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The Lord for the BodyReligion, Medicine, and Protestant Faith Healing in Canada, 1880-1930 |
How constructions of the body, gender, and social space informed the cultural practice of Protestant faith healing in Canada.
In the early 1920s, English-Canadians were captivated by the urban campaigns of faith healing evangelists. Crowds squeezed into local arenas to witness the afflicted, "slain in the spirit," casting away braces and crutches. Professional faith healers, although denounced by critics as promoting mass hypnotism, gained notoriety and followers in their call for people to choose "the Lord for the Body."
In his innovative work, James Opp explores the cultural practice of Protestant faith healing in Canada from its Victorian roots as an informal network of women sharing testimonies to its culmination in the organized professional campaigns of the twentieth century. Framing the phenomenon of divine healing as a history of the body, Opp provides a unique window onto the intersection of religion and medicine.
From newspaper accounts to criminal proceedings, The Lord for the Body traces the reactions of ministers, doctors, and state authorities who denounced faith healing as dangerous to spiritual and physical health. Undaunted by such attacks, the faithful continued to seek healing through prayer, a practice that operated as a powerful devotional observance and a point of resistance to modern medicine.
In his innovative work, James Opp explores the cultural practice of Protestant faith healing in Canada from its Victorian roots as an informal network of women sharing testimonies to its culmination in the organized professional campaigns of the twentieth century. Framing the phenomenon of divine healing as a history of the body, Opp provides a unique window onto the intersection of religion and medicine.
From newspaper accounts to criminal proceedings, The Lord for the Body traces the reactions of ministers, doctors, and state authorities who denounced faith healing as dangerous to spiritual and physical health. Undaunted by such attacks, the faithful continued to seek healing through prayer, a practice that operated as a powerful devotional observance and a point of resistance to modern medicine.
Details
Part of the McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion Series (number 2.36 in series)
288 Pages, 6 x 9
14 b&w photographs
ISBN 9780773529069
June 2007
Formats: Paperback
"Opp provides a rich context for understanding the faith healing movement. This is a unique, thorough, and masterful study." Robert Burkinshaw, dean of humanities and social sciences, Trinity Western University
"No other work in Canada even begins to explore any of the issues touched by Opp. This is one of the best books in the social history of Canada." Lynne Marks, history, University of Victoria
"That Opp provokes such an expansive range of questions about the social geography of religion in North America, the politics of gender in this period, and the complexity of divine healing in relation to scientific culture testifies to his book's significance. This stimulating work should be required reading for anyone interested in the history of religion, medicine, and the body." Heather D. Curtis, Tufts University, American Historical Review
"This is a marvellous book, beautifully written, and masterly in the ease with which it moves between historiographies of religious and medical practice in turn-of-the-century Anglo Canada. It should be required reading for historians of health and medicine for the light it casts on alternatives to the new medical orthodoxy of the early twentieth century." David Wright, The Canadian Historical Review
"[T]he book is a historically rich and theoretically sophisticated analysis of Protestant faith healing that is of great importance for the study of Christianity in North America." Studies in Religion
"The Lord for the Body is a significant addition to the growing field of Pentecostal studies. Opp's innovative methodology and sophisticated analysis complement the previous works of historians in the field and significantly enhance the historical record on the subject of divine healing. Anyone interested in the history of the Holiness and Pentecostal traditions or the intersection of religion and medicine would be well served by reading this excellent study." Tammy Heise, H-Net Reviews
"The Lord for the Body, is a groundbreaking work in the history of Christianity in North America, both for its sophisticated theoretical awareness and for its topic." Pamela E. Klassen, University of Toronto
"No other work in Canada even begins to explore any of the issues touched by Opp. This is one of the best books in the social history of Canada." Lynne Marks, history, University of Victoria
"That Opp provokes such an expansive range of questions about the social geography of religion in North America, the politics of gender in this period, and the complexity of divine healing in relation to scientific culture testifies to his book's significance. This stimulating work should be required reading for anyone interested in the history of religion, medicine, and the body." Heather D. Curtis, Tufts University, American Historical Review
"This is a marvellous book, beautifully written, and masterly in the ease with which it moves between historiographies of religious and medical practice in turn-of-the-century Anglo Canada. It should be required reading for historians of health and medicine for the light it casts on alternatives to the new medical orthodoxy of the early twentieth century." David Wright, The Canadian Historical Review
"[T]he book is a historically rich and theoretically sophisticated analysis of Protestant faith healing that is of great importance for the study of Christianity in North America." Studies in Religion
"The Lord for the Body is a significant addition to the growing field of Pentecostal studies. Opp's innovative methodology and sophisticated analysis complement the previous works of historians in the field and significantly enhance the historical record on the subject of divine healing. Anyone interested in the history of the Holiness and Pentecostal traditions or the intersection of religion and medicine would be well served by reading this excellent study." Tammy Heise, H-Net Reviews
"The Lord for the Body, is a groundbreaking work in the history of Christianity in North America, both for its sophisticated theoretical awareness and for its topic." Pamela E. Klassen, University of Toronto
James Opp is assistant professor, history, Carleton University.
List of Illustrations viii
Preface ix
Introduction 3
1 Bodily Knowledge 14
2 The Prayer of Faith 35
3 A Respectable Movement 64
4 Marching to Zion 91
5 Pentecostal Power 121
6 Revivals and Reactions 146
7 Exposing the Body 176
Conclusion 203
Notes 213
Bibliography 245
Index 267
Preface ix
Introduction 3
1 Bodily Knowledge 14
2 The Prayer of Faith 35
3 A Respectable Movement 64
4 Marching to Zion 91
5 Pentecostal Power 121
6 Revivals and Reactions 146
7 Exposing the Body 176
Conclusion 203
Notes 213
Bibliography 245
Index 267
9780228008903
$75.00 CAD
Cloth
9780773532847
$37.95 CAD
Paperback
9780773530980
$37.95 CAD
Paperback
9780773516007
$125.00 CAD
Cloth
Winner
American Society of Church History
Brewer Award (2005)
Winner
Jason A. Hannah Medal
Royal Society of Canada (2006)
Winner
Frank and Elizabeth Brewer Prize for Best Manuscript
The American Society of Church History (2005)
American Society of Church History
Brewer Award (2005)
Winner
Jason A. Hannah Medal
Royal Society of Canada (2006)
Winner
Frank and Elizabeth Brewer Prize for Best Manuscript
The American Society of Church History (2005)
