The Faith Healers
by James Randi
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Description
James Randi, the celebrated magician, has written a damning indictment of the faith-healing practices of the leading televangelists and others who claim divine healing powers. Randi and his team of researchers attended scores of "miracle services" and often were pronounced "healed" of the nonexistent illnesses they claimed. They viewed first-hand the tragedies resulting from the wide-spread belief that faith healing can cure every conceivable disease. The ministries, they discovered, were show more rife with deception, chicanery, and often outright fraud. Self-annointed ministers of God convince the gullible that they have been healed - and that they should pay for the service. The Faith Healers examines in depth the reasons for belief in faith healing and the catastrophic results for the victims of these hoaxes. Included in Randi's book are profiles of a highly profitable "psychic dentist", and the "Vatican-approved wizard." show lessTags
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Member Reviews
The faith healers described in this book deserve the Randi treatment -- it's clear that the contempt he holds for all of them was well-earned. Does tend to get a little redundant after a few hundred pages, but the sections on investigation are fascinating.
The man who exposed Uri Geller turns his attention to the vast commercial enterprise of faith healing. Exposing many of the tricks used by faith healers to bilk victims out of their money is the main gist of this book, and he discussed some of the big names, including his expose of Peter Popoff and with a chapter on everyone's favorite, Oral Roberts. One place where the author and I do part company is that I feel perhaps a fool and his money should be soon parted.
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Author Information
17+ Works 2,057 Members
Randall James Hamilton Zwinge was born on August 7, 1928 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He began his career in the late 40's as an illusionist and escape artist. He became known as the Amazing Randi and was an international success. In 1986, he received the McArthur "genius" grant. He retired from stage magic at the age of 60 and began a career of show more investigating claims of the paranormal. He devoted his life to debunking paranormal claims. Preferring to be called a skeptic or an investigator, he aimed to show that "something was not likely." He was considered a father of the modern skeptical movement. He wrote numerous books which included, Houdini, His Life and Art (1976) co-authored with Bert Randolp Sugar; Flim Flam! The Truth About Unicorns, Parapsychology, and Other Delusions (1980); The Faith Healers (1987); and An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural (1995). In 1976, Mr. Randi, along with Carl Sagan, Isaac Asimov, and others, founded the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. It published the magazine Skeptical Inquirer. James Randi, also known as the Amazing Randi, died at his home in Florida at the age of 92. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- The Faith Healers
- Original publication date
- 1987
- People/Characters
- A. A. Allen; Leroy Jenkins; W. V. Grant; Peter Popoff; Oral Roberts; Father DiOrio (show all 7); Pat Robertson
- Dedication
- There was a small boy on crutches. I do not know his name, and I suspect I never will. But I will never forget his face, his smile, his sorrow. He is one of the millions robbed of hope and dignity by charlatans discussed in t... (show all)his book. Wherever and whoever he is, I apologize to him for not having been able to protect him from such an experience. I humbly dedicate this book to him and to the many others who have suffered because the rest of us began caring too late.
- First words
- Sickness is one of the most basic problems of mankind.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)You will recognize this by the fruits they bear.
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality
- DDC/MDS
- 615.852 — Applied science & technology Medicine & health Pharmacology and therapeutics Specific therapies and kinds of therapies Miscellaneous therapies Faith cure; Christian science
- LCC
- BT732.5 .R36 — Philosophy, Psychology and Religion Doctrinal Theology Doctrinal Theology Creation
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 296
- Popularity
- 108,429
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (4.03)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 2
- ASINs
- 3
