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Pentecostalism

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"I Baptize Thee," 1940 oil on burlap painting of a baptism.

How Memphis Gave Gospel the Holy Ghost

On the evening of October 7, 1952, gospel promoters booked the Spirit of Memphis for a concert in Memphis’s Mason Temple.
by Robert F. Darden via Oxford American on December 10, 2024
Elle Hardy and the cover of her book, Beyond Belief: How Pentecostal Christianity is Taking Over the World.

The Rise of Pentecostal Christianity

While the world’s fastest-growing religious faith offers material benefits and psychological uplift to many, it also pushes a reactionary political agenda.
by Nathan J. Robinson, Elle Hardy via Current Affairs on April 8, 2022

The Scandinavian Christian Music Industry and Transatlantic Pentecostalism

In the post-war era, a wave of American young evangelists flocked to Europe to claim the continent for Christ. And the exchanges went both ways.
by Hilde Løvdal Stephens via Anxious Bench on July 11, 2019

God Gave Rock and Roll to You

Fiery, energetic and preached by charismatic frontmen, Pentecostal Christianity had a big influence on rock and roll in its formative years.
by Randall J. Stephens via History Today on May 16, 2018
Jimmy Swaggart

How Jimmy Swaggart Changed American Christianity

The disgraced televangelist built his career on an undeniable talent. His downfall contributed to a major shift in how Americans viewed religious leaders.
by Daniel N. Gullotta via The Bulwark on July 3, 2025
Man playing drum
partner

Music and Spirit in the African Diaspora

The musical traditions found in contemporary Black U.S. and Caribbean Christian worship originated hundreds of years ago, continents away.
by Livia Gershon, Teresa L. Reed via JSTOR Daily on February 4, 2022
Elvis Presley performing to a crowd of fans reaching toward him

How Christianity Created Rock ’n’ Roll

Rock music owes much of its claim to coolness to the Christian faith.
by David Hajdu via Public Books on June 21, 2018
an organ player and his wife and dog drawing from 1495.

The Real Housewives of Church History

How pastors’ wives use power and submission.
by Meagan Saliashvili, Beth Allison Barr via Arc: Religion, Politics, Et Cetera on September 2, 2025
Aimee Semple McPherson in front of her Gospel Car, painted with the words "Jesus is coming soon - get ready."

The “Lady Preacher” Who Became World-Famous—and Then Vanished

Aimee Semple McPherson took to the radio to spread the Gospel, but her mysterious disappearance cast a shadow on her reputation.
by Casey N. Cep via The New Yorker on April 14, 2025
A black and white photo of an American soldier on patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan, 2005.

God’s Directive

In the wake of the September 11 attacks, evangelical American missionaries followed military tanks into Afghanistan and Iraq to convert Muslims.
by Rozina Ali via New York Review of Books on October 31, 2024
Carl McIntire reading the Christian Manifesto outside Riverside Church in New York City and on the right, McIntire leaves Riverside Church, where the Christian Manifesto hangs above the doorway.

The U.S. Culture Wars Abroad: Liberal-Evangelical Rivalry and Decolonization in Southern Africa

As evangelicals worked to gain public legitimacy during the Cold War, historians of evangelicalism search for a usable past for their fellow believers.
by Gene Zubovich via Process: A Blog for American History on January 23, 2024
Cesar Chavez salutes the crowd on the steps of the California State Capitol. AP Photo.

Pilgrimage and Revolution

How Cesar Chavez married faith and ideology in his landmark farmworkers' march.
by Lloyd Daniel Barba via The Conversation on March 28, 2023

Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker: A Scandal of the Self

The long historical roots and continuing relevance of the disgraced preacher's story.
by Martyn Wendell Jones via Weekly Standard on March 2, 2018

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