by
Ted Daniels, Ph.D.
Electronic version copyright © Ted Daniels 1997. All rights reserved
Originally published in Millennialism: An International Bibliography
by Garland Publishing New York, 1992. Reproduced here by permission.
URL for this article is http://www.
Alland, Alexander. "Possession in a Revivalist Negro Church." Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 1 (2), 1961: 204-13.
Pentecostalism appeals to the psychologically disadvantaged (Gerlach and Hine, 1968: see item 286). Daddy Grace's church is specifically eschatological, offering grace through the founder's intervention, he being God's last prophet. Membership is based on acceptance of an ascetic lifestyle and the manifestation of the gifts of the spirit. Members are low status, and their social life is confined to the church. Trancing is allocated to certain times in services and is actively sought by members. As explanation Alland favors hypnosis over either hysteria or schizophrenia, though a measure of oxygen deprivation in hot, stuffy rooms may contribute as do fasting and the loud rhythmic music that accompanies seeking. Trance is also culturally valued and modeled.
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