Holy laughter ----
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Holy laughter is a term used within
charismatic Christianity that describes a religious behaviour in which individuals spontaneously laugh during church meetings. It has occurred in many revivals throughout church history, but it became normative in the early 1990s in
Neo-charismatic churches and the
Third Wave of the Holy Spirit. Many people claimed to experience this phenomenon at a large revival in
Toronto, Ontario,
Canada known as the
Toronto Blessing.
History[edit]
Practices similar to holy laughter were observed in the 1800s in
Holiness Christian meetings on the American West.
[1] John Wesley encountered uncontrollable laughter in his
Methodist meetings, and viewed it as an act of God.
[2] It also occurred in
Signs and Wonders meetings run by
John Wimber in the 1980s.
[3] The practice came to prominence in meetings led by the South African evangelist
Rodney Howard-Browne in 1993 at the
Carpenter's Home Church in
Lakeland, Florida and was often accompanied by the "
Slain in the Spirit" phenomena.
[4] The laughter ranges from very quiet to loud convulsive hysterics, which are said to be accompanied by temporary dissociation.
[5] It was also observed in meetings held at
Oral Roberts University.
[6] The phenomena was then popularized by
Charisma and the
Trinity Broadcasting Network, and became controversial within charismatic Christianity.
[4]
Though primarily found in Protestant churches, it was observed in some parts of the
Catholic Charismatic Renewal, as well.
[7] The practice spread to the
Association of Vineyard Churches, most notably to the
Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship in 1994. Religious revival meetings at the church became very popular, drawing 75,000 visitors that year.
[8] Many attendees at the meetings spent time laughing loudly while lying on the floor.
[4]
Analysis[edit]
Leaders who have promoted holy laughter said the laughter was a result of joy that was supernaturally being given to people in the meetings.
[9] They said the joy was often accompanied by
miraculous healing and the cessation of depression.
[10] Margaret Poloma of the
University of Akron has described the events of the services as a ritual facilitation of
catharsis.
[11] Philip Richter of
STETS has drawn a parallel between holy laughter and
laughter yoga.
[12]
Reception[edit]
Many of the activities at these meetings, particularly the laughter, were controversial within
evangelical Christianity. Though some religious leaders such as
Pat Robertson embraced the movement, groups including the
Christian Research Institute[8] and the
Southern Baptist Convention condemned what was occurring.
[13] Critics charge that the practice is the result of
psychological manipulation,
[8] or
demonic possession.
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I say --------a Ripley's Believe it or not ------from God or Satan ??????????-----
God clearly says the one fruit of the Spirit is self control --
-Laughter in some scripture is viewed as negative ------Sarah and Abraham laugh at God when told they would conceive a child ------
Holy laughter is laughing uncontrollably-----
and nowhere in Scripture does it say we are to be slain in the Spirit or laugh uncontrollably that is brought on by and through the Holy Spirit--
Holy Ghost Laughter Service -
