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Love & the Assemblies of God -- A Book Review by Sutton

THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD:  GODLY LOVE and the  REVITALIZATION of AMERICAN PENTECOSTALISM .          By   Margaret M. Poloma  & John C. Green.               Poloma and Green report findings from a sociological study of the Assemblies of God by interpreting interview and survey data from 447 clergy and 1,827 congregants, contextualized by historical narratives, website documents, previous research, and sociological theories.  They posit that organizational tension between charisma (primal spirituality) and social structure (pragmatic, organizational concerns) can catalyze revitalization; however, extant data are not quite sufficient to support the hypothesized dynamic.  Data illustrate both a commitment to classic Pentecostal experiences (e.g., glossolalia, divine healing) as well as concerns for orthodoxy and structure.  We also see a strong moral stance consistent with their history. Godly Love is offered as a theory to explain a dynamic interaction between bel