Читать книгу The World's Christians - Douglas Jacobsen - Страница 73

Kathryn Kuhlman (1907–76) was one of the most well‐known twentieth‐century Pentecostal preachers, and much of her fame was based on her reputation as a faith healer. She was, however, a faith healer with a difference. Rather than demanding that her followers reject modern medicine, she exuded a kind of reasonableness about healing that appealed to Pentecostal and non‐Pentecostal Christians alike, and her winsome style helped Pentecostalism move out of the shadows and into the religious mainstream. During the mid‐century when Kuhlman’s ministry was at its peak, Pentecostalism was still often equated with “hillbilly” religion – a faith for people at the margins of polite society who dressed badly, sang too loudly, and were a little off kilter in general. Kuhlman provided a very different image for the movement. She dressed glamorously and talked like a TV host (which she was), and she made miracles and speaking in tongues seem normal. The religious normalcy that Kuhlman infused into the movement attracted millions of followers who otherwise may never have taken Pentecostalism seriously.