About the Book Soon after the end of the Second Vatican Council, the Charismatic Renewal spread in the Catholic Church in 1967. The Charismatic Renewal Movement, which had a modest beginning, had a phenomenal growth. This grace of the Holy Spirit has touched the lives of millions in all the continents. People of all nations, languages and cultures have had a tremendous experience of God, which has changed their lives. What is the spirituality of this movement that makes it so attractive among people? Has this spirituality truly enriched the spiritual lives of the people associated with it? This book seeks to answer these questions objectively and welcomes readers for further reflection.
About the Author Reginald Alva is a Priest belonging to the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). He is presently teaching at Nanzan University, Seto, Japan. He is also involved in pastoral and renewal work in the Catholic Church of Japan. He holds degrees in English Literature, Social Work, Political Science, Philosophy and Theology. He has a licentiate in Biblical Theology and he took his doctorate in Theology (Spirituality) from Pontificia Università San Tommaso D'Aquino, Angelicum, Rome.
Preface In the Gospel of John, Jesus said to Nicodemus, "The wind blows where it chooses." (Jn 3:8) No one can control the movements of the wind. The wind, which Jesus referred to, is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the dynamic force, which gives life to the Church. It blew on the day of Pentecost, turned a bunch of ordinary men and women into great missionaries of faith. The same Holy Spirit continued to inspire men and women to carry forward the mission of God in spite of the various scandals that plagued the Church. In spite of human failures and weaknesses, the Holy Spirit never gave up on the Church. It guided the Church through the Second Vatican Council, to renew and prepare her to be relevant in the modern times. The Charismatic Renewal Movement is also the work of the same Holy Spirit, Charismatics have rediscovered the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Charismatic spirituality has evolved as a distinct spirituality within the tradition of the Catholic Church. It has brought freshness in the spiritual life of the Church. It has touched the lives of millions of people. Many people had a dramatic change of heart after they took part in Charismatic prayer sessions. Therefore, in this book we shall try to understand the essence of Charismatic Spirituality. We shall study, how it has affected the lives of Christians all around the globe. Further, we shall trace its contribution in the renewal of the Church.
Introduction After the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit empowered His disciples to be His bold witnesses. Even though Jesus was not physically with them, they could continue their love relationship with Him. They were no longer afraid of worldly powers and principalities. Their only priority was Jesus. However, with the passage of time, the Church started losing her initial zeal and vigor. With the advancement of science and technology, the Church also started losing place in people's lives. People questioned the relevance and need of religion and faith in the modern world. It was in such situation that Pope John XXIII called for Second Vatican Council to prepare the Church to read the signs of the times. He longed for an overall renewal and reformation of the Church. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) indeed pushed forward Pope John XXIII's vision of a reformed Church. A few years later, in 1967 the Renewal spread from Protestant Pentecostal Churches to the Catholic Church. The Charismatic Renewal within the Catholic Church has many commonalities with the Protestant Pentecostals. However, unlike Protestant Pentecostals it is rooted in Church's tradition.' On the other hand, it is also open to the freshness in worship, which is gift of the Holy Spirit. In this book, we shall study the spirituality of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement (CCRM). For this purpose, we shall briefly study the history of the CCRM and its relationship with the ecclesial authorities.
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