Assessment, Statistics, and Research

One area of the Psychology of Religion that has been understudied is Pentecostal and Charismatic spirituality. As you might suspect, researchers will define these terms in various ways and, indeed, there are varied beliefs and practices around the world amongst people who identify as Pentecostal or Charismatic. If outsiders know anything about these "people of the Spirit," they may think of people who speak in tongues, which has become a well-known phenomenon that has made its way into novels and movies. An additional phenomenon is divine healing. Belief in miracles has marked the Christian faith since its inception. And many Christians believe in prayer for healing. Nevertheless, there has been an emphasis amongst Pentecostals and Charismatics to believe not only that God heals but also that some people are blessed with a gift of healing. The practice usually involves anointing with olive oil followed by prayer for the sick. In this post, I report on three subsc...