NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Jesus Movement

The Jesus movement was the major Christian element within the hippie counterculture, or, conversely, the major hippie element within the Christian Church. Members of the movement are called Jesus people, or Jesus freaks. The movement arose on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and spread primarily through North America and Europe, before dying out by the early 1980s. The Jesus movement left a legacy of various denominations and other Christian organizations, an impact on the development of the contemporary both the Christian right and the Christian left, and Jesus music, which greatly influenced contemporary Christian music. The worship services in the Jesus movement paved the way for the development of modern worship music. This article concerns critical reconstructions of the Historical Jesus. ... The term Early Christianity here refers to Christianity of the period after the Death of Jesus and the foundation of the churches of Jerusalem and Antioch in the 30s and before the First Council of Nicaea in 325. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Singer at a modern Hippie movement in Russia A hippie (sometimes spelled hippy) is a member of a specific subculture (often described as a counterculture), that began in the United States in the 1960s, spread to other countries, and declined in the mid-1970s. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The term Christian Church, or Catholic Church, as it was known beginning in 110 AD,[1] expresses the idea that organised Christianity (the Christian religion) is seen as an institution. ... Jesus freak was originally a derogatory term applied to those involved in the Jesus Movement of the 1960s and 1970s who were often considered overzealous in their passion for Jesus. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... This article is 150 kilobytes or more in size. ... The 1980s refers to the years of and between 1980 and 1989. ... A denomination, in the Christian sense of the word, is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and/or doctrine. ... The term Christian Right is used by scholars and journalists, to refer to a spectrum of right-wing Christian political and social movements and organizations characterized by their strong support of conservative social and political values. ... The Christian Left or Religious Left are terms used to describe those who hold a strong Christian belief and share left-wing, liberal, or socialist ideals. ... Jesus music, also known as gospel beat music in the United Kingdom, is a style of Christian music which originated on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of the Jesus movement before the Christian music industry had begun to take... Contemporary Christian Music (or CCM) is a genre of popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith. ... Worship music is a style of Christian music that is commonly used to denote songs that are used to worship God and set in a choral music style, usually with repeating, short, easily sung chorus parts. ...

Important Note: The term Jesus movement is also used to refer to the early followers of Jesus.^[1] The term Early Christianity here refers to Christianity of the period after the Death of Jesus and the foundation of the churches of Jerusalem and Antioch in the 30s and before the First Council of Nicaea in 325. ...

Origins

The terms Jesus movement and Jesus people were coined by Duane Pederson in his writings for the Hollywood Free Paper. The term Jesus freak was originally a pejorative label imposed on the group by non-Christian hippies, but members of the Jesus movement reclaimed the phrase as a positive self-identifier. The Rev. ... A word or phrase is pejorative if it implies contempt or disapproval. ...

Though still a part of the broader hippie movement, the Jesus movement was partly a reaction against the counterculture from which it originated. Some people became disenchanted with the status quo and became hippies. Later, some of these people became disenchanted with the hippie lifestyle and became Jesus people.^{[citation needed]} However, the Jesus movement kept many of the mannerisms and styles of the hippies, but changed the cultural content to reflect their newfound Christian faith. For example, the Jesus people gave hippie slang a Christian spin: "free love",^{[citation needed]} instead of designating a rejection of traditional morality regarding sex, became the free (agape) love of God and people; phrases like "One Way" supplanted the focus on the individual with a focus on God, and; "Just Drop Jesus" replaced "dropping" acid or being "high on Jesus". Status Quo are an English rock band whose music is characterised by a strong boogie line. ... Slang is the use of highly informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speakers dialect or language. ... The term free love has been used since at least the nineteenth century to describe a social movement that rejects marriage, which is seen as a form of social bondage, especially for women. ... Brotherly love redirects here. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly called LSD, LSD-25, or acid. ...

The Jesus movement was part of what some consider to be the Fourth Great Awakening, one of the periodic shifts in religious thinking that have occurred throughout American history. The Fourth Great Awakening is a religious awakening that some scholars believe took place in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ...

