SPIRIT BAPTISM, SOCIALIZATION AND GODLY LOVE IN THE CHURCH OF GOD (CLEVELAND, TN)

The aim of this study is to explore the relationship of specific socialization of Godly Love measures and the Pentecostal spirituality measure of the experience of Spirit baptism on benevolent action, while controlling for the background variables of gender, age and education. The socialization factors are reference group, significant other, Christian media, personal agency and perception of direct encounter with God. Benevolent action is measured in the giving of time and money (intensity) and the extent to which it is distributed to friends and family and to the community and beyond (extensity). Data were provided from a congregational questionnaire survey among Sunday morning attendees in the Church of God (Cleveland, TN) denomination in the USA. The results show that socialization factors (reference group, significant other, Christian media) do predict the extensity measures of benevolence and that personal agency is a predictor of the intensity (giving money) as well as the extensity (family and friend, community and beyond) measures. Spirit baptism is a predictor for one extensity measure (friends and family), but otherwise is insignificant. Age is a predictor of both intensity (giving of money) and extensity (family and friends, community and beyond), while education is a predictor of intensity (giving of money). Gender is insignificant.