CRCC Pentecostal and Charismatic Research Initiative

The Pentecostal and Charismatic Research Initiative (PCRI) will only consider inquiries that address one or more of the following core questions in Asia, Africa, Latin America, or the former Soviet Union. (Please see the Frequently Asked Questions page for additional information on eligible regions.)

1. What are the distinctive characteristics of the spiritual practices and experiences of Pentecostal and charismatic Christians? How do they vary across different cultural settings? And how do they differ from other religious traditions (including within Christianity)?
   
   
   
   • What roles do worship, prayer, glossolalia, prophecy, healing, and various spiritual disciplines (e.g., fasting, meditation, etc.) play in the lives of individuals, as well in the organizational life of congregations?
   
   
   • What effects do these practices have on personal and social transformation, if any, and how do these changes differ from one culture, or even congregational setting, to another?
   
   
   • What is the relationship between character development and spirituality within the Pentecostal/charismatic experience?
   
   


2. Where precisely are Pentecostal and charismatically-oriented churches growing and where are they not? What accounts for growth and how, conversely, can the lack of growth or decline be explained?
   
   
   
   • What are the demographic and organizational characteristics of churches that are growing, and what social, cultural and political contexts are most favorable for the growth and/or decline of Pentecostal/charismatic Christianity?
   
   
   • What aspects of these churches give them a competitive advantage in the religious marketplace? Are those factors the same in different places? If not, how do they differ?
   
   
   • What sorts of collaborations and networks exist among Pentecostal/charismatic churches? What role does technology play in linking individuals and congregations globally? What is the nature of the interaction with other religious communities, traditions, and NGOs, including non-Christian groups?
   
   


3. What is the impact on civil society, if any, of Pentecostal/charismatic religion? What contribution does the study of “spirit-empowered” religion make to our understanding of the role of religion in human society?
   
   
   
   • Is Pentecostal/charismatic religion contributing to economic growth? If so, how? What is the impact, as well as the potential liabilities, of the “prosperity gospel”?
   
   
   • How is Pentecostal/charismatic religion addressing problems related to health care, education, drug and alcohol addiction, political corruption, poverty, etc? Is this form of religion making any contribution to the development of a vibrant civic culture?
   
   
   • How does Pentecostal/charismatic religion develop networks of trust and reciprocity? Do these networks of “social capital” facilitate or retard economic and social cooperation? And what is the potential political impact of Pentecostal/charismatic Christianity on society?