THE LAYING ON OF HANDS AND THE BUILDING UP OF THE

CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT

Thesis

Submitted to

The College of Arts and Sciences of the

UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

The Degree of

Master of Arts in Theological Studies

By

Michael Anthony Romero

Dayton, Ohio

August 2016

THE LAYING ON OF HANDS AND THE BUILDING UP OF THE

CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT

Name: Romero, Michael Anthony

APPROVED BY:

_______________________________________________

Sandra Yocum, Ph.D. Faculty Advisor

_______________________________________________

Meghan Henning, Ph.D. Faculty Reader

_______________________________________________

Dennis Doyle, Ph.D. Faculty Reader

_______________________________________________

Daniel Thompson, Ph.D.

Chair of Department of Religious Studies

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© Copyright by Michael Anthony Romero All rights reserved 2016

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ABSTRACT

THE LAYING ON OF HANDS AND THE BUILDING UP OF THE

CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT

Name: Romero, Michael Anthony

University of Dayton

Advisor: Dr. Sandra Yocum

The Catholic Charismatic Movement, inheriting the use of the laying on of hands from the Neo-Pentecostal movement, was able to grow and flourish because the laying on of hands was seen as a channel by which one could experience a spiritual renewal. The Catholic Charismatic Movement’s own rationale behind the use of the laying on of hands has fallen short in assessing its value during the early growth of the movement. The appraisal of the laying on of hands as a symbolic gesture or a sacramental is challenged in this study, and a new interpretation of the use of the laying on of hands is offered: the laying on of hands is a charism that built up the Catholic Charismatic Movement. The personal spiritual journeys of William Storey and Ralph Keifer are analyzed to understand what led them to their encounter with the Protestant Pentecostal prayer group, where the Catholics first received the baptism in the Spirit by the laying on of hands. The subsequent “Duquesne Weekend” retreat and the growth of the movement on the campus of Notre Dame are also studied in respect to the prevalent use of and the sought-after

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nature of the laying on of hands. My interpretation of the laying on of hands as a charism relies on the pneumatology of Heribert Mühlen. Mühlen’s description of the Church as the continuation of the anointing of Jesus with the Spirit, and his understanding of the Spirit as the divine self-giving supports the idea that in the laying on of hands the two parties are surrendering to the church and the Spirit. Ultimately, the laying on of hands in this context is a charism for the community where the public witness of the act edifies and strengthens.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………………...iv INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………...1

CHAPTER 1: THE ROLE OF THE LAYING ON OF HANDS IN

THE “BIRTH” OF THE CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT…………………8

CHAPTER 2: CONTINUITY WITH THE ANCIENT CHURCH:

THE ECCLESIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LAYING

ON OF HANDS FOR LUKE IN ACTS 8.17……………………………………………61

CHAPTER 3: THE MOVEMENT AND THE LAYING ON OF HANDS:

PRAYER IN ACTION…………………………………………………………………..96

CHAPTER 4: RENEWAL AND THE SPIRIT:

THE CHARISM OF THE LAYING ON OF HANDS…………………………………127

CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………174

BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………177

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