an exploration of christian healing

7/29/2019 An exploration of Christian Healing

1/7

1

An exploration of Christian Healing

Most Christians consult their doctor when they are ill and attend hospital when admission or

outpatient care is necessary. They will be involved in praying regularly for those who are ill,

(intercessory pray). Others may also be involved in some form of prayer ministry, healingindividuals in a face to face situation. Often this may include the laying on of hands.

Jesus commands his disciples to: Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, and cast out

demons. Matt 10. 8. Christians therefore have an obligation to consider healing as an important

element in their Christian witness.

In contemporary society there are numerous alternatives, beside Christian healing, to relying solely

on orthodox medicine. Often they are described under the umbrella of complementary medicine.

Appended below is a comparison between the two, from Magic or Medicine? by Dr Robert

Buckman and Karl Sabbagh.

In looking at the chart it becomes obvious why people prefer complementary practitioners: people

want empathy, acceptance, validation and hope when they consider healing. This is not surprising.

It should be noted that those positive attributes would also apply to encounters with Christian

healers

A study published in 1998 indicates that a majority of alternative medicine use was in

conjunction with standard medical treatments. Approximately 4.4 percent of those

studied used alternative medicine as a replacement for conventional medicine. The

research found that those who used alternative medicine tended to have higher education

or report poorer health status. Dissatisfaction with conventional medicine was not a

meaningful factor in the choice, but rather the majority of alternative medicine users

appear to be doing so largely because "they find these health care alternatives to be more

congruent with their own values, beliefs, and philosophical orientations toward health

and life." In particular, subjects reported a holistic orientation to health, a

transformational experience that changed their worldview, identification with a number

of groups committed to environmentalism, feminism, psychology, and/or spirituality and

personal growth, or that they were suffering from a variety of common and minorailments - notably anxiety, back problems, and chronic pain. (Wikipedia).

Complementary medicine has its proponents and critics and its effectiveness is a matter of dispute.

However objective evidence would seem to doubt its effectiveness:

In 2009 the complaints of critics were vindicated by the highly publicized negative

results of ten years of big studies funded by the National Center for Complementary and

Alternative Medicine (formerly OAM):

"Ten years ago the government set out to test herbal and other alternative health remedies to

find the ones that work. After spending $2.5 billion, the disappointing answer seems to be that

almost none of them do."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Center_for_Complementary_and_Alternative_Medicinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Center_for_Complementary_and_Alternative_Medicinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Center_for_Complementary_and_Alternative_Medicinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Center_for_Complementary_and_Alternative_Medicine


2/7

2

Cancer researcher Andrew J. Vickers has stated:

"Contrary to much popular and scientific writing, many alternative cancer treatments have

been investigated in good quality clinical trials, and they have been shown to be ineffective.

In this article, clinical trial data on a number of alternative cancer cures including Livingston-

Wheeler, Di Bella Multitherapy, antineoplastons, vitamin C, hydrazine sulfate, Laetrile, and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laetrilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laetrile


3/7

3

psychotherapy are reviewed. The label "unproven" is inappropriate for such therapies; it is

time to assert that many alternative cancer therapies have been "disproven."" (Wikipedia)

In his documentary The Root of All Evil, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins visitsLourdes and expresses doubts as to the "miraculous" nature of the cures, remarking on the

lack of statistical evidence of any supernatural activity (despite receiving over eightythousand pilgrims a year, less than 70 "declared miracles" have occurred) and the fact that all

the declared miracles are for diseases that may have healed themselves anyway; nobody has

reported the re-growing of a severed limb, for example. (Wikipedia).

In defining complementary medicine in the UK, the House of Lords Select Committee

determined that the following therapies were the most often used to complement conventional

medicine: Alexander technique, Aromatherapy, Bach and other flower remedies, Body work

therapies including massage, Counselling stress therapies, hypnotherapy, Meditation,

Reflexology, Shiatsu, Maharishi Ayurvedic medicine, Nutritional medicine, and Yoga.

(Wikipedia).

It is interesting to note that many of the therapies considered to be of some benefit involve the link

between the mind and the body.

In considering Christian healing as, in some ways, an alternative or complementary medicine, it is

also apparent that Christian healing suffers the same lack of evidence for its efficacy.

A Cochrane review of intercessory prayer found conflicting evidence for claims of a positive

effect, but there was a conclusion that "evidence presented so far is interesting enough to

justify further study." A recent study not included in the review also found inconclusive

results for the effect of intercessory prayer on outcome for heart surgery. An analysis of 23trials for distant healing published in 2000, also found mixed results, with 57% of the trials

showing a positive effect on health. This study also recommended further study.

