Annotated Bibliography

Anthropology 375                                                                                                             May Annotated Bibliography

Christian Charismatic Healing

      Alexandra Gawron, Natalie Jex-Landoe, Soojin Cho, Travis Lundeby

1.      Anderson, Allan. "Spreading Fires: the Globalization of Pentecostalism in the Twentieth Century." International Bulletin of Missionary Research. 31.1 (2007): 8. Print.

In his article “Spreading Fires” Allan Anderson offers an interesting perspective of the origins and postulates of the evangelical Pentecostal movement. Anderson organizes his exposition around five main points about the Pentecostal movement: global baptism by fire, interracial and intercultural beginnings, the common experience of the Spirit, insensitivity to local people, and the inherent flexibility of the movement. Baptism by fire, as it was called, was the main purpose of the evangelical movement; missionaries were sent off to distant lands to prepare the world for the Second Coming of Christ. Anderson narrows the origins of the global Pentecostal movement to two instances: the Azuza Street revival meetings in inner-city L.A. in the early 1900’s and an independent Pentecostal proliferation in India, mainly brought about by women. The humble beginnings were seen as proof of the authenticity of the movement as coming from Christ – there was no discrimination among persons. Anderson’s main focus is on missionary work, most often performed by laymen and women who had no religious background other than that they had been called upon by the Spirit to preach. The importance of speaking in tongues was thrown into sharp relief in missionary work in foreign lands. It was assumed that baptism by the Spirit brought about the gift of tongues which would allow men and women to communicate with the locals in the countries they taught however, often missionaries returned to the United States disillusioned after being unable to speak in the native language.

2. AP. "God 'calls Home' Televangelist - NYPOST.com." New York News | Gossip | Sports | Entertainment | Photos - New York Post. December 16, 2009. Accessed May 31, 2011. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/god_calls_home_televangelist_a2llU7iaOX0JouVfktgDDP.

In this article the New York Post examines the life of the great Pentecostal leader Granville Oral Roberts at the time of his death in December 2009.  His ministry is summarized and he is painted as a revolutionary on the vanguard of the Pentecostal movement, his ministry’s humble beginnings as a tent revival and his eventual climb to being the head of a multi-million dollar televangelism ministry.  At 91 he died of pneumonia in a hospital – an event that is very telling of his acceptance of medicine as he was one of the first Pentecostal leaders to support biomedicine in conjunction with faith healing. There is a sense of irony in dying of pneumonia when he felt a call to preach after being healed of tuberculosis at age 17.  He pioneered the notion that God would bless those who gave money in support of ministries, a theology he dubbed “Seed Faith.”  This theology gave him the upper hand over his fellow ministers, helping him become the Pentecostal giant that he was.

3. The Bible. New King James Version.

From the bible, quotes for the basis of the understanding of Pentecostalism were used in order to develop a theological baseline for the study of Christian Charismatic healing, as their religious fundamentals are inextricable from their healing principles. The Lord is described as being a physician, bearing the illnesses of the people, he is the healer, etc. The “laying on of hands” is directly learned from the Bible as a practice among Christians for healing in many different forms. Jesus also credits ones faith as a means of being healed, which is mentioned twice in Mark and once in Luke; no doubt a source of religious truth to the healing practice.

4. Bloch-Hoell, Nils. The Pentecostal Movement: Its Origin, Development, and Distinctive Character. pgs. 5-15 Oslo: Universitetsforlaget, 1964. Print.

Nils Bloch-Hoell gives an interesting historical background on the early rise of the Pentecostal movement in the U.S. Starting with the early history of the United States and how it was a country born of liberty and religious freedom, he cites the opportunity available in America to avoid religious intolerance as one of the main reasons Pentecostalism was and is so successful in the states. Since religion is such an emotional experience in addition to any spiritual or scriptural occurrences, the freedom of expression offered in America plus the influx of poor immigrants discontented with the churches of Europe made for a perfect breeding ground of charismatic leaders. Bloch-Hoell claims that the optimism that America provided was in part due to the notion of independence and agency, which drew immigrants in. The Pentecostal movement took advantage of this. Bloch-Hoell also credits the industrial revolution, growth of cities, immigration, and democracy with paving the way for the success of Pentecostalism. If not for the individualism and freedom offered by democracy to the floods of people in the U.S. there would have been no opportunity for growth. However, it was also the waning faith of the already-believers, the need for tangible proof of miracles and the divinity of Christ, that brought about the Movement – healing was seen as a direct means of conversion.

