W.H. TURNER: 2,000 YEARS OF PENTECOST

2,000 Years of Penteost
by W.H. Turner
In the “foreward” , Turner states a hope that similar small books will become a useful literature tool for Pentecostal evangelism. This brief book, one of many written by Turner, was about sixty-two pages and was used in his own travels as a speaker and evangelist.
The topics covered were surprisingly broad and the coverage quite inclusive indicating a wide reading of both history and religion. The chapters were “Pentecost in the Promises”, “Pentecost in the Acts of the Apostles”; all cover the basic New Testament verses dealing with the birth of the Church and the arrival of the promised “Comforter” who provided motivation to the disciples in the book of Acts.
“Pentecost in the Post-Apostolic Age” covers several notable instances of deeper spiritual experiences among the Early Church Fathers and other leaders. “Pentecost in the Middle Ages”, examines the spiritual experiences of the Waldenese and the Albigenese, the Medicant Friars, the Quakers, and the Methodists. “Pentecost in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries”, continues by looking at Thomas Walsh, Martin Luther, Vincent Ferrer, Edward Irving and the MacDonalds. “Pentecost in Modern Times”, explores the Holiness roots of the Pentecostal movement and the early Tennessee, Kansas, and California origins. It also touches on leaders in other cultures, including Pandita Ramabi of India. “Pentecost in the Region Beyond” details the work across the globe.
The Turners served as missionaries to China for many years. They were interred for almost 2 years by the Japanese in World War II and that adventure is chronicled in other of his writings.

by Marilyn Hudson, Author & Historian
Director of Library Services, Southwestern Christian University