Hamburg
2000
The
Mission To Heal In a Global Context
Stuart
C Bate
(2001
The Mission to heal in a global context. International Review
of Mission. XC:70-80.)
Introduction
I would like to
focus on four main areas in this input.
1.
The Biblical notion of Healing in the ministry of Jesus
2.
The Nature of the mission passed on to the Church
3.
Developing A Missiological Model for Praxis
4.
Commonalities in different cultural healing processes.
In the paper I also
give two examples of how the model may be used and a suggestion for a way
forward in interpreting the text of Matthew 10 in a global context. I will not
present these in the input. Some of what I will say here is a repetition of
what I said in my response to Grundmann.
1.
The Biblical notion of Healing in the ministry of Jesus
It is informative
to look at the terms used for healing in the scriptures and their meaning
within the culture of the time.
C
Healing/curing (iasthai ƐF2"4)
as the work of a physician (iatros: "JD`H)
is used of Jesus in all gospels
(cf Mk 2:17 and par) but especially in Luke (5,17; 6:19; Ac 10:38).
"F4H
(cures) is used both literally (cf Lk 13:32) and figuratively in texts (cf Mt
13:15, Jn 12:40).
C
However the use of this word is quite limited. The main words used for
healing of both Jesus and the apostles are sotso
(F.T
) and therapeuo (2,D"B,bT)
C
sotso also mean to
save, rescue or maintain integrity and always refer to the whole person and
not to individual members of the body (Source Kittel Vol VII: 990); It is used
16 times for healing in the New Testament.
C
Therapeuo is used in the New Testament
in the sense of to heal
and always in such a way that the reference is not to medical treatment which
might fail but to real healing (Kittel Vol III: 129); This term is used used
33 times for healing in the New Testament
C
Jesus heals by dunamis (which is often translated miracle
[synoptic use]) which gives him control of all powers and spirits. Dunamis
is a powerful or marvellous force and is misunderstood when interpreted in the
sense that miracle is understood in Modern western culture..
C
The healings of Jesus and the casting out of demons are always about
the saving rescuing or restoring of human life for the person
C
On one occasion Jesus doesnt do a miracle because of lack of faith
of people at home (Mk 6; Mt 13).
C
On another occasion the apostles cant heal (Mt17.16) as the people
dont believe.
C
However there are no hard and fast rules about faith and healing in the
New Testament.
1.
Nature of the mission passed on
C
The mission of the Church is to continue with the mission of Jesus. The
mandating of the mission to heal is most clear in Matthew 10.
The mission given in this text corresponds to actions done by Jesus
in chapters 8-9 thus establishing a continuity between the deeds of Jesus and
those of his closest disciples. They also prepare for the summary of Jesus
activities in Matt 11:4-6" (Harrington 1993:142).
C
Some early manuscripts omit the injunction to raise the dead and it has
been suggested that the phrase was left out because of the seeming
impossibility of the early church to follow it (Hangar 1993: 268n.f). Some
suggest that this implies that the literal meaning was reserved only to the
apostolic age (Wilkinson 1974:320). Concerns about literal and metaphorical
are concerns stemming largely from Modern Western and its basis in Greek
rationalism. Such issues would seem to be less important both in the Jewish
world for which Matthew wrote and in cultures which are less concerned about
elements rather than totality.
C
It seems clear that healing is central to the mission of Jesus in the
sense outlined above and that this was passed on to his disciples as part of
the proclamation by word and deed of the Reign of God. It should be clear to
us that the mission to heal and bring life is as central to the mission of the
Church today as it was in the life of Jesus.
C
The text is as follows:
Mt
10: 1
C
He called his twelve disciples
vocation
C
He gave them authority
>@LF\"<
(Power, Spiritual power),
C
over unclean spirits to cast then out
6$V88,4<
C
and to heal every disease
2,D"B,b,4<
(therapeuein) B"F"<
<`F@<
C
and every illness
6"4
B"F"<
"8"6\"<
Mt
10: 7-8
C
And as you go
C
preach that the Kingdom of heaven is close at hand
C
heal the sick (ailing ones)
F2,<@@<J"H
2,D"B,b,J,
(therapeuete)
C
raise the dead
<,6D@bl
(,\D,J,
C
cleanse the lepers
C
cast out demons.
*"4`<4"
6$V88,J,
3.
Developing A Missiological Model for Praxis
C
It seems to me that many of the difficulties around this mission
mandate fall away when we apply a cultural analysis to the problem. The
culture of Matthew is not the same as the cultures of the West today
nor is it the same as the indigenous cultures of
the so called developing world.
C
If the mission to heal is central to the mission of the Church we need
to explore what this mission might mean in different contexts and cultures
C
It is for this reason that I suggest that the missiological model of
inculturation is the best one to deal with the Churchs mission to heal. I
have outlined what I mean by inculturation in the general session but for
completeness I provide a summary here which I will skip.
3.1
Inculturation as missiological model for healing
Inculturation can be understood as the relationship between a local
church and its own culture (Roest Crollius.1986) or the emergence of the local
Church (Bate 1995; 1999)
Its importance in the so called new churches is a response to
the culturedness of the missionary endeavour which planted the church in the
clothing of modern western culture.
So inculturation in these churches implies a deconstruction of that
part of the culturedness within the church which is due to its missionary
history and no longer helpful and a reconstruction of Christianity using
symbols, values and world view of the local culture.
There are two principal criteria for inculturation (EA, RM):
compatibility with the gospel and unity with the universal church. These
criteria prevent the emergence of culture based churches and sects.
It is important that the culture with which the dialogue occurs is the
present cultural context and not a romantic harking back to the past. So
modernity must be part of the process (see Bate 1998)
Inculturation is also a useful tool in Western society where the
cultural dimension is often ignored.
With regard to healing it is important to get in touch with the local
cultural healing system in order to see how the Church can fulfill its mission
to heal in an inculturated way as indeed Jesus and the apostles did. This
brings us to the central role of culture in illness and healing in all human
societies.
3.2 The Role of
Culture in Illness and Healing
C
Healing and Illness are always affected by culture.
C
This is because healing and illness are psycho cultural states to do
with the perception of wellness.
C
Healing and Illness are influenced by culture on two main levels:
C
on the cognitive level where cultural categories determine what I/we
know about myself/ourselves
C
and on the emotional level cultural categories allow us to interpret
how I/we feel about ourselves.
C
The principal process of healing is emotion transfer. The change is
from feeling bad to feeling better.
Help from
Anthropology
C
Medical Anthropology is a comparatively new academic area and it can
provide some insights which help us to link sickness and health to culture,
the individual and society
C
Kleinman (1979:72) refers to the basic distinction between
disease and Illness as technical terms in medical anthropology
defined in the following way:
C
Disease as a malfunctioning of biological and or psychological
processes (:72)
C
Illness as the psycho-social experience and meaning of perceived
disease (:72)
3.3 Some cultural
paradigms of healing
C
In African Traditional Culture, healing is always about the restoring
of human life.
C
In modern Western culture it is about the scientific restoration of
organic function and not a specifically human process (although it has effects
on the person through psychosomatic mechanism etc.
C
What curing disease means in the bible is not necessarily what we mean
today.
3.4 The
inculturation model in the healing process.
The dialogue here concerns the praxis healing in the mission of the
church and the praxis of healing within local community. This latter will be
expressed within local cultural categories
When the local community is a fully inculturated local church these two
will be the same. This was often the case in the modern period when the
Churchs healing ministry was done within the medical model of western
culture through the medical mission of the Church (See Wilkinson 1974)
Today both in the postmodern West and in non-Western countries this is
not the case. Hence the need for inculturation.
Developing a local theology of healing demands an examination and
understanding of cultural healing practices principally by Christians of the
local church of that place. The dialogue is between a local church and its own
culture
It also involves a reappraisal of the Churchs mission to heal by
Christians of the local Church in terms of its own understanding of this
Christian mission.
Then there should be a dialogue
between these two searching for Gospel values in both and searching for areas
of assimilation from each source into the Churchs praxis and transformation
of those elements of the culture which are not compatibility with the Gospel.
The development of local theologies of healing also needs to respect
the criterion of unity with the
universal church in the development of its own praxis of healing. A
theological judgement is required here. See my book for how this was done in
the South African context.
The criterion of union also demands a sharing between Christians of
different local churches on these matters to allow the same two criteria of
compatibiltiy with the gospel and
Christian Unity to be dialogued. Clearly the cultural matrix within which this
dialogue takes place is different as it has global connotations containing
values such as human solidarity, interdependence and Christian unity (The
purpose I suppose of a meeting like this).
This dialogue should also include a search for some commonalities
between different approaches (See 4 below)
From this should emerge the development of strategies and practices,
local ministries local healing structures and so forth etc which respond to
the dialogue.
Finally ongoing reflection on our different praxes of healing is
essential.
4.
Common Human Elements of the Transition from Sickness
to Healing which find Expression Culturally
Whilst the way the
sickness/healing paradigm is expressed differs from culture to culture it is
possible to detect some commonalities in the process from sickness to healing.
Some of these are elaborated here.
4.1
Emotion Transfer
all healing processes involve emotion transfer (from negative to
positive emotions)
There are many mechanisms: catharsis; conversion; physical chemical
intervention; exorcism; counselling, prophecy
Short term powerful emotions like catharsis, conversion, release
provide the guarantee of the effectiveness of the healing process.
Longer term emotions; ongoing moods and motivations of well-being occur
when people become convinced of the validity and meaning of the new lifestyle.
Such long term moods and motivations are of the essence of religion:
Religion is a system of symbols which acts to establish powerful
pervasive and long lasting moods and motivations in people by formulating
conceptions of a general order of existence and clothing these conceptions
with such an aura of factuality that the moods and motