Description
Book Synopsis Over the past decades, Pentecostal-charismatic Christianity has arguably become the fastest growing religious movement in the world. Distinguishing features of this variant of Christianity include formal ritual activities as well as informal, experiential, and ecstatic forms of worship. This book examines Pentecostal-charismatic ritual practice in different parts of the world, highlighting, among other things, the crucial role of ritual in creating religious communities and identities.
Trade Review “The book is a solid piece of work…Besides the theoretical novelties, the amount of empiric material that is presented is one of the book’s major benefits…the anthology represents a breakthrough in Pentecostal studies...it is one of the most interesting books that has been written on charismatic Christianity for a long time, and it must absolutely be read by everyone with an interest in Pentecostalism or/and ritual theory.” · Alternative Spirituality and Religion Review
“The quality of the essays is thankfully high, even as the cumulative result of the volume is suggestive for rethinking contemporary theories of ritual. This suggests that Practicing the Faithnot only tells us about pentecostal-charismatic life, but it also has methodological implications for anthropologists and other students of ritual. The study of Pentecostalism, thus, shows itself to be no less surprising than the phenomenon itself.” · Religious Studies Review
"This is a welcome collection of essays on ritual within Pentecostal and charismatic churches [that] will stake out new ground in a very crowded field." · Matthew Engelke, London School of Economics
Table of Contents Introduction
Martin Lindhardt
Chapter 1.The Obvious Aspects of Pentecostalism: Ritual and Pentecostal Globalization
Joel Robbins
Chapter 2. Laying our sins on the altar: Ritualising charismatic Catholic reconciliation and healing
Jacqueline Ryle
Chapter 3. Healing and Redomestication: Reconstitution of the Feminine Self in South Korean Evangelical Cell Group Ritual Practices
Kelly Chong
Chapter 4. Ritualization of Life
Thomas J. Csordas
Chapter 5. Adventure and Atrophy in a Charismatic Movement: Returning to the ‘Toronto Blessing’
Martyn Percy
Chapter 6. Ritual Use of the Bible in African Pentecostalism
Paul Gifford
Chapter 7. Voices: Presence and Prophecy in Charismatic Ritual
Simon Coleman
Chapter 8. When God Interferes. Ritual, Empowerment and Divine Presence in Chilean Pentecostalism
Martin Lindhardt
Chapter 9. Quiet Deliverances
Jon Bialecki
Chapter 10. Imperfect Vessels: Emotion and rituals of anti-Ritual in American Pentecostal and Charismatic devotional life
Gretchen Pfeil
Chapter 11. Public Rituals and Political Positioning: Venezuelan Evangelicals and the Chávez Government
David Smilde
Notes on Contributors
Bibliography
Index
