Health and Theology
Introduction
People always understand that both sickness and healing are in the context of the concept of health. The current society focuses on health, success, and production to the extent that the ill are subjected to stigma and perceptions of being useless and futile individuals. The World Health Organization in 1948 stated that health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being. From this definition, it is evident that health does not merely reflect the absence of disease or infirmity. Illness, therefore, is a different term, and all societies embrace holistic views of health. The challenge with the definition is the fact that it makes the attainment of health to be virtually impossible. In theology, man cannot be defined unless, after being seen in light with his relationship with God. This notion relies on the ideology that the well-being of humankind includes the interrogation with the relationship with God. From this concept, the ideas of Christian healing can[1], therefore, be realized and intertwined with the aspects of mental, physical, and spiritual interaction. It also implies that the spiritual well-being of individuals is linked to any other aspect of human well-being. From the Bible, when the relationship between God and man was ruined, things started to go wrong for the rest of human life. The existence of the metaphysical problem is reflected by the malfunctioning of these other aspects of human life.
The aspects of theology and health are linked as seen in the case where an individual is not well physically and does not live the life of a man justified by faith, then overwork, and is exposed to flu. To affirm that spiritualty affects one both physically and psychologically, the man with the flu gets ill and is depressed both spiritually and psychologically[2]. In Genesis, the fall of man was caused by another creature, the serpent, which is described as Satan or devil in the book of Revelation. The implication connects to the topic in that the loss of well-being can be viewed in this light to be of demonic origin, and there are many instances in the Bible where people are said to be “possessed by the devil.” The primary difference with the scholar’s definition of loss of well –being is the fact that the conventional treatment or use of medicines will wage war to disease-causing pathogens[3]. In this light, it is established that loss of wellness is due to disease-causing organisms. The medical world believes that the adoption of practices such as surgery and the use of strong antibiotics can help control the placebo effect or, in other sense, eliminate the power of these causal agents.
There are many opinions regarding the nature of health, especially when discussing the contrasts of intervention and prevention. The biblical concept of disease mainly attribute diseases to several sources, but often, the focus is on psychic elements rather than the natural causes. Exodus and Deuteronomy see disease as a punishment from God[4]. In the story of Job, disease is caused by jealousy from others. In the Gospel of Mark, disease is due to uncleanness. The book of Sirach also articulates that self-indulgence causes loss of wellness. Healing in theology is seen as a form of divine forgiveness, and individuals maintain their health by abiding by the divine commandments[5]. The Mosaic code, for instance, regulates and guides people on how to maintain good health by holding a good relationship with God. The Sabbath, for instance, is still held as a prophylactic health measure where people get both spiritual and physical nourishment where individuals get an opportunity for spiritual worship as well as mental stimulation alongside physical rest.
The issues of modern health linked to the type of food that people consume have also been addressed in the Bible. During the creation of plants and animals, the Bible states, “And God said, see, I have given you every plant yielding seed and every fruit and you shall have them for food….”(Gn 1:29)[6]. The Bible also describes the type of food to be taken and those that consumption should be limited. Fish consumption is also limited, to those with scale, among other significant dietary restrictions. The dietary code defined by the Bible is useful today in safeguarding the health and well-being of people. Sickness and disease, therefore, signifies the falling out of the intentions and relationship with God. In Hebrew societies, people did seek healing from physicians, and subsequently, no general practice of medicine existed. However, people would bind themselves in the right relationship with God to avoid disease. The concept of medics and medicines appears later on in this tradition.
Theology informs Christians that the tension experienced due to a feeling of incompleteness and reality can be loosened by trusting that Christ can intervene in health conditions[7]. The first healing scene in the Gospels is a reflection of the divine will for healing. Affirmatively, all subsequent healings make the point that God still heals through Jesus. Jesus, as well, does not refute the claim that illness and sin are intertwined. The Gospel healings signify that disease can be defeated, and through Christianity, there lies some hope that resurrection offers a permanent cure to the serious manifestation of a disease, which is death.
The contribution of religious persons to the health and well-being of humankind is an indicator of the close relationship between the community and the church. Many churches are involved in contributing to the health of communities by impacting and contributing positively to the functions of health facilities as well as increasing public participation in preventive care. Additionally, churches should be repositioned from peripheries to the center in terms of such participation. Faith-based organizations are essential players in the healthcare system[8].
Religion offers an interpretive network as well as compassion and hopes to the affected members of society. Illness is seen as an existential crisis. This view can further be elaborated based on the conflict it causes within the body and environment. The illness causes an identity crisis and that of faith and makes people question their sense of purposefulness and direction in this life. Generally, a state of loss of wellness threatens the will of man to live. Theology affirms that health is critical, and illness confronts humankind and exposes their mortality and finiteness while linking them to their past actions and respective consequences of these actions[9]. Other linkages involve health professionals who reach out to faith-based organizations to join hands and form a bigger group. Humankind shares a common characteristic of vulnerability as well as humanity, and there is a need to support each other through commitment and compassionate response to those in need. In some traditions, health equals life, and being healthy is seen as having unhindered aspects of one’s existence. Illness can be attributed as an enemy of human life and an indicator of a threatened life—spiritual care developed from transcendental relationships, interpersonal, and corporate relationships[10].
