spirit and healing in africa - University of the Free State

The concept of anointing and the concrete application of olive oil during spiritual healing
interventions has become a sub-culture in African Christianity (Asamoah-Gyadu 2005:237). The
enormous increase of the use of oil in healing rituals is related to the focus on healing and
deliverance within the AICs and the PCCs. With a reference to biblical texts like Mark 6:13 and
James 5:14f, the anointing oil has become an essential means in experiencing salvation in a
practical manner. During the healing rituals, olive oil is applied to those body parts that are in
need of healing, or the oil is taken orally, so that the process of healing may be initiated. The
theological meaning of olive oil can be compared to a sacrament: the oil is a sign of God’s
salvation in a very tangible way. The oil symbolizes the power of the Holy Spirit, who inspires,
empowers, liberates and sanctifies for the sake of God’s people. As Asamoah-Gyadu indicates,
this perception of the powerful anointing always risks the danger that the oil is disentangled from
its relation with God, resulting in the oil itself becoming a physical agent of power.
The ritual utilization of anointing oil is threefold. In the first place, anointment is related to
people seeking healing and wholeness. Secondly, it is related to charisma which implies that
when a person is anointed, his or her spiritual status will be reflected in the quality of his or her
actions, and vice versa. In PCCs, for example, the effectiveness of a pastor is interpreted as the
pastor being anointed by the power of the Spirit. If a pastor has a powerful ministry with signs
and wonders, he is seen as someone having the ‘unction to function’ (Asamoah-Gyadu
2005:242). Thirdly, anointing oil is also related to the instigation of change in the sense that the
application of oil may be effective in creating a breakthrough in situations where people feel
trapped or stuck. The oil is then interpreted as a sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit who
neutralizes and overcomes the setback. In the church-based healing discourse, olive oil is thus
understood as a stimulating power, a medium infused with divine power, that becomes
meaningful in relation to healing, deliverance, empowerment and protection.
Prophet healer
The meaning of the person of the prophet or the healer within the church-based healing discourse
resembles the Old Testament meaning of the prophet as well as the meaning of the healer in
African traditional religions. The prophet-healer is a medium between the spiritual realm and the
visible reality, because he or she channels supernatural powers for the sake of the well-being of
human beings. There is an abundance of testimonies indicating that the function of a prophethealer
is not self-selected, but rather is determined by God and implemented by the power of His
Spirit (Omenyo 2000:243; Asamoah-Gyadu 2005:242f; Jenkins 2007:149). It means that the
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