Prescription for health care: The church and its resources

This study builds a case for the involvement in the Christian Church in health and healing. Coming from a Christian point of view, it looks back through history to the time when medicine and healing were an integral part of the Church's work, and then progresses to modern times when the influence of science and technology has separated almost completely the work of medicine and the ministry of the Church.;Biblical studies are included which look at God's holistic involvement with people including their health concerns. Biblical studies also focus on the ministry of Jesus and the significant amount of healing that was a part of his ministry. Finally, the resources of the Church that can be used in health and healing are discussed.;Research is included which involves interviews with 12 Christian people who are terminally ill on the role that their faith plays in their experience of illness. Results indicate a powerful faith in and benefit from these resources, despite the level of commitment and activity of the people interviewed in a specific congregation.;The Call to the Church today to once again become involved in the healing ministry is the foundation of this work. After studying the role of the Christian Church throughout history, the history of medicine, God's concern for all needs including the health needs of people, Jesus' ministry of healing, the emerging field of psychoneuroimmunology and the resources of the Church, the final chapter synthesizes the studies to show both how and why the Church is needed in health care today. The final chapter also discusses how the resources of the Church can effectively be used to bring wholeness to lives of people.