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

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Pentecostal churches the appearance of charismatic gifts, rather than the sacraments isevidence that the spirit is present. Both Eastern Orthodox and Pentecostals are lessChristocentric in their language about the Church, preferring to speak of the presence ofthe Spirit as bringing about power and authority in the church. Those who lead healingservices or worship usually base their beliefs on the discerning spirit of Jesus and Hispower to heal and are not too worried that the question of how it works is mysterious.Hollenweger (1972) reports one American Pentecostal describing her experience of thebaptism of the Holy Spirit and healing as the high times in her life. She said „I really livedin another world for a solid week. It seems as if I hardly touch the ground. I was so lost inGod and heavenly things.‟ As Village (2005) points out, this does not mean they rejectempirical research on the process and outcomes of spiritual healing activities, but they donot depend on this for the validation (which anyway it does not really offer).Although the Spirit transforms believers according to Warrington (2008), when there is adispute, healing can take place when the Holy Spirit is allowed to operate in a givensituation. The Pentecostal churches teach and claim to practise spiritual healing, yet, it isnot practised in a way that can be easily understood in the circumstances of a dispute. Alldisputes cause some psychological pain, rejection is often experienced and the individualwho is being challenged may feel their position or opinion is undermined. These hurtfulfeelings can fester and become deep wounds. Calley (1965) explains that in Pentecostalchurches such as Church of God in Christ (COGIC) breaches are difficult to heal becausewhen there is dispute between a church leader and a person who challenges the leader thecorrect response is to withdraw from „a church whose doctrine is regarded as false‟. Thiscourse of action is apparently sanctioned by 2 Thessalonians 3: „Now we command youbrethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourself from every161
other who wal sorderly, and not of the tradition he received us.‟ If a peace ma r orarbitrator is appointed to help resolve dispute, he has to take sides or appeal to thedisputants to bury their differences. The peacemaker is described in the Sermon on theMount in Matthew as blessed. Calley (1965) implies that the peacemaker cannot afford tobe seen to causing further dissension. He therefore has a ritualistic role to play rather than aprofessional role in which he would be equipped with negotiation slls. Calley‟s vision ofthe peacemaker is one who takes a tribalistic and occult approach to resolving disputes.The other approach that the peacemaker can take is one of conflict resolution. However thepeacemaker in the Pentecostal church is unlikely to be trained to use conflict resolutionskills and no subordinate can challenge the leader without biblical reasons. Some biblicalreasoning, if taken literally, to withdraw, does not encourage healing.The URC theologians see the word of God present in the church as the source of harmonyand order. According to URC minister Godfrey (2002), reformed worshippers such asthose in the URC believe the second Helvetic Confession which states “The preaching ofthe Word of God is the Word of God. God is also present and speaks to the people throughthe sacrament. The minister is called by God through the congregation to lead worship bythe authority of his office. The minister speaks the Word of God to the people and speaksthe words of the people to God except in instances where the congregation as a wholeraises its voice to God in unison.” Such a view of the Word can play an equallyambivalent role in dispute resolution as the Pentecosatal view of the Spirit.Stacey (1977) and Gaunton (1997) reinforce the importance of using the variety of giftsgiven by the Holy Spirit to several members for the common good, especially building thebody of Christ. In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Lord, revealing the162
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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
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ecommended by the Pastor. When they
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The greater proportion of females i
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difficulties involved in constructi
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musical Pentecostal style of worshi
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The different emphases in soteriolo
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literature may remain in its infanc
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does not mean „Pentecostal‟ nor
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church, the cultural differences we
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umbrella of churches. The leaders c
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local autonomy, the majority of Con
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The post-1905 Pentecostals saw thei
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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
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Page 147 and 148: service whilst URC church attendees
Page 149 and 150: mainstream Christianity, their doct
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: Azusa Street outpouring in 1906. Af
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
Page 199 and 200: Respondent: Not for my sister she h
Page 201 and 202: man to repent and return to the cre
Page 203 and 204: clotting treatment. After the treat
Page 205 and 206: gift of miraculous powers go with t
Page 207 and 208: What I teach on this matter is, tha
Page 209 and 210: The bible does not condemn, forbid
Page 211 and 212: possibility of impending change in
Page 213 and 214: prayer or they are rested. What is
Page 215 and 216: „Whatever the educational attainm
Page 217 and 218: „The message of Job is a comfort
Page 219 and 220: 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
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Bentham, J., (2001ff, originally 18
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Department of Health, (1999) Saving
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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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