spirit and healing in africa - University of the Free State

power: living human beings receive their life force from a divine source. So, God’s power
through the presence of the Holy Spirit is essential for human life.
5.4.2 Power as religious parameter
The presumption that a person cannot function properly without sufficient vital force paves the
way for the theme of spiritual warfare that is saturated with the concept of power. One needs
power in order to become, which means that one is involved in a never-ending power struggle
between good and evil. The quest for vital force in the visible world is closely linked with the
power relations in the spiritual realm. The battle for vital power taking place between demonic
forces and the Spirit of God has become the epitome of spiritual healing interventions.
In the ecclesiological discourse on power and healing one very important shift in emphasis has
occurred. That shift concerns the concept of power as a more absolute and concrete entity now
that there is a close liaison with the Holy Spirit. A certain continuity remains with the general
African understanding of power as a vital force, but simultaneously the conventional power
relations of the spiritual realm are overruled. This means that man does not, by definition, need
to be a victim of the power of the spirits, but that the power of the Spirit of God has become the
defining factor of health, well-being and prosperity. Traditionally ‘power’ is seen as “the shifting
potential that is available to individuals as well as to societies to be used to enhance human
existence” (Bongmba 2004:126). It implies that reality is permeated with power that is
essentially accessible to anyone in order to grow in life. As such, power is not something that is
principally absolute, visible, impressive, or oppressive. On the contrary, it is an existential
property that receives meaning the moment people start to relate to one another. Thus, power is
something invisible and continuously shifting between people on the basis of the dynamics of the
relationships. But within the church-based healing discourse, the concept of power is not
attributed a temporary and proportional character, because it is tied up with the power of the
Holy Spirit who represents the already procured Christian victory over evil. Mankind is
constantly involved in the battle against evil while the outcome of the spiritual warfare is already
known. This explains how there is a certain continuity with the general African understanding of
power as a necessary force in human life, while there is also a new development of ‘power’ as
absolute for the well-being of human life.
The central importance of the concept of power is thus expressed in the spiritual warfare theme
that heavily influences the church-based healing discourse, and that led to the shift in accent in
the understanding of power within the religious context. Following this perspective, one could
say that ‘power’ has become a parameter of spiritual healing interventions, since the approach of
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