What was the Jesus Movement and in what way does it differ from christianity in churches?

[dms1972]

[edit] I apologise if I have asked the question incorrectly - can someone clarify if it was a movement within churches, or if as I suspect it covered a variety of views towards denominational christianity? So far all I am aware of is that it started in the 1960s/70s on the west coast of America, people caught up were called Jesus people, or sometimes Jesus freaks, and that it seems to have been a departure from traditional christianity, or was a movement calling for a return to a supernatural christianity (gifts of the spirit). I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who was involved in it, and what it was about and how it started.

As I am somewhat ignorant about it (but doing some reading on it), please correct me if I have misrepresented it as a departure from traditional christianity.

What was its relation to the main denominations?

I read that churches such as Hills Fellowship in Australia have their origins in the Jesus Movement.

 

[Southernscotty]

I believe for awhile it was "far out". lol

 

[YesMe]

My answer may not be the answer you are looking for, but I want to point something very important.You can be part of any movement you want, part of any denomination you want, catholic or orthodox, if you do not follow Jesus's teaching, you are not part of His church, because His true church is found in spirit, not in man made constructions.You recognise a follower of Jesus when you get a glimpse of seeing Jesus in that person.Everybody claims that they have the only truth, when, in fact, the truth was proclaimed to all humanity, so do not bother too much about being part of the right group, worry about being part of Jesus's true church.Jesus said that the entire Bible has at its foundation two things - love God with everything you are and love your neighbour as yourself.Two things you need to be saved, believe in Jesus and do as much good as it is given to you.

 

[paul1149]

I hope my question is worded ok, so far all I am aware of is that it started in the 1960s/70s on the west coast of America, people caught up were called Jesus people, or sometimes Jesus freaks, and that it seems to have been a departure from traditional christianity, or was a movement calling for a return to a supernatural christianity (gifts of the spirit). I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who was involved in it, and what it was about and how it started.

As I am somewhat ignorant about it (but doing some reading on it), please correct me if I have misrepresented it as a departure from traditional christianity.

What was its relation to the main denominations?

I read that churches such as Hills Fellowship in Australia have their origins in the Jesus Movement.

It was a powerful move of God. People, starting in California, were getting saved all over the place. It centered mostly around two new church families, Calvary Chapel and The Vineyard, and one man who was central to both of them for a while, Lonnie Frisbee. Calvary Chapel didn't get much involved in the gifts of the spirit, but The Vineyard did.

 

[FenderTL5]

It was youth of the 60s/early 70s rock-n-roll era being involved in faith in a contemporary, non-traditional fashion. In short, they were Christian Hippies.

 

[Brian Mcnamee]

[edit] I apologise if I have asked the question incorrectly - can someone clarify if it was a movement within churches, or if as I suspect it covered a variety of views towards denominational christianity? So far all I am aware of is that it started in the 1960s/70s on the west coast of America, people caught up were called Jesus people, or sometimes Jesus freaks, and that it seems to have been a departure from traditional christianity, or was a movement calling for a return to a supernatural christianity (gifts of the spirit). I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who was involved in it, and what it was about and how it started.

As I am somewhat ignorant about it (but doing some reading on it), please correct me if I have misrepresented it as a departure from traditional christianity.

What was its relation to the main denominations?

I read that churches such as Hills Fellowship in Australia have their origins in the Jesus Movement.

