Laying on of hands

The laying on of hands is a religious practice found throughout the world in varying forms. In Christian churches, this practice is used as both a symbolic and formal method of invoking the Holy Spirit during baptisms, healing services, and ordination of priests, ministers, elders, deacons, and other church officers, along with a variety of other church sacraments and holy ceremonies.

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Judaism
In a larger context, the Christian tradition of the laying on of hands has its roots in Jewish beliefs and practices. In biblical times the laying on of hands was an action which conferred blessing or authority. To wit, Isaac blessed his son Jacob by laying hands, and Aaron transferred the sins of the people of Israel to a sacrificial goat. (Leviticus 16:21.) Finally, in the Old Testament priests were ordained by the laying on of hands.

Christianity
In the New Testament the laying on of hands was associated with the receiving of the Holy Spirit (See Acts 8:14-19). Initially the Apostles laid hands on new believers as well as believers who were called to a particular service. (See Acts 6:5). In the early Christian church, the practice was also used in ordination ceremonies and is still used in a wide variety of church ceremonies, such as the ceremony of confirmation, where a bishop, priest, or minister lays hands on the confirmand and prays for him to receive the Holy Spirit. Many churches also lay hands on a person when commissioning them to particular work, such as missionary or pastoral service.

In its "healing" form, the laying on of hands is based on biblical precedent set by Jesus. This is a popular Jesuit ceremony in which prayer for forgiveness is often the prelude that along with the cleansing of one's spirit, creates union with the Holy Spirit. Both Christian and non-Christian faith healers will lay hands on people when praying for healing, and often the name of Jesus is invoked as the spiritual agency through which the healing of physical ailments is believed to be obtained.

In Europe
The laying on of hands, known as "the Divine Touch," was performed by kings in England and France, and was believed to cure scrofula, a name given to a number of skin diseases. The rite of the king's touch began in France with Robert II the Pious, but legend later attributed the practice to Clovis as founder of the kingdom, and Edward the Confessor in England. The belief continued to be common throughout the Middle Ages but began to die out with the Enlightenment. Queen Anne was the last British monarch to claim to possess this divine ability, though the Jacobite pretenders also claimed to do so. The French monarchy continued to believe and perform the act up until the French Revolution. The act was usually performed at large ceremonies, often at Easter or other holy days.

Reference

 * New Bible Dictionary (ISBN 0-85110-630-7)
 * "Imposition of Hands", Catholic Encyclopedia

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