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Global Pentecostalism in the 21st Century


GLOBAL PENTECOSTALISM IN THE 21ST CENTURY. Edited by Robert W. Hefner. 
University of Indiana Press. 2013. Pp. v + 270; paper.

This edited volume offers the reader excellent coverage on a range of issues about the social, cultural, and political aspects of Pentecostalism.  With contributions from sociologists, anthropologists, and religion scholars, the editor has brought together some of the top experts in the field with cases from most regions of the world including Brazil, Zimbabwe, China, Russia, Ukraine, India, and the Philippines. The chapters include rich empirical findings, theoretical sophistication, and debates in the literature about the social and political impact of Pentecostals, its civic and public role, why Pentecostalism is or is not growing, issues of institutionalization, relationship to the varieties of modernity, and impact on family and gender issues. The Introduction offers a solid overview of how the volume contributes to the scholarly work to date on global Pentecostalism and a response by Peter Berger addresses the main issues raised about modernity, religion, and public engagement.

The volume is a project of the Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs (CURA) at Boston University and focuses especially on how Pentecostals, now more established in the world, engage culture and social institutions. This book represents an important study of how Pentecostals have shifted from an anti-modern stance to a more confident view of their place in the world. CURA was started by the eminent sociologist of religion, Peter Berger and has included projects with David Martin and Bernice Martin. I highly recommend this volume.

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