A BELIEF IN ghosts, aliens, or telepathy is not dependent on a person's religious faith. However, other paranormal phenomena do attract believers of one particular faith or another. For example, believers in angels, miracles, stigmata, and faith healing are generally Christians who are convinced that such phenomena are the works of God.

Angels

Surveys indicate that most Americans—even those who do not attend church regularly—believe in angels. Although angels were mentioned in the Bible, the modern version of these heavenly beings is quite different from the one presented in ancient writings. The Bible portrays angels as powerful, sword-wielding, fearless, and frightening. Modern angels are kind, helpful, and rather innocuous. In a 1993 Time magazine article about the angel phenomenon, reporter Nancy Gibbs notes that today's angels are all "guardian angels" who protect people, whereas in ancient times...