The Swedish Pentecostal Movement 1913?2000. The Tension between Radical Congrega

When Nilsson presented this thesis at Columbia Theological Seminary in May 2001, organizational issues were highly topical in the Swedish Pentecostal movement. A proposal had just been sent out to the Pentecostal congregations for the formation of The Pentecostal Alliance of Independent Churches.

The purpose of the thesis is to treat the tension between a traditional parish view that emphasizes the local congregational authority and independence, radical congregationalism, and an increasingly clear interest in the formation of a denomination.

The study is connected to research on both Swedish and American Pentecostal movements and contains recurring comparisons with the theological developments within the Assemblies of God. The study deals with sources from nine decades.