The Embodiment of Christian Understanding of Sacredness—the Inner Healing of Presbyterian Churches in Taiwan

• Main Authors: Tseng ,Ju-fang, 曾如芳
• Other Authors: Tsai ,Yi-jia
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2006
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/84737155014677301661

碩士 === 國立政治大學 === 宗教研究所 === 94 === This study tries to observe how the understanding of sacredness is formed in Charismatic Christian organizations. Therefore, this study starts the investigation from the development of Charismatic movement in North America and how it spread to Taiwan. To involve more and provide reliable observation, a charismatic organization Taiwan Church Renewal Ministry and its training partner organization Singing Waters Ministries thus are chosen as study cases. These two organizations stress on a specific Charismatic activity called inner healings. The investigation of inner healing can be divided to two dimensions, the understanding of the concepts and principles of inner healing which always stress its teaching that have matched Christian faith, and the body practice of inner healing. Human beings are divided into three parts—body, soul, and spirits in inner healing teachings. For that the spirits will affect bodies and souls of human beings, there could be both positive and negative influences. Holy spirits bring positive effects such as the feeling of heats and peace, while evil spirits bring negative effects such as illnesses and disturbance on emotions. There will be some gifted disciples designated “servers” are able to help the participants to chase away evil spirits or cut the inappropriate connection among human souls, “soul-ties.” Inner healing phenomenon could be analyzed through sociology of religion of Max Weber by charismatic domination and its influences on religious organizations. Besides, it could be set in a globalization context as well. On the other hand, it could be analyzed by phenomenological approaches. Through the approaches such as the sacred self and alterity theory of Csordas Thomas and the habitus theory of Merleau Ponty can not only explain how the understanding of sacredness is developed among the participants in inner healing activities but elaborate the relation between self secredness and healings.