Age of the Spirit : Charismatic Renewal, the Anglo-World, and Global Christianity, 1945-1980

How did charismatic renewal transform the churches in the twentieth century, moving from the periphery to the mainstream? In Age of the Spirit, John G. Maiden looks at the rise of charismatic Christianity before, during, and after the 'long 1960s' across the English-speaking world.

How did charismatic Christianity move from the periphery to the mainstream? This book explains the ''new Pentecost'': charismatic renewal before, during, and after the Sixties. It looks at the rise of renewal in the Anglo-world contexts of the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Looking for transnational connections, it places this arena in a wider and dynamic worldwide setting, exploring the ways in which revivalistic imaginations of an ''age of the Spirit'' were shaped by interpenetrations with the ''Third World'', the Communist Bloc, and beyond. Examining developments in Protestantism and Catholicism, mainline and non-denominational churches, and within classical pentecostalism, this book offers an unrivalled analysis of charismatic music, books, television, conferences, personalities, churches, and communities. It addresses difficult questions around power and authority. It looks forward to the many global legacies of charismatic renewal, for example the politics of sexuality in the Anglican Communion and support for President Donald J. Trump. Age of the Spirit tells the story of the reshaping of global Christianity.