Beliefs and practices

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 mainline denominations, especially those in the United States, as apostate, and took a decidedly anti-American political stance in general. The theology of the Jesus movement also called for a return to asceticism. Also, the Jesus people had a strong belief in miracles, signs and wonders, faith healing, spiritual possession and exorcism. For example, a miracle-filled revival at Asbury College in 1970 grabbed the attention of the secular news media and became known nation-wide [1] as told in the book One Divine Movement. [2] For other usages, see Dispensationalism, Restoration Movement, and Restoration Restorationism refers to unaffiliated religious movements that attempted to circumvent Protestant denominationalism and orthodox Christian creeds to restore Christianity to their constructions of its original form. ... At Wikiversity you can learn more and teach others about Theology at: The School of Theology Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Apostasy (from Greek Î±Ï€Î¿ÏƒÏ„Î±ÏƒÎ¯Î±, meaning a defection or revolt , from Î±Ï€Î¿, apo, away, apart, ÏƒÏ„Î±ÏƒÎ¹Ï‚, stasis, standing) is a term generally employed to describe the formal renunciation of ones religion, especially if the motive is deemed unworthy. ... Cover of Anti-Americanism by French author Jean-Francois Revel. ... Ascetic redirects here. ... A miracle, derived from the old Latin word miraculum meaning something wonderful, is a striking interposition of divine intervention by a god in the universe by which the ordinary course and operation of Nature is overruled, suspended, or modified. ... Signs and Wonders was a phrase used often by Charismatic leaders in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... Faith healer redirects here. ... Spiritual possession is a concept of many religions and tales, where it is believed that a demon, or disincarnate being, may take temporary control of a human body, resulting in noticeable changes in behaviour. ... Saint Francis exorcised demons in Arezzo, fresco of Giotto Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure) is the practice of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities from a person or place of which they have possessed (taken control of). ... Asbury College is a Christian liberal arts institution located in Wilmore, Kentucky. ...

The movement tended towards strong evangelism and millennialism. The group's theology rejected any middle ground. What they lacked in theological depth, Jesus people made up for in zeal for Christ and love of others. They strived for social justice and seemed to simply be in love with Jesus. 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. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Millennialism (or chiliasm), from millennium, which literally means thousand years, is primarily a belief expressed in some Christian denominations, and literature, that there will be a Golden Age or Paradise on Earth where Christ will reign prior to the final judgment and future eternal state, primarily derived from the book... Zeal is a volunteer-built web directory, first appearing in 1999, and then acquired by LookSmart in October 2000 for $20 million. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Ronald J. Sider is a Canadian-born American theologian. ... Harold Lee Hal Lindsey (born 1929) is an American evangelist and Christian writer. ... Hal Lindsey, author of numerous fiction and non-fiction books, wrote The Late, Great Planet Earth as a contribution to the non-fiction pre-millennialist dispensationalist body of literature. ...

Perhaps the most illustrative aspect of the Jesus movement was its communal aspect. Most Jesus People lived in communes. Though there were some groups, such as the Calvary Chapel movement, which did not live in communes, these remained more on the fringes of the Jesus movement. Within the commune, the group became more important than the individual, and communal sharing of possessions was the norm. Some of these communes became highly authoritarian. A Commune is a kind of intentional community where most resources are shared and there is little or no personal property. ... Calvary Chapels dove logo which represents the Holy Spirit. ... The term authoritarian is used to describe an organization or a state which enforces strong and sometimes oppressive measures against the population, generally without attempts at gaining the consent of the population. ...

Jesus music

There has been a long legacy of Christian music connected to the Jesus movement. Jesus music, also known as gospel beat music in the UK, primarily began when some hippie and street musicians of the late 1960s and early 1970s converted to Christianity. They continued to play the same style of music they had played previously, but began to write lyrics with a Christian message. Many music groups developed out of this, and some became leaders within the Jesus movement, most notably Barry McGuire, Love Song, Second Chapter of Acts, Servant, Petra, Resurrection Band, Larry Norman, Phil Keaggy, Randy Stonehill, Randy Matthews, Andraé Crouch (and the Disciples), and later Keith Green. The Joyful Noise Band traveled with a Christian community throughout the U.S. & Europe, performing in festivals held underneath giant tents. In the UK, Malcolm and Alwyn were the most notable agents of the gospel beat. Jesus music, also known as gospel beat music in the United Kingdom, is a style of Christian music which originated on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of the Jesus movement before the Christian music industry had begun to take... Christian may refer to several different subjects: A Christian is an adherent of the religion Christianity; Christian is also an adjective referring to Christianity. ... Barry McGuire (born 15 October 1935) is an American singer-songwriter. ... Love Song was one of the first Christian Rock bands, founded in 1970 by Chuck Girard, Tommy Coomes, Jay Truax, and Fred Field. ... 2nd Chapter of Acts was a Jesus Music and an early Contemporary Christian Music group comprised of sisters Annie Herring and Nelly Greisen and brother Matthew Ward. ... Servant was a Christian rock group based out of the Highway Missionary Society in Grants Pass, Oregon, which eventually became The Servant Community in Cincinatti, Ohio. ... Petra is a Christian Rock band formed in the 70s. ... Resurrection Band, also known as Rez Band or REZ, is one of the most well-known and respected Christian rock bands in the history of Contemporary Christian music. ... Larry David Norman (born April 8, 1947 in Corpus Christi, Texas) is an American singer-songwriter considered the forefather of Contemporary Christian Music, an attribution which he denies. ... Phil Keaggy, born March 23, 1951, is a guitarist and vocalist. ... Randy Stonehill (born March 12, 1952) is an American singer/songwriter from Stockton, California. ... Randy Matthews (1951- ) is a Christian singer-songwriter, guitarist, and pioneer of Jesus music. ... AndraÃ© Edward Crouch (born July 1, 1942), gospel musician, recording artist, songwriter, arranger, and producer, was a key figure in the Jesus Music movement of the 1960s and 1970s. ... Keith Gordon Green (October 21, 1953 â€“ July 28, 1982) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, and pianist originally from Sheepshead Bay, New York. ... Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices is Paul Fleischmans Newbery Medal-winning book for the year 1989. ...

