Jesus Movement

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Template:Dablink The Jesus movement was the major Christian element within the hippie counterculture, or, conversely, the major hippie element within The Body of Christ.Template:Fact Members of the movement are called Jesus people, or Jesus freaks. The movement arose on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and spread primarily through North America and Europe, before dying out by the early 1980s. The Jesus movement left a legacy of various denominations and other Christian organizations, an impact on the development of the contemporary both the Christian right and the Christian left, and Jesus music, which greatly influenced contemporary Christian music. The worship services in the Jesus movement paved the way for the development of modern worship music. The term Jesus movement is also used to refer to the early followers of Jesus.[1]

Origins

The terms Jesus movement and Jesus people were coined by Duane Pederson in his writings for the Hollywood Free Paper. The term Jesus freak was originally a pejorative label imposed on the group by non-Christian hippies, but members of the Jesus movement reclaimed the phrase as a positive self-identifier.

Though still a part of the broader hippie movement, the Jesus movement was partly a reaction against the counterculture from which it originated. Some people became disenchanted with the status quo and became hippies. Later, some of these people became disenchanted with the hippie lifestyle and became Jesus people. Template:Fact However, the Jesus movement kept many of the mannerisms and styles of the hippies, but changed the cultural content to reflect their newfound Christian faith. For example, the Jesus people gave hippie slang a Christian spin: "free love", Template:Fact instead of designating a rejection of traditional morality regarding sex, became the free (agape) love of God and people; phrases like "One Way" supplanted the focus on the individual with a focus on God, and; "Just Drop Jesus" replaced "dropping" acid or being "high on Jesus".

The Jesus movement was part of what some consider to be the Fourth Great Awakening, one of the periodic shifts in religious thinking that have occurred throughout American history.

Beliefs and practices

The Jesus movement was restorationist in theology, seeking to return to the original life of the early Christians. As a result, Jesus people often viewed mainline denominations, especially those in the United States, as apostate, and took a decidedly anti-American political stance in general. The theology of the Jesus movement also called for a return to asceticism. Also, the Jesus people had a strong belief in miracles, signs and wonders, faith healing, spiritual possession and exorcism. For example, a miracle-filled revival at Asbury College in 1970 grabbed the attention of the secular news media and became known nation-wide [1] as told in the book One Divine Movement. [2]

The movement tended towards strong evangelism and millennialism. The group's theology rejected the excluded middle. What they lacked in theological depth, Jesus people made up for in zeal for Christ and love of others. They strived for social justice and seemed to simply be in love with Jesus. Some of the most read books by those within the movement included Ron Sider's Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger and Hal Lindsey's The Late Great Planet Earth.

Perhaps the most illustrative aspect of the Jesus movement was its communal aspect. Most Jesus People lived in communes. Though there were some groups, such as the Calvary Chapel movement, which did not live in communes, these remained more on the fringes of the Jesus movement. Within the commune, the group became more important than the individual, and communal sharing of possessions was the norm. Some of these communes became highly authoritarian.

Jesus music

Template:Main There has been a long legacy of Christian music connected to the Jesus movement. Jesus music, also known as gospel beat music in the UK, primarily began when some hippie and street musicians of the late 1960s and early 1970s converted to Christianity. They continued to play the same style of music they had played previously, but began to write lyrics with a Christian message. Many music groups developed out of this, and some became leaders within the Jesus movement, most notably Barry McGuire, Love Song, Second Chapter of Acts, Servant, Petra, Resurrection Band, Larry Norman, Phil Keaggy, Randy Stonehill, Randy Matthews, Andraé Crouch (and the Disciples), and later Keith Green. The Joyful Noise Band traveled with a Christian community throughout the U.S. & Europe, performing in festivals held underneath giant tents. In the UK, Malcolm and Alwyn were the most notable agents of the gospel beat.

Organizations

Calvary Chapel

Unlike many other Christian movements, there was no single leader or figurehead of the Jesus movement. Some of the larger names include Duane Pederson, founding editor of the Hollywood Free Paper; Jack Sparks, who led the Christian World Liberation Front, as well as: Lonnie Frisbee, who worked for a time along with Chuck Smith, who founded the Calvary Chapel movement. Frisbee was a key evangelist during the growth of the Calvary churches; Smith was one of the few pastors who welcomed in the Jesus Freaks, and thus allowed for the dramatic future growth of his affiliate church network. Sparks and Pederson later became priests in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The international Potter's House Church (CFM) was birthed out of this movement.

