Paper short abstract:

This paper explores how towards the end of the 1970s a religious revolution occurred throughout the highlands of Papua New Guinea, whereby multiple societies in the area underwent a second stage conversion from evangelical to Pentecostal-charismatic Christianity.

Paper long abstract:

Towards the end of the 1970s a dramatic religious revolution took place throughout the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Already exposed to evangelical Christianity since the 1950s, many societies in this area suddenly embraced Pentecostal-charismatic forms of worship within the context of widespread, intense revival movements.This paper provides a preliminary overview of these second stage conversions and withdraws from the strongly localised perspective of much Melanesianist anthropology to explore the wider regional, national, international, and historical dynamics and ramifications of this major spiritual upheaval. Through this investigation it can be seen that each local revival represents but one part of a much broader and more significant transformation in the religious history of Papua New Guinea and that the spheres of influence shaping the revival extend outward from Melanesia to New Zealand, Australia, and even the USA.