Religous Studies Program

HEALING

Healing requires tapping into God’s power directly or through intermediaries (healers)

Healing involves the process of overcoming sin, becoming closer to God

God uses illness and healing to teach people and to bring them closer to Him

Healing can therefore be distinguished from being “cured”

Healing may be coping well with one’s condition or using one’s condition to glorify God

Healing may be gradual improvement

Healing may be unexpectedly rapid recovery

Healing may involve improvement in another condition or another person

EXPLAINING SUCCESS AND FAILURE

A variety of factors are used to demonstrate that healing has occurred (a feeling of joy, a sensation of healing energy)

A number of factors contribute to successful healing

Healing is promoted by the ability to pray correctly by knowing what is really wrong

Healing is promoted by creating an atmosphere of faith

Healing is promoted by the laying on of hands

Healing sometimes occurs without being recognized because the healing occurre in an area different from what was requested

A number of factors contribute to unsuccessful healing

Healing sometimes is not experienced not because it fails to occur but because the individual does not have faith without doubts or conditions

Healing sometimes does not occur because individuals have failed to remove blockages To the flow of healing power. The most significant blockage is sin.

Healing sometimes does not occur because God is trying to teach them a lesson

Healing sometimes is not sustained because the individual has not stayed close enough to the Lord to keep the healing

HEALING RITUAL

1. Ritual Process

    Destructuring

            Creation of an emotionally charged relationship

    Realignment (liminal state)

        Transformative rituals

    Restructuring

        Learning experiences

            Creating a sense of mastery (conceptual scheme, means to succeed)

            Opportunities for practice

C. CREATION OF HEALING RELATIONSHIP

1. Power of the healer

    Setting, props

    Competence (credentials and testimonials)

    Demonstration events (tricks and paradoxes)

2. Creation of "therapeutic eros"

    Trust

    High degree of group support

    Acceptance despite confession

    Permissiveness

    Denial of reciprocity

EXORCISM

Exorcism is practiced by both Catholic and Protestant religious groups. In Protestant denominations the practice is typically referred to as “deliverance” and involves a laying on of hands and prayer by spiritually gifted individuals. The formal exorcism ritual in the Catholic tradition is detailed "The Rituale Romanum."

Exorcism – The term derives from the Greek “ek” and “horkizo.” The term translates "I cause [someone] to swear." Rather than referring to driving out satanic demons, the term refers to placing the demon on oath, thereby binding the demon in order to control it and force it to act in opposition to its own nature

The authority by which the demon is bound and controlled is Jesus Christ. The power of Jesus is recorded in the Bible (Mark 5:1-13) where Jesus drives an unclean spirit into a herd of swine, which jump into the sea and drown. Jesus gave the power of exorcism to his disciples ("...he gave the power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease." Matt.10:1)

The most common location for exorcisms is a location where there is a definite connection between the demon and the victim, like the victim's residence

During the exorcism a number of items often are present

Salt representing purity

Wine representing the blood of Christ

A crucifix

Holy water

The exorcist and others present are vulnerable if they have any secret sins that the demon can use against them. The greatest danger to the exorcist is becoming possessed by the demon.

Stages of Exorcism

An alien presence is felt

The demon purports to be the victim (the pretense) and the exorcist seeks to learn the demon’s name

The demon’s pretense collapses and produces pandemonium. There is a crescendo of abuse, horrible sights, noises, and odors. The demon’s voices must be silenced

The exorcist battles the demon directly, urging the entity to reveal more information about itself so it can be controlled

God's will triumphs and the demon leaves in the name of Jesus. The feeling of an alien presence dissipates. The victim may or may not remember the exorcism events

POSSESSION AND EXORCISM AMONG THE DIGO OF KENYA

The Patterning of Possession and Exorcism

Serious cases of possession involve aggressive, bizarre behavior (aggression toward others, self, inanimate objects; running amok; uncontrollable writhing; eating ashes, dirt, dung)

Possession is usually cross-sexual

Spasms, writhing, moaning by possessed are interpreted as sexual intercourse between possessed and spirit

Almost all cases of exorcism involve women

First attacks usually occur during betrothal or early in marriage

Status of Digo Women

Women remain under the control of men throughout their lives

Women are excluded from important business, political, religious, and kinship decisions

Women provide the major source of agricultural labor

At marriage women become the most insignificant members of their husbands’ residential groups. They are given the most arduous and menial tasks