Children of God

Another early leader was Linda Meissner, who formed the Jesus People Army in Seattle. She later joined her group with the Children of God, not discovering until later the controversial practices of that group.

Jesus People USA

One of Meissner's disciples was Jim Palosaari, who, along with his wife, Sue, started a number of Christian communes, discipleship schools (to develop theological depth), and rock bands. One group toured through Europe, developing Christian music and drama. Another eventually became Jesus People USA (JPUSA), the largest and most enduring of the Jesus people communes.

Jesus Army

In the UK, the Jesus Army was among the groups most influenced by the Jesus movement, embracing (former) hippies, bikers and drug addicts, among others. Many of the church adopted a communal lifestyle, which continues to this day.

Christ Is The Answer

Beginning in 1971, Christ Is The Answer took the concept of Christian community in a unique direction. Originally comprised of former hippies, musicians, and artists, this mobile group featured Christian rock music, theatrical presentations, and discipleship preaching underneath a giant tent ( a la Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell). Their traveling festivals were held in cities throughout the U.S. & Europe. CITA's New Manna national street paper was cutting-edge with its challenging editorial content, relevant cartoons, and observations about mainstream society and church life. Evangelistic outreach teams were sent to various nations throughout the world, many of which are still in operation today.

Fellowship House Church

Steve Freeman and others opened the Kingdom Come Christian Coffee House in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1971. Each Saturday night hippies and Jesus People gathered for worship, songs and fellowship. In 1972, several people who were highly involved in the Kingdom Come graduated from high schools and dispersed in several colleges and universities throughout the Southeastern United States. Each one started a Fellowship House Church. Maynard Pittendreigh established one at Erskine College, Jay Holmes established one at the University of South Carolina, Steve Freeman established on at Furman University, etc. Leadership moved from Steve Freeman to a charismatic preacher named Erskine Holt, a self-described apostle of the movement who lived in Florida. By 1973, nearly every campus throughout Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia had Fellowship House Churches. These generally died out by 1977, with many of the members moving to more traditional campus ministries. Many, however, moved onto similar ministry in such organizations as Calvary Chapel.

Decline and legacy

Perhaps the height of the Jesus movement was in the week-long gathering in Dallas, Texas known as Explo '72, which brought the hippies of the Jesus movement together with young people from traditional, Christian families and churches. Explo '72 was a very positive part of the Jesus movement, but the event was organized by the very traditional Campus Crusade for Christ and involved such traditional leaders as Bill Bright and Billy Graham. Many of the young Jesus People attending Explo '72 discovered for the first time these and other traditional avenues of Christian worship, growth and experience. While Explo served as the height of the Jesus movement, in many ways it provided an exit from the movement for many of its members.

As society changed, the Jesus movement did not adapt its methods. Since it was primarily a reaction to the hippie counterculture, as the hippie movement died out, the Jesus movement lost its relevance. In addition, the Jonestown mass murder-and-suicide, though scarcely related to the Jesus movement, tarnished the image of religious communal living. By the early 1980s, the Jesus movement had, for the most part, died out. Its influence persists, however, in the alternative Christian music industry, Calvary Chapels (and CC's 1982 breakoff movement Vineyard Fellowship), and JPUSA and The Jesus Army, all of which found ways to stay relevant in a rapidly changing culture. Christian writer Maynard Pittendreigh made the observation that most of those in the Jesus movement moved as individuals into different churches. Some moved into the Calvary Chapels with its emphasis on charismatic theology, less traditional worship and contemporary music, while others moved into very traditional and liturgical churches.

Contributing to this break away was the dissatisfaction with outcomes. Expectations ran high for many believers in those days, including strong desires for spiritual gifts, prosperity, ministry, and healing, most of which was promised to them by faith doctrines received from the Word of Faith community. When hopes were dashed, unbelief set in. Eventually, goals once held precious were doubted and/or disputed.

Also, an intense preoccupation with all things Charismatic lacked balance. It did not well prepare young men and women for the realities of responsible living, but instead told them that if they gave enough money in support of the church, they would greatly prosper. In truth, many found themselves more prepared for spiritual warfare than they were for gainful employment and a solid financial future. Breaking away from the fold, and away from the intensity of the group, was a necessity for those who chose to enroll into colleges located away from their church home; after which came career-oriented activities, matrimony and family responsibilities.

References

  1. ↑ PBS: Frontline: From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians: The Jesus Movement

Bibliography

See also

External links

de:Jesus-People hu:Jézus-mozgalom nl:Jezusbeweging no:Jesusbevegelsen sv:Jesusfolket

W8MD

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