O Vento Sopra onde Quer: unção do riso

Este artigo apresenta o fenômeno da Benção do Riso, ou Unção do Riso, surgida na Igreja Comunhão Divina de Toronoto, Canadá. Embora esse tenha sido o fenômeno que tornou o movimento conhecido para o mundo, há alusão que já havia relatos da Unção do riso em 1933, em escala menor, e em pequenas igrejas. Foi a partir de 1980, portanto, antes do episódio de Toronto, que a Unção do Riso chega ao Brasil por meio do Pastor Argentino Carlos Anacondia, que difundiu essa doutrina em inúmeras comunidades evangélicas. A Unção do riso é praticada no Brasil e no mundo por grupos pentecostais e neopentecostais, e também carismáticos. O artigo questiona as nuances do evento e suas contradições no ambiente cristão, tanto a nível religioso, teológico e litúrgico. The Wind Blows Where it Wishes: holy laughter This article discusses the phenomenon of the Holy Laughter (also known as Anointing of Laughter, Unction of Laughter, Anointing of Isaac, Toronto Blessing, etc.) that emerged in 1994 at the Holy Communion Church in Toronto, Canada. Despite that phenomenon rising the movement to worldwide fame, there are allusions to said Holy Laughter on accounts since 1933, on a smaller scale and on smaller churches. Firstly, we present the reality of laughter as present in the Judeo-Christian sacred texts and briefly some of its contemporary developments in satirical and humorous adaptations of the Christian bible. Afterwards we present how said Holy Laughter was positively held but also how it became target for harsh criticism by both religious groups and researchers. Lastly, we present how it may be interpreted as an authentic element of faith and worship, or as a cathartic psychological phenomenon led by religious leaders during Christian worship.

Hit Gyülekezete

In this Field Notes contribution, I report on one of the largest Pentecostal church networks in Central Europe. Led by charismatic pastor Sándor Németh, Faith Church reflects trends in the globalization of Pentecostalism and the regional experience of post-Communist countries. Faith Church (Hit Gyülekezete) embraces three distinctive theologies running through contemporary evangelicalism: the charismatic gifts associated with the Toronto Blessing; the prosperity gospel of the Word of Faith movement; and philo-Semitic Christian Zionism. The evening service I attended in Budapest was structured so as to affirm these three themes.

After Toronto

This essay explores the unity and diversity of global charismatic ministries emerging from the 1990s Toronto Blessing revival, including John and Carol Arnott’s Catch the Fire Ministries (Toronto, Canada), Randy Clark’s Global Awakening (Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, USA), and Heidi and Rolland Baker’s Iris Ministries (Pemba, Mozambique). Such practices as bodily healing, verbal evangelism, care for the poor, Bible teaching, exuberant worship, “soaking prayer,” and inner healing are held in common, while each group has some area of functional specialization. The post-Toronto movements thus do not present an archetypal, Weberian “routinization of charisma” or a global dissemination of a single, homogenized approach to Christian ministry. A common element among the groups is an insistence on an individual, inner spiritual renewal that must precede any outer work of service. Effective ministry derives from “intimacy with God.” In their diversity, vitality, and adaptability, these post-Toronto movements offer hope for reviving the worldwide charismatic renewal.