Organizations

Calvary Chapel

Unlike many other Christian movements, there was no single leader or figurehead of the Jesus movement. Some of the larger names include Duane Pederson, founding editor of the Hollywood Free Paper; Jack Sparks, who led the Christian World Liberation Front, as well as: Lonnie Frisbee, who worked for a time along with Chuck Smith, who founded the Calvary Chapel movement. Frisbee was a key evangelist during the growth of the Calvary churches; Smith was one of the few pastors who welcomed in the Jesus Freaks, and thus allowed for the dramatic future growth of his affiliate church network. Sparks and Pederson later became priests in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The international Potter's House Church (CFM) was birthed out of this movement. The Rev. ... Lonnie Frisbee (d. ... Charles Chuck Ward Smith (born June 25, 1927) is the founder of Calvary Chapel and is the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. ... Calvary Chapels dove logo which represents the Holy Spirit. ... Jesus freak was originally a derogatory term applied to those involved in the Jesus Movement of the 1960s and 1970s who were often considered overzealous in their passion for Jesus. ... The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian body that views itself as: the historical continuation of the original Christian community established by Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles, having maintained unbroken the link between its clergy and the Apostles by means of Apostolic Succession. ... Potters House Logo For the Potters house church pastored by T.D. Jakes, see T.D. Jakes. ...

Children of God

Another early leader was Linda Meissner, who formed the Jesus People Army in Seattle. She later joined her group with the Children of God, not discovering until later the controversial practices of that group. Nickname: The Emerald City Location of Seattle in King County and Washington Coordinates: Country United States State Washington County King County Incorporated December 2 1869 Government - Mayor Greg Nickels (NP) Area - City 142. ... The Children of God (COG), later known as the Family of Love, the Family, and now the Family International, is a new religious movement, widely referred to as a cult by the media and some government organizations, that started in 1968 in Huntington Beach, California, United States. ...

Jesus People USA

One of Meissner's disciples was Jim Palosaari, who, along with his wife, Sue, started a number of Christian communes, discipleship schools (to develop theological depth), and rock bands. One group toured through Europe, developing Christian music and drama. Another eventually became Jesus People USA (JPUSA), the largest and most enduring of the Jesus people communes. One of the leaders in the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s and 1970s, pastor an evangelist, James Michael Jim Palosaari, a second generation Finn, was born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and grew up on a goat farm near Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. ... A disciple (from the Latin discipulus, a pupil) is one who receives instruction from another; a scholar; a learner; especially, a follower who has learned to believe in the truth of the doctrine of his teacher, and implies that the pupil is under the discipline of, and understands, his teacher... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Jesus People USA is a Christian intentional community in Uptown, on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. ...

Jesus Army

In the UK, the Jesus Army was among the groups most influenced by the Jesus movement, embracing (former) hippies, bikers and drug addicts, among others. Many of the church adopted a communal lifestyle, which continues to this day. Image:Cock-army-evangelism. ...

Christ Is The Answer

Beginning in 1971, Christ Is The Answer took the concept of Christian community in a unique direction. Originally comprised of former hippies, musicians, and artists, this mobile group featured Christian rock music, theatrical presentations, and discipleship preaching underneath a giant tent ( a la Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell). Their traveling festivals were held in cities throughout the U.S. & Europe. CITA's New Manna national street paper was cutting-edge with its challenging editorial content, relevant cartoons, and observations about mainstream society and church life. Evangelistic outreach teams were sent to various nations throughout the world, many of which are still in operation today. The US album cover for the 1970 release of Jesus Christ Superstar. ... Godspell is a 1970 play by John-Michael Tebelak. ...