Conclusion
In conclusion, theology and health are one of the fields with a conflicting but close relationship as both seek to establish answers to hard and ethical life questions. The relationship between health and sickness is reflected by the lifestyle choices of individuals where health can be said to have a religious health component. The viewpoint of the Christian religion is based on the healing and theology of life. Healing, therefore, can be viewed as the empowerment of human beings where God can be seen to be both transcendent and immanent. The religious views, if there is a loss of wellness is closely linked to sin and as a consequence of not abiding or adhering to the divine and expected religious way of life. Faith-based organizations have been making a substantial and exceptional contribution to holistic people. The changing environment requires people to work within a defined framework. Having discussed the sensitive issues surrounding health and theology, it is essential to remind people that the two have been extensively researched by various scholars and that spirituality and health do not conform to systems that are nomothetic. Suffering, such as illness and death, will always be part of human experience, and the relationship between health and theology is a vast ocean of knowledge. Religious traditions fit into the secular society and the aid of the integrative elements in understanding some unexplainable occurrences.
Bibliography
Cohen, Eric J. “Holiness and Health: An Examination of the Relationship between Christian Holiness and Mental Health”. Journal of Psychology and Theology 5, no. 4 (1977): 285-291. Doi: 10.1177/009164717700500402.
“Editorial Introduction: Theology, Health and Healing”. Religion and Theology 13, no. 1 (2006): 1-2. Doi: 10.1163/102308012×13397496507063.
Flax, Herman. “Healing Body and Soul: A Physician’s Perspective on the Healing Power of Spiritual Care”. Journal of Religion, Disability & Health 2, no. 2 (1995): 5-11. Doi: 10.1080/15228969509511303.
Harding, Christopher. “Christopher C. H. Cook (Ed.), Spirituality, Theology, and Mental Health: Multidisciplinary Perspectives”. Theology 119, no. 2 (2016): 150-152. Doi: 10.1177/0040571x15615465v.
Harding, Christopher. “Christopher C. H. Cook (Ed.), Spirituality, Theology, and Mental Health: Multidisciplinary Perspectives”. Theology 119, no. 2 (2016): 150-152. Doi: 10.1177/0040571x15615465v.
Isaak, Paul J. “Health and healing As Challenge to Christian ethics and diaconal ministry of the church”. Black Theology 1, no. 2 (2003): 161-173. doi:10.1179/blt.2003.1.2.003.
McKenna, Christopher. “Book Review: Wounds That Heal: Theology, Imagination And Health”. Theology 112, no. 866 (2009): 147-148. Doi: 10.1177/0040571×0911200227.
Manahan, Bill. “Healing: Moving Toward Health and Wholeness”. EXPLORE 13, no. 4 (2017): 267. doi:10.1016/j.explore.2017.04.011.
Pallant, Dean. Keeping Faith in Faith-Based Organizations. La Vergne: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2012.
Sarisky, Darren. Theology. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015.
[1] “Editorial Introduction: Theology, Health and Healing”, Religion and Theology 13, no. 1 (2006): 1-2, doi: 10.1163/102308012×13397496507063.
[2] Herman Flax, “Healing Body and Soul: A Physician’s Perspective on the Healing Power of Spiritual Care”, Journal of Religion, Disability & Health 2, no. 2 (1995): 5-11, doi: 10.1080/15228969509511303.
[3] Christopher Harding, “Christopher C. H. Cook (Ed.), Spirituality, Theology, and Mental Health: Multidisciplinary Perspectives”, Theology 119, no. 2 (2016): 150-152, doi: 10.1177/0040571x15615465v.
[4] Christopher Harding, “Christopher C. H. Cook (Ed.), Spirituality, Theology, and Mental Health: Multidisciplinary Perspectives”, Theology 119, no. 2 (2016): 150-152, doi: 10.1177/0040571x15615465v.
[5] Paul J. Isaak, “Health and healing As Challenge to Christian ethics and diaconal ministry of the church”, Black Theology 1, no. 2 (2003): 161-173, doi:10.1179/blt.2003.1.2.003.
[6] Christopher McKenna, “Book Review: Wounds That Heal: Theology, Imagination and Health”, Theology 112, no. 866 (2009): 147-148, doi: 10.1177/0040571×0911200227.
[7] Bill Manahan, “Healing: Moving toward Health and Wholeness”, EXPLORE 13, no. 4 (2017): 267, doi:10.1016/j.explore.2017.04.011.
[8] Dean Pallant, Keeping Faith in Faith-Based Organizations La Vergne: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2012.
[9] Eric J. Cohen, “Holiness and Health: An Examination of the Relationship between Christian Holiness and Mental Health”, Journal of Psychology and Theology 5, no. 4 (1977): 285-291, doi: 10.1177/009164717700500402.
[10] Darren Sarisky, Theology Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015.