Marital conflicts frequently result in desertion by the wife. Conflicts and desertion threaten kinship relationships of males (e.g., wife’s father and brothers) by raising questions of blame and return of the brideprice

Spirit Possession and Exorcism

Possession by the woman leading to exorcism offers an alternative to marital breakdown when male kin are concerned about perpetuation of the marriage

During exorcism the exorcist discovers the name of the spirit and negotiates a price that the spirit will accept to leave. The demands made by women in marriage are made by the woman in the voice of a male spirit and granted. The price usually involves a gift (money or goods) the cost of which is borne by the husband

Possession and exorcism produce sympathy for the victim while desertion produces hostility and conflict. Husbands present themselves as dealing with a mutually defined problem rather being vulnerable to charges of denying their wives care. Wives’ kin can support the wife during exorcism without taking sides against the husband

Possession Authenticity

The possess are note deemed fully responsible for their own condition

The possessed are defined as incapable of behaving in any other way

There are strict procedures for determining who is to blame for the condition and the authenticity of the condition.

The possessed risk losing autonomy, credibility, and esteem

Possession, Exorcism, and Power

Possession creates power for the weak. Husbands are forced to respond to their wives’ condition

Possession/exorcism is a system of mutual manipulation (wives of husbands, husbands of wives, fathers of daughters)

Possession/exorcism mystifies the sources of discontent and projects it outside the social structure (capricious spirits)

Exorcism redresses the condition of powerless women but at the cost of mystifying the source of discontent and thereby reinforcing the control system

The control system is strengthened by the belief that recurrent possession is voluntary in collusion with the spirits

The only alternatives for women to the possession are recurrent possession (“mad women”) and prostitution (“bad women”)