According to the American Cancer Society:

Available scientific evidence does not support claims that faith healing can cure cancer or

any other disease. Even the "miraculous" cures at the French shrine of Lourdes, after careful

study by the Catholic Church, do not outnumber the historical percentage of spontaneous

remissions seen among people with cancer. However, faith healing may promote peace of

mind, reduce stress, relieve pain and anxiety, and strengthen the will to live.

A 2003 levels of evidence review found "some" evidence for the hypothesis that "Being

prayed for improves physical recovery from acute illness". It concluded that although "a

number of studies" have tested this hypothesis, "only three have sufficient rigor for review

here" (Byrd 1988, Harris et al. 1999, and Sicher et al. 1998). In all three, "the strongest

findings were for the variables that were evaluated most subjectively. This raises concerns

about the possible inadvertent unmasking of the outcomes assessors. Moreover, the absence

of a clearly plausible biological mechanism by which such a treatment could influence hard

medical outcome results in the inclination to be sceptical of results."

Many accept that prayer can aid in recovery, not due to divine influence but due topsychological and physical benefits. It has also been suggested that if a person knows that he
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Root_of_All_Evil%3Fhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkinshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochrane_Collaborationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Cancer_Societyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levels_of_evidencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levels_of_evidencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Cancer_Societyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochrane_Collaborationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkinshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Root_of_All_Evil%3F


4/7

4

or she is being prayed for it can be uplifting and increase morale, thus aiding recovery. Many

studies have suggested that prayer can reduce physical stress, regardless of the god or gods a

person prays to, and this may be true for many non-supernatural reasons. According to a

study by Centra State Hospital, "the psychological benefits of prayer may help reduce stress

and anxiety, promote a more positive outlook, and strengthen the will to live." Other practices

such as Yoga, Tai Chi, and Meditation may also have a positive impact on physical andpsychological health. (Wikipedia).

Perhaps it is not surprising that praying at a distance for others doesnt seem to have any effect on

the recipient. Church congregations regularly pray about disasters, for the sick in the parish, for

politicians and for the poor in the Third World. No immediate transformations are expected. The

meaning and value of intercessory prayer would seem to lie with telling God our concerns and

becoming motivated to do something about it.

In the case of direct praying with the person present the evidence, which is sometimes negative,

has to be balanced with some positive findings.

A study described by the author as a "pilot study" and published inHolistic Nursing

Practice found that "therapeutic touch may be an effective treatment for relieving pain and

improving quality of life in this specific population of persons with fibromyalgia syndrome."

A Cochrane collaboration systematic review of the use oftouch therapies published in 2008

analysed the results of 24 trials and found that 12 (50%) showed a statistically significant

effect in reducing pain, although there were concerns due to a lack of good quality data. A

need for further research was noted.

A selective review of only positive results published by Hodges & Scofield in 1995, defined

spiritual healing as possibly involving an "as yet unrecognized" form of energy. Further

research, in a 2001 randomized clinical trial investigated the efficacy of spiritual healing

(both at a distance and face-to-face) on the treatment of chronic pain in 120 patients. Healers

were observed by "simulated healers" who then mimicked the healers movements on a

control group while silently counting backwards in fives. The study found a decrease in pain

in all patient groups but "no statistically significant differences between healing and control

groups ... it was concluded that a specific effect of face-to-face or distant healing on chronic

pain could not be demonstrated." However the study found an increase in the physical

functioning component of a health-related quality of life measure (SF36) in patients whoreceived healing compared to those who received "simulated healing".

A systematic review in 2008 concluded that the evidence for a specific effect of spiritual

healing on relieving neuropathic or neuralgic pain was not convincing and in their 2008 book

Trick or Treatment, Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst concluded that "spiritual healing is

biologically implausible and its effects rely on a placebo response. At best it may offer

comfort; at worst it can result in charlatans taking money from patients with serious

conditions who require urgent conventional medicine." (Wikipedia).

There have been case studies of claims made regarding Christian healers. Following a

Kathryn Kuhlman 1967 fellowship in Philadelphia, Dr. William A. Nolen conducted a case
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_Chi_Chuanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibromyalgiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochrane_collaborationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick_or_Treatmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Singhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edzard_Ernsthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_Kuhlmanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_A._Nolenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_A._Nolenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_Kuhlmanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edzard_Ernsthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Singhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trick_or_Treatmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochrane_collaborationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibromyalgiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_Chi_Chuanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga


5/7

5

study of 23 people who claimed to have been cured during her services. Nolen's long term

follow-ups concluded there were no cures in those cases.(Wikipedia)

There is evidence that does support the effectiveness of non-standard healing, if considered from

the right perspective:

Sceptics of healing offer primarily two explanations for anecdotes of cures or improvements,relieving any need to appeal to the supernatural.

