| Summary: | According to biblical record, diseases and illness have troubled individuals
almost since the beginning of creation (Wilkinson, 1998: 7). To understand
and make sense of sickness, mankind turned to religion. In the Old
Testament health is seen as a gift of God, but illness is perceived as a
punishment for sin (Leon-Dufour, 1962: 543). The preaching of Job argues
against this view. The problem of evil still causes difficulties for the Christian
today. God permits such challenges and, in responding to them, mankind is
spiritually transformed: spiritual growth. God has given mankind a soul, and
this soul is not part of an evolutionary process towards perfection: only Christ
waslis perfect! However, through the crucifixion, God recognizes our
suffering and we can recognize His suffering elsewhere (Fiddes, 1988: 11).
The central question of this research is: How may one demonstrate the
legitimacy and validity of miraculous healing through the charism of the Holy
Spirit within the Catholic tradition?
As healing miracles have an important place in Scripture, an examination is
needed of the words used to describe miracles, tracing the English translation
back to the original Greek or Hebrew words. Miracle stories are also attested
to in secular sources such as the Antiquities of the Jews and the Babylonian
Talmud. Scripture contains accounts of healing miracles, particularly in
relation to the ministry of Jesus whose healing miracles are in accordance
with His teaching. Such miracles were not simply stories spread by the
disciples; they were signs, evidence of who Jesus is and that He had come in
fulfilment of prophecy. These signs contained the quintessence of the Gospel
itself, promoting faith, and that faith is a personal response to an act of
witness. Healing is not dependent upon sinlessness, but is a gift of God to
His creature: it can be mental, spiritual, emotional, involving relationships and
the reconciliation of a person with God and his community through the receipt
of the sacraments.
Scriptural accounts of healing miracles contained a message that the
Kingdom of God had arrived. They were a demonstration of God's truth to
believers and non-believers alike and they continued to play an important part
in the first Christians' experiences and mission. The church's healing ministry
has its roots and authority in Scripture and the continuation of that ministry is
through the action of the Holy Spirit. Both in the Early Church and the Church
of today, restoration to health is implemented through the Mass and in the
practice of a ministry that includes physical care through the establishment of
hospitals managed by religious orders and latterly, through care homes
staffed by lay volunteers.
Consideration is given to Pasteur's (1822-1895) research into microorganisms
and the consequent shift in focus to the avoidance of infection and
to the development of effective cures. Understandably, the medical
profession has concerns about the healing ministry: why are some healed and
others not and why cannot healings be tested scientifically in the laboratory?
In the Roman Catholic Church tradition shrines have always played an
important role as places of pilgrimage and healing and, in spite of the
existence of medical committees made up of scientists, doctors and priests to
test all claims of healing before the Church acknowledges these as genuine,
scepticism remains (Theillier, 2000: 3). Historically inseparable, a gap has
developed between science and religion; this thesis attempts to demonstrate
the reasons for this and to show that, since both are concerned with aspects
of human suffering and death, the wall of separation between medicine and
religion can be demolished (Larson and Matthews, 1997 (2): 3-6). As well as
modern medical, technological advancements, which have provided exciting
developments in the treatment of diseases like cancer, universities such as
Edinburgh and Lancaster have established programmes that focus on how a
person's faith may influence the progress of illness in a beneficial way. By considering the apparently opposing views of Hume and Lewis (1953: 51),
questions arise concerning the extent to which the Laws of Nature are indeed
fixed and unchanging; and concerning the contention that when God acts He
does not suspend the Laws of Nature, but works with and through them. The
researcher's views are either partially or fully endorsed by Boswell (1992),
Brown (1984) and Wilkinson (1998); however, it is necessary to research the
understanding of those whose scientific expertise prevents them from
conceiving of the possibility of miraculous healing (Dawkins, 1997; Hume
1980; Williams, 1992; et al).
The thesis addresses contemporary issues: the extent of modern research
into the healing ministry and the fact that this is not reflected comprehensively
in the training programmes of the Catholic Church for those preparing for the
priesthood or as monks and nuns (Hocken, 2001: 54); and the current debate
on euthanasia, which demonstrates clearly that the Bible continues to
influence not only medical ethics but also, our society as it debates and
determines its evaluation of human life. === Thesis (Ph.D. (Church and Dogma History))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus in cooperation with Greenwich School of Theology, U.K., 2007
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