Pentecostals are the modern mystics

Dr. Emilio Alvarez shares how Pentecostals mirror the ancient mystics.

[fernandoxavier]

Pentecostals: nah, we don't want monasteries
Also pentecostals: WE ARE THE MYSTICAL MONKS

[iliya]

I’m not sure what he’s talking about…apart from the many obvious things Pentecostals reject in Orthodoxy (the priesthood, the episcopate, the real presence of the Eucharist, etc), all those writings he mentioned are very much focused on the need for a continual lifetime of repentance, asceticism, and there is a strong suspicion and caution of visions and charismatic gifts, and the warnings of falling into spiritual delusion by them. St Symeon’s experiences are open to all but they are nonetheless exceedingly rare because so few repent like he did. I don’t know what similarities he’s talking about.

[nikolai_diego]

As a former Pentecostal myself, I find that very hard to believe.

[nel]

This man single handedly united the Orthodox Church in disgust. Have you any idea how hard it is to get us to agree on anything?

[Journey_of_Abundance]

Pentecostals have literally no monastic tradition. What is this dude on?

[WBell]

"We just are".

Just because you can say it, doesn't make it true.

[fernandoxavier]

_Nicodemos, Silouan, Paisios, Joseph the Hesychast, Ephraim of Philotheou and Arizona, Ephraim of Katounakia, Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia and Aimilianos of Simonos Petras have joined the chat_

[kynesilagan]

Me: how so?

"we just are, it's just the truth"

Me: astounding

[tylerward]

Having come from a pentecostal background, I cant imagine anything being further from the truth. I imagine the comment section involves this guy getting absolutely roasted. I'll be interested to see how he backs up the claims, because everything I've seen and experienced tell me the direct opposite of what he is saying

[aeternusromanus]

Unbelievable self-delusion. Lord have mercy.

[ZealousSeraphim]

The mystics and monastics of Contemporary Christianity are still within Orthodoxy and never left.

If one thinks that Pentecostalism is in line with early Church mysticism, all you need to do is read Fr Seraphim Rose’s Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future and read his chapter on Pentecostals.

[SteveBedford]

Perhaps perceived outward similarities, but to say that pentecostals are monastics is laughably absurd. Coming from the pentecostal world, there is nearly zero correlation between actual ascetical practice and the weirdness that happens in pentecostal circles.

[radamanthus]

The Orthodox Church is the continuity of the Orthodox Church. I applaud your study into early monasticism. The tradition continues unbroken today in the same tradition.

[Jacob.Lionsfood]

Di- did you actually study the early monastics? Or just read your own views back into them?

[Gregorydrobny]

Someone needs to pay a visit to Mount Athos.

[St.Andrewthest]

I think he meant to say "Montanists"

[siddharthabanerjee]

Thanks for a good laugh. I was having a bad day. This was genuinely funny, especially the way he was saying it.

[davidvartanian]

Eastern monasticism was very charismatic, sure. They believed the world was very open to supernatural events happening all the time, all around them. But this comparison is wild lol I’ve never seen Pentecostal churches teach having a rule of life or discipleship and mentorship. And Pentecostal churches generally do the opposite of teach solitude and silence.

[tristaingwerson]

I very briefly joined a Pentecostal church before converting to Orthodoxy. What I experienced there was more akin to voodoo/spiritism, rather than monasticism/mysticism.

We should be praying for these people because it's likely the only way they know how to be "spiritual" within the dryness of protestantism in a modernist, materialist world.

[samuelwillmot]

This is insane. This sounds so much like satire I have to believe it is