Edith L. Blumhofer, an associate professor of history and
project director for the Institute for the Study of American
Evangelicals at Wheaton College, Illinois, is the author of
American Evangelicalism: A Guide to the Sources.
Along with an excellent denominational history of the Assemblies of God, Blumhofer (Wheaton Coll.) offers a thoughtful look at the growth of Pentecostalism in the 20th century. She sees four stages of development: 1) ``restorationism'' in the early years; 2) affinity with fundamentalism, which broadened its base in the 1920s; 3) the Charismatic renewal, which crossed all denominational boundaries after World War II; and 4) the growing incorporation of popular culture since the 1970s. Each chapter presents a period from the 1880s to the present. Unlike many studies, this work predicts the beginnings of a decline in Pentecostal growth, which is attributed to the loss of a prophetic message in favor of affinity with popular culture. This is a well-researched, readable work with some new thoughts on the subject. Recommended for informed lay readers.-- C. Robert Nixon, Lafayette, Ind.
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