Holiness movements have their roots in Wesley's revival

The holiness movements arose from nineteenth-century American evangelicalism and from the continuing legacy of John Wesley and Methodism. Their aim was conversion, followed by a life of personal holiness or complete freedom from sin. This quest for perfection was directed toward both self and society, and inspired many efforts at social reform. Camp meetings, prayer meetings, and revivals led to "holiness" denominations, such as the Church of the Nazarene, the Salvation Army, and the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Phoebe Palmer (1807-1874) was a leader of the holiness movement. Through her public speaking and books such as The Way to Holiness she inspired many to "surrender everything to God." Palmer influenced many Christian women, including Catherine Booth, to become public speakers, writers, and reformers. In the early twentieth century Pentecostalism linked holiness with particular spiritual gifts.