*Back To Main* SYMBOLIC HEALING
	HEALTH, ILLNESS AND HEALING HEALING MYTH 1. Defining wellness and illness (creating a whole-part relationship) Wellness as order Illness as disorder Healing as restoration of order 2. Order/disorder can occur on any combination of three dimensions Cognitive (misunderstanding) Emotional (misconnection) Moral (misdirection) 3. Connect individual problem to larger mythic system Identify source of demoralization (disorder) Identify restorative agent CHRISTIAN MYTHIC STRUCTURE HEALTH Health is fundamentally spiritual in nature Health involves wholeness (spirit, soul, mind, body) and holiness (good relationship with God) Health is the product of an “ordered” spiritual relationship ILLNESS Illness is likewise fundamentally spiritual in nature Illness is primarily caused by sin (personal sin, original sin, sinful condition of humankind) Physical or emotional factors (anger, bitterness, resentment) may be proximate causes but sin is root cause Illness is the product of a “disordered” spiritual relationship There are a great many types of disorder for which healing is sought. Most common are emotional, spiritual, and relationship problems (fear, depression, anxiety, bitterness, resentment, compulsiveness, suicidal urges, tension, disintegrating marriage or other troubled relationship, handicap, conflict with a boss) Illness may be a punishment from God (for individual or collective sin) or Satan, if you allow him to be in control Possession by Satan is a particularly dangerous form of influence that can lead to illnesses Individuals are to some extent responsible for their own illnesses (failure to repent, forgive, or unite with God) HEALING Healing requires tapping into God’s power directly or through intermediaries (healers) Healing involves the process of overcoming sin, becoming closer to God God uses illness and healing to teach people and to bring them closer to Him Healing can therefore be distinguished from being “cured” Healing may be coping well with one’s condition or using one’s condition to glorify God Healing may be gradual improvement Healing may be unexpectedly rapid recovery Healing may involve improvement in another condition or another person EXPLAINING SUCCESS AND FAILURE A variety of factors are used to demonstrate that healing has occurred (a feeling of joy, a sensation of healing energy) A number of factors contribute to successful healing Healing is promoted by the ability to pray correctly by knowing what is really wrong Healing is promoted by creating an atmosphere of faith Healing is promoted by the laying on of hands Healing sometimes occurs without being recognized because the healing occurre in an area different from what was requested A number of factors contribute to unsuccessful healing Healing sometimes is not experienced not because it fails to occur but because the individual does not have faith without doubts or conditions Healing sometimes does not occur because individuals have failed to remove blockages To the flow of healing power. The most significant blockage is sin. Healing sometimes does not occur because God is trying to teach them a lesson Healing sometimes is not sustained because the individual has not stayed close enough to the Lord to keep the healing HEALING RITUAL 1. Ritual Process Destructuring Creation of an emotionally charged relationship Realignment (liminal state) Transformative rituals Restructuring Learning experiences Creating a sense of mastery (conceptual scheme, means to succeed) Opportunities for practice C. CREATION OF HEALING RELATIONSHIP 1. Power of the healer Setting, props Competence (credentials and testimonials) Demonstration events (tricks and paradoxes) 2. Creation of "therapeutic eros" Trust High degree of group support Acceptance despite confession Permissiveness Denial of reciprocity EXORCISM Exorcism is practiced by both Catholic and Protestant religious groups. In Protestant denominations the practice is typically referred to as “deliverance” and involves a laying on of hands and prayer by spiritually gifted individuals. The formal exorcism ritual in the Catholic tradition is detailed "The Rituale Romanum." Exorcism – The term derives from the Greek “ek” and “horkizo.” The term translates "I cause [someone] to swear." Rather than referring to driving out satanic demons, the term refers to placing the demon on oath, thereby binding the demon in order to control it and force it to act in opposition to its own nature The authority by which the demon is bound and controlled is Jesus Christ. The power of Jesus is recorded in the Bible (Mark 5:1-13) where Jesus drives an unclean spirit into a herd of swine, which jump into the sea and drown. Jesus gave the power of exorcism to his disciples ("...he gave the power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease." Matt.10:1) The most common location for exorcisms is a location where there is a definite connection between the demon and the victim, like the victim's residence During the exorcism a number of items often are present Salt representing purity Wine representing the blood of Christ A crucifix Holy water The exorcist and others present are vulnerable if they have any secret sins that the demon can use against them. The greatest danger to the exorcist is becoming possessed by the demon. Stages of Exorcism An alien presence is felt The demon purports to be the victim (the pretense) and the exorcist seeks to learn the demon’s name The demon’s pretense collapses and produces pandemonium. There is a crescendo of abuse, horrible sights, noises, and odors. The demon’s voices must be silenced The exorcist battles the demon directly, urging the entity to reveal more information about itself so it can be controlled God's will triumphs and the demon leaves in the name of Jesus. The feeling of an alien presence dissipates. The victim may or may not remember the exorcism events POSSESSION AND EXORCISM AMONG THE DIGO OF KENYA The Patterning of Possession and Exorcism Serious cases of possession involve aggressive, bizarre behavior (aggression toward others, self, inanimate objects; running amok; uncontrollable writhing; eating ashes, dirt, dung) Possession is usually cross-sexual Spasms, writhing, moaning by possessed are interpreted as sexual intercourse between possessed and spirit Almost all cases of exorcism involve women First attacks usually occur during betrothal or early in marriage Status of Digo Women Women remain under the control of men throughout their lives Women are excluded from important business, political, religious, and kinship decisions Women provide the major source of agricultural labor At marriage women become the most insignificant members of their husbands’ residential groups. They are given the most arduous and menial tasks Marital conflicts frequently result in desertion by the wife. Conflicts and desertion threaten kinship relationships of males (e.g., wife’s father and brothers) by raising questions of blame and return of the brideprice Spirit Possession and Exorcism Possession by the woman leading to exorcism offers an alternative to marital breakdown when male kin are concerned about perpetuation of the marriage During exorcism the exorcist discovers the name of the spirit and negotiates a price that the spirit will accept to leave. The demands made by women in marriage are made by the woman in the voice of a male spirit and granted. The price usually involves a gift (money or goods) the cost of which is borne by the husband Possession and exorcism produce sympathy for the victim while desertion produces hostility and conflict. Husbands present themselves as dealing with a mutually defined problem rather being vulnerable to charges of denying their wives care. Wives’ kin can support the wife during exorcism without taking sides against the husband Possession Authenticity The possess are note deemed fully responsible for their own condition The possessed are defined as incapable of behaving in any other way There are strict procedures for determining who is to blame for the condition and the authenticity of the condition. The possessed risk losing autonomy, credibility, and esteem Possession, Exorcism, and Power Possession creates power for the weak. Husbands are forced to respond to their wives’ condition Possession/exorcism is a system of mutual manipulation (wives of husbands, husbands of wives, fathers of daughters) Possession/exorcism mystifies the sources of discontent and projects it outside the social structure (capricious spirits) Exorcism redresses the condition of powerless women but at the cost of mystifying the source of discontent and thereby reinforcing the control system The control system is strengthened by the belief that recurrent possession is voluntary in collusion with the spirits The only alternatives for women to the possession are recurrent possession (“mad women”) and prostitution (“bad women”)