5. Csordas, T. J. (1994). The sacred self: A cultural phenomenology of charismatic healing.

Berkeley: University of California Press. Introduction: Csordas is the master of literary works concerning Christian Charismatic healing. He is a pillar of information, especially in this book, which highlights and focuses on many of the fundamental aspects of the Charismatic therapeutic system. It is difficult to hone in on specific information that pertains to the section I was focusing on simply considering the amount of information available in this book, so I began with the introduction as an opening into my section. He focuses mainly on the Catholic Charismatic Renewal as a sect of the Christian Charismatic movement overall, which incorporates Pentecostal practices (including healing) into Catholicism. Csordas gives a good foundation of Christian Charismatic that served a good starting place to build other research upon. Most importantly he clarified what the Charismatic movement was, why they drew from other, more traditional forms of Christianity. Charismatics  “claim to offer a unique spiritual experience to individuals, and promise a dramatic renewal of Church life based on a spirituality of “personal relationship” with Jesus and direct access to divine power and inspiration through a series of “spiritual gifts” or “charisms” (Csordas 18).” Most crucially to the topic we are researching, Csordas asserts that for Charismatics, health is an idea of a kind of self and healing is that process that creates that “healthy” self through growth. Csordas also spends time reflecting upon the importance and role of language in the shaping and meaning of the religion (which, as a separate but connected topic, is inseparable from the healing system in terms of fundamentals). Language is especially important in the Charismatic ritual system. We have learned how rituals are central devices in the experience of any culture or religion. Therefore, the role of language in directing and shaping thoughts and actions surrounding these rituals is one of utmost importance.

6. Csordas, Thomas J. 1988. "Elements of Charismatic Persuasion and Healing". Medical Anthropology Quarterly. 2 (2): 121-142.

Csordas explored exhaustively on Charismatic healing. In this article, he attempts to examine the efficacy of Charismatic healing by interviewing 75 healing ministers and looking at curing processes. Charismatic healing is characterized by the combinations of Pentecostal and Catholicism, which believe the close association between illness and the spiritual growth.  The healing practices take either in smaller ‘prayer group’ setting or in highly organized known as “covenant communities” with a holist approach by attempting to heal a tripartite composite of body, mind, and sprit. Charismatic healing is presented in various forms and methods: large public group healing services, healing prayers that may occur in weekly meetings, and private devotion. Csordas only interviewed healing ministers because typically priests and members of religious orders practice healing. Two specific examples of Charismatic ritual healing demonstrate the efficacy of religious healings, though it emphasizes its inconclusive and incremental quality.  Csordas acknowledges the importance of agency. The efficacy of ritual healing process requires participants’ predispositions, their experience of empowerment, and their experience of transformation” (132). Even though the process is heavily grounded in participants’ perceptions of experience and change, the healing process rather than having healing outcomes challenges cosmopolitan biomedicine.

7. Csordas, Thomas J. 1994. The sacred self: a cultural phenomenology of charismatic healing. Berkeley: University of California Press. Pg. 25-56.

According to Csordas, Charismatic healing presumes two interrelated aspects: the capacity to be healed by divine power in a way that the contemporary medical system would consider as “cure,” and the capacity to achieve “spiritual growth.” In Charismatic Christian healing system, a person is constituted with a tripartite composite of body, mind, and spirit. Therefore, there needs to be a healing system that corresponds to each component: Physical healing that heals bodily illness, Inner healing that heals emotional distress, and deliverance that cures any affliction from evil spirits. Most of the times, healing minsters are professionals in one genre; however, as the tripartite composite is interrelated, many healing minsters perform to cure the combined afflictions. There is a fourth genre in Charismatic Christian, called “spiritual healing.” This is concerned with the well-being of soul. Since the root of the Charismatic Christian comes from Catholic and Pentecostal, the emphasis on the well-being of soul is presumed. The ritual events include a repertoire, which is regarded as “performative acts” (45): empowerment, protection, revelation, deliverance, sacramental grace, and emotional release. This set of practices not only facilitates the healer’s efficacy on healing, but also enhances the healing process by disinhibiting cognitive resistance and doubt. The specificity is essential to therapeutic process.

8. Finkler, Kaja. 1994. "Sacred Healing and Biomedicine Compared". Medical Anthropology Quarterly (New Series). 8 (2): 178-197.

