Pneumatology: The Spirit of Reiki by Ruth Mayeux Allen Submitted to the Faculty of the School of Theology of the University of the South in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts May, 2009 Sewanee, Tennessee Pneumatology: The Spirit of Reiki by Ruth Mayeux Allen Submitted to the Faculty of the School of Theology of the University of the South in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts May, 2009 Sewanee, Tennessee Approved: Date: ________________________________ __________________________ ________________________________ __________________________ CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................. v ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................... vii Chapter ONE THE HOLY SPIRIT: WHO DO WE SAY YOU ARE? Introduction .......................................................................................... 1 Biblical Views of the Spirit .................................................................. 2 Life Breath .................................................................................... 2 Wind .............................................................................................. 3 Fire ................................................................................................ 3 Water ............................................................................................. 3 Cloud ............................................................................................. 3 Dove .............................................................................................. 4 Paraclete ........................................................................................ 4 The Spirit in the Old Testament ........................................................... 4 The Spirit in the New Testament ........................................................ 6 Pauline Letters Concerning the Spirit ............................................ 9 John’s Gospels and Letters on the Spirit........................................ 13 Other New Testament Writings .................................................... 14 The Pastorals ........................................................................... 14 Hebrews .................................................................................. 15 The Letters of Peter ................................................................. 15 Jude ......................................................................................... 15 The Revelation to John ............................................................ 15 The Cappadocian Fathers ..................................................................... 16 Council of Constantinople .................................................................. 22 Augustine of Hippo .............................................................................. 23 Martin Luther’s Perception of the Spirit (1483-1546) ......................... 25 John Calvin (1509-1564) .................................................................... 30 John Wesley (1703-1791) ................................................................... 31 Leading Contemporary Theologians’ Perspective on the Holy Spirit ....................................................................... 32 John Zizioulas (1931- ) ................................................................. 32 Karl Rahner (1904-1984) ............................................................... 33 Yves Congar (1904-1995).............................................................. 36 Elizabeth Johnson (1941- ) ........................................................... 37 Wolfhart Pannenberg (1928- ) ...................................................... 38 Juሷrgen Moltmann (1926- ) ............................................................. 42 Michael Welker (1947- ) ................................................................ 44 Clark Pinnock (1937- )................................................................... 46 Eugene Rogers (1961- ) ................................................................. 48 ii Robert Hughes (1943- ) ................................................................. 50 Kathryn Tanner (1957- ) ............................................................... 51 Summary and Conclusions ................................................................ 53 TWO THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Scripture ............................................................................................. 56 Old Testament ............................................................................. 57 Isaiah ...................................................................................... 57 Joel 2:8 ................................................................................... 57 New Testament ............................................................................. 58 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 ............................................................ 58 Romans 12:4-8 ........................................................................ 59 Interpretations of Various Leading Theologians ............................... 59 The Charism of Healing ..................................................................... 67 Healing Discussed in Scripture and in the Ministry of Jesus .............. 67 Characteristics of Authentic Healers ........................................... 72 Healing in the Christian Tradition ............................................... 74 Healing in the Early Church .................................................. 74 Healing in Medieval Christianity ............................................ 78 Healing in Early Modern Christianity ..................................... 81 Healing in Western Christianity’s Global Expansion ............ 84 Christian Healing Practiced Today .............................................. 86 Pentecostals ............................................................................ 86 Charismatic Practices ............................................................. 89 Healing Services: Three Representative Examples ............... 91 Anointing of the Sick ............................................................ 92 Roman Catholic Church ................................................... 93 Episcopal Church ............................................................. 94 Healing Service in a Church ...................................... 94 Ministry in a Home or Health Care Facility .............. 95 Ministration at the Time of Death .............................. 95 Ministration When Life Sustaining Treatment is Withheld or Discontinued ............................... 96 Summary and Conclusions ................................................................ 97 THREE REIKI: ONE MEANS OF EXPRESSING AND TRAINING THE CHARISM OF HEALING Healing and the Holy Spirit .............................................................. 99 The Emergence of Reiki .................................................................. 103 What is Reiki? .................................................................................. 107 Science, the Human Energy Field, and Healing Energy .............. 116 Balancing Dysfunctional Vibrations ........................................... 122 God, Intuition, and Healing ........................................................ 124 Similarities between the Healings of Jesus and Reiki ....................... 127 Frequently Asked Questions ............................................................... 131 iii Who or What is the Holy Spirit in the Charismatic Experience of Life? ............................................................ 132 The Practice of Reiki ......................................................................... 134 Who can Practice Reiki? .............................................................. 134 Reiki Attunements and Reiki Energy .......................................... 135 Reiki Methodology and Sessions ................................................. 138 Distant Healing with Reiki ................................................................. 141 Applications of Reiki ......................................................................... 143 Hospitals and Medical Schools .................................................... 143 Hospice ........................................................................................ 147 Psychotherapy .............................................................................. 148 Spiritual Direction ........................................................................ 149 A Christian Theological Interpretation of Reiki ................................ 150 Summary and Conclusions ................................................................ 153 APPENDIX 1 HEALING SERVICES: THREE REPRESENTATIVE EXAMPLES Episcopal Church ............................................................................... 156 A Reiki Healing Service for Application in any Christian Church ... 159 A Service of Healing and Blessing for any Application in any Christian Church ........................................................... 161 APPENDIX 2 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS How Do We Know That Healing is Appropriate for a Christian to do? ......................................................................... 168 What is the Best Way for a Christian to Practice Reiki? .................... 168