Christian Medicine and the Symbolic Efficiency

1. Entity type Lemma
2. Original titleMedicina creştină şi eficienţa simbolică
3. Language term Romanian
4. lemma author Stavinschi, Alexandra
5. lemma category Scientific theories and disciplines > Medicine - Modes of interaction > Conflict - Natural and the supernatural - Orthodox theological tradition and practice - Orthodox theological tradition and practice > Cult and spirituality
6. lemma work Trăuşan-Matu, Lidia [Author]. Christian Medicine and the Symbolic Efficiency
7. lemma manifestations Transdisciplinarity in Science and Religion
8. Keywords allopathic medicine - health - immortality - rituals - superstitions
9. Lemma body

   1. The article is divided into seven sections:

      1) Health and faith;

      2) The doctor treats, God heals;

      3) In search of neverending youth;

      4) Spiritual ways of healing;

      5) Between sacred and profane: the superstition;

      6) The health justifies the means;

      7) The relationship between Christian medicine and the technique of allopathic medicine.

      For Christians believers, health and immortality are not simply a prolongation of the existence in an undetermined destiny, but the goals of their origin, the life that is behind them as an eternal hope. The belief in the healing power of God has been materialized in a series of rituals and traditions, which may be grouped under the name of Christian medicine. Illness, and in fact any form of suffering, are conceived as a consequence of the evil generated by sin, by addictions or by bad passions. Originally, the “official”, allopathic medicine was closely related to Christian medicine; for example, modern hospitals were first set up in the Byzantine empire of the fourth century. From another perspective, the Christian Church is engaged in fighting against false healing practices which, often hidden under a Christian appearance, actually promote pagan gods and the cults that venerate them in some sects and non-Christian religions.

      The doctor is conceived by Christian tradition as God’s mediator, while the drugs elaborated by human intelligence, which is God-given, belong to the God-created nature. On the other hand, the demiurgical temptation of allopathic medicine, which claims that faultless in human nature is possible, far from disease, old age and death, is rejected. The myth of the perfect health is regarded as an illusion cultivated by science and medical technology. In other words, while the Christian tradition acknowledges the value of allopathic medical practice, it does not accept that its abilities are absolute. Healing is, in the Christian vision, an effect of God's grace and mythical longevity has nothing in common with long life on Earth. Eternal life and immortality necessarily pass through death.