Where the Spirit Is

This dissertation explores the experiential contours of Pentecostalism as a liberative praxis. The connection between Pentecostalism and social change is a burgeoning line of inquiry, particularly in the Global South, but this study focuses on the history of Pentecostalism in the US, beginning with the production and circulation of the African American Spirituals. Bringing theories of affect into conversation with ritual studies, this interdisciplinary work traces personal stories and experiences from the author and examines them in light of Pentecostal traditions that stem from the Azusa Street Revival in Los Angeles, California, the birthplace of the Pentecostal movement. William J. Seymour's vision at Azusa was egalitarian and transgressed the societal boundaries and norms of race and gender in the early twentieth century. Pentecostalism was and is informed by Black, queer, female, and other voices often silent or rendered invisible. Without this representation, Pentecostalism is simply one tradition among many co-opted and appropriated for the ongoing colonial projects of the modern Western world. Therefore, this book explores Blackpentecostal tradition: specifically, The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries (TFAM), a predominately Black LGBTQ+ movement that integrates Pentecostal worship and theology with an inclusive, liberative theology.