Finkler compares secular and sacred healing in terms of physical setting, etiological belief and diagnose, Practitioner-Patient relationship and treatment repertoire, which shares some similarities and dissimilarities. He particularly examines Mexican Spiritualism and compares its own healing system to biomedicine, which is introduced by the United States and Europe. In the 19th century, Mexico experienced Spiritualism revival that initiated both health care delivery and religious movement. Even though Mexican physicians often combine biomedical understandings with traditional folk healing methods, two systems present competing features in terms of the belief each was established; Spiritualist healers believe the power of community, while biomedicine from the West values privacy and individualism. As it is seen, the physical setting and the relationship between practitioner and patient are culturally and socially constructed. Therefore, the patient is expected to have an intimate and idyllic relationship with healers. Also the healer tends to examine patient’s life and environment beyond physiological and biological causes. At the same time, surprisingly, they exhibit similarities in terms of focus of healing process and structural set up. Both focuses on physical discomfort, even though different explanation comes from what they believe in. Biomedicine has been criticized for its dual understanding of body and emotion; however, according to Finkler, Spiritualism also seeks to alleviate physical afflictions. They both have a healer/practitioner and patient setting, where patients are expected to play a passive role. Finkler concludes with suggestions that biomedicine could incorporate to improve its efficacy, the close association between healer and patient is highly recommended.

9. Galanter, Marc. 1989. Cults: faith, healing, and coercion. New York: Oxford University Press. Chapter 1.

In this Chapter, Galanter explores the quality of a “the Charismatic group.” At the very beginning of the chapter, he suggests a research question regarding to the charismatic group: “how does such as a network emerge and what keeps it together in the face of widespread condemnation?” (5). He provides a possible answer; there are common mechanisms of group that work together to achieve their personal, social, and political goals. Charismatic group shares four important characteristics: first, have a shared belief system that facilitates the group cohesion and healing process; second, sustain a high degree of social cohesiveness, which influences the group’s integrity and life circumstances of individual member; third, are affected by the norms that have been implemented in the group, which conduct the behavior of its members; and fourth, give credit to charismatic power to the group. Galanter argues that the Charismatic group, because of their value on social cohesion and bonds, is relieved when its member is closely associated with one another. This challenges a conventional, empirical scientific research on analyzing a group’s structure and functioning. Rather than understanding this group based on the laboratory-based scientific method, he takes a different approach, a systems approach. The experience of each individual in the Charismatic group is diverse due to the background, education, personal experiences, and belief; therefore, he focuses on a system, which allows some tolerance on different degrees of experiences but still suggests what motivates an individual member to act in a certain way.

10. Galanter, Marc. 1989. Cults: faith, healing, and coercion. New York: Oxford University Press. Chapter 6.

In this chapter, Galanter explores the shared belief held by the group in details, which is a vital force of group’s orientation. The shared belief allows stability and sacrifice of the individual needs and wants in the material world. According to Glalanter, it is an “invisible” social code that conducts members’ behavior. One of the representative practices in Charismatic group is faith healing, which requires not only belief, but also “group support, shared emotional experiences, and the communal rituals”(40). As far as the efficacy of faith healing in Charismatic group goes, it not only cures physical illness, but also emotional as well as inner affliction such as sexual orientation and schizophrenia. In the United States, charismatic healing was appeared with the Moonies in 1970s when it received intensive media coverage. The conflict between members and the existing culture extended when new believers broke all their pre-existing social ties such as family and friends to follow religious beliefs. The power that this shared belief in Charismatic group is demonstrated by the example of the Unification Church. The members of the Unification Church often induce other people into this group without forcing them; some of the routes include subterfuge, seeker, and opposition. With the newly induced members, the group reinforces the shared belief and creates a strong social cohesion, which again works to affect their social settings and environment.

