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

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the dress code is culturally different where older female members continue to wear a hatand all female members are expected to wear a hat. The practice by younger members ofnot wearing a hat is tolerated by the elders but not accepted. In future generation it is likelythat the non- wearing of a hat will be the norm but it will take a generation to normalisethis cultural shift. There may be other less obvious cultural/traditional changes in URCwhich will also take a generation to complete. There is no membership dress code in theURC except the ministers‟ gown and white collar. The cultural shift or non shift reflectschanges in interpretation of biblical conventions which may be accepted by the church as abody or as individuals. We should see cultural practices such as spiritual healing, baptismby immersion or sprinkling water on the head and face, communion/Lord supper, yearlyconference/convention also the training and appointment of ministers, and the practice offolk medicine, as equally subject to cultural change..Another cultural norm is the order of service which is different in both churches. Thewriter‟s own observations and experiences of attending Pentecostal services over severaldecades, has made her familiar with the structure of the service in COGIC, which is as firmas that of the URC, even though there is no written order of service for COGIC, whereasthere are several order of services outlined for the URC, (Jones (1980). COGIC do not usewritten prayers. A COGIC minister or member who uses a written prayer will be regardedas „unsaved.‟ There is no service specially for healing as all healing services are part ofother services as directed by the Holy Spirit with the permission of the minister. Butequally, the prayers for healing services on the fifth Sunday of the month in URC are saidinformally with those who need healing, rather than being part of a formal liturgy.Although there are variations, however, both congregations are recognisably part of139
mainstream Christianity, their doctrine firmly embedded in the teachings of Jesus Christ.This teaching is open to different interpretation, which is one of the main reasons whythere are many denominations and subgroups within the Christian faith. Both churchespractise the act of baptism and the ritual of serving communion. They both practiceglossalalia or „speaking in tongues‟ (though not in every URC congregation), and acceptthe visitation of the Holy Spirit that is described in Acts 2. Entering into membership of thespecific fellowship is symbolised by the giving of the right hand of fellowship before acommunion service.Being a member of one congregation and moving to another does not earn the personautomatic rights to office in the leadership or using the gift (skills) of healing in the newchurch. The person has to go through a period of adaptation to become a member. Forexample on the recommendation of the minister the person moving congregation may beappointed as an elder, but only if there is a vacancy for an serving elder. In the URCappointment as an elder is a lifelong commitment regardless of whether the person is aserving (active) elder. Elders have the option of active service or inactive service. Thismeans if there is a life situation, such as illness, bereavement or moving to a differentcountry or part of the country, where the elder is unable to be in active service the officeremains dormant until the person can resume active service. In the URC this is taken tocommittee and decisions formally made outside of the presence of the person. The personis then informed of the decision of the committee. In COGIC the officer remains in theirposition without any formal decision about their position even if in practice they areinactive in the office of elder, evangelist, or church secretary. It is the responsibility of themember to write to the committee or to the Pastor of their intention to withdraw or transfer,although the committee also has a responsibility to make sure there is suitably appointed140
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Greenwich Academic Literature Archi
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AcknowledgementsI extend much grati
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Chapter 3: Methodology 633.1 Introd
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7.3 Prayer as Health Seeking Behavi
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CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT
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healing, bricolage and the use of s
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To remedy these gaps in the discour
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do with me‟ so she sent me to sch
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Interestingly, after 30 years of pr
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listening to a group of people that
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that I felt within the Black majori
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Chapter 3 describes the methodology
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espondents‟ perception of sufferi
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CHAPTER TWOLITERATURE REVIEW2.1 Int
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themes, it became necessary to revi
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suggests a combined approach where
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and healing as a kind of self-impro
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eports that the English believed th
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According to Davey et al (2002) ill
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deviant behaviour. The difference b
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church concretised the ideas of rel
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theology. It is no accident that th
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concept of culture we inevitably do
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When we look at the effect of cultu
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to help us to understand the totali
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information about the association a
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when emotional wounds are healed or
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climatic conditions, shelter and a
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cancers has been documented by Phil
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concepts of reality and destiny are
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healer intentionally through a proc
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attachments that meet humans' funda
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distinguish from mental disorders.
