Charismatic
Charismatic is an umbrella term used to describe those Christians who believe that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit seen in the first century Christian Church, such as glossolalia, healing and miracles, are available to contemporary Christians and ought to be experienced and practiced today.The word charismatic is derived from the Greek word charis (meaning a grace or a gift) which is the term used in the Bible to describe a wide range of supernatural experiences (especially in 1 Corinthians 12-14).
Often confused with Pentecostalism (which it was inspired by), Charismatic Christianity tends to differ in key aspects: Charismatics reject the preeminence given by Pentecostalism to glossolalia, reject the legalism often associated with Pentecostalism, and tend to stay in their existing denominations instead of forming new groups (although this is no longer as true as it once was and most house churches freely use charismatic gifts).
Charismatic expressions are not exclusive to any single denomination, nor is Charismatic theology uniquely Protestant. There is a burgeoning Charismatic movement within the Catholic Church, and Pope John Paul II is reputed to have a Charismatic Priest as his personal pastor.
In the 1960s and 1970s there was a renewed interest in the supernatural gifts of the Spirit in mainstream churches such as the Episcopal, Lutheran and Catholic churches. The Catholic Charismatic Renewal was focused in individuals like Kevin Ranahan and his group of followers at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Ranahan's counterpart in the Episcopal Church was Father Dennis Bennett of Ballard, Washington.
On an international level, David Duplessis along with a host of others (including Lutheran and even Southern Baptist ministers) promoted the movement. The latter did not last long with their denominations, either volunteering to leave or being asked to do so. But in the Episcopal and Catholic churches priest and ministers were permitted to continue on in their parishes, provided they did not allow these concerns to create major divisions within their congregations.
Some Charismatic groups are more Fundamentalist, while some fringe groups experiment with New Age practices. These churches, movements and groups all have in common that they believe and promote the supernatural manifestations of the Spirit in their meetings.
Christians who are at odds with Charismatics (often Southern Baptists and the various Reformed denominations), use the word in a derisive manner and generally believe and teach that Charismatics are everything from shallow to dangerous — even demon possessed, although this latter charge is increasingly rare as Charismatic and Pentecostal groups become more established in the American religious landscape.
The term Charismaniacs is occasionally used to parody the movement.