Spiritualist church
Spiritualist churches exist around the world, but are most common in English-speaking countries, while in Latin America, Central America, Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa, where a form of spiritualism called spiritism is more popular, meetings are held in spiritist centres, most of which are non-profit organizations rather than ecclesiastical bodies.
The origin of mediumship is usually linked to the seances conducted by the Fox sisters at Hydesville, Arcadia, New York, in 1848, but some believers date the beginning of modern American spiritualism to the Shakers and similar religious groups.
British spiritualists of this time were often adherents of the temperance and anti-capital punishment lobbies, often held radical political views and were frequently vegetarians.
Two Worlds was the major British magazine of spiritualism and had a fairly large circulation, and it advertised the existence of local circles.
Trance mediumship flourished and table-turning was a popular craze, reputedly even reaching Buckingham Palace.
There are spiritualist churches in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, The Republic of South Africa, Sweden and groups in many countries including Japan,[citation needed] the Scandinavian countries, Korea, Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungary, The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Iceland.
These rural retreats, located in picturesque natural settings throughout the United States, allow spiritualist families to spend their summer vacations boating, hiking, attending spiritualist lectures, taking development classes in mediumship, and receiving messages from guest mediums.
[3] In 1922, during a time of rising Jim Crow laws and segregationism, the NSAC expelled its African American members.
[8] According to Erwan Dianteill, their theology was grounded on a very original Black feminism, and particularly on the Gospel of John:4 (the encounter of Jesus and the Samaritan woman).
African American spiritualist churches tend to encourage ecstatic worship styles derived from African-American Protestant Baptist and Pentecostal practices.
[11] A third group of spiritualist churches propose the idea of the Universe as the creator, and does not necessarily follow any specific religious doctrine or dogma.
The degree of accuracy with which the deceased are described goes some way to convincing the living relatives and friends that the medium has some contact with the spirit.
Findlay was a magistrate, farmer and businessman who left his mansion house as a place for the study and advancement of psychic science.
There are specific imagings used to "meet" one's guide, connect with those who have died, receive protection or support from God or simply calming the mind.
The healer uses his or her hands to effect repair of damaged or diseased tissue and it is claimed all or part of the patient's good health is sometimes restored.
