Pentecostalism focuses on the outpouring of the [[Holy Spirit]] on the [[Apostles]] as described in the [[Acts (of the Apostles)|Acts of the Apostles]] and Pentecostals strive to embrace that same spirituality on a weekly or daily basis.
:''When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them.'' [Acts 2:1-3]
That is, Pentecostalism consists of becoming a messenger for the [[Holy Spirit]]. Adherents seek gifts of [[prophecy]] and [[faith healing|healing]], and sometimes speak in different or unrecognized [[speaking in tongues|tongues]]. Like evangelicals they emphasize the centrality of the conversion experience and the impending return to earth of Jesus. However Pentecostals are distinctive in their concentration on divine healing and Holy Ghost baptism, and forms of worship, such as "speaking in tongues" they see as part of that baptism.
In social terms, Pentecostalism has demonstrated egalitarianism, with African Americans and whites sharing revival pulpits and with women often welcomed as inspired speakers.
Theologian Harvey Cox (who is not a member) describes what to expect in typical services in the U.S., suggesting why critics sometimes call them "holy rollers"::high-amperage music, voluble praise, bodily movement including clapping and swaying, personal testimonies, sometimes prayers "in the Spirit," a sermon full of stories and anecdotes, announcements, lots of humorous banter, a period of intense prayers for healing, and a parting song.<ref> Cox, ''Fire from Heaven'' (1995) p 6, also p 9-10</ref>
==Denominations==
From a worldwide perspective, the Assemblies of God is the largest Pentecostal denomination. However, the vast majority of its membership is outside of the United States. It has 2.5 million members in the U.S. and 25 million overall.
===Evangelical response===
Pentecostals resemble fundamentalists and evangelicals in some ways, but theologically they are quite different. Fundamentalists attach such unique authority to the letter of the Bible that they are suspicious of the pentecostals' stress on the immediate experience of the Spirit of God. Indeed, text-oriented Christians tend to be wary of mystics. The theology of pentecostalism is imbedded in testimonies, ecstatic speech, and bodily movement. The theology encompasses a full-blown religious cosmos, an intricate system of symbols that respond to the perennial questions of human meaning and value. The difference is that, historically, pentecostals have felt more at home singing their theology, or putting it in pamphlets for distribution on street corners.<ref> Cox, ''Fire from Heaven'' (1995) p 15</ref>
Wacker (1996) looks at the bitter fight between existing radical evangelical groups and emerging Pentecostals between 1906 and 1916. To outsiders the sides were indistinguishable in their doctrinal beliefs, but to insiders their differences were immense. Pentecostals emphasized the absolute need to exhibit gifts of the spirit, something that most radical evangelicals denied. Strife bitterly divided churches, families, and communities because the opponents had so much in common. Both sides assumed theology to be an exact science, that only one correct interpretation of the Bible was possible, and that the worst sin was a rejection of orthodoxy. A legacy of animosity persisted between the two groups for years after.<ref> Grant Wacker, "Travail of a Broken Family: Evangelical Responses to Pentecostalism in America, 1906-1916." ''Journal Of Ecclesiastical History'' 1996 47(3): 505-528. 0022-0469 </ref>
==Missions and International==