Charismatic Movement
The charismatic movement or charismatic renewal is a Christian, non-denominational spiritual flow.
They claimed the special gifts of grace ( "charisma" ) or gifts of the Holy Spirit to highlight that are awarded according to the Christian understanding of God. For theology, the lifestyle and the community practice, the knowledge of such charismatic talents is fundamental. Presumably, it has often given such flows in the course of history of church and theology.
The movement itself came up in the 1960s as a movement within the Church, particularly in many free churches, and also in the Anglican, Lutheran, and in the Roman Catholic Church. The term is also used interchangeably for Pentecostalism. Precursors were often referred to as a swarm spiritual movement or just as a dreamer.
- 7.1 Information and organizations of the Charismatic Movement
- 7.2 Independent evaluation
- 7.3 Critical and warning statements
- 7.4 research
Dissemination
In mid-2006, the number of the Pentecostal- charismatic awakenings attributable to people worldwide amounted to approximately 596 million. It is the fastest growing religious movement in the world, with the largest spread in Africa, Latin America and Asia can be found.
In a survey conducted by the Barna Group in 2007 in the United States, 36% of all respondents described as charismatic ( in a similar survey in 1997 there were still 30%). Among the evangelicals to 49% seen as charismatics, among Catholics 36%. A look at entire communities falls on a broad distribution. Among independent communities about 40 % are charismatic, but also 7 % of the municipalities of the Southern Baptist Convention and 6 % of the municipalities in the mainline Churches.
Outside of the major churches in Germany there are probably over 1,000 free communities that are organized in networks or in part in the Association of Pentecostal churches. In Switzerland there is a charismatic movement.
Traits
James I. Packer sees the following as specific to the beliefs of the charismatic movement:
- The experience of a significant enrichment of the Christian life, which is identical neither with the evangelical conversion nor the sacramental incorporation into the Body of Christ. In this case, the individual often feels in ways previously unknown extent the love of God, the nearness of Jesus Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, and possibly also the existence of the demonic.
- The fruit of the Holy Spirit ( character formation of the Christians ), according to Galatians
- The gifts of the Holy Spirit
- During the service, or in a group, the experience of unity with the Father and Son through the Holy Spirit and the experience of spiritual fellowship with other Christians
- The belief that the charismatic movement is part of a divine strategy of the Church and of Christianity renewal.
Prayer and worship
Characteristic of the charismatic renewal is a culture of dedicated " prayer ", where in addition to the traditional prayer also special forms such as loud "free" Pray, laying on of hands and blessing by Mitbetende or praying to be maintained with raised hands. It is often spontaneous prayer with singing of hymns combined ( Praise and Worship ).
The services charismatic groups and churches are often designed modern and want to appeal to young people. For the purpose of improved cultural adaptation is usually omitted traditional liturgical elements. The musical worship in the church is often intoned by bands in pop, gospel or folk style. The sermons are everyday usually related and less theological. Contrary to the traditional practice in the large churches to host the sermons after a so-called lectionary or pericope, sermons often arise from a selected topic from the preacher, which is explained by biblical texts.
The charismatic movement is just like the Pentecostal missionary oriented, especially friendship evangelism and faith courses such as the Alpha course play a role.
Theology and Ethics
Followers of the charismatic movement usually remain theologically on the floor of their ancestral denomination and explain charismatic experiences within the particular theology. So Catholics speak of a release of the received at Baptism and Confirmation the Holy Spirit, Protestants interpret it as a spiritual rebirth because of a new conversion, and originating from the Pentecostal groupings of a baptism of the Spirit.
The charismatic movement sees itself in the evangelical charismatic tradition. Like other evangelicals, they consider the Bible as the Word of God and binding rule of faith and conduct, to which everything else must be measured. As such, they tend to be conservative values , especially social policy. Sex outside marriage, masturbation, abortion, or the practice of homosexuality are seen as unbiblical. According to the authors, William MacDonald and Dean Sherman is the transition to Christian fundamentalism, according to background of the group or community, flowing.
Structure and Organization
The charismatic renewal movement has no unified structure by Überkonfessionalität. There are up to the presence of occasional spokesmen and works whose work gets around, no leadership, no authority that speaks for the entire charismatic movement. A large grouping of the Charismatic movement are the Pentecostals; they are organized in Germany under the auspices of the Federal Pentecostal Churches. Within the Evangelical Church in Germany the charismatic movement is organized especially in the clergy community renewal. The Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church is structured on the ICCRS (International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services), an organization that maintains the connection between the Catholic Charismatic Renewal and the Holy See, and is for that official contact.
If charismatic groups arise in the existing churches and communities that there existing basic structure is usually adopted. The basic structure concerns the legal form (eg KdöR, eV ), the way the financing of municipal work, the training of preachers, the determination of executives, etc. In these cases, at best elements such as the order of service or modifies the way the recruitment of members or the " charismatic " life takes place in private surroundings.
Outside of traditional churches and communities, there are many different forms. On the structure of a free charismatic community can be stated that the status of the head of a group or community leader and the elders ( presbyters ) is particularly pointed out and a strict hierarchy applies. Obedience to managers is called for, which, in turn, an executive by the result ( "fruits" ) measure their work, and must be legitimized through credibility, "bible strength ", rigor and gentleness always to maintain the status.
The structure of charismatic groups and communities based on the theology of divine appointment, which members of the community is inspirational communicated by the Holy Spirit and passed on by them to the community where these messages are reviewed by the leadership. A basic idea is based on the embossed by the Apostle Paul image of the Church of Christ as "body" with Christ as the "head " (1 Cor. 12), where each body part is a Christian, and in all the differences to a different body part every Christian in its possibilities, ie skills, talents for specific tasks according to his talent in the church was responsible.
The implementation of this doctrine on the Church structure is in the charismatic movement more or less consistent in that some executives usually are not elected, but rather on its intended - and usually also natural - talent take over this task. The same is true for example for employees in worship, which - depending on their ability to - find themselves in teams and as a " praise team ", " welcome team ", " infrastructure team ", " pastoral team ", " healing team ", etc occur. appearance. These "gifts " proper distribution of tasks is also practiced outside the charismatic movement " erwecklicher " as an element of church practice.
There are prayer groups, loose binding and home groups, religious courses, conferences and retreats, and monastery-like residential communities. As far as it is within the church movement, it is difficult to give figures. Most members of the charismatic movement within the church to remain faithful to their church. Interest in ecumenism is limited to like-minded people in other communities. However, many new start-up projects free charismatic churches come outside the major denominations all over the world.
An influential theologian of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church was Heribert mills.