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Theology, health and culture

Theology, health and culture. Issues of identification and exploration

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Theology, health and culture

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  1. Theology, health and culture Issues of identification and exploration What does it mean to be healthy (including a re-visitation of the WCC definition of health in the light of the EDAN work), the association and exploration between health and salvation, health and theology, holistic healing in the context of shalom and harmony, dissimilarities and similarities between spiritual and medical healing, anthropology and health, a trinitarian theology of healing as an undergirding of healing praxis

  2. Theology • Theology of suffering, health & healing; the theology of the Cross & empowerment… • (including an exploration of God as healer/ participant in suffering) • The role of the Spirit in health and healing… • (the role of ministry, charisms and sacraments) • Incarnation and embodiment • Comprehensive & critical analysis of Biblical information re healing & suffering • Sin, sickness (healing & forgiveness) & responsibility (personal & collective) • Healing in other faiths • Ecology and healing • The place of sacred places, pilgrimages, saints • The place of evil in suffering • The reality of spirit worlds/ powers

  3. Culture • The role of various cultures in understanding/explaining illness and facilitating healing (world views and their influence on health; recognition of diversity; sensitivity to the value of culture but also the sensitive role of prophetic challenge to it; affirming it when it’s helpful, challenging it when it’s not) • The role of post/modern societies, systems, resources and ideologies (positive and negative) and their impact on health and community • The cultural understanding of the relationship between the individual, community and the cosmos • The place of experience in determining ones theology of healing • How beliefs/attitudes concerning birth/death/the life-to-come affect issues of healing, healthcare & suffering

  4. Praxis • How do churches/institutions teach health and healing • How are Christians helped in relating/responding to health, healing and suffering • The value of ritual/symbols • Healing methodologies of Christian healers • Partnerships between churches and all health and healing agencies to provide wholeness

  5. Cross cutting issues • Issues motivated by justice and gender issues • Issues of reconciliation/ relationship of communities, peoples and nations

  6. Targets • How do we plan/dream the future and draw it into the present; how do we listen to God in this process • Theological reflection including bibliographies

  7. Preamble • In the next five years, the following issues will become priorities for study and dialogue. The emphasis should be on life/health and wholeness (embodiment) rather than death/suffering and thus form an alternative paradigm. This has to be done together with a critical re-visitation of the WCC definition of health, especially in the light of the EDAN work.

  8. Priorities • Dialogue with people of other faiths/cultures with regard to …the place of health/healing …reconciliation/relationships including with creation …the place of evil and the demonic in suffering • Dialogue among Christians on the place of the (spirit) powers in healing/suffering • Biblically based dialogue on health/healing and suffering with an awareness of the value of different hermeneutical approaches • The varied healing ministries of the Church (in relationship with health/healing agencies) as a reflection of the healing ministry of the church (including the role of the Spirit) • Healing and justice in socio-economic frameworks • Structural sin, injustice, personal sin and forgiveness (processes of reconciliation)

  9. Communication Strategies • Promoting/reinforcing theological education in the areas above • Collection of relevant sources and texts from within and beyond the ecumenical movement • Studies and conferences of the respective WCC-Boards in cooperation with ecumenical bodies, churches outside the WCC-constituencies and health agencies

  10. Networking • Within the WCC: desks, teams and advisory bodies on • mission and evangelism • health and healing • education • dialogue and inter-religious relations • justice, peace and creation • the decade to overcome violence …on issues relevant to them • Churches and church bodies beyond the WCC constituency, namely the Roman Catholic Church, the Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement, regional councils • Health care institutions and Christian Health Associations • Bodies and organisations such as PHM

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