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

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of curing indicates a narrow focus on the efficiency of treatment and in some situationssuffering in human understanding can only end with the end of life, the process ofbereavement on which the literature was examined in Chapter Two.The understandings of suffering considered in this chapter show a need for healing from asense of rejection, as well as from disease, which is an indication of how suffering hasspiritual, emotional and social as well as physical aspects. In comparing this to the healingof a physical wound, healing by first intention is not applicable as there is no obviouswound or obvious operation except for bereavement or a situation such as loss ofemployment. Spiritual healing therefore is healing by second intention where the wound isopen or gaping (c.f. Waugh et al. 2006) and healing takes place from the deepertissues/psychological state, although this may not be recognized by the respondent or beseen by the healer.The contributors to Lucas (1997) list some situations which inevitably result in sufferingaddressed by Christian healing. Some of these are diseases or sicknesses of all kinds,especially long term incurable and painful conditions. A physical illness such as a gastriculcer or breast cancer can be treated with medication or possibly surgery. If the cause ofthe ulcer is due to lifestyle, personality or is genetic, medication and or surgery will treatthe effect and not the cause. Healing the underlying cause is something different and moreprofound.Holmes and Rahe (1967) go one step further to develop a social-psychologicalreadjustment scale which presents a table of ailments that can cause stress and probablydepression and ill health in an individual. They give each a score in order of intensity of187
suffering. Most of these situations are not physical illnesses but the psychological effect ofthe illness such as loss of lifestyle and the process required to adjust to a different lifestyle.Superficial healing will not address the suffering, as suffering requires a deeper approachto healing. Most theologians, both the academic ones discussed in section 2.4, and thepopular ones cited in this chapter, insist that healing and relieving suffering requires amore holistic approach where the wholesomeness of God is operational. Holistic care iswhere the person experiences a touch of love and comfort and not just the release of pain.The concept of hospice care embraces the relief of suffering and the best quality of life forthose who are dying and not just the relief of pain.6.3 Perceptions of SufferingEach church has a different perception on suffering and the cultural background of thepeople influences this. The URC think that suffering can bring about a kind of epiphany isshedding light or developing wisdom on issues which defy understanding (c.f. Jones1980). An increased understanding of imbalance by the healer and the person seekinghealing can relieve suffering. The suffering of the people from COGIC could be viewed asilluminated by the historical memories of slavery which is not the same for majority ofchurch attendees to the URC (c.f. Austin-Broos 1992). Developing a better understandingof issues can reduce the suffering (pain) caused by a particular situation or incidence.However suffering and healing, as perceived by members of both churches, is experiencedregardless of their class or occupational status. The need for health promotion and healingactivities also cuts across class.The ambiguities of respondents‟ understandings of suffering are exemplified in the188
Page 1:
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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the Holy Ghost). Interestingly the
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the churches they are busy breaking
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friends started to meet in the home
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such as COGIC, have developed a str
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the church group to strangers. In t
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and illustrate the oral tradition o
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4.8.1. Description of the inside of
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The order of service below is based
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forgiving note may signify partial
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Table 3 Organisational hierarchy of
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One of the original churches which
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communion table. To the right of th
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Minister used an acronym to illustr
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Page 147 and 148: service whilst URC church attendees
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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: mind body and spirit implies that i
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
Page 221 and 222: pray for them. In the words of seve
Page 223 and 224: demonic forces. Explanations of spi
Page 225 and 226: In the observation example quoted a
Page 227 and 228: employed by the mother had she live
Page 229 and 230: healing. Worthington et al. (2007)
Page 231 and 232: in the account of a young mother in
Page 233 and 234: y not having a normal relationship
Page 235 and 236: and not related to any one cultural
Page 237 and 238: prayer to ma e me better‟, as tho
Page 239 and 240: Non-academic, or „popular‟ Chri
Page 241 and 242: when the healer petitions God in pr
Page 243 and 244: health and the ways in which hospit
Page 245 and 246: 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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