Fellowship House Church

Steve Freeman and others opened the Kingdom Come Christian Coffee House in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1971. Each Saturday night hippies and Jesus People gathered for worship, songs and fellowship. In 1972, several people who were highly involved in the Kingdom Come graduated from high schools and dispersed in several colleges and universities throughout the Southeastern United States. Each one started a Fellowship House Church. Maynard Pittendreigh established one at Erskine College, Jay Holmes established one at the University of South Carolina, Steve Freeman established on at Furman University, etc. Leadership moved from Steve Freeman to a charismatic preacher named Erskine Holt, a self-described apostle of the movement who lived in Florida. By 1973, nearly every campus throughout Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia had Fellowship House Churches. These generally died out by 1977, with many of the members moving to more traditional campus ministries. Many, however, moved onto similar ministry in such organizations as Calvary Chapel. For other places with the same name, see Greenville. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... The Rev. ... Ariel view of Erskine Building and Towers Erskine College is a four year, Christian liberal arts college located in Due West, South Carolina. ... The University of South Carolina, Columbia (USC or Carolina) is a public, co-educational, research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. ... Steven Jay Freeman (born May 8, 1953 in Lamesa, Texas) is a former American football defensive back. ... The Bell Tower Furman University is a private, coeducational, non-sectarian, liberal arts university in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. ... Erskine Holt was born February 8, 1915 and died July 11, 2003. ... Calvary Chapels dove logo which represents the Holy Spirit. ...

Decline and legacy

Perhaps the height of the Jesus movement was in the week-long gathering in Dallas, Texas known as Explo '72, which brought the hippies of the Jesus movement together with young people from traditional, Christian families and churches. The event was organized by the very traditional Campus Crusade for Christ and involved such traditional leaders as Bill Bright and Billy Graham. Many of the young Jesus People attending Explo '72 discovered for the first time these and other traditional avenues of Christian worship and experience. While Explo served as the height of the Jesus movement, in many ways it provided an exit from the movement for many of its members. Image File history File links Circle-question. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: Country United States State Texas Counties Dallas, Collin, Denton, Kaufman, and Rockwall Incorporated 2 February 1856 Government - Mayor Laura Miller Area - City 385. ... Explo 72 was an evangelical conference sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ, planned and directed by Paul Eshleman. ... Each March, U.S. college students spend Spring Break participating in â€œBig Break,â€ a Campus Crusade outreach to Panama City Beach vacationers Campus Crusade for Christ is an interdenominational Christian mission organization, focusing on evangelism and discipleship in over 190 countries around the world. ... Bill and Vonette Bright, 1951 Dr. William R. Bill Bright (October 19, 1921 _ July 19, 2003) was an American evangelist. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

As society changed, the Jesus movement did not adapt its methods. Since it was primarily a reaction to the hippie counterculture, as the hippie movement died out, the Jesus movement lost its relevance. In addition, the Jonestown mass murder-and-suicide, though scarcely related to the Jesus movement, tarnished the image of religious communal living. By the early 1980s, the Jesus movement had, for the most part, died out. Its influence persists, however, in the alternative Christian music industry, Calvary Chapels (and CC's 1982 breakoff movement Vineyard Fellowship), and JPUSA and The Jesus Army, all of which found ways to stay relevant in a rapidly changing culture. Christian writer Maynard Pittendreigh made the observation that most of those in the Jesus movement moved as individuals into different churches. Some moved into the Calvary Chapels with its emphasis on charismatic theology, less traditional worship and contemporary music, while others moved into very traditional and liturgical churches. Houses in Jonestown Jonestown was the communal settlement made in northwestern Guyana by the Peoples Temple, a cult from California. ... The Vineyard USA Logo The Association of Vineyard Churches, also known as the Vineyard Movement, is an organization of over 1650 churches worldwide. ... The Rev. ...

Contributing to this break away was the dissatisfaction with outcomes. Expectations ran high for many believers in those days, including strong desires for spiritual gifts, prosperity, ministry, and healing, most of which was promised to them by faith doctrines received from the Word of Faith community. When hopes were dashed, unbelief set in. Eventually, goals once held precious were doubted, disputed and/or disposed.