Hi thing about the Jesus movement was it was based on bringing the gospel and the scriptures which promise many things to the hippies who were looking for meaning in life through drugs, sex, mysticism and all. One of the main pastors started a church called Calvary Chapel he welcomed the youth as they were barefoot and long haired. He brought in contemporary music but did not compromise the teaching of the scriptures. He taught book by book line by line through the whole Bible and did not compromise the message of salvation as being joined by Christ and being saved from your sins and changing your destiny from hell to heaven. On blueletterbible.com you can hear audio messages from the late 70's by pastor Chuck on the entire Bible. These new movements do use music but are more of a man centered teaching than a Bible centered one. Chuck would speak out about sex is a gift of God for the man and wife and all fornication needed to be repented of. He would not change anything the Bible said but taught that peace came from conforming to Gods word and he understood sanctification was a lifetime work and justification were an instant reality for those saved. Calvary boomed about hte same time Hal Lindsey's book came out Late Great Planet Earth. Calvary too emphasized we are very close to entering the last days. Many other Calvary's have opened and Chuck has passed and now the direction of Calvary is uncertain as new leadership moving away from prophecy and the OT as the emphasis. Those hippies largely are still walking with the Lord all these years later.

 

[Brian Mcnamee]

It was a powerful move of God. People, starting in California, were getting saved all over the place. It centered mostly around two new church families, Calvary Chapel and The Vineyard, and one man who was central to both of them for a while, Lonnie Frisbee. Calvary Chapel didn't get much involved in the gifts of the spirit, but The Vineyard did.

Calvary did get involved in the gifts of the Spirit and would hold afterglows when the main service was over and prayer prophecy and even speaking in tongues was done. The scriptures teach the gifts are not to be circus and when tongues were it was as scriptures teaches no more than 3 and never without an interpreter. They believe in the gift off healing but not like these clowns on TV. They anoint you with oil and pray and often God heals and many testimonies of healing still go on. The word of knowledge and prophecy are still gifts but are understood more to be speaking forth Gods word then us getting to bring a new revelation. Foretelling prophecy also were part of Calvary's beginning as Chuck was coming to take over a dying church they were praying weather to close down or not. one man stood up and said the new pastor is not going to like the way the stage and pulpit are set up and will want to change it. He went on to say that this man will be a pastor to pastors. So when Chuck came he did not like the stage and those who knew were encouraged. 40-50 years later more than 10,000 pastors have been raised up from that beginning.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

I wasn't a Jesus freak at the time, just a freak, but the time was of huge significance. The whole world, not just california, had it's teen youth migrating at an alarming rate for a few short years. Truly amazing! Imo it equates in some strange way with the time of the children's crusade and almost returns to a medieval christian biblical interpretation that still remains in a much needed way.
Hears a bit of what I mean as being studied Introduction to Medieval Christian Biblical Interpretation - Oxford Scholarship

 

[dms1972]

Thanks for the great replies.

So it arose from the conversions of young people in the hippie culture? Did it spread to the existing churches, or set up new ones? What was the reaction to it from the 'mainline' churches?


What is the relation of it to the Charasmatic movement?

 

[ViaCrucis]

Thanks for the great replies.

So it arose from the conversions of young people in the hippie culture? Did it spread to the existing churches, or set up new ones? What was the reaction to it from the churches?


What is the relation of it to the Charasmatic movement?

It was basically Christian hippies--more-or-less--yes. New churches did come about because of it. I don't know that it initially made too many inroads into established churches, but likely has left an impact since then.

It also, very tragically, resulted in a number of cultish (if not straight up cults) groups. Most infamously being Jim Jones' group. Another very dangerous cult--and which actually still exists--that came out of the movement was the Children of God, today known as Family International, created by David "Moses" Berg. Trigger warning for those looking to read up or investigate Family International, it gets pretty bad.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

As I am somewhat ignorant about it (but doing some reading on it), please correct me if I have misrepresented it as a departure from traditional christianity.

What was its relation to the main denominations?

It 'obviously' departed from traditional christianity, sometimes with dire and disastrous results (in groups already mentioned, both known/ recognized as cult groups, and 2 or more groups thought to be okay).

I don't know overall what main denominations thought or think of them,
except one especially bad one (just found out in the last year)
'tried' to become okay be joining with a main denomination as if under their 'umbrella'? (Jesus People USA) That did not make them okay, however,
and the expose continues online (extraordinary sexual abuse and more sins by the leaders, worse perhaps than the other cults named, and monetary misappropriation over millions of dollar, much fraudulent and covered up for several decades) ....

