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

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Those living with a partner without the sanctity of marriage are expected to marry theirpartner as a sign of moving to a new and renewed life in Christ. The family is a stronginfluence in the person‟s life. Although written policy is not explicit, if the family becomesan obstacle to the person becoming a born again Christian, the family may be abandonedand the person becomes adopted by a church family.The rule in COGIC is total abstinence from alcohol. Someone who abuses alcohol on aregular basis will not be offered membership status and if they are a member and resort toa „drunn way of life‟ they will be excommunicated as this is regarded as a sin and onewhich is not accepted by the church community, whereas in the URC someone whooveruses alcohol and smokes can remain in membership, even as an elder although everyeffort will be made to help this person overcome their „demonic‟ habit.Mental imbalance as a form of suffering appears to be more accepted in the URC and thepresence of mental illness is not a deterrent to membership providing it is not disruptive tothe church and it members. Any disruptive behaviour is monitored closely and the personwill be asked to refrain from these behaviours. If they do not respond to the request to theywill be asked not to attend the services. There is no talk of possession by demonic spirits.The person with a mental imbalance will be referred to a doctor for depression, AlcoholicsAnonymous for alcohol abuse or a drug rehabilitation program for drug abuse.In many human societies, some people believe in spirit possession and this belief can be afundamental part of the health beliefs. Indeed, if we see poor sanitation, microbes, virusesas possible manifestations of evil and demonic forces; liberal Christians could also arguethat suffering, sicknesses and death in Third World countries have been visited on them by213
demonic forces. Explanations of spirit possession appeared frequently in various historicalperiods and across many different cultures (Tantam1993; Castillo1997; James 2002). Therespondents in this study link it to biblical stories such as in Mark chapter 5 (Vs 1-20).The extract below from the data illustrates a claim of demonic spirit possession during aservice which was suspended for about thirty minutes (unplanned) whilst the demonicspirit was recognized and ministers engaged in a long process of prayer to restore theperson to normality.Observation in a COGIC church serviceThis lady was sitting in the row of seats behind me.The previous day she had gone forward for prayer. At the end of the prayer those who hadrequested prayer were asked for a show of hands if they have decided to accept Jesus astheir personal Saviour. This is the first step towards becoming a member of the Pentecostalchurch. She testified that there were some obstacles in her life which prevented her fromsurrendering her life to God. During the service, the majority of the congregation were inan altered state of consciousness and so was this lady. Two ladies who were introduced asministers earlier in the service were praying with her. The lady fell to the floor andappeared to be in a state of collapse. She was not saying anything. The chanting of ‗Praisethe Lord,‘ speaking in tongues and the ritualistic praying over her continued for abouttwenty minutes whilst the rest of the congregation, including the moderator watched.As she lay prostrated on the floor there were three ladies praying for her. Her eyes wererolling and she was visibly salivating from the corners of her mouth. She appeared totallyoblivious to what was happening in her surroundings. At one point there was some214
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
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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 and 220: he has questioned God‟s purposes
Page 221: pray for them. In the words of seve
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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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
Page 271 and 272: 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
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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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