The first ispost hoc ergo propter hoc, meaning that a genuine improvement orspontaneous remission may have been experienced coincidental with but independent

from anything the healer or patient did or said. These patients would have improved

just as well even had they done nothing.

The second is the placebo effect, through which a person may experience genuine painrelief and other symptomatic alleviation. In this case, the patient genuinely has been

helped by the healer, not through any mysterious or numinous function, but by thepower of their own belief that they would be healed.

In both cases the patient may experience a real reduction in symptoms, though in neither case

has anything miraculous nor inexplicable occurred. Both cases, however, are strictly limited

to the body's natural abilities. (Wikipedia).

The spontaneous regression and remission from cancer was defined by Everson and Cole in

their 1966 book: "The partial or complete disappearance of a malignant tumour in the

absence of all treatment, or in the presence of therapy which is considered inadequate toexert significant influence on neoplastic disease."

It has long been assumed that spontaneous regressions, let alone cures, from cancer are rare

phenomena, and that some forms of cancer are more prone to unexpected courses (melanoma,

neuroblastoma, lymphoma) than others (carcinoma). Frequency was estimated to be about 1

in 100,000 cancers; however, in reality this ratio might be largely under- or overestimated.

For one, not all cases of spontaneous regression can be apprehended, either because the case

was not well documented or the physician was not willing or literate enough to publish, or

simply because the patient did not show up in a clinic any more. On the other hand, for the

past 100 years almost all cancer patients have been treated in one way or the other, such that

the influence of treatment cannot always be excluded.

At least for small tumours the frequency of spontaneous regression most likely was

drastically underrated. In a carefully designed study on mammography it was found that 22%

of all breast cancer cases underwent spontaneous regression. Searching for 'cancer AND

(spontaneous AND (regression OR remission))' in the database PubMed retrieves about

10000 publications. (Wikipedia).

The two quotes above emphasise both the self-healing power of the body, and also the influence of

the mind on healing. Below is a long quote which considers the mind-body interaction.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_hoc_ergo_propter_hochttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_hoc_ergo_propter_hochttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_hoc_ergo_propter_hochttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_remissionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanomahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroblastomahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphomahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcinomahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PubMedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PubMedhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcinomahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lymphomahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroblastomahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanomahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_remissionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_hoc_ergo_propter_hoc


6/7

6

The mind-body connection has been the subject of rigorous research for more than 40 years

and there are numerous well-documented clinical interventions that address how to work with

the mental and emotional aspects of a persons health.

In the 1920s, Walter Bradford Cannon, MD, identified the fight-or-flight response". He

discovered that when a person feels fear, the body secretes hormones into the bloodstreamthat produce changes in the body, such as increased heart and respiratory rate. Hungarian-

born scientist Hans Selye, MD, further developed the field ofstress research by describing

how the wear-and-tear of constant stress affects us biologically.

Since then, scores of scientific breakthroughs have illuminated the mind-body connection in

health. Neal Miller, PhD, discovered that we can be trained to control certain physical

responses, such as blood pressure, that were previously considered to be involuntary. This

discovery gave birth to biofeedback. Herbert Benson, MD, identified the flip side of the stress

response, which he called the relaxation response. Benson demonstrated thatmeditation,

yoga and other relaxation techniques can bring about physiological changes including a lower

heart rate, lower breathing rate and decreased muscle tension along with positive changes inbrain waves. Research by Robert Ader, PhD, illuminated the link between the brain,

behaviour and immune function, and founded the field ofpsychoneuroimmunology, which

studies ways to increase immune function through the use of the mind.

The mind-body connection has also been fully explored within biopsychosocial medicine,

which theorizes that biological, psychological (thoughts, emotions and behaviours) and social

factors all play a significant role in human functioning in the context of disease or illness.

This is in contrast to the traditional, reductionist biomedical model of medicine that suggests

that every disease process can be explained in terms of an underlying deviation from normal

function such as a pathogen, genetic or developmental abnormality or injury.

