. K. (2018). Spiritual Explosion: A Review of the Literature on the Sudden Growth of Pentecostalism in Australia. Journal for the Academic Study of Religion, 31(1), 75-96. https://doi.org/10.1558/jasr.37176
