Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture

by Grant Wacker

In this lively history of the rise of pentecostalism in the United States, Grant Wacker gives an in-depth account of the religious practices of pentecostal churches as well as an engaging picture of the way these beliefs played out in daily life. The core tenets of pentecostal belief―personal salvation, Holy Ghost baptism, divine healing, and anticipation of the Lord’s imminent return―took root in the first quarter of the twentieth century. Wacker examines the various aspects of pentecostal culture, including rituals, speaking in tongues, the authority of the Bible, the central role of Jesus in everyday life, the gifts of prophecy and healing, ideas about personal appearance, women’s roles, race relations, attitudes toward politics and the government. Tracking the daily lives of pentecostals, and paying close attention to the voices of individual men and women, Wacker is able to identify the reason for the movement’s spectacular a demonstrated ability to balance idealistic and pragmatic impulses, to adapt distinct religious convictions in order to meet the expectations of modern life. More than twenty million American adults today consider themselves pentecostal. Given the movement’s major place in American religious life, the history of its early years―so artfully told here―is of central importance.

Genres: History, Theology, Religion

384 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2001

About the author

Grant Wacker is a historian of religion in America. He is the Gilbert T. Rowe Professor Emeritus of Christian History at Duke Divinity School. He specializes in the history of Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, World Missions and American Protestant thought. He is the author or co-editor of seven books, including Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture (2001, Harvard University Press) and America’s Pastor: Billy Graham and the Shaping of a Nation (2014, Harvard University Press). From 1997 to 2004, Professor Wacker served as a senior editor of the quarterly journal, Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture. He is past president of the Society for Pentecostal Studies and of the American Society of Church History, and a trustee of Fuller Theological Seminary. Wacker is a lay member of Orange United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd consider this a pretty good scholarly history of the Pentecostal tradition in its early years. My major problem with it is the fact that the author seemed a bit biased against Pentecostals at points. I would recommend with some reservations.

[Susie Meister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wacker explores the first generation of Pentecostals as a means of determining how the tradition began and why it succeeded. He begins by showing how 19th century Protestantism was brimming with restorationist impulses. The interests included the supernatural, healing, and the apocalypse. Charles Sheldon's In His Steps also demonstrates how this time was inspiring concepts of God and human-inspired themes on earth. Wacker's main argument is that Pentecostals geniously combined the primitive and pragmatic. While they were focused on other-worldly issues, they were willing to work within the social and cultural expectations of the age. Wacker sees the success of Pentecostalism as evidence against secularization theory. Pentecostals saw optimism as mandatory. Pentecostals found authority in Bible, doctrine, and Holy Spirit. Despite a desire to loosen regimen and allow worship at all times, regularization eventually seeped in and patterns emerged. Pentecostals mixed ideology with shrewd marketing. they saw full conversion as correlated with upward economic mobility. They were committed to "leaderlessness," which is why they did not even set up seminaries until the 1960s. While women were welcomed and often held important positions, men were clearly the true leaders within the movement, especially over time, some scholars believe this is consistent with Weber's concept of evolution from prophetic to priestly modes. Early on they were lower class, victims of social disinheritance, and culturally disinherited. The majority of Pentecostals resembled the population at large, and they were willing to abandon old options that didn't work in favor of ones that did. Though they claimed to be heavenly-minded, there concerns were often earthly. Their belief that God wanted them to prosper on earth seems contradictory, but Wacker claims it is consistent with a group that was open to the possibilities of technology and information-age prosperity.

[Alex Strohschein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather than tracing a narrative trajectory, in "Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture," Grant Wacker examines the key values of pentecostals and how they perceived themselves, such as their views on authority, testimony, worship, and relationship of the saint to the state.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

An essential read for anyone interested in learning about Pentecostalism. Wacker rides the wave of cultural history into Pentecostalism studies, which was still pretty new (for non-Pentecostals) at the time (2001). As a result, he fishes out a lot of creative takes from sources you wouldn't normally think to use to learn about Pentecostalism. He's also a really punchy writer, definitely kept things lively.

