Once just a special-interest book category, charismatic and Pentecostal belief and practices are increasingly embraced across different kinds of churches.

But while younger believers express greater openness to the Spirit-filled movement, it faces a challenge as it looks to the future, says David Kinnaman, president of The Barna Group, which
has just concluded a study into how four different generations of American adults identify themselves as charismatic or Pentecostal believers.

"The next generation of charismatic and Pentecostal Christians spends less time defending their views to others, but also seems much less certain what they believe or how to put their faith into action," said Kinnaman.

"It raises the question of what will define the next generation of young charismatics and Pentecostal believers in the U.S. Facing less criticism from within the ranks of Christians, they must focus on being grounded theologically and finding a way to live faithfully within the broader culture of arts, media, technology, science and business."

Kinnaman's comments were based on findings that included:

* Baby Busters (ages 26 to 44) were the generation of self-identified Christians most likely to claim a charismatic or Pentecostal connection (29%), slightly higher than the 26% among Mosaics (ages 18 to 25) and the 25% among the eldest of Americans (25% among those 64 and older).

* Baby Boomers (aged 46 to 63), the generation that introduced America to "Jesus freaks" and other marks of spiritual intensity, was least likely to identify as charismatic or Pentecostal (20%).

* Mosaics (56%) and Busters (49%) were more likely than were Boomers (44%) or Elders (30%) to believe that "the charismatic gifts, such as tongues and healing, are active and valid today."

* As Christians who "consistently allow their lives to be guided by the Holy Spirit," Elders (64%) and Boomers (59%) outpaced Busters (54%) and Mosaics (38%).
* 68% of Mosaics Christians said they believed that the Holy Spirit is just "a symbol of God's power or presence, but is not a living entity. This compares to 59% of Busters, 55% of Boomers and 56% of Elders.

Source: The Barna Group.

Click here to read the full report: http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/12-faithspirituality/360-how-different-generations-view-and-engage-with-charismatic-and-pentecostal-christianity