Anthropology of Charismatic Christians in Nepal

Welcome to Nimbly Navigating Nepal. My name is Jill Hurley. I am a graduate student at Eastern University in St. Davids, PA in the Theological and Cultural Anthropology program.
In the summer of 2017, I will be traveling to Kathmandu, Nepal and the surrounding area to do research for my Masters Thesis.

I submitted my grant proposal last week to the Templeton Foundation for the Ethnography Through the Eyes of Faith grant. I find out on April 15th, (approximately three weeks) if I received full funding.

The purpose of this study is to write a Christian faith-based ethnography that gives voice to Charismatic Christians, who are often mischaracterized within anthropology. This type of research is unique because most anthropologists are not Christians, therefore their attempt to describe encounters with the “supernatural” are from a non-spiritual perspective. “Anthropology is a secular discipline, methodologically excluding evidence for the “supernatural” both in humans (the human spirit) and in the universe (God).”As a believer who grew up in the Charismatic tradition, I have an insider’s spiritual perspective and will be able to describe these encounters as such. It is my goal to highlight the belief in the “supernatural” and hope for revival, as a foundation for which anthropologists can understand the exponential growth of Pentecostalism globally. Within global Pentecostalism there are three important topics: rupture, intercessory prayer and revival. By exploring the conceptual and practical notions of rupture, and the correlations between rupture and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit or lack thereof, we can begin to see the framework for what I call the dance between the human spirit and the Holy Spirit. Next we analyze the nature of intercessory prayer as it relates to healing, prayers for prosperity, protection and spiritual warfare. Finally, we look at the definitions of the word fetish and explore whether revival and the manifestations of the Holy Spirit can be considered a ‘semiotic ideological fetish,’ a fetish that is embodied within ideologies imbued with meaning from symbolism. My research objectives are to define the core values and belief systems that are shared by this group of people, to highlight the language and shared metaphors, and to describe encounters with the “supernatural”. I have designed my research around informal conversations, participant observation, and group analysis.

I am inviting you to join me on this journey. I'll share photos and videos and tell stories about my experience in Nepal. I'll check back in once it gets closer to the time of departure.

Thanks for joining me on my journey.