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

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