11. Galanter, Marc. 1989. Cults: faith, healing, and coercion. New York: Oxford University Press. Chapter 9.

In chapter 9, Galanter provides a specific example of Charismatic healing group, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) to demonstrate its successful establishment through a powerful charismatic leader and social cohesion. A healing group is different from religious groups in terms of its target of efforts; the healing group focuses on its own member with narrowly defined goals, while the religious group promotes its ideology, which tends to generate conflicts with the mainstream. The psychology takes a great part in terms of the successful outcome, since a sense of despair or void tends to bring people to drink alcohol. AA is founded by Bill W., who used to be a raging alcoholic. After achieving his sobriety, Bill began to preach to alcoholics and this group has grown in numbers. AA had shared same characteristics of a charismatic sect: “strongly felt shared belief, intense cohesiveness, experiences of altered consciousness, and a potent influence on member’s behavior” (178). Like any other charismatic groups, AA also values social cohesion and the shared belief in the power of God they believe in. This is a great example of the institutionalized Charismatic group, which pursues the specific focal goals. One of the reasons that this institution has been successful is, according to Max Weber, due to the zealous leader. Max Weber argues that a charismatic leader must create a “structured social order and an attendant body of tradition” (178) in order to effectively manage and attain the goal of the organization. Bill bounds AA members well to fight against the common enemy, alcohol. AA especially takes a great caution to prevent giving too much power in a charismatic group.

12. Garrard, David J.. "African Pentecostalism ." Journal of Beliefs & Values 30.3 (2009): 231-244. Print.

This paper is an examination of the diversity of African Pentecostalism, its early history and current characteristics are analyzed.  Reference is made to methods of training and forms of leadership.  The author recognizes varied definitions of Pentecostalism and the trouble in defining African Pentecostalism.  It is a theology interpreted definitely throughout the continent as a whole.  Referring to E.G. Parrinder’s work,  African Traditional Religion, the author there is sufficient homogeneity within African Pentecostalism to warrant a general analysis.  The acceptance that Pentecostalism has seen within Sub-Saharan Africa has been due in part to the way in which Christ is incorporated into the lives of people.  But as the author points out, this dependency on oral testimony, miracles and religious experience needs to be address through doctrine.  There is also a dependency on charismatic leadership.  At some point this belief system needs to be incorporated into a lived experience and worldview that challenges traditional ethnic alienation, fear of the occult and a preoccupation with Western Materialism.  

13. Glik, D., & Kellogg, J. (1990). CHARISMATIC AND METAPHYSICAL HEALING RITUALS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STATES OF ADHERENTS: TWO CASE STUDIES. Journal of Religion & Psychical Research, 13(1), 16. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

This article relied on psychological knowledge and research of healing groups. Less helpful for our topic, however interesting in the sense that the psychological states and techniques used in group therapies surrounding faith healing weren’t found too often in other sources. The use and importance of language was also touched upon here.

14. Gordon, Tamar , and Mary Hancock. ""The Crusade is the Vision": Branding Charisma in a Global Pentecostal Ministry." Material Religion 1.3 (2007): 386-403. Print.

This article is an examination of the “mass-mediated” revival preformed by Reinhard Bonnke, a german born evangelist who claims to have converted millions through his ministry in Sub-Saharan Africa.  His events have hosted millions.  The imagery from these sermons conveys a sense of the magnitude and “transformative” energy.  The authors describe this media-imagery as the creation of a “brand scenario” and reconstitutes the charismatic core of Pentecostalism and fosters the corporate growth Christian world as a capitalist enterprise.  In 2001, Bonnke hosted an open-air crusade in Nigeria.  This three-day “Praise-a-Thon” reached 2 million people according to Bonnke.  Certainly images included in the article convey the size of this epic audience.  This is what the authors call the harnessing of African spirituality and the technology of evangelization, as this mass-gathering is itself filmed and transmitted as a holy event and fulfillment of prophecy.  This type of showmanship has help Bonnke claim the convert 6 million Nigerians in a single week.  The authors discuss the technical and organizational aspects of this mega-ministry.  This points are of interest, as well as the capitalistic production of DVDs, books, and online media.  Not only though is what Bonnke visually communicates but his sense of divine grace and personal attitude.

15. Harrell, David E. All Things Are Possible: The Healing & Charismatic Revivals in Modern America.pgs. 10-20 Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1975. Print.

