A theology of healing for contemporary South Africa -a phenomenological and multidisciplinary approach (original) (raw)

In our 21st century South African society influenced by Western medicine, African Religion and Christianity, a multiplicity of meanings of illness, suffering and healing simultaneously co-exist. This multiplicity of meaning can create confusion for Christian persons who become ill, or Christian caregivers (doctor, nurse, minister or lay-person) alike. A clear theology of healing will allow us to respond to illness and suffering with integrity of thought and praxis. In this dissertation, I construct a theology of healing that draws from traditional sources of theology (Scripture, Church Tradition and practice), and also from resources present within Western medicine and African Religion. At the outset I define healing by situating it within a conceptual framework that includes the ecosphere (representing health), anti-life forces (representing illness), suffering (representing an aspect of illness) and healing – the transition between illness and health. Using a phenomenological methodology, and including a detailed review of healing from within the paradigms of Western medicine, African Religion and Christianity, I examine an account of healing from each paradigm so as to describe the essential paradigmatic meanings of healing as follows: 1)Western medicine provides technical proficiency in addressing disease, but through objectivising of illness may leave persons with a sense of personal and interpersonal ‘disconnectedness’ related to the overall healing journey. 2) African Religion emphasises the powerful role of relationships amongst persons (living and dead) to sustain or impair health and healing and create meaning, but may leave persons without recourse and at the mercy of Ancestor spirits. 3) Christian theology, tradition and praxis reveals God’s love for humankind to be the source of healing – manifesting in the gift of life and human freedom through creation, and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as a response to humankind’s misuse of freedom. Acknowledging the multifaceted dimensions of suffering that are uncovered in the phenomenological analysis, I revise the conceptual framework to situate suffering as a component of the ecosphere, anti-life forces and healing. I identify those aspects of healing from Western Medicine (powerful technology) and African Religion (powerful relationships and inter-connectedness) that complement Christian Theology, Scripture and Church Traditional teaching on healing and draw these together using the revised conceptual framework to delineate a theology of healing for contemporary South Africa. Finally, I briefly illustrate how this theology can be translated into praxis.