| Abstract
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Compared with Protestant Pentecostalism, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (ccr) movement in mainland China has had a much shorter history; it appeared independently in 1994 and has spread slowly during the last two decades. As an alternative spiritual exercise, ccr emphasizes the role of speaking in tongues, which is regarded as receiving the Holy Spirit through a new experience. Because the China Catholic Bishops’ Conference has promulgated no official guidelines, the attitude of the local bishop plays a decisive role. ccr communities have become part of church growth and have contributed to the revival of diocesan life. Besides the training seminar, regular prayer meetings, and bible studies in groups, most ccr members actively participate in the local parish’s ministry and become more diligent in observing the church’s traditional rituals or devotions, such as adoration of the Eucharist, the stations of the cross, the rosary, and vespers. Moreover, the ccr movement has never been a community independent of church authority. Instead, supervision by a bishop or priests is a crucial element. Compared with Protestant Pentecostalism, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (ccr) movement in mainland China has had a much shorter history; it appeared independently in 1994 and has spread slowly during the last two decades. As an alternative spiritual exercise, ccr emphasizes the role of speaking in tongues, which is regarded as receiving the Holy Spirit through a new experience. Because the China Catholic Bishops’ Conference has promulgated no official guidelines, the attitude of the local bishop plays a decisive role. ccr communities have become part of church growth and have contributed to the revival of diocesan life. Besides the training seminar, regular prayer meetings, and bible studies in groups, most ccr members actively participate in the local parish’s ministry and become more diligent in observing the church’s traditional rituals or devotions, such as adoration of the Eucharist, the stations of the cross, the rosary, and vespers. Moreover, the ccr movement has never been a community independent of church authority. Instead, supervision by a bishop or priests is a crucial element.
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