In this chapter Harrell gives a broad overview of the roots of American Pentecostalism and the origins of the Christian charismatic movement. He touches on the beginnings of divine healing in the church starting with the Catholic Church – e.g. the exorcism of demons, prayer for the sick, praying to saints, but eventually the focus is shifted to the charismatic traditions more recently associated with evangelical Protestantism. The drive behind the momentum of American Pentecostalism was the idea that one was able to have a personal relationship with God involving continual personal encounters with Him, culminating in the ability to speak in tongues – the litmus test to be sought by every Christian who was truly saved. Pentecostalism’s three main churches near the end of WWII were the Church of God, Assemblies of God, and the Pentecostal Holiness church. The central doctrine of Pentecostalism was the “abiding possibility  and importance of the super natural element…particularly as contained in the manifestation of the Spirit.” Though it is claimed by some that the Bible is infallibly, unfortunately men certainly are not. Differences in interpretation of doctrine such as the necessity of baptism by fire, water etc. or the relaxation of moral standards led to dissention between charismatic leaders, resulting in churches splintering as different leaders broke off to form their own congregation. Some of these people were successful, some were not. Harrell goes on to give short accounts of many of these leaders including Alexander Dowie, Smith Wigglesworth, F.F. Bosworth, Wyatt, Lake, Woodworth-Etter, Raymond T. Richey, Aimee Semple McPherson and Charles S. Price.

16. Harrell, David E. All Things Are Possible: The Healing & Charismatic Revivals in Modern America. Pgs. 27-52 Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1975. Print.

This chapter gives a history of two of the great leaders of the charismatic Pentecostal healing movement, William Branham and Oral Roberts. William Branham claimed he had received his call to heal from an angel of the Lord who blessed him with the ability to detect diseases with his left hand. Always seen as a bit peculiar by those acquainted with him, Branham believed he had a divine connection with God from an early age, as young as 3. Though he started out his ministry very poor, eventually the news of his miraculous powers to raise the dead, bring salvation and healing unto thousands, and even reports of at times having a heavenly halo upon his head garnered him great popularity and support. Intending to unify all men with the message of Christ’s deliverance of all people, Branham avoided preaching specific, especially controversial or disputed doctrine and instead focused on healing and providing proof of miracles. His ministry marked a new beginning for the charismatic Pentecostal movement.Oral Roberts felt his call to the ministry after experiencing a miraculous recovery from tuberculosis by a traveling evangelist. He was influenced by William Branham in that his ministry did not discriminate but was interdenominational. While many laymen ministers struggled financially, Roberts prided himself in becoming an accomplished organizer, businessman, and minister. Harrell especially emphasizes Roberts’ mass media efforts to spread his ministry including a magazine, a television ministry, radio ministry, and the writing of many books. Roberts’ healing ability rested in his right hand which gave him the power to detect the presence of demons.

17. Hollenweger, Walter J. 1972. The Pentecostals; the charismatic movement in the churches. Minneapolis: Augsburg Pub. House.

In this chapter, Hollenweger explores the significance of the gift of speaking tongues, which is a typical sign of Charismatic belief. He traces back to the sources of revival of this movement and examines the doctrine of the Pentecostal movement within the American churches. In the 1960s, a young Anglican coupe had received the Holy Spirit and started speaking tongues. They introduced to the churches, and preachers began to pray for baptism of the Spirit. Over five hundred congregation members followed and received the Holy Sprit. The revival spread all over America as well as Europe. When many ministers from traditional churches received the Pentecostals through the television broadcasting, they wondered why the churches failed to take care of the ‘little people’ such as blue-collar workers. Soon they founded intermediary organizations like the Full Gospel Business Men’s fellowship International (FGBMFI) to spread the message of the Pentecostals. At this point, Hollenweger examines the doctrine of the Pentecostal. There are two kinds of Christians: those who can speak in tongues, and those who can’t. This ideology conflicts with the Catholic Pentecostals, which believe in speaking tongues as a sign of baptism of the Spirit; everyone who receives the Holy Sprit is to acquire such. The Pentecostal movement, on the other hand, believes that speaking tongues is to be possessed only by certain persons like clergy or pastors.

18. Kay, William K.. "Pentecostalism and Religious Broadcasting." Journal of Beliefs & Values December.Vol. 30, No. 3 (2009): 245-254. Print.

This article discusses the decline of church attendance throughout the 20th century and the rise of religious broadcasting, especially as used by pentecostal missionaries.  The historical analysis begins with the differences in English and American radio broadcasting traditions.  The physical features of each country dramatically effected the efficacy of the medium.  Early transmissions in England were capable of relatively easy national broadcasting.  In America the national audience was limited by the number of transmitting stations to relay the message.  The affordability and portability also effected the market for religious broadcasting.  Since 1924, pentecostal congregations have invested in radio stations.  The methods of management used between the US and UK to regulate radio shows obviously differs.  The BBC provides commercial free public-radio.  America is determined by commercial advertisement and pay-for time allotments.  The author then transitions in televised ministries, such as the early Oral Roberts preaching.  The format became extremely successful, just as pentecostalism was reaching a fever pitch in America.  These performers became minor celebrities as the medium of televangelism was born.  This new type of ministry has gone global with great success.  New digital platforms makes for more content possible.

