Holiness movement

{{christianity}}
The '''holiness movement''' is a [[Christian]] movement dating from the 19th century with its roots in John Wesley's [[Methodism]] and in the German Pietist movement.  Several of today's denominations are historically Holiness denominations.

==Distinguishing features==
They are distinguishable by two things:
# A strict legalistic personal morality: Holiness denominations are opposed to their members [[Gambling|playing cards]], attending movies, wearing shorts or jeans, going to public swimming pools, [[tobacco]] or [[alcohol]] use, or dancing.  Holiness churches also tend to take literally parts of the [[Bible]] that mainline churches might find embarrassing, and so practice foot washing before taking [[Communion]].
# Holiness churches teach sanctification is a second act of grace after being [[born again]].  Being born again brings about [[salvation]] and forgiveness of one's sins.  A second, later act of grace is sanctification, in which [[God]] takes away the believer's sinful nature so their [[sin]]s are not only forgiven, but they stop sinning at all from then on.

==Arminian==
Holiness churches also tend to hold a strongly [[Presbyterianism#5 points of Calvinism|Arminian]] [[theology]] and teach that salvation can be easily lost by [[sin]]ning (in contrast to, for example [[Baptist]]s and [[Calvinist]]s, who teach that once saved, always saved).

==Examples==
* [[Salvation Army]]
* Wesleyan Church
* Church of the Nazarene
* Christian and Missionary Alliance
* Church of God (Anderson, Indiana)
* Brethren In Christ (which has Mennonite roots and later adopted Wesleyan beliefs)
* Church of the Brethren (which is also a [[pacifism|pacifist]] church with roots in both Anabaptism and German Pietism)

==Less holy than thou==
In recent decades some of these churches have de-emphasized or abandoned some of the more hardcore, holier-than-thou<ref>[http://www.thefreedictionary.com/holier-than-thou holier than thou]</ref> aspects of their moral teaching such as no movies, swimming, or shorts, and sanctification as a second act of grace may not get the emphasis it once did either.  The Wesleyan, Nazarene, Brethren In Christ, and C&MA churches are nowadays pretty much like any other modern [[Evangelism|evangelical]] church, while the Salvation Army has become better known for its charity programs, and the Church of the Brethren for its emphasis on peace and social justice.

Some of the [[Pentecostal]] movement has its roots in the Holiness movement.  Holiness Pentecostals are distinguishable by their teaching that the "[[baptism]] of the [[Holy Spirit]] with the initial evidence of [[speaking in tongues]]" is the third act of grace (after salvation and sanctification).  Other Pentecostals teach that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is the second act of grace.  Examples of Holiness Pentecostals:
* Pentecostal Holiness Church (duh)
* Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee):  The second largest mostly-white Pentecostal denomination
* Church of God of the Mountain Assembly
* Church of God in Christ:  The largest mostly-black Pentecostal denomination

==See also==
*[[Protestantism]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Christianity]]

Categories: Christianity