Holistic Healing Work of Christianity

Hwang, Ok Nam

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify calls, roles and attitudes of the Christian medical staff in a modern medical system for holistic healing through belief in God's healing methods and God's view about medical treatment. The meaning of healing in the Bible is derived from Rapha in the Old Testament, it's meaning is 'heal wound', 'restore to original condition', 'repair', 'console' and 'be heal'. In the New Testament, the meaning of healing is 'to serve' and 'be in one's service' derived from Therapuein and 'preserve', 'rescue', 'save a life from death' derived from Sozo. Therefore the meaning of the healing in the Bible is restoring original completeness to the same as God's characteristics. The meaning of disease is physical, psychological, social and spiritual imbalance or disharmonious. Disease is usually depravity from moral life to immoral life and abnormal life process with accompanying specific symptoms. Medical staff were called to God's work, recognized God's will for them, and absolutely leaned on God's power to intervene and work above spatial-temporal transcendently. They use spiritual power with medical treatment skills, help sick people to possibly have dynamic and individual relation with God and help to maintain their well-being and complete healing. Attitudes of medical staff were compassion and love, virtue of modesty, strong and daring, patience with belief, healing with God's word, using spiritual insight, play, using medical knowledge and techniques, continuing spiritual training, laying on of hands and repentance.