Bible Discussion Thread

The two branches of the origins of the "Prosperity Gospel" in the USA.

I am going to explore fundamentalism and legalism as well as the Pentacostal churches who developed largely after the Azuza Street Revival in California. Let us do a bullet point analysis.

FUNDAMENTALIST CHURCHES

1. Emphasize "Holy living" which is further categorized by

-Frequent church attendance

-Many rules and regulations as to recreational activities

-FOCUS ON TITHING

-Emphasis on formal dress

-Focus on doctrinal issues; often more "Arminian" than not (emphasizing "free will" rather than the Calvinist approach

of Predestination; Election etal.

-Usually strong on evangelism

-Fairly strong stance for preaching against "sign and wonders" gifts today

PENTACOSTAL CHURCHES

=Frequent church attendance

-Many rules and regulations as to recreational activities

FOCUS ON TITHING

-Emphasis on formal dress

-Wildly varying focus on doctrines; often more "Armonian (and rest of characteristics listed for fundamentalists).

Main difference is hyperfocus on "signs and wonders"; and speaking in tongues in particular

-Also wildly varying as to evangelism; seemingly often obsessed with big revivals and today involved with many

international outreaches

A cursory examination here shows there indeed seem to be many similarities between these two types of churches; even though they would normally be less than enthusiastic about any joint fellowship; if not totally ambivalent to it.

The Pentacostal church sort of broke out of the Assembly of God Charismatic church in the early 20th Century following the 1906 Azuza Street revival. I am no expert as I stated before; but it seems the Charismatic church is different than the other two groups in that they were less focused on rules and such.