The Lord for the Body: Religion, Medicine, And Protestant Faith Healing in Canada, 1880-1930 (Mcgill-Queen's Studies in the History of Religion)

This work explores how constructions of the body, gender, and social space informed the cultural practice of Protestant faith healing in Canada. The Lord For The Body Explores The Ways Constructions Of The Body, Gender, And Social Space Informed The Cultural Practice Of Protestant Faith Healing In Canada. From Newspaper Accounts To Criminal Proceedings, James Opp 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.--jacket. Bodily Knowledge -- The Prayer Of Faith -- A Respectable Movement -- Marching To Zion -- Pentecostal Power -- Revivals And Reactions -- Exposing The Body. James Opp. Limited Edition Of 350 Copies. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [245]-265) And Index. 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.'