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Book Cover for: Beyond Belief: How Pentecostal Christianity Is Taking Over the World, Elle Hardy

Beyond Belief: How Pentecostal Christianity Is Taking Over the World

Elle Hardy

How has a Christian movement, founded at the turn of the twentieth century by the son of freed slaves, become the fastest-growing religion on Earth? Pentecostalism has 600 million followers; by 2050, they'll be one in ten people worldwide. This is the religion of the Holy Spirit, with believers directly experiencing God and His blessings: success for the mind, body, spirit and wallet.

Pentecostalism is a social movement. It serves impoverished people in Africa and Latin America, and inspires anti-establishment leaders from Trump to Bolsonaro. In Australia, Europe and Korea, it throws itself into culture wars and social media, offering meaning and community to the rootless and marginalized in a fragmenting world.

Reporting this revolution from twelve countries and six US states, Elle Hardy weaves a timeless tale of miracles, money and power, set in our volatile age of extremes. By turns troubling and entertaining, Beyond Belief exposes the Pentecostal agenda: not just saving souls, but transforming societies and controlling politics. These modern prophets, embedded in our institutions, have the cash and the influence to wage their holy war.

Book Details

  • Publisher: Hurst & Co.
  • Publish Date: Mar 15th, 2022
  • Pages: 328
  • Language: English
  • Edition: undefined - undefined
  • Dimensions: 8.10in - 5.60in - 1.40in - 1.20lb
  • EAN: 9781787385535
  • Categories: Christianity - GeneralChristian Living - Social Issues

About the Author

Elle Hardy is a journalist and foreign correspondent who has reported from the United States, the former USSR and North Korea, among a long list of places. Her work has appeared in GQ, Lonely Planet, Foreign Policy and Business Insider, and on ABC Australia.

Praise for this book

'Hardy is a first-class reporter. [...] Beyond Belief makes for an often gripping story, full of twists and turns.' -- The Sunday Times

'[An] elegant account [...] Hardy is an engaging usher round the Pentecostal world.' -- The Telegraph

'[A] lively book [and] a useful introduction to the world's fastest growing faith. [...] An empathetic observer Hardy may be, but she is clear-eyed about the challenge posed to secular societies by these strikingly modern holy warriors.' -- The Irish Times

'A fantastic read. Hardy gets right into the nucleus of the Pentecostal movement with empathy and a sharp journalistic eye. An incredibly important book.' -- Erica Buist, author of This Party's Dead: Grief, Joy and Spilled Rum at the World's Death Festivals

'An arresting, page-turning narrative, worthy of the pageantry, vivacity and charm of Pentecostalism. Ambitious in its coverage and earnest in its exploration, Beyond Belief is a truly compelling account of the world's foremost Christian renewal movement.' -- Ebenezer Obadare, author of Pentecostal Republic

'Informative, engaging, and unsettling, Beyond Belief is an in-depth exploration of global Pentecostalism in lively, accessible prose.' -- Chrissy Stroop, journalist, commentator and senior researcher on the Postsecular Conflicts Project

'An excellent panorama of the world's powerful and enigmatic Pentecostal movements. Path-breaking and thought-provoking, elegantly and lucidly written, this is an exceptional book.' -- Olufemi Vaughan, Chair of Black Studies, Amherst College, and author of Religion and the Making of Nigeria

'With a deft combination of reportage and analysis, Hardy's engaging book fills critical gaps in the popular understanding of Pentecostalism and its substantial sway over politics and society around the world.' -- Katherine Stewart, author of The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism