The Hump of the Camel

In previous posts, I’ve shown how the Charismatic “second experience” of the Holy Spirit has radically changed its meaning over three centuries of Christian history, which makes it rather difficult to identify for certain as a work of God, rather than as a psycho-social phenomenon. This is especially so since it does not correspond to anything found in Scripture, but does strongly resemble an experience also seen in non-Christian religions. Is it for sinless perfection, as Wesley taught, or for the ability to resist temptation, as the Holiness Movement taught, or to provide power for service, as Jessie Penn-Lewis taught, or to provide “joy unspeakable,” as Martyn Lloyd-Jones taught, or to enable sign gifts, as the Pentecostals taught, or to bring end-times revival, as Latter Rain taught, or to release worship on a repeated basis, as seems the pattern currently?

I’m reading a book on eschatology, largely because it has a good chapter by Greg Smith (on the eschatology of the historical books of the Bible), who has read and appreciated my own books. So I thought I should return the compliment. I’m surprised to find I’ve never written on the topic of millennial theologies here, though I’ve done so quite extensively on it for local study guides on the Book of Revelation, etc, in the past.

Some of our local Anglicans recently held a meeting in support of Palestine, at which they were told not to separate Gaza from the West Bank, because they are both part of Palestine (presumably from the River to the Sea). The report in the parish mag made no mention of Hamas, October 7, tortured hostages, purloined aid, or, as far as I can tell, history. It was all about the “occupied land” narrative of the MSM and UN.

Preparing for a podcast with a guy in the US which may happen soon, I thought I’d try to understand a little more about the first wave of the Charismatic movement (aka the second wave of Pentecostalism) over here in England. The story is rather different from, though linked to, that in America, in that it arises firstly among conscientious and godly clergymen, predominantly Anglican and often Oxbridge trained, rather than among the entrepreneurial and often narcissistic characters so prevalent in America, from John Dowie through to Benny Hinn.