> How would you characterize pentecostalism or
> charimatic Christianity in this
> context--animistic expressions of folk
> religion.

Ha! You're sharp. I have been pondering this very thing. I don't have a conclusive response right now. There are some aspects of the pentecostal-charismatic movement that are troubling. I have a friend who says that if one speaks a negative word that it has power in the spiritual realm. That's just the tip of the iceberg though. There are many other things that she practices that I question. However, I certainly wouldn't put the gifts of the spirit into that category. I have seen the tendency in myself to see spirits behind everyday physical events. Now I'm not saying that God doesn't work in our lives daily, though. But sometimes there's a tendency to want God to manipulate things in our lives as if he's our personal magician.

>The pentecostal experience doesn't
> seek out a host of spirit guides, but it
> does seek out an infilling of
> "the" Spirit, with all the
> attendant signs such as speaking in tongues,
> trance states, prophesy, visions, etc.
> The more extreme forms of pentecostalism get
> pretty far out there with snake handling and
> drinking poison. If you've ever watched this
> ritual, from external appearances it isn't
> all that different than snake handling
> rituals among Hindus & Buddhists or fire
> dancing (walking on coals), which is
> practised in a range of animist groups.

> Since there is such a natural attraction for
> humans to gravitate to animistic expressions
> of religion, isn't the real issue one of
> learning to discern spirits? Maybe the more
> prudent course of action is simply not to
> mess around with trance states that open a
> person up to all sorts of alternative
> realities?

I agree. Also, Frank Perretti wrote a number of popular novels awhile back. I've heard that people use his books like the Bible in dealing with spiritual forces. Praying against this demon and that for example.