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

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It may not be possible for all <strong>the</strong> outcomes <strong>and</strong> interpretation <strong>of</strong> this kind <strong>of</strong> qualitativestudy to be reliable. The data could, however, form <strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> future studies <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>reforeprovide <strong>the</strong> foundation for ongoing studies in <strong>the</strong> research field.This study highlights some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> reasons for this paucity <strong>of</strong> information <strong>and</strong> literature as<strong>the</strong> resistance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Black Pentecostal community to engage in research <strong>and</strong> to writebecause <strong>the</strong> tradition is that <strong>the</strong>ir history is primarily an oral one in that information ispassed from one generation to <strong>the</strong> next through word <strong>of</strong> mouth. Unfortunately <strong>the</strong> numbers<strong>of</strong> people in <strong>the</strong> community who will have some insight <strong>into</strong> <strong>the</strong> history <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Pentecostalchurch are few. Although <strong>the</strong>re is a strong belief that education <strong>and</strong> learning is important,many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> older generation become typecast in <strong>the</strong>ir negative (sometimes jealous)attitude towards <strong>the</strong> education which was denied to <strong>the</strong>m. As a consequence <strong>of</strong> this <strong>the</strong>yview education as a privilege for <strong>the</strong> elite. In addition to this education costs money <strong>and</strong>money is limited to those who are in low paid jobs <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> majority have spent most <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong>ir lives working in lower paid jobs. Research to <strong>the</strong>se people is like a foreign language<strong>and</strong> only <strong>the</strong> researcher <strong>and</strong> those in <strong>the</strong> academic field can decide on <strong>the</strong> reliability <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>data that is collected <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> methods used to analyze such data.Underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>spiritual</strong> healing requires a certain amount <strong>of</strong> commitment from <strong>the</strong> personwho delivers healing as well as <strong>the</strong> recipient. Researching <strong>the</strong> topic also requires a certainlevel <strong>of</strong> commitment, appropriate academic personnel <strong>and</strong> an environment that isconducive to such study. The validity <strong>and</strong> reliability <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> methodology is <strong>the</strong>reforedependent on <strong>the</strong> academic rigour that is applied to <strong>the</strong> data collection <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> data analysismethods. Nei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> researcher nor <strong>the</strong> respondents can be deemed to know enough about<strong>the</strong> organization at <strong>the</strong> beginning <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> research; <strong>the</strong>refore <strong>the</strong> purpose <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> research is to80

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