19. Kwan, S. (2007). Clinical Efficacy of Ritual Healing and Pastoral Ministry. Pastoral Psychology, 55(6), 741-749. doi:10.1007/s11089-007-0079-9

Ritual healing is discussed here as a characteristic, and phenomenon of association between religion and healing. This article reminded me of Robert Scott’s Miracle Cures, as it discussed the effect, experience, and efficacy of healing through faith. Discussing topics such as self-healing and the placebo effect, which no doubt have a great influence on the efficacy of the healing itself, Kwan also touches on the performance of such rituals and argues that is where their efficacy lies. This point was made clearer after reading Emily Martin’s Bipolar Expeditions.

20. Martin, David (2002). Pentecostalism: The World Their Parish. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers Ltd.

While it was more difficult to find information on the healing system and therapies of the Christian Charismatic movement in Martin’s writing, he gave great information on the cultural movement of Pentecostalism itself and the shift of Christian Charismatic to the rest of the world, choosing to highlight the movement in specific countries of interest. Virtues, beliefs, history, and a discussion of the self identified as a Pentecostal. He discussed the importance of lay-involvement in the religion (and therefore in the practices of religion, including healing methods). It is not a hierarchy of spiritual levels and “closeness” with God, as is the case in religions such as Catholicism. It is still about closeness with God, but on individual levels and not concerning how spiritual one is or how closely they conform to the rules of the religion. He writes of it transcending the lines of race, class, and other beliefs. This can be seen in the “place it offered to blacks and women and that in spite of the splintering over color which occurred in both movements, and in spite of the lack of endorsement for equal ministry as between men and women (Martin 9).” The Holy Spirit, he writes, transcends all these boundaries for which our societal credence is built. In America, the Christian Charismatic movement has become largely a middle-class movement as well, drawing on the accessibility and focus on the lay-person’s importance and agency. The virtues that Pentecostals preach are those of hard work, betterment, self-discipline, and aspiration, experiences that are familiar to the traditional plight of the middle-class family in America; the ideas that permeate today’s societal values. Healing in this book is focused on as a therapy of the experiences of the poor in countries where Christian Charismatic is a burgeoning movement. It is the healing of the “maladies of poverty”, often stemming from poor social support and inadequate economic frameworks. This faith offers sanctuary from the difficulties of everyday life in countries denoted to the “third world”, possibly explaining why it is such a huge movement in those parts of the world.

21. McClay, Wilfred M.. "The Moral Economy of Guilt." First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion & Public Life May (2011): 25-31. Print.

Opening with a reference to Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents, the author begins a critical analysis of guilt and sin in the context of religion.  Hard guilt, as they call it, dwells in the unconsciousness of man and is hard to identify or treat.  Freud recognizes that all world religions have understood the role of guilt and sin in civilization and have provided a number of existential answers.  Guilt becomes something notoriously difficult to remove from the individual.  The author then analyzes the attempts of Freud to treat his own patients neurosis.  The author analyzes terms such as health and forgiveness.  Forgiveness is understood as a transcendent and unconditional act.  He address the illusory and omnipresent nature of guilt.  He then views guilt and forgiveness in the context of Judeo-christian norms.  He refers to this Western methodology as the “medicalization” of bad behavior.  The inability of Western religions to answer these claims have led to a uneasiness in civilization as we endlessly search for absolution.

22. McGee, Gary B. Miracles, Missions, and American Pentecostalism. pgs.182, 183, 194-197 Maryknoll, N.Y: Orbis Books, 2010. Print

