Jesus Revolution Apr 2026

The movement spread like wildfire up the California coast. In 1969, a group of converted hippies started the across the bay from UC Berkeley, passing out "Jesus Loves You" leaflets next to the Free Speech Movement café. By 1971, Time magazine put a psychedelic painting of Christ on its cover with the headline: "The Jesus Revolution."

The Jesus Revolution succeeded because it offered reality to a generation drowning in illusion. It proved that the most radical thing a person can do is not drop acid or drop out—but drop to their knees. Jesus Revolution

Frisbee’s raw, Pentecostal-style preaching (complete with falling on the floor, speaking in tongues, and miraculous healings) attracted the seekers. Smith’s systematic, verse-by-verse Bible teaching gave them solid roots. The music, led by a young guitarist named John Elefante, eventually evolved into the "Jesus Music"—the precursor to Contemporary Christian Music (CCM), with bands like Love Song , Mustard Seed Faith , and later Petra and Stryper . The movement spread like wildfire up the California coast