John of God : the globalization of Brazilian faith healing

## Abstract This is the first ethnographic account of the global spiritual movement headed by John of God, a Brazilian faith healer. In just over a decade, John of God has become an international healer superstar—visited by thousands of the desperately ill, the wealthy, celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Ram Daas, Wayne Dyer, and Shirley MacLaine, and an increasing array of media. What sets John of God apart are his spectacular healing methods. He performs operations using kitchen knives, scissors, and scalpels without anesthetics or asepsis. He allegedly takes on “entities” (spirits) in a trance and does not remember the operations when he becomes conscious again. Most people claim they do not feel pain and do not develop infections. Drawing on a decade of multi-sited fieldwork in Brazil, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand, Cristina Rocha provides a rich and important case study of religious globalization which embodies themes that are central to the spread and practice of faith and healing in the twenty-first century. Rocha explores the ways in which religion is both globalized and localized in late modernity and the strategies of cultural translation involved, the establishment of transnational communities of belief, the transformation of poor rural areas into sites of globalization, the efficacy of healing across cultures, the increasing appeal of traditional medicine in the West, and the prominent place of healing (of the body, the spirit, and the planet) in late modernity. This Book Is The First Ethnographic Account Of The Global Spiritual Movement Headed By John Of God, A Brazilian Faith Healer. Renowned For Performing Surgeries Using Rudimentary Tools Such As Kitchen Knives And Scissors, Without Anesthetics Or Asepsis, John Of God Is Allegedly Inhabited Byentities, Or Spirits, And Goes Into A Trance-like State In Order To Heal His Visitors And Afterwards, When He Regains Consciousness, Does Not Remember The Operations. Visited By Thousands Of The Desperately Ill; The Wealthy; Celebrities Such As Oprah Winfrey, Ram Daas, Wayne Dyer, And Shirleymaclaine; And An Increasing Array Of Media, John Of God Has Become An International Faith Healing Superstar In Just Over A Decade. Books About Him Have Been Translated Into Several Languages, From Russian To Ukrainian To Japanese; Abc, The Discovery Channel, And The Bbc Have Made Documentaries Onhis Healing Center; Tour Guides Advertise Package Trips; And John Of God Himself Travels To Conduct Healing Events In The Us, New Zealand, Germany, Greece, Switzerland, Austria, And Many Other Countries.more Recently, A Transnational Spiritual Community Has Developed Around John Of God, Comprised Of The Ill, Those Who Seek Spiritual Growth, Healers, And Tour Guides, And According To Followers, Even Spirits Whose Powers Transcend National Boundaries. Drawing On A Decade Of Fieldwork In Brazil, Theus, The Uk, Germany, Australia, And New Zealand, Cristina 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. Rocha Explores What Attracts Foreigners To John Of God's Cosmology And Healing Practices, Howthey Understand Their Own Experiences, And How These Radical Experiences Have Transformed Their Lives. This is the first ethnographic account of the global spiritual movement headed by John of God, a Brazilian faith healer. In just over a decade, John of God has become an international healer superstar—visited by thousands of the desperately ill, the wealthy, celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Ram Daas, Wayne Dyer, and Shirley MacLaine, and an increasing array of media. What sets John of God apart are his spectacular healing methods. He performs operations using kitchen knives, scissors, and scalpels without anesthetics or asepsis. He allegedly takes on “entities” (spirits) in a trance and does not remember the operations when he becomes conscious again. Most people claim they do not feel pain and do not develop infections. Drawing on a decade of multi-sited fieldwork in Brazil, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand, Cristina Rocha provides a rich and important case study of religious globalization which embodies themes that are central to the spread and practice of faith and healing in the twenty-first century. Rocha explores the ways in which religion is both globalized and localized in late modernity and the strategies of cultural translation involved, the establishment of transnational communities of belief, the transformation of poor rural areas into sites of globalization, the efficacy of healing across cultures, the increasing appeal of traditional medicine in the West, and the prominent place of healing (of the body, the spirit, and the planet) in late modernity -- University Press Scholarship Online His book is the first ethnographic account of the global spiritual movement headed by John of God, a Brazilian faith healer. Renowned for performing surgeries using rudimentary tools such as kitchen knives and scissors, without anesthetics or asepsis, John of God is allegedly inhabited by entities, or spirits, and goes into a trance-like state in order to heal his visitors and afterwards, when he regains consciousness, does not remember the operations. Visited by thousands of the desperately ill; the wealthy; celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Ram Daas, Wayne Dyer, and Shirley MacLaine; and an increasing array of media, John of God has become an international faith healing superstar in just over a decade. John of God himself travels to conduct healing events in the US, New Zealand, Germany, Greece, Switzerland, Austria, and many other countries. More recently, a transnational spiritual community has developed around John of God, comprised of the ill, those who seek spiritual growth, healers, and tour guides, and according to followers, even spirits whose powers transcend national boundaries. Drawing on a decade of fieldwork in Brazil, the US, the UK, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand, Cristina 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. Rocha explores what attracts foreigners to John of God's cosmology and healing practices, how they understand their own experiences, and how these radical experiences have transformed their lives 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. This Work Investigates The Growing Number Of Western Followers Of John Of God, A Faith Healer Who Has Drawn Hundreds Of Thousands Of People, Including Oprah Winfrey, To His Healing Center In Brazil By Purportedly Performing Miraculous Surgeries On People With A Kitchen Knife And No Anesthetics. Meeting John Of God: An Uneasy Beginning -- How Does He Get His Magic? -- Re-enchanting Healing -- Abadiânia As A Touristic Borderzone -- Spiritual Tourism, Cultural Translation, And Friction -- Flows Into The Global North: Building A Transnational Spiritual Community -- Localizing Flows: Healing The Land Of Its Suffering. Cristina Rocha. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover 1 John of God 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 List of Figures 10 Acknowledgments 12 Introduction 16 1. Meeting John of God: An Uneasy Beginning 41 2. “How Does He Get His Magic?” 60 3. Re-​enchanting Healing 88 4. Abadiânia as a “Touristic Borderzone” 121 5. Spiritual Tourism, Cultural Translation, and Friction 149 6. Flows into the Global North: Building a Transnational Spiritual Community 180 7. Localizing Flows: Healing the Land of Its Suffering 212 Conclusion 237 Notes 250 References 260 Index 278 This book investigates the growing number of Western followers of John of God, a faith healer who has drawn hundreds of thousands of people, including Oprah Winfrey, to his healing center in Brazil by purportedly performing miraculous surgeries on people with a kitchen knife and no anesthetics.