Waiting for Antichrist: Charisma and Apocalypse in a Pentecostal Church

225 Pages·2005·1.11 MB·English

by  Damian Thompson

Waiting for Antichrist:
Charisma and Apocalypse
in a Pentecostal Church
DAMIAN THOMPSON
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Waiting for Antichrist
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Waiting
for Antichrist
Charisma and Apocalypse
in a Pentecostal Church
damian thompson
1
2005
1
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Thompson,Damian,1962—
Waitingforantichrist:charismaandapocalypseinaPentecostalchurch/DamianThompson.
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Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN-13978-0-19-517856-2
ISBN0-19-517856-4
1. Millennialism. 2. PentecostalChurches—Doctrines. I. Title
BT892.T462005
236'.9'08828994—dc22 2004012518
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
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Acknowledgments
Ioweahugedebtofgratitudetotwoscholars.First,toProfessor
EileenBarker,mywonderfulacademicsupervisorattheLondon
SchoolofEconomics,whoshowedmehowtoderivemytheory
frommyfindingsandnottheotherwayround.Eileentaughtme
howtothinksystematically;shemademeweedoutthecolorfulbut
lazygeneralizationsthathaveprovedsodifficulttoresistinmyca-
reerasanewspaperjournalist.Second,toProfessorStephen
O’LearyoftheUniversityofSouthernCalifornia,whosestudyof
apocalypticdiscourseisthemostimportantcontributiontomillen-
nialstudiesinrecentyears.MyintellectualdebttoStephenisobvi-
ousfromthisbook;butheisalsoadearfriendandhasbeenagra-
cioushosttomeonmanyoccasions.Otherscholarshavebeen
generouswiththeirtimeandadvice:Iamthinkingespeciallyof
ProfessorRichardLandes,founderoftheCenterforMillennial
StudiesatBostonUniversity;theRev.Dr.MartynPercyoftheLin-
colnTheologicalInstitute;Dr.JudithFox;andProfessorNorman
Cohn,theworld’sleadinghistorianofmillenarianism.Iamgrateful,
too,tomyfellowstudentsattheLSE,AmandavanEck,DavidV.
Barrett,andDr.MaratShterin,whotooktimeofffromtheirown
worktoreadearlydraftsofthisbook.Thankyouforyourpatience;
itmustbearelieftoknowthatyouwillnolongerhavetolistento
medroneonaboutthefinerpointsofapocalypticbelief.Imustalso
thankSanKimforhisinvaluableassistancewiththeprocessingof
surveydata.Finally,Iamgratefultoallthestaffandmembersof
KensingtonTemplewhowelcomedmeintotheircommunity:to
PastorColinDye,SunilChoti,LarryGrant,AndrewKenworthy,and
Dr.ChrisShell;and,aboveall,toWillNapier,anintervieweewho
becameanintellectualsparringpartnerandindispensablefriend.
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Contents
1. Introduction,3
2. TheProblemoftheEnd,13
3. PentecostalismandtheEndTimes,39
4. KensingtonTemple,61
5. LivingwiththeEnd,83
6. Millenarians,117
7. TheYear2000,143
8. Conclusions,167
Appendix:Methodology,179
Glossary,181
Notes,183
Bibliography,195
Index,209
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Waiting for Antichrist