The Charismatic Movement is a global movement within traditional denominations and congregations where manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit listed in I Corinthians 12 are taught and encouraged. It began in Protestant churches around 1960, and in Catholic churches around 1967. It traces its roots back to the Pentecostal Movement in the early years of the 20th century, where people primarily from the holiness tradition and Wesleyanism received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues.
Prior to the Charismatic Movement, if a non-Pentecostal Christian received the baptism in the Holy Spirit they would either feel compelled or coerced into leaving their church in favor of a denominational Pentecostal church, but during the Charismatic Movement they could often feel comfortable remaining in their church as fellow members and at times even the ministers had a shared theology and experiences.
The American Episcopal Church was the first to be impacted by the movement. On Easter Sunday of 1960, Father Dennis Bennett of St Mark’s Episcopal Church in Van Nuys, California, told his parish that he had received the infilling of the Holy Spirit. The controversy that followed created great awareness of the subject, and soon others followed. The Catholic Charismatic Renewal began in 1967 at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The term “charismatic” was coined by American Lutheran minister Harald Bredesen in 1962 who preferred it to “neo-Pentecostal”.
In the 1970s the Jesus Movement and the Charismatic Movement combined to create a new religious environment within the U.S. Christian coffee houses and music festivals like Explo ’72 in Dallas, Texas and a series of Jesus festivals in Florida, California, and other states brought Contemporary Christian music into the mainstream.
In the mid-1970s a movement within the Charismatic Movement emerged. The lack of morality and discipline within the movement caused concern to certain ministers in Florida, who felt that structure was needed to guide believers toward morality and maturity in the faith. They formulated what become known as the Shepherding (or Discipleship) Movement, where accountability to a spiritual covering was needed. This movement met with disaster, as the remedy proved more harmful than the disease. People felt unable to hear from God or make a decision without consent from their “cover”. In time, some of the leaders admitted that the concept was misguided and apologized.
The Charismatic Movement wasn’t as influential with evangelical churches as it was with Catholic and Episcopalian churches at first. In 1975 two Baptist churches in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex, Beverly Hills and Shady Grove, were disassociated when their pastors received the baptism and began to share with their congregations this new experience. Other controversies in other parts of the country followed, but in the mid-1980s the impact became evident with them, too. This became known as the Third Wave. The Third Wave has expressed itself through the formation of separate churches and denomination-like organizations. These groups are sometimes referred to as “neo-charismatic”. The Vineyard Movement and the British New Church Movement are examples of Third Wave or neo-charismatic organizations.
Related Topics
10 Claims About Speaking in Tongues
Detractors argue these sign and revelatory gifts were manifested in the New Testament for a specific purpose, upon which once accomplished these signs were withdrawn and no longer function. This position is called cessationism,and is claimed by its proponents to be the almost universal position of Christians until the Charismatic movement started.
One detractor took it upon himself to redefine blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. You’ll hear him in this clip saying that modern blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is attributing to the Holy Spirit that which is not the work of the Holy Spirit.
In Matthew 12 Jesus was accused of casting out devils by the power of Satan. In His response He gives us the definition of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
“… every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Mat. 12:31,32)
Jesus was saying that attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, a.k.a. The Unpardonable Sin. What the detractor was saying in essence, is that it’s now just the opposite. He gives no supporting scripture for that. We’re just supposed to accept it because he said it.
The Apostle Paul said to let the prophets speak and let the others judge. (I Cor. 14:29) Prophets speak by the anointing of the Holy Spirit. If what they say can be judged, then that means that it could be wrong. Otherwise it wouldn’t need to be judged. John told us how to test the spirits in I John 4:1-3. In neither case was blasphemy of the Holy Spirit brought up.
Some have shied away from the Charismatic Movement out of concern for the error and extremes. I did that myself for awhile, but the Holy Spirit kept drawing me back. Apparently He’s not nearly as offended by the error as some ministers and apologists are.
One of the objectives in creating this site is bringing these issues to the attention of believers everywhere. Just because somebody has a large ministry and a powerful platform doesn’t make them right. Never assume that what you hear is right just because a famous person said it. Always double-check and verify. That’s why I provide verses, links, and clips for what I say. Many people have been scared away from valid ministries because they heard an out-of-context quote or some other misrepresentation. Hopefully now some of them will reconsider.