Edith Turner is a renowned anthropologist and editor of the journal Anthropology and Humanism. Her books include: The Hands Feel It: Healing and Spirit Presence among a Northern Alaskan People (2003), Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture: Lectures on the History of Religions (1995), Blazing the Trail: Way Marks in the Exploration of Symbols (1992).

Anthropologist Turner aims to convince readers of the truth and factuality of spiritual and ritual healing. For evidence, the author draws on her extensive experiences in a variety of fieldwork locations and on an array of excerpts from writings by anthropologists and ritual practitioners. She classifies healing experiences by cause--energy, power, or spirits--highlighting throughout the book the role of communities rather than religion, region, or time period….For readers who seek evidence that people worldwide experience divinely inspired healing, the book will have appeal. The text may encourage readers interested in a particular kind of healing experience to pursue the author's original text and argument, which offers a way of popularizing this often-arcane area of the anthropology of religion….Recommended. General Readers.

• ContentsContentsContentsSeries Forewordby Susan S. Sered and Linda L. BarnesixPreface xiiiAcknowledgments xviiIntroduction: Coming to Recognize Spiritual Healing xixChapter 1.Breakthrough to Healing: The Sighting of an African Spirit 1Chapter 2.Energy Healing 25Chapter 3.The Experience of Power 57Chapter 4.Scenes of the Imparting of Power 83Chapter 5.The Presence of Spirits in Healing 103Chapter 6.The Idea of Communitas 141Chapter 7.Patterns of Healing 161Notes 167Bibliography 173Index 177

Edith Turner is a renowned anthropologist and editor of the journal Anthropology and Humanism. Her books include: The Hands Feel It: Healing and Spirit Presence among a Northern Alaskan People (2003), Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture: Lectures on the History of Religions (1995), Blazing the Trail: Way Marks in the Exploration of Symbols (1992).

Anthropologist Turner aims to convince readers of the truth and factuality of spiritual and ritual healing. For evidence, the author draws on her extensive experiences in a variety of fieldwork locations and on an array of excerpts from writings by anthropologists and ritual practitioners. She classifies healing experiences by cause--energy, power, or spirits--highlighting throughout the book the role of communities rather than religion, region, or time period….For readers who seek evidence that people worldwide experience divinely inspired healing, the book will have appeal. The text may encourage readers interested in a particular kind of healing experience to pursue the author's original text and argument, which offers a way of popularizing this often-arcane area of the anthropology of religion….Recommended. General Readers.

• ContentsContentsContentsSeries Forewordby Susan S. Sered and Linda L. BarnesixPreface xiiiAcknowledgments xviiIntroduction: Coming to Recognize Spiritual Healing xixChapter 1.Breakthrough to Healing: The Sighting of an African Spirit 1Chapter 2.Energy Healing 25Chapter 3.The Experience of Power 57Chapter 4.Scenes of the Imparting of Power 83Chapter 5.The Presence of Spirits in Healing 103Chapter 6.The Idea of Communitas 141Chapter 7.Patterns of Healing 161Notes 167Bibliography 173Index 177

Edith Turner is a renowned anthropologist and editor of the journal Anthropology and Humanism. Her books include: The Hands Feel It: Healing and Spirit Presence among a Northern Alaskan People (2003), Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture: Lectures on the History of Religions (1995), Blazing the Trail: Way Marks in the Exploration of Symbols (1992).

Anthropologist Turner aims to convince readers of the truth and factuality of spiritual and ritual healing. For evidence, the author draws on her extensive experiences in a variety of fieldwork locations and on an array of excerpts from writings by anthropologists and ritual practitioners. She classifies healing experiences by cause--energy, power, or spirits--highlighting throughout the book the role of communities rather than religion, region, or time period….For readers who seek evidence that people worldwide experience divinely inspired healing, the book will have appeal. The text may encourage readers interested in a particular kind of healing experience to pursue the author's original text and argument, which offers a way of popularizing this often-arcane area of the anthropology of religion….Recommended. General Readers.

• ContentsContentsContentsSeries Forewordby Susan S. Sered and Linda L. BarnesixPreface xiiiAcknowledgments xviiIntroduction: Coming to Recognize Spiritual Healing xixChapter 1.Breakthrough to Healing: The Sighting of an African Spirit 1Chapter 2.Energy Healing 25Chapter 3.The Experience of Power 57Chapter 4.Scenes of the Imparting of Power 83Chapter 5.The Presence of Spirits in Healing 103Chapter 6.The Idea of Communitas 141Chapter 7.Patterns of Healing 161Notes 167Bibliography 173Index 177