The Holy Ghost People by Peter Adair - Essay Example

The documentary starts by showing the viewer several images of the place of worship and its services. Additionally, the narrator first introduces the Pentecostal community and the church congregation and then presents several activities that the church conducts such as speaking-in-tongue, faith healing, and snake handling; the church services were usually four to seven hours long, several times a week. Furthermore, the narrator states that members of the congregation were usually bitten while handling snakes but refused medical attention.

The documentary then shows numerous interviews with some members of the church congregation; these interviews show stories of how several members of the church congregation received salvation through the supremacy of the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit empowers them from day to day. Furthermore, some members suggest that they communicate with God through the influence of the Holy Ghost, which sometimes paralyzes them. Finally, the last interview involved an old woman who convulses and shakes on camera while speaking in tongues.

The documentary then shows the start of a church service; as members of the congregation enter, they kiss one another on the lips and then take their seats. In addition, once all the members were seated, they started clapping their hands and singing together. Besides, as the congregation is singing and worshiping, the pastor stands up and addresses the congregation; he invites all those who are not filled with the Holy Ghost to come forward to receive an impartation. Eventually, the services move into a session of prayer; members of the congregation stand and make known their prayers and concerns. Additionally, the congregation breaks out into diverse kinds of prayer including lying on the floor, standing still, and convulsing uncontrollably.

The documentary is a testament to what many individuals consider the ministry of the Holy Spirit, a strange paradox. On the one hand, there are very few theological works on the ministry of the Holy Spirit; there is only a small reference to the issue in connection with the Trinity. On the other hand, over the last two decades, there has been an increasing interest and manifestation of the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit, especially in many non-denominational churches in America. The ministry of the Holy Spirit just as the documentary demonstrates revolves around the work of the Holy Ghost, especially in the lives of believers; the spiritual gifts such as faith healing and speaking in tongues that empower believers in their ministries(Oyakhilome, 2011).

Nonetheless, there are increasing numbers of Christians that do not believe in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who suggest that the Pentecostal movement, the charismatic faith and the many non-denominational churches of today that believe in the Holy Spirit, are just indigenous cultural phenomenon. Furthermore, these critics suggest that just because it is taking place in America and within the Christian community does not make it part of the body of Christ. Read More