The Holiness-Pentecostal Tradition: Charismatic Movements in the Twentieth Century

Rating:
Summary: One for your personal library
Review: A comprehensive look at Pentecostalism, its roots, and "3 waves" of history. Synan is one of the leading scholars in this field. Strong data on the Holiness movement and very early Pentecostals. Moderately good information on the Charismatic Renewal. Not much on the Jesus Movement and new paradigm churches, but overall, this book is great for anyone interested in how Pentecostalism has become so big and popular in just one century. Plenty of details and footnotes for researchers.

Rating:
Summary: One for your personal library
Review: A comprehensive look at Pentecostalism, its roots, and "3 waves" of history. Synan is one of the leading scholars in this field. Strong data on the Holiness movement and very early Pentecostals. Moderately good information on the Charismatic Renewal. Not much on the Jesus Movement and new paradigm churches, but overall, this book is great for anyone interested in how Pentecostalism has become so big and popular in just one century. Plenty of details and footnotes for researchers.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent reading, good historical perspective, insightful
Review: I read this book in three sittings over the Christmas Holidays, 1997. As a student of Methodist history, I was intruigued with the Wesleyan aspect of the Pentecostal/Holiness movement. His understanding of the development of Holiness/Spirit-filled groups of believers in the Protestant and Orthodox/Roman Catholic churches can lead one to the perspective that the emphases of those religious heritages become complete when one respects (1) the awe/fear/majesty of God as demonstrated in the Orthodox & Roman Catholic traditions, (2) the emphasis of the Prostestant traditions of a personal relationship with Christ and on the Word of God as contained in the Bible, and (3) the sense of comfort and "the Peace that passes all understanding as it comes and fills our hearts" as we experience the Holy Spirit in our lives. Although I am, and probably always will be "an evangelical orthodox Wesleyan", this book has encouraged me to be open to the Holy Spirit and Its influence on my everyday life. Please read this with an open mind and a prayerful heart.

Rating:
Summary: A most excellent work...
Review: This a very good book that gives much information on the Holiness and Pentecostal traditions. It does very good to talk also about the Charismatic movmenent in various churches. It is interesting how it documents the different approaches to sanctification and baptism with the Holy Spirit, and how these two works are experienced or dependent on one another. This did create division among early Pentecostals. However, I think all of today's Pentecostal believers will emphasize the need for holiness and sanctification through the Word, the blood of Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Let us yet testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, Healer, and Coming King and that He is making for Himself a holy church endued with power from on high.

Rating:
Summary: A most excellent work...
Review: This a very good book that gives much information on the Holiness and Pentecostal traditions. It does very good to talk also about the Charismatic movmenent in various churches. This is a most excellent work. I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding history of Pentecostalism
Review: This book explores the history of Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity from its roots in Methodism until the present day. The charismatic movements are covered a bit more extensively and respectfully here than they are in Harvey Cox's Fire from Heaven. Mr. Synan does not gloss over some of Pentecostalism's more bizarre manifestations, but he is always respectful of the movement as a whole, certainly far more respectful that many mainline Protestants or fundamentalists (which are not the same as Pentecostals, as Mr. Synan takes care to point out)would be. The writing is clear and readable, apart from the fact that Mr. Synan seems to "use quotation marks" indiscriminately, something I find "kind of irritating." Apart from that, I cannot recommend this book too highly.