What is the charismatic movement? The main focus of this paper is to survey the Pentecostal or charismatic movement among the Dalits and the Tribals in India. In this Blog’s post, an attempt has been made to bring out the three major views to the story of the origin of Indian Pentecostalism, and briefly deal on the historical development of Pentecostalism in various parts of India.
What are the Charismatic Movements?
The term Pentecostal or charismatic is derived from the Greek word pentekosté meaning ‘fifty’ (day). The fifty is the Greek name of Jewish festival which known as the ‘Feast of Weeks’ in the Old Testament; which celebrates the fiftieth day after Passover observances.
According to Hollenweger, Pentecostalism has five roots. They are consisting of Catholic, Evangelical, Critical and Ecumenical roots and the Black roots.
According to William Menezis, who was a well-known Pentecostal historian in the early years; says that anyone who believed in the possibility of the great gifts of the Spirit; which described in the New Testament; and believes that the great gifts; which available to believers considered to be a charismatic.
According to Vinson Syrian there are five types of Pentecostal or Charismatic movements.
Classical Pentecostal or charismatic movement
They accept the “initial evidence” theory that holds that glossolalia (Speaking in other tongues) is the necessary first evidence of the receiving baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Mainline protestant Pentecostal or Charismatic movement
They are the believers of their own individual churches and do not leave their churches. They believe in the gift of speking in tongue but do not insist on the “initial evidence” theory.
Catholic Pentecostal or charismatic movement
They do not leave their mother church and do not insist on the “initial evidence” theory.
Independent Pentecostal or charismatic groups movement
They are mostly person oriented and these churches are known as “faith Churches”. Several Dalit Pentecostals come under these churches.
Third World indigenous Group
The perceptions of their faith experiences mostly rooted on their life experiences rather than on doctrines.
Origin of charismatic movement in India
The charismatic movement in India have many stories related to its beginning. Out of the various views, there are three major views to the story of the origin of Indian Pentecostalism.
a) Eurocentric View
The Eurocentric (North America-centred) view is one of the most traditional ways of understanding. The story of Indian Pentecostalism has been to see it as a product of North American Pentecostalism.
This Eurocentric view holds that Pentecostal Movement came to and spread in India through western Pentecostal Missionaries; who had the Azusa Street Revival experience. Alfred and Lillian Garr were the first two Missionaries among them. They came to Calcutta (East India) in early 1907.
In the German origin, another independent American missionary was Mr George E. Berg. He came to South India in 1908. He had the Azusa street experienced.
There were other western missionaries with a charismatic message who came to India, particularly south. Interestingly, there was a belief even among some of the early Pentecostals or charismatic from south India. All that Pentecostalism was brought to India by western missionaries.
But it is wrong to say that Pentecostalism in India began and spread with the western missionaries. One of the major reasons for producing such an idea is probably due to the careless report by the early western Pentecostal missionaries in India.
b) Native View
The Native View Supports that the Revival at Pandita Ramabai Saraswati’s Mukti Mission in Kedgaon, near Poona, India, in 1905-7. This is the beginning of Indian Pentecostalism. This view holds that Indian Pentecostalism had its beginning from within the country not from western countries.
However, many classical Pentecostals in India were not ready to see Mukti revival as a part of Pentecostal Movement. According to them this revival doenot continue to play any vital role in the making of Pentecostal Movement in India.
But today, many non-Pentecostals as well as Pentecostals consider ‘Mukti Revival’ as the beginning of Pentecostal revival in India.
c) Pentecostal-like Movements View
The Charismatic-like Movements view argues that the Charismatilism in India is began with ‘Charismatic-like Movements’ before and after the Mukti revival. This view affirms that the ‘Charismatic-like Movements’ in India preceded North American and European Pentecostalism by at least forty years, and were not related to Pentecostal happenings in North America.
The basis for this view are the story of few revivals; like the awakening of Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu state in south India in 1860); and the Khasi Hills revival in 1905. But western historians did not see these movements as Pentecostal revivals; but termed them only as ‘Charismatic-like Movements’ with the excuse that these movements have some differences from the western Pentecostalism.
This is an example of the deliberate disposition of Euro-centric western Pentecostal advocates to convey Indian. Pentecostal revivals their due place in history, and an example of western missionaries’ control attitude.
Charismatic movement among the Dalits and Tribals in India
Most of the Charismatic movements in India took place among the Dalits and Tribals. So, when we speak of Pentecostal movements or charismatic movements in India; we are speaking about the charismatic movements that happened among the Dalits and Tribals in general. Regarding the charismatic movement in the south; Samuel Kutty commented that Pentecostalism attracted Dalits. And it became a mission to the Dalits. He adds that most Pentecostal missionaries focused on the depressed communities and had inspiring results. This case will be more or less similar to the rest of the country. Let us briefly see the Pentecostal Movements in four different parts of India.