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

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phenomenon. She argued that “the neuro-physiological approach could lead to a betterunderstanding of cognition cross-culturally and a method of organizing differentphenomena in disparate societies under a common label”.The Christian tradition in both COGIC and (more tenuously) the URC accepts thatdemonic spirits can manifest themselves in the form of mental illnesses and require healingmediated by an appropriate person. Such spirits are often seen as fallen angels. Demons aswell as angels can ascend the heights of spirituality as well as reach the depths of hatred,bitterness and perversion. Prayer can be used to restrain demonic activity as demonstratedin Mark 5 where Jesus ordered the unclean spirits to leave the man in the graveyard. Asrecorded in verse 12, all the demons begged Him saying „Send us to the swine that we mayenter them.‟ and the swine ran into the sea and drowned. Demonic spirits in the discourseof some respondents appear as the cause of discomfort or dis-ease in the body which hasno apparent physical explanation yet cause the person to suffer at varying degree.Christians who are following the example of Christ as outlined in the gospel, are deemed tohave unlimited authority over demons and have the authority to exorcise or to commandthe demon to leave the individual, a house or wherever the demon happens to be.Such is the mysterious effect of the presence and healing of demons that being mentallyunbalanced is taboo in many societies including the West Indian communities and theirchurches. If a person is emotionally or mentally unbalanced, this is often explained aswitchcraft, obeah, black magic or demon possession. It is accepted by the community thatprayer can be used to drive out the demons and effect healing. For those who do not attendchurch on a regular basis, a request may be sent to the church leaders by a family memberasking for prayer for the person or the church leader may be asked to visit the person and211
pray for them. In the words of several respondents who do not view depression as anillness but recognized that there is an imbalance (depression) which could be regarded asdemonic or cultural. There was no immediate „casting out of demonic spirits‟ but medicaltreatment of mental imbalance gave the person a sense of balance.Respondent 11 from COGIC noted:‗I went to the doctor because I could not sleep and my hair was falling out. My husbandtold me to go and see the doctor because something is wrong. The doctor told me I wasdepressed because of the diagnosis that my child was severely autistic and gave me somepills‘ It took two years before I began to feel better.‗Depression does not happen to black folks, only white folks‘.Kaufman, (1996) suggests that when our dignity pride and self worth are undermined, thecauses are often attributed to an unacceptable force that is outside of the control of theperson. At the same time, that person is expected to be able to regain a balance with orwithout help, and with the assistance of strong willpower. The person who suffers anunbalanced state for any period of time is labelled a „lunatic‟ or „possessed with demons‟and shunned by their family and the community.Amongst COGIC church members, when one comes to Christ, he or she is healed of anymental or emotional frailty which can be regarded as demonic spirits. When they arehealed they leave this aspect of their past lives and these demons behind. They are nowrenewed to wholeness through the healing power of Christ. They are healed of any pastsinful activities such as cussing, stealing, lying and adultery, alcoholism and smoking.212
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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GloriaPrayer for grace or collectSc
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service whilst URC church attendees
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mainstream Christianity, their doct
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on the project and make requests to
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made to integrate the white people
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‗Garlic is good for reducing high
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4.13 ConclusionThis chapter began w
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organization. This role can only be
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5.3 The Authority and Power of the
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to become approved (professional) m
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majority. In recent years with Brit
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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
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: he has questioned God‟s purposes
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
Page 247 and 248: know when you have stomach ulcer yo
Page 249 and 250: ministers like Harris (2002) 3 . Th
Page 251 and 252: Healing services in the URC are mor
Page 253 and 254: Respondent: You have to have the gi
Page 255 and 256: psychological effect of knowing her
Page 257 and 258: Chapter 2, without taking some posi
Page 259 and 260: Prayer for distant healing takes pl
Page 261 and 262: Although prayers for healing are sa
Page 263 and 264: The healing services also include f
Page 265 and 266: The method and processes of closing
Page 267 and 268: 7.7. ConclusionThis chapter has exa
Page 269 and 270: 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
Page 343 and 344:
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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