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take a phenomenological and ethnogr
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coming but her method is not primar
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from posters on the church notice b
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Healing services in both churches f
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Qualitative method can, however, be
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3.5 Problems of participant and non
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difficulties that were to be presen
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isolating experience was certainly
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not necessarily addressed through t
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It may not be possible for all the
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signed to their awareness and appro
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Consequently the practice relating
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problem free. Ethnography requires
Page 97 and 98: ecommended by the Pastor. When they
Page 99 and 100: The greater proportion of females i
Page 101 and 102: difficulties involved in constructi
Page 103 and 104: musical Pentecostal style of worshi
Page 105 and 106: The different emphases in soteriolo
Page 107 and 108: literature may remain in its infanc
Page 109 and 110: does not mean „Pentecostal‟ nor
Page 111 and 112: church, the cultural differences we
Page 113 and 114: umbrella of churches. The leaders c
Page 115 and 116: local autonomy, the majority of Con
Page 117 and 118: The post-1905 Pentecostals saw thei
Page 119 and 120: the Holy Ghost). Interestingly the
Page 121 and 122: the churches they are busy breaking
Page 123 and 124: friends started to meet in the home
Page 125 and 126: such as COGIC, have developed a str
Page 127 and 128: the church group to strangers. In t
Page 129 and 130: and illustrate the oral tradition o
Page 131 and 132: 4.8.1. Description of the inside of
Page 133 and 134: The order of service below is based
Page 135 and 136: forgiving note may signify partial
Page 137 and 138: Table 3 Organisational hierarchy of
Page 139 and 140: One of the original churches which
Page 141 and 142: communion table. To the right of th
Page 143 and 144: Minister used an acronym to illustr
Page 145 and 146: GloriaPrayer for grace or collectSc
Page 147: service whilst URC church attendees
Page 151 and 152: on the project and make requests to
Page 153 and 154: made to integrate the white people
Page 155 and 156: ‗Garlic is good for reducing high
Page 157 and 158: 4.13 ConclusionThis chapter began w
Page 159 and 160: organization. This role can only be
Page 161 and 162: 5.3 The Authority and Power of the
Page 163 and 164: to become approved (professional) m
Page 165 and 166: majority. In recent years with Brit
Page 167 and 168: leadership although it is about aut
Page 169 and 170: Azusa Street outpouring in 1906. Af
Page 171 and 172: other who wal sorderly, and not of
Page 173 and 174: Although the Holy Spirit was presen
Page 175 and 176: Respondent 3 covered topics includi
Page 177 and 178: Respondent 10 (below) has similar v
Page 179 and 180: of rejection by the host community
Page 181 and 182: ehaviour model. In this situation,
Page 183 and 184: and they feel. It is not everybody
Page 185 and 186: many sections of society. It also s
Page 187 and 188: people. These qualities, however, a
Page 189 and 190: came across as though he was presen
Page 191 and 192: very important for this.On occasion
Page 193 and 194: CHAPTER SIXSUFFERING AND HEALING6.1
Page 195 and 196: mind body and spirit implies that i
Page 197 and 198: suffering. Most of these situations
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Respondent: Not for my sister she h
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man to repent and return to the cre
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clotting treatment. After the treat
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gift of miraculous powers go with t
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What I teach on this matter is, tha
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The bible does not condemn, forbid
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possibility of impending change in
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prayer or they are rested. What is
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„Whatever the educational attainm
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„The message of Job is a comfort
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he has questioned God‟s purposes
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pray for them. In the words of seve
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demonic forces. Explanations of spi
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In the observation example quoted a
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employed by the mother had she live
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healing. Worthington et al. (2007)
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in the account of a young mother in
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y not having a normal relationship
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and not related to any one cultural
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prayer to ma e me better‟, as tho
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Non-academic, or „popular‟ Chri
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when the healer petitions God in pr
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health and the ways in which hospit
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showing lethargy in praying, failin
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know when you have stomach ulcer yo
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ministers like Harris (2002) 3 . Th
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Healing services in the URC are mor
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Respondent: You have to have the gi
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psychological effect of knowing her
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Chapter 2, without taking some posi
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Prayer for distant healing takes pl
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Although prayers for healing are sa
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The healing services also include f
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The method and processes of closing
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7.7. ConclusionThis chapter has exa
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This chapter was born out of observ
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website (http://www.stonybrookmedic
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For those who reject traditional Ch
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hands on the forehead of each perso
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The minister also invited the rest
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service closed with silence accompa
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In this respondent‟s‟ account,
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Below are brief parts of extracts p
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service was when the speaker came t
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observed believed the aura of the h
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Ministers/healers of these two cong
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constituent of worship even where t
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to herself, and argues that music h
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could not read or write. Such music
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linking the psychic/mythological an
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group coordination through rhythmo-
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People can become so involved in a
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visual and auditory areas which act
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Campbell (1998) argue that as music
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The extracts from fieldwork notes b
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In COGIC the singing is accompanied
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when I was ill. Then my mum died th
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The passage cited from Respondent 1
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CHAPTER TENCONCLUSION AND RECOMMEND
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etween health professionals and chu
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The initial aim of the study: „to
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part of worship services a priority
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health professionals and spiritual
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are culturally conditioned rational
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professionals. Despite the differen
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prominent amongst people who attend
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ReferencesAchterberg, J., (1985) Im
Page 333 and 334:
Bentham, J., (2001ff, originally 18
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Department of Health, (1999) Saving
Page 337 and 338:
Hall, S., (1985) “Religious Ideol
Page 339 and 340:
Katz, J. J., (1990) Metaphysics of
Page 341 and 342:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/artic
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Pullar, P., (1988) Spiritual and La
Page 345 and 346:
Comparative Perspective, Berg, Oxfo
Page 347 and 348:
International, London and New York.
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