Before There Were Charismatics

Pentecostalism came to Pittsburgh prior to the 1967 Catholic Charismatic Movement through the life and teaching of Charles Hamilton Pridgeon. Although Pridgeon commonly appears in texts about Pentecostalism as a footnote to the larger story, he offers an interesting case study. His journey into the pentecostal ranks illustrates diversity among early pentecostal leaders both theologically and socially. Pridgeon, then, offers a lens for viewing Pittsburgh’s early encounter with Pentecostalism, while also demonstrating motives for such groups as the Assemblies of God who defined theological boundaries early in the twentieth century in response to his work.