Healing and prophecy in the black Spiritual churches: a need for re-examination

The beliefs and healing and prophecy rituals of the New Orleans black Spiritual churches are similar to those of Spiritualism, a largely white movement, and Espiritismo and Santería among Hispanics. Whereas researchers have criticized or ignored the Spiritual churches' therapeutic efforts, they have often described the others as beneficial. This article compares the religions and suggests that the therapy provided by Spiritual churches be re-examined. Instead of using a socio-medical paradigm, I analyze data collected through participant observation and ethnohistory in terms of healing in a religious context. People bring their "problems" to the Spiritual churches, and participate in rituals that draw on the religion's complex belief system. Worshipers experience wholeness and healing as their temporal lives and problems are linked to the eternal through the churches' use of a style of black cultural expression, asymmetry.