Wacker isn't a positivist historian, thankfully, but also doesn't much engage theory or critical reflection on a number categories that hang over his archive. As a result, he falls short (and has taken much criticism over) his treatment of race in particular. Gaston Espinosa's book on William Seymour responds really effectively and persuasively to these and other oversights.

But all that said, it's still a really generative book for understanding how Pentecostals create and sustain their worlds in such direct, often unstable/lively/constantly changing relationship to the divine. And yet, Wacker emphasizes that they were also geniuses at handling much of the cultural and technological challenges of the 20th century, i.e., they weren't restricting their worlds to precisely what they felt inspired by the Holy Spirit to do, despite their own claims. This book is basically the Ur text of Pentecostalism studies, and for good reason.

[Chaim Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewing the first generation of Pentecostals in the US, the strength of this work is Wacker’s Insider-Outsider scope. Born and raised a Pentecostal, Wacker is able to translate the metaphors and motifs of Pentecostal periodicals and sermons without condescending the phenomena described. Meanwhile, his tools as a historian and social location (at time of writing) in an institutional space outside of classical Pentecostalism permits him to objectively analyze the movement without ecclesial pressure that other historians have faced. This lens puts Wacker in unique proximity to understand the first decade as few others can. He’s willing to grant the power buoyed by the “supernatural” claims made by Pentecostals but masterfully paints the background of social context and influences.
This work is an excellent starting point for early culture and practice of classical Pentecostals. Because of this, it’s very rewarding for anyone exploring areas of Pentecostal and renewal theology and ministry.

[Sam · Rating 1 out of 5]

i was frustrated pretty much throughout this book with its ahistorical approach and wacker’s tone throughout as well. first, the book approaches a kind of ambiguous time frame (presumably 1906-1930ish?) and then discusses pentecostals thematically. because of this structure, wacker rarely is required to explain how things came about and instead falls so often into just describing various dispositions of pentecostals. as for his tone, wacker continually trails off into ambiguity as a way of not being too harsh or too favorable to pentecostals. he continually notes his ambivalence toward leaning too hard one way or another on this topic and it kind of just digresses into empty centrism by the end. while i appreciate nuance, this kind of tone becomes exhausting.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very insightful examination of how Pentecostals thought and behaved. Wacker's thesis, I think, is brilliant and true: Pentecostalism uniquely brings together the primitivist impulse and the pragmatic impulse, each supporting and reinforcing each other, yet in a way that Pentecostals fail to recognize the pragmatic impulse at work. Essential reading to understand Pentecostalism.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent thematic, rather than chronological, overview of early Pentecostalism. Well written and thoroughly researched - an excellent introduction.

[Steven Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

great insight

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am currently skimming this book. The Rev. Stan Cox (our minister, friend and co-worker) gave me to read after he heard of my ex-Pentecostal background.

This was a personal read. Having grown up in the Pentecostal world, this book opened my eyes to the generations before me. It gave me an understanding for Pentecostalism beginnings, but did not chamge my thinking on their pitfalls (at least in my generation). To me their theology and practise are flawed.

The book is a great exposition into the world of Pentecostalism.

[Josh Derocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes a look at the birth of the Pentecostal movement. It's presented in a very objective way, and it's written as a series of essays.

It's definitely not a pro-Pentecostal book, but it's also not anti-Pentecostal. It just tries to show things as they really were, based on the writings of Pentecostals and reporters at the time.

It's an informative book, and a great read for anyone curious about how Christians began to morph into Pentecostals and Charismatics.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Academic but readable, with most of the research taken from primary sources. Because the chapters are organized topically, it's sometimes hard to get a sense of the chronology of events, but there are plenty of other studies that cover that. Copious notes provide a wealth of information for further study.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

really a lot of food for thought. in some ways connected with my experience in the early 70s, in some ways not. I think his thesis that the movement survived because of the combination of the primivist and the pragmatic makes sense. esp. now that Pentecostism is the fastest growing church in the world.

will still be thinking about that.

[Ben Brandenburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pentecostals are looking better and better.

[Lu · Rating 2 out of 5]

I skimmed this book. Bits of interesting info. Too wordy and more a textbook.