In these passages, McGee inspects the Pentecostal Gospel of Healing and the post WWII healing movement. Among others, he asks the question: “Is it ever God’s will that Christians should suffer from physical maladies?” While the Pentecostal movement considered salvation and physical healing to be two imperative aspects of the Gospel of Christ and therefore their duty to bring to pass, this often led to confusion and questioning of the strength of people’s faith. It was believed by many, as written in the Bible, that one only had to have faith that Jesus could heal them for their sickness to be swept away. Problematically, this led to the assumption that if one was not healed after prayer and laying on of hands by a minister, one’s faith was lacking. If one was healed, often it was only temporary – again, a manifestation of a person’s doubts in the atoning power of Jesus Christ. McGee later turns his focus to the great giants of the Pentecostal healing movement after WWII – the works of William Branham, Oral Roberts, A.A. Allen, Jack Coe, and Tommy Hicks. Interestingly enough in spite of, or perhaps because of their success, many of these evangelical leaders were criticized by prominent leaders of other faiths. Although these men acknowledged the existence of genuine miraculous healings, they openly questioned the authenticity of alleged miracles. In fact, conflicting accounts as to the accuracy of retellings of miracles served to fuel their fury – and the emphasis on physical healing further separated the evangelical movement from mainstream protestant Christianity.

23. McGee, Gary B. 2010. Miracles, missions, and American Pentecostalism. pgs. 198-223 Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books.

In McGee’s last chapter, Apostolic Faith at the Third Millennium he shows the Pentecostal movement in all its glory. In the latter half of the 20th century the Pentecostalism was experiencing tremendous growth not just in the U.S. but throughout the world, especially third world countries. It seemed that the missionary efforts were effecting change at last. Protestant and Catholic denominations were embracing charismatic-ism and for many, the all-encompassing power of the Spirit and the gifts which were manifest by it were far more important and relate-able than adhering to doctrinal creeds or traditions. Many saw the widespread conversion of people by the Spirit as a universal grace by which all sects could be unified. With the merging of Pentecostalism with the evangelicals, however, North American Pentecostalism faced an unforeseen challenge - that of a crisis of identity. The Pentecostal message was being diluted by the homogeneity of unity with other denominations. At the end of the 20th century, the Pentecostal movement’s glory was fading.

24. Miller, Donald E. . "Progressive Pentecostalism: An Emergent Trend in Global Christianity." Journal of Beliefs 30.3 (2009): 275-287. Print.

This paper address the phenomenal growth of Pentecostal Christianity around the globe and in the Southern Hemisphere and the social movements created by these ministries.  These social movements are in response to local educational, health care, and economic development needs.  This defies the stereotype that Pentecostals are focused primarily on the afterlife and that they are preoccupied with ecstatic forms of worship and supernatural healing as compensation for their economic deprivation.  The author believes that Pentecostals are more creative in their response to human needs but ultimately doomed by its lack of doctrinal infrastructure and its allowance for anyone to become a pastor, prophet, or recipient of a new revelation.

25. Onyinah, O. (January 01, 2006). GOD'S GRACE, HEALING AND SUFFERING. International Review of Mission, 95, 117-127.

Okung discusses the early church of the Charismatics, how they came to exist in a world of many different strong Christian sects. From the beginning, they were a healing ministry. Pentecostals believed that along with the baptism of the Holy Spirit came the gifts it bestowed on believing Christians. This no doubt formed the belief today that the Holy Spirit touches those who have faith and open themselves up to experiencing the spirit. He goes on to discuss the relation between prayer and divine healing or miracles, a topic not unfamiliar to us after reading Miracles Cures. While a gift of being healed is attributed to the power of God, and the faith of the “patient”, a lack of healing or “suffering” is attributed to the individual and often their shortcomings or sins.

26. Poewe, Karla (1994). Charismatic Christianity as a Global Culture. Columbia, S.C.: University of South Carolina Press.

Poewe writes about the global reaches and influences Charismatic Christianity is experiencing as it grows and expands with age and staying power. Focusing on the principles of the religion and healing practice, and how the therapies and approaches to health and wellness and medicine are manifested through the foundations of their religious truths, Poewe, through essays and country-specific ethnographic analyses, shows how the Christian Charismatic movement and the health practices that go along with it stem from the underlying definition of Charismatic in the first place: the gifts and movements of the Holy Spirit in Christians who have surrendered and given their lives to Christ. She argues that Charismatic Christianity is not really a new movement, as others would argue, but encompasses all Christianity from the beginning of it’s existence, however focusing on the activities of the Holy Spirit. Evangelists in America, many from Pentecostal backgrounds, took the movement to new heights in what is recognized as the Christian Charismatic following today. One of the most interesting passages and points she makes in the book, which I found relevant to many of the themes discussed in class, is that while Western tendency is to secularize the different experiences of life into their separate fields/places/categories (read: separation of mind/body, mental illness/physical illness, etc.), the Pentecostals aim to unite what contemporary society has tried to separate. They want to incorporate the experience of the Holy Spirit not only in healing ceremonies, but in regular church services. They want to end the fragmentation of body from mind (Poewe 33). They believe that though the healing practices their religion has created, the body, mind, and soul become one. A central belief to the Christian Charismatic healing framework, is that religion gives meaning to illness, in the form that illness is not simply a biophysical deviance, it is “shaped into human experience (Poewe 46).” This is one of the ways that Pentecostals bring religion into everyday life and aim to unite the most crucial parts of life that in our Western society, we have insisted on separating.

