Jeff Oliver: Pentecost To The Present: Worldwide Revivals and Renewal
The last section, number six “Into the Twenty-First Century (2001 and Beyond),” directs the reader’s attention to the move of the Holy Spirit in various areas of the world: Africa, Europe, North America, Asia, and Latin America. This section also contains information about movements that have impacted the church: The Third Wave, The New Apostolic Movement, The Third Church, The Convergence Movement, The Emerging Church Movement, The Contemporary Worship Movement, The House Church Movement, and The Church Planting Movement. In addition, there is also mention of The Memphis Miracle, which brought significant healing between black and white Pentecostals. A prophecy believed to have been given by Smith Wigglesworth about a great revival that will bring together Word and Spirit is also mentioned.
The text of the book is very even handed, that is, the author fairly records history. He writes about the positive characteristics of the leaders of the various movements of the Spirit, but he also acknowledges their faults. One truth that emerges from this volume is that God can and does work though imperfect vessels.
This volume provided information that I was not familiar with before. For example, I have heard of William Branham, Jack Coe, and A. A. Allen but I did not really know much about them. Oliver’s writing provided information about them. I was particularly impressed with the section of the book in which the author reported on the growth of the Pentecostal Movement in Latin America. The growth that is taking place there is astronomical! The message of the contents of this book is that God has moved powerfully in our world in the past one hundred and ten years or so. And, He continues to do so!
The book is easy to read, is set in a comfortable size font, contains pictures, and is thoroughly documented. It is a great resource for someone who does not know a lot about the work of the Holy Spirit in the twentieth and twenty first centuries. This book would also be very helpful to those studying in Bible schools and seminaries; it is a welcome addition to Pentecostal studies and should enjoy a wide readership.
Reviewed by John Lathrop
More from PneumaReview.com author Jeff Oliver:
“Miracles and the Gifts of the Spirit All Through Church History”
Historian Jeff Oliver has written a three-volume series on how the gifts of the Spirit have continued all through Christian history. PneumaReview.com speaks with Jeff about his series and how we should expect God to do supernatural things through his church today.
“The Problem of Old Wineskins”
Jeff Oliver, author of the three-volume Pentecost to the Present: The Holy Spirit’s Enduring Work in the Church, brings a challenge to church leaders: desire and operate in the gifts of the Spirit.
Category: Church History, Spring 2018