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 Beyond Ebonics by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Privacy by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Upholding Mystery by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Living in the Crosshairs by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Buzz to Brilliance:A Beginning and Intermediate Guide to Trumpet Playing by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Singular and Plural by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Turn of the Tortoise by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Narrative and the Politics of Identity by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Things by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book The Philosophy of Science by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Joyce's Kaleidoscope by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book The Developing Genome by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book John Coltrane and Black America's Quest for Freedom by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book Progressivism: A Very Short Introduction by Cristina Rocha
Cover of the book How the Laser Happened 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