"Closer" to mainline coming out of the Jesus movement (and mentioned already, but fiercely defended by 'believers' in them) , suffered more from some kinds of ecumenical or otherwise false gospel and /or false teachings (having the form of religion but denying the power thereof)..... Those are still going on, btw.....

 

[dms1972]

It was basically Christian hippies--more-or-less--yes. New churches did come about because of it. I don't know that it initially made too many inroads into established churches, but likely has left an impact since then.

It also, very tragically, resulted in a number of cultish (if not straight up cults) groups. Most infamously being Jim Jones' group. Another very dangerous cult--and which actually still exists--that came out of the movement was the Children of God, today known as Family International, created by David "Moses" Berg. Trigger warning for those looking to read up or investigate Family International, it gets pretty bad.

-CryptoLutheran

Are you sure that Jim Jones was connected to the Jesus Movement? I have never heard that before. But my research online shows he was connected to a group called Disciples of Christ, or sometimes just The Disciples. The People's Temple seems to pre-date the Jesus Movement, being founded by Jones in 1955. The Jesus Movement being over a decade later. I am not saying some Jesus people didn't become involved in the People's Temple (I don't know), but I can't see how it could be an offshoot of the Jesus Movement that we are talking about here. Many new religious movements are to some extent Restorationist in orientation, but Jones group was religio-political, and on the Left politically. Jones himself was enamored with Communism. So I think its not really the Jesus Movement that inspired him, rather he dressed up his politics in religion.

 

[dms1972]

I am wondering if one of the main offshoots of the Jesus Movement became the CCM music industry (I know its not called that so much nowadays). In the early 1970s there was what was called Jesus Music, and I can't help notice how record companies such as Myrrh have there origins around that time. Among other groups more associated with the Jesus Movement there is Resurrection Band (this wasn't a band I listened to much - don't know why). Larry Norman seems to be in there too. The movement seems to have had a major impact especially through music and more for the good than otherwise. I wonder what other CCM arose from the Jesus Movement?

 

[paul1149]

Just from memory, Maranatha Music got its start back then, and I believe it was through Chuck Smith. Smith said when they played a few songs for him he began weeping, because it was exactly the kind of music that could speak to the people, that he had been looking for.

 

[ubicaritas]

[edit] I apologise if I have asked the question incorrectly - can someone clarify if it was a movement within churches, or if as I suspect it covered a variety of views towards denominational christianity? So far all I am aware of is that it started in the 1960s/70s on the west coast of America, people caught up were called Jesus people, or sometimes Jesus freaks, and that it seems to have been a departure from traditional christianity, or was a movement calling for a return to a supernatural christianity (gifts of the spirit). I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who was involved in it, and what it was about and how it started.

As I am somewhat ignorant about it (but doing some reading on it), please correct me if I have misrepresented it as a departure from traditional christianity.

What was its relation to the main denominations?

I read that churches such as Hills Fellowship in Australia have their origins in the Jesus Movement.

Lonnie Frisbee was a significant figure in the movement, perhaps the original "Jesus Freak", a hippie into psychedelic drugs, but he's been mostly buried by the reputation of figures like Chuck Smith who used him and then discarded him when he became a liability. He lived a closeted gay life and was forced out of the ministry in the movement, was diagnosed with AIDS, and ended up associating more with Episcopalians and various Christian groups in southern California in the last years of his life. He's actually buried at the former Crystal Cathedral, which today is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Orange County, California.

There's a good documentary about him called Frisbee: the Life and Death of a Hippie Preacher, it's from an insider perspective somewhat, though, but it's still good.

http://lonniefrisbee.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonnie_Frisbee

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Keith Green ministry and music was very 'instrumental' to the movement. His stands out to me more than any other because it was such basic Christianity.