Also, an intense preoccupation with all things Charismatic lacked balance. It did not well prepare young men and women for the realities of responsible living, but instead told them that if they gave enough money in support of the church, they would greatly prosper. In truth, it was possible to find oneself more prepared for spiritual warfare than for gainful employment and a solid financial future.^{[citation needed]}

A common saying developed regarding this unbalanced condition. It stated that a believer could become "so heavenly minded that he/she was no earthly good." This is exactly how the disillusioned felt. Financial success, healing for one's body, fulfillment, and other unattained expectations, it was realized, required more than faithful attendance to and financial support of, a nondenominational structure. Instead, achieving such goals demanded a long range commitment to educational achievement, employment, retirement planning, and healthcare benefits. To get there, a believer often had to break away from the fold, away from the intensity of the group. In turn, the educational process contributed toward broadening social and religious perspectives, as well as added career-oriented activities, matrimony and family responsibilities.

References

Bibliography

Di Sabatino, David. The Jesus People Movement: An Annotated Bibliography and General Resource (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999). www.jesuspeoplemovement.com
White, L. Michael. The First Christians:the Jesus Movement. [3].
Jensen, Lori Jolene, Ph.D. (2000). (Re)discovering fundamentalism in the cultural margins: Calvary Chapel congregations as sites of cultural resistance and religious transformation. University of Southern California.
Isaacson, Lynne Marie, Ph.D. (1996). Delicate balances: Rearticulating gender ideology and rules for sexuality in a Jesus People communal movement. University of Oregon.
Smith, Kevin John, D.Miss. (2003). The origins, nature, and significance of the Jesus Movement as a revitalization movement. Asbury Theological Seminary.
Ridout-Stewart, Caroline, M.A. (1974). Communitas to structure: a dynamic social network analysis of an urban Jesus People Community. McGill University.
Shires, Preston David, Ph.D. (2002). Hippies of the religious Right: The counterculture and American evangelicalism in the 1960s and 1970s. University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
Gordon, David Frederick, Ph.D. (1978). A Comparison of the effects of urban and suburban location on structure and identity in two Jesus people groups. University of Chicago.
Bookman, Sally Dobson Ph.D. (1974). Jesus People: a religious movement in a mid-western city. University of California, Berkeley.
Wagner, Frederick Norman, Ph.D. (1971). A theological and historical assessment of the Jesus people phenomenon. Fuller Theological Seminary.
Griffith, Jack Garrison, Jr., Ph.D. (2004). Press coverage of four twentieth-century evangelical religious movements, 1967-1997. University of Southern Mississippi.
Chrasta, Michael James, Ph.D. (1998). Jesus people to Promise Keepers: A revival sequence and its effect on late twentieth-century evangelical ideas of masculinity. University of Texas at Dallas.
Robinson, James, Ph.D. (2001). The origins, development and nature of Pentecostalism in Ulster, 1907 - c. 1925: A study in historical and theological contextualisation. Queen's University of Belfast.
Smalridge, Scott, M.A. (1999). Early American Pentecostalism and the issues of race, gender, war, and poverty: A history of the belief system and social witness of early twentieth century Pentacostalism and its nineteenth century holiness roots. McGill University.
Dayton, Donald Wilbrr, Ph.D. (1983). Theological roots of pentecostalism. University of Chicago.
Ronald M. Enroth, Edward E. Ericson and C. Breckinridge Peters, The Jesus People: Old-Time Religion in the Age of Aquarius (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1972). ISBN 0-8028-1443-3
Donald Heinz, "The Christian World Liberation Front," in The New Religious Consciousness, Charles Y. Glock and Robert N. Bellah, eds. (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1976) pp. 143-161. ISBN 0-520-03083-4
Edward E. Plowman, The Jesus Movement (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1972). ISBN 0-340-16125-6
Young, Shawn David, M.A., Hippies, Jesus Freaks, and Music (Ann Arbor: Xanedu/Copley Original Works, 2005). ISBN 1-59399-201-7
Frisbee: The Life And Death Of a Hippie Preacher A Jester Media production. Produced, directed by David Di Sabatino. lonniefrisbee.com

Robert Neelly Bellah is a sociologist at University of California at Berkeley and author of a number of books including Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life. ...

Contents

Origins

Beliefs and practices

Jesus music

Organizations

Calvary Chapel

Children of God

Jesus People USA

Jesus Army

Christ Is The Answer

Fellowship House Church

Decline and legacy

References

Bibliography

See also

External links

Contents

Origins GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Beliefs and practices

Jesus music

Organizations

Calvary Chapel

Children of God

Jesus People USA

Jesus Army

Christ Is The Answer

Fellowship House Church

Decline and legacy

References

Bibliography

See also

External links

Origins