I reckon I was about 11 or 12 when it dawned on me there were some definite holes in Pentecostal Christian theology – the idea that bad things are the work of Satan, good things the result of hands-on intervention from God himself. It was, I thought, letting us humans (whether we act well or badly) off the hook for the consequences. I didn’t realise it at the time but that was probably the beginning of the end for me and the Christianity I was raised in.
In the last few years the average evangelical Christian has seen once-adored leaders like the Hillsong pastors Brian Houston and Carl Lentz fall from grace. They have contributed their money to the church, only to read explosive reports of it sometimes being spent on excessive gifts and expensive flights for pastors. Devastating allegations of serious sexual and financial misconduct have emerged throughout the Pentecostal world.
