Charismatic Healing: A Phenomenological Study of Spiritual Healing in Ottawa, Canada

Abstract

Spiritual healing is a ubiquitous and fundamental part of Charismatic Christianity; it is indelibly linked to understandings of God, society, and individual identity. And yet, the phenomenon of spiritual healing—particularly its expression within North American, Abrahamic traditions—has been understudied within academia. In this thesis, I take a phenomenological approach in order to better comprehend the meaning-making process behind spiritual healing rituals amongst Charismatic Protestant Christians in Ottawa, Canada. Through a small-scale, local ethnographic study in Ottawa in which I conducted participant observation and several in-depth interviews, I explore Charismatic Christianity through the lens of lived religion. Based on a series of focused case studies, I conclude that the Charismatic cosmological worldview (one in which cosmic-wide restoration is emphasised) correlates with, and contributes to, the Charismatic emphasis on individual healing.