Anointed Prayer Handkerchiefs

As the topic of my first research paper, I chose to examine the older Pentecostal practice of praying over a handkerchief that could then be taken to someone who was ill in the hope of mediating God's healing grace to that person. Derived from Paul's 'extraordinary miracles' in Ephesus in Acts 19:11-12, prayer handkerchiefs were a feature of the Azusa Street Revival and they became particularly popular during the 1950s. But since then, the use of anointed handkerchiefs (or prayer cloths as they are sometimes known) has largely disappeared from the Pentecostal scene.

In tracing the development of this practice, my paper takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of church history: from Paul's experiences in Ephesus to remarkable healings among the Church Fathers; from unsettling similarities in the veneration of relics to the theological cessationism of Calvin and the Reformers; from Restorationist impulses in the 19th century to the explosion of Holy Ghost power that burst from Azusa Street; from Healing Revivalists like Oral Roberts and William Branham to the peddling of prayer cloths by certain televangelists. The paper ends with some analysis as to reasons why the practice has largely fallen out of favour, and concludes with an impassioned call for Pentecostals to "mine their past for a vision of their future."

The paper is written in an academic style and includes an early section dealing with some Greek exegesis of the text from Acts 19. Nevertheless, one of the college staff praised my paper as being "extremely readable and with a strong ability to vividly express ideas." On the basis of this, I am making the paper available for download in the hope of stirring up a desire among Pentecostals to dig deeper into their own heritage. To access the paper as a pdf document, click here or on the photograph below.

As the topic of my next research paper, I chose to explore the Didache, an ancient Christian handbook that dates from the end of the first century. My interest in this was to examine how early Christian believers expressed their spirituality, notably through the disciplines of baptism, fasting, prayer, and giving. My paper compares this with how we in modern day Pentecostalism tend to express our spirituality. As the Didache is little known today, the full text of this important document is included as an appendix.  

I have made available two versions of my paper. The first, which can be viewed by clicking here, contains my original paper and is written in an academic style. A second version includes English translations of the Greek used and is correspondingly easier to follow. To read this version, click here or on the photograph below.

Trinitarian Nuances

As the topic of my third research paper, I chose to explore Paul's introductory remarks in 1 Corinthians 12. As Pentecostals, we are quick to jump ahead to verse 8, where the apostle begins to list the well-known Gifts of the Holy Spirit. And yet Paul's argument commences way back in verse 1. So I was curious as to how his references to dumb idols, the notion of Jesus being cursed, and the suggestion of a Trinitarian framework might each contribute to his wider teaching on spiritual gifts.  

I have made available two versions of my paper. The first, which can be viewed by clicking here, contains my original paper and is written in an academic style with a good deal of Greek exegesis. A second version includes English translations of the Greek used and is consequently easier to follow. To read this version, click here or on the symbol below.

My fourth and final research paper saw me delving once more into our ecclesial past. It's reasonably well known that the Reformer, John Calvin, rejected much of the supernatural activity of the Holy Spirit, adopting instead a cessationist position on miracles and prophecy. What is less well known is that, at the time of the Reformation, there was a lot of interest in Spirit-inspired prophecy among the various Anabaptist groups. Just like modern day Pentecostals, the Anabaptists had their fair share of extremists and fanatics, but they shared with Pentecostals a determination to return to the model of the NT church. Sadly, they were persecuted violently by both Catholics and Protestants, and in time they lost their prophetic edge. But I found it fascinating to look at what might have been and to realise that we Pentecostals are but the latest in a line of movements that seek to rekindle that Holy Ghost fire.  

This paper is perhaps the easiest to read, not least because there is no Greek exegesis involved. To open the research paper, click here or on the image below.