Jesus movement
The Jesus movement was an evangelical Christian movement that began on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and primarily spread throughout North America, Europe, Central America, Australia and New Zealand, before it subsided in the late 1980s. Members of the movement were called Jesus people or Jesus freaks.
For the music album, see Danny Gokey discography. For the community, see Jesus People USA. For the film, see Jesus People: The Movie. For the first century movement which focused on Jesus of Nazareth, see Early Christianity.
Its predecessor, the charismatic movement, had already been in full swing for about a decade. It involved mainline Protestants and Catholics who testified to having supernatural experiences similar to those recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, especially speaking in tongues.The two movements similarly believed that they were calling the church back to a more biblically accurate version of Christianity. Furthermore, they believed that these changes would result in the restoration of spiritual gift to the church.[1]
The Jesus movement left a legacy that included the formation of various denominations as well as other Christian organizations, and it also influenced the development of both the contemporary Christian right and Christian left. It was foundational in several ongoing Christian cultural movements, including Jesus music's impact on contemporary Christian music, and the development of Christian media as a radio and film industry.[2][3]
History[edit]
Origins[edit]
The terms Jesus movement and Jesus people were popularized by Duane Pederson in his writings for the Hollywood Free Paper. In an interview with Sean Dietrich which took place on August 19, 2006, Pederson explained that he did not coin the phrase "Jesus People"; moreover, he credited a magazine/television interviewer who asked him if he was part of the "Jesus People". As a result, Pederson was credited to be the phrase's founder.[4]
The term Jesus People is used to describe the group of originally outcasts, drug-obsessed, and all-around anti-religious who during the 1960s and 1970s turned towards the Christian faith and Jesus. They took the Bible and Jesus and began to understand it in their own lives and reformed their lifestyles for the better.[5]
During the 1970s, many younger generations were pulled away from the average structured lifestyle they were told to live, and instead turned to lifestyles that were referred to as counterculture. This new lifestyle consisted of exploring various drugs, paths of spirituality and religions. Despite the growing popularity of the counterculture, many young adults became confused, which led them to turn towards the church. People who identified as hippies came forward sharing their testimonies and the peace they found after turning towards the Jesus lifestyle .[6]
Growth and decline[edit]
Secular and Christian media exposure in 1971 and 1972 caused the Jesus movement to explode across the United States, which attracted evangelical youth eager to identify with the movement.While many other communes and fellowships sprang up, the Shiloh and Children of God communities attracted more new believers.
Explo '72 was an event organized by the Campus Crusade for Christ which was held at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, and involved such conservative leaders as Bill Bright and Billy Graham. Many of the 80,000 young Jesus People attending Explo '72 discovered for the first time these and other traditional avenues of Christian worship and experience. Although Explo '72 marked the high-water mark of media interest, the Jesus movement continued at a grass roots level with smaller individual groups and communities.
The movement began to subside, largely concluding by the late 1980s,[7] but left a major influence in Christian music, youth and church life.[8]
Beliefs and practices[edit]
The Jesus movement was restorationist in theology, seeking to return to the original life of the early Christians. As a result, Jesus people often viewed churches, especially those in the United States, as apostate, and took a decidedly countercultural political stance in general. The theology of the Jesus movement also called for a return to simple living and asceticism in some cases. The Jesus people had a strong belief in miracles, signs and wonders, faith, healing, prayer, the Bible, and powerful works of the Holy Spirit. For example, a revival at Asbury College in 1970 grabbed the attention of the mainstream news media and became known nationwide.[15][16]
The movement tended towards evangelism and millennialism. Some of the most read books by those within the movement included Ron Sider's Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger and Hal Lindsey's The Late Great Planet Earth.[17]
The Jesus movement frequently had a communal aspect. Many Jesus people lived in communes. The commune of Graham Pulkingham was described in his book They Left Their Nets.
The expansion of the Jesus Movement among young people was encouraged and spread through the practice of baptisms; moreover, the West Coast was a popular location for these "mass baptisms". Another popular practice within the movement was evangelism, which is the act of spreading the Gospel; furthermore, because of active evangelism, thousands of young students in southern states converted and began living Jesus-focused lives.[18]