A great book!
Many say that charismatic Christianity ceased at the end of the first century, while others say the the charismatic movement of the 20th century is a recently invented fad that is based on emotions and delusions.
This book traces charismatic manifistations from the 1st century to the present, showing systematically that there have been Christians in every generation that exercised the gifts of the Spirit. In doing so, this book fills in the gaps that a lot of church historians leave when they cover only the high points of the events that have formed the church. It documents a continuous thread of Christians living in the power of the Holy Spirit, often in defiance of the "accepted church".
It shows that no matter how corrupt the visible church became, there were still those believers who clung to the word of God, exercised the gifts of the Spirit, and lived a daily walk of faith and obedience.
It tells us that if Christians in the past could do it with the persecution they endured, then Christians today can do it also --- no matter what may be up ahead.