27. Smith, Calvin L.. "Pentecostal Presence, Power and Politics in Latin America." Journal of Beliefs & Values 30.3 (2009): 219-229. Print.

This article attempts to understand religion in a political context within Latin America.  These secularisation theories were challenged throughout the last decade.  Among these is the rise of Pentecostalism in Latin America during the 1980’s and the subsequent academic studies on the influence of this phenomenon.  This article outlines the various expressions of Pentecostal faith in Latin America.  The author challenges the idea that the faith is homogenous and conservative and expressions of Pentecostalism political responses depend on circumstance, country or region, and demographics.  The author returns to historic 1800s, and the Protestantism emerging in the New World around the time of European Reformation.  Today Pentecostalism challenges Catholicism as the dominant religion in the South.  This is not only a control of congregants, but the expression of faith within each religions.  And far from declining, religion has an important new voice in determining political outlooks and behavior.

28. Synan, Vinson. "A Healer in the House? A Historical Perspective on Healing in the Pentecostal/Charismatic Tradition." Asian Journal of Pentecostal Studies March (2000): 189-201. Print.  

This article is a general outline starting with the Pentecostal religious movement in the United States to todays worldwide movement of 500,000,000 members.  Synan begans with a definition of "Pentecostal/Charismatics", provided by several authors.  Pentecostals it is defined are "those Christians who stress the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit toward the proclamation that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father".  Two unique traits to Pentecostal/Charismatics, "gloossolalia" - speaking in tongues - and divine healing, are of particular importance.  The authors historical analysis begins with Charles Cullis, a a divine healer and minister.  His work began in the mid-19th century with simple "healing houses" and this is traced to contemporary mega-revivals led by Oral Roberts and other famous names.  There is also a discussion  over post-WW-2 practices within the ministry.  Certain pentecostal leaders had been arrested for “practicing medicine without a license” and were accused of murder by the family members of those they had ‘healed’ by promoting the forgoing of medicine and doctors treatment.  New arguements were made for common ground between scientific and faith healing.  In 1919, it was advocated that it was no sin to take “remedies” and that going to doctors implied no lack of faith.

29.  Wacker, Grant. Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture. Pgs. 35-41 Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 2001. Print.

In this chapter Grant Wacker examines one of the most unique, and perhaps most prominent characteristics of the charismatic movement – that of speaking in tongues. Wacker inspects some accounts of so-called evidence for part of the central dogma of Pentecostalism, that the baptism by fire of the Holy Ghost is often manifested by speaking in tongues. Different accounts by different men and women share common characteristics, often losing conscious control of one’s body but having a completely clear mind so that one is able to receive the revelations from the Holy Spirit. Wacker makes it a point to mention that while such experiences were not uncommon, they were also not without exception. Many people tried fervently to receive such an experience but their efforts were in vain – however, it was interpreted by many that this could be because they lacked faith or held some reservations as to the authenticity of Holy Spirit baptism. Interestingly enough, many such happenings were initiated by laying on hands or the person, though in scripture this never preceded speaking in tongues. Wacker points out that imagery of heat, fire, electricity etc. were common when people were carried away in the Spirit – the tongues that were spoken were “sensed” to be distinct and foreign, but a translator who can attest to this is never mentioned in first-hand accounts.

30.  Wuthnow, Sara. Journal of Religion and Health. Sep97, Vol. 36, No. 3, pp. 221-229. “Healing Touch Controversies.” Springer. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27511146

This was the only source I found that approached the topic of healing touch with a critical view. Wuthnow discusses, in regards to the controversies surrounding faith healing through touch, such abuses of faith in church settings and their effects on the efficacy and acceptance of healing touch as a viable therapy to affliction. She also discusses the modern view and contemporary standing of healing touch in the Church.