An investigation into the phenomena and practices of spiritual ...

CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT1.1 Aim of researchThe aim of the research is to investigate the phenomena of spiritual healing in twoChristian congregations who both practise it, and would acknowledge each other asrecognizably Christian despite the differences in their understanding of what salvationmeans. The most important theological difference for the practice of healing are theireschatological beliefs about whether and how salvation means that Christians can claim allthe biblical promises of healing now, or only at some point in an unknown future. Thisdifference is further complicated by the cultural differences between the two congregationschosen for study. One is a Black majority congregation affiliated with the Church of Godin Christ (COGIC), and engages in an animated, charismatic style of worship and healingwhich sometimes consciously patterns itself on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit atPentecost. The other is a White majority congregation, affiliated with the United ReformedChurch (URC) which engages in a more sedate style of worship and healing. The researchaddressed the growing engagement of health and social care professionals with faith andfaith groups in health care in many communities and moreover the question of howspiritual healers and healing may be viewed as part of the health behaviour of individualsand communities as a whole.To attempt this task involved the researcher in a wide and confusing range of literatures;but this is perhaps not surprising. The great anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss (1966)talking about his research on healers in the South American forests suggests that thegeneral method of healers in simple society is "bricolage".1