A healing ritual in the sunday service: A contextualised liturgical development in the Malagasy Lutheran Church?

Abstract

This article investigates the inclusion of a healing ritual into the Sunday service liturgy in the Malagasy Lutheran Church and discusses its theological significance. It rests on qualitative research material with in-depth interviews and participatory observation and makes use of a hermeneutical approach by applying four tasks of practical theological interpretation. The discussion of its theological significance revolves around the biblical foundation of the ritual, its relation to the Holy Communion, to the context of the church in Madagascar, and to the people attending the ritual.