Ritual healing in Reformed Protestantism: Self in the process of belonging.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study of the practice of ritual healing in Reformed churches in North America applies the insights of ritual studies to worship in mainline Protestantism. I considered the use of anointing and the laying on of hands in the weekly worship of two churches—one affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the other with the United Church of Christ.
The presence of overtly ritualistic practices in churches that have historically eschewed ritual and of religious healing in churches that have traditionally scorned “faith healing” raises questions about their introduction and use. I have discovered that those who repeatedly take part in these rites do so because the practice offers them ways both to accommodate and to resist features associated with individualism. They say that practicing the rite offers benefits which go far beyond (and, for some, exclude) the curing of biomedical disease. First, it helps them become more focused in a world that is noisy and distracting. Second, they find relief from the “burdens” of cares they take upon themselves and can they resolve or let go of difficult emotions. Third, they come to see their problems in a new light. They also attest that they perceive a sense of “community.” In other words, practicing ritual healing provides emotional and spiritual benefits to the self by offering them a renewed sense of connection to others and to God without requiring ongoing face-to-face interaction. In this way, I suggest, those who take part can become people-in-the-process of belonging, neither wholly isolated, nor necessarily committed to group membership.
These findings show the extent to which individualism can pervade and color even those religious practices which have been drawn from ancient rites. They also demonstrate that corporate ritual can be used to envision a self that transcends cultural sensibilities. Practicing ritual healing enables isolated individuals to imagine themselves as part of a community.