Some physical diseases are believed to have a mental component derived from the stresses

and strains of everyday living. This is the case, for example, oflower back pain and high

blood pressure, which appear to be partly related to stresses in everyday life. Psychiatry has

found it difficult until relatively recently to distinguish somatoform disorders, disorders in

which mental factors are the sole cause of a physical illness, from psychosomatic disorders,

disorders in which mental factors play a significant role in the development, expression, or

resolution of a physical illness.

The present day understanding of bodymind both in a psychological, therapeutic as well as in

a medical sense is that:

The body, mind, emotions and spirit are dynamically interrelated. Each time a change is introduced at one level, it has a ripple effect throughout the entire

system.

Bodymind therapy combines the strengths of"talk" therapy with bodywork, such as touch,

postural alignment, or movement education and exercise to increase body awareness, also

known as mind-body or somatic therapy. It helps people become deeply aware of their bodily

sensations as well as their emotions, images and behaviour. Clients become more conscious

of how they breathe, move, speak, and where they experience feelings in their bodies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind-body_connectionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Bradford_Cannonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Bradford_Cannonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-or-flight_responsehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hormoneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloodstreamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartratehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_ratehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Selyehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_(biology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_pressurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofeedbackhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Bensonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindbody_relaxationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindbody_relaxationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relaxation_(psychology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_tensionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_waveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoneuroimmunologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immune_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biopsychosocial_modelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reductionisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathogenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_disorderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_disorderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_back_painhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_blood_pressurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_blood_pressurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_(biology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therapyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_medicinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychotherapyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodywork_(alternative_medicine)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postural_integrationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feldenkraishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somatic_Experiencinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somatic_Experiencinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feldenkraishttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postural_integrationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodywork_(alternative_medicine)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychotherapyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_medicinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therapyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_(biology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_blood_pressurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_blood_pressurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_back_painhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_disorderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_disorderhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathogenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reductionisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biopsychosocial_modelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immune_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoneuroimmunologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_waveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_tensionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relaxation_(psychology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meditationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindbody_relaxationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Bensonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biofeedbackhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_pressurehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stress_(biology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Selyehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respiratory_ratehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartratehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloodstreamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hormoneshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight-or-flight_responsehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Bradford_Cannonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind-body_connection


7/7

7

The body holds all experience, including physical stress, emotional injury as well as delights

and exuberant experiences, stored in the body cells which informs and directs here and now

responses to life events through the stored pattern of expectations and "rules about reality"

acquired so far. In a bodymind therapy process, clients can become aware of and choose to

change patterns of expectation and limitation that are more difficult to connect with so

directly on the level of focusing on the mind alone. Unacknowledged feelings from pastexperiences are stored in the body and then unconsciously have a powerful effect on who you

are, how you behave, and how you feel about yourself. Using the body as the gateway to

awareness, buried feelings and memories can surface, freeing from old patterns and energy

blocks that keep us feeling stuck and unable to live life to its fullest. Our mind may avoid

certain emotions and memories, but our body remembers it all.

Bodymind therapy is a psychotherapeutic process that works on the relationship between the

body and the emotional processes of the client, and is intended to address deep-seated and old

patterns of relating to self and other, that are not easily accessible to change through talk

therapy alone. (Wikipedia).

The general thrust of that text is to reiterate the integration of body, mind and spirit. To go back to

a (Biblical) understanding of man as a whole and not a disparate being.

Perhaps Jesus gives a clear indication of what healing involves:

1Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town.

2Some men brought to

him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, Take

heart, son; your sins are forgiven. 3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to

themselves, This fellow is blaspheming! 4Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, Why do

you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? 5Which is easier: to say, Your sins are forgiven,

or to say, Get up and walk? 6 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on

earth to forgive sins. So he said to the paralyzed man, Get up, take your mat and go

home. 7 Then the man got up and went home.8

When the crowd saw this, they were filled

with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man. Matt 9. 1-8.

A paraphrase might be: How shall I heal this man and make him whole? Shall I concentrate on his

physical condition first? Or shall I start with his inner turmoil? Just to make a point, as youre so

obstinate, Ill do both!

My tentative conclusion is that Christian healing usually works because God, via the healer uses the

individuals mind to reach to the core of the problem. In a healing service the overt problem is

usually physical, but it will also be emotional as well. The healing affects the whole person, body,

mind and spirit.

To call it a placebo is to miss the point. The healer has acted with and on his patient. Had he not

intervened, nothing would have happened. To put it all down to spontaneous remission denies the

possible influence of the healer on his patient. Given the mind-body interaction, what is

spontaneous?

an exploration of christian healing

Documents