John of God

The Globalization of Brazilian Faith Healing

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Sociology, Marriage & Family, Anthropology, Religion & Spirituality, Philosophy, Mind & Body
Cover of the book John of God by Cristina Rocha, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Cristina Rocha ISBN: 9780190466732
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: December 1, 2016
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Cristina Rocha
ISBN: 9780190466732
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: December 1, 2016
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

In just over a decade, the Brazilian faith healer known as John of God has become an international superstar. Oprah Winfrey, Ram Dass, Wayne Dyer, and Shirley MacLaine have all visited him, as have the wealthy and the desperately ill. Renowned for performing surgeries using rudimentary tools such as kitchen knives and scissors, without anesthetics or asepsis, John of God allegedly channels "entities," or spirits, and goes into a trance-like state in order to heal his visitors. In recent years, a transnational spiritual community has developed around John of God, comprised of the ill, those who seek spiritual growth, healers, tour guides, and, according to followers, even spirits whose powers transcend national boundaries. Cristina Rocha offers the first ethnographic account of this global spiritual movement. Drawing on a decade of fieldwork in Brazil, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand, Rocha examines the social and cultural forces that have made it possible for a healer from Brazil to become a global "guru" in the 21st century. She explores what attracts foreigners to John of God's cosmology and healing practices, how they understand their own experiences, how these radical experiences have transformed their lives, and how the healer's beliefs and healing practices are globalized and localized in different ways in the West.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In just over a decade, the Brazilian faith healer known as John of God has become an international superstar. Oprah Winfrey, Ram Dass, Wayne Dyer, and Shirley MacLaine have all visited him, as have the wealthy and the desperately ill. Renowned for performing surgeries using rudimentary tools such as kitchen knives and scissors, without anesthetics or asepsis, John of God allegedly channels "entities," or spirits, and goes into a trance-like state in order to heal his visitors. In recent years, a transnational spiritual community has developed around John of God, comprised of the ill, those who seek spiritual growth, healers, tour guides, and, according to followers, even spirits whose powers transcend national boundaries. Cristina Rocha offers the first ethnographic account of this global spiritual movement. Drawing on a decade of fieldwork in Brazil, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand, Rocha examines the social and cultural forces that have made it possible for a healer from Brazil to become a global "guru" in the 21st century. She explores what attracts foreigners to John of God's cosmology and healing practices, how they understand their own experiences, how these radical experiences have transformed their lives, and how the healer's beliefs and healing practices are globalized and localized in different ways in the West.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book The Daoist Monastic Manual by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Taliban Narratives by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Educating the Muslims of America by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Hydrofracking by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book In the Shadow of Korematsu by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book The Business of Neuropsychology by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book When Government Helped by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Reading Politics with Machiavelli by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book The Oxford Guide to People & Places of the Bible by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Ethical Dilemmas in Genetics and Genetic Counseling by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Neurology for the Hospitalist by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Neptune by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Callimachus by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Mutiny on the Amistad by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book The Revolution Will Not Be Televised by Cristina Rocha
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy