Identity and Change: The Story of the Italian-Canadian Pentecostal Community

Abstract

The Italian Pentecostal community has had to undergo not one but a number of changes in identity over the course of its existence, from pre-World War I to post-World War II eras. The Italian of the pre-World War I era was different from the Italian of the post-World War I era, who in turn was different from the Italian of the post-World War II era. The changes signal a change of identity, a change in self-understanding, and a change of mission, as a result of the interplay between ethnic character, the wider cultural environment, religion, and immigration.  The objective in this paper is to identify the changing identities of Italian-Canadian Pentecostals.