Abstract
The factors that persuade people into their spiritual perspectives and beliefs are not necessarily based on gaining a full understanding of or conviction about the set of ideas to which they subscribe. The popular appeal of some ideas often derives from dynamics other than thorough comprehension of their foundations. This thesis examines how the conceptions that emerged from a series of movements among evangelical charismatic Christians in the twentieth century were shaped into a new theology that offers an intuitive, experiential, and miraculous spirituality built upon promises of the power and blessings due to God’s children. By tracing the history of movements such as church growth, signs and wonders, spiritual warfare, apostles and prophets, and dominion theology, and deconstructing how their discrete elements were developed and disseminated, it seeks to assess whether the new theology accurately represents its own claims of being the true Christianity. An exemplar of the new theology, Bill Johnson’s Bethel Church in Redding, California, presents as the culmination of ideas promoted by advocates such as C. Peter Wagner, who taught that the dying denominations of evangelical Christianity must be replaced by churches where God’s purposes for Christians are finally being realised. With apostles and prophets establishing the proper order of church governance, Christians fulfilling their mandate to assert power and authority in performing signs and wonders, and Satan defeated as territorial demons are expelled from their domains of control, finally God’s kingdom can be established on earth and Christians will soon take their place as the rightful rulers over society. Because of its increasing pervasiveness, this “Reformation” has implications for the evangelical Churches in general and so a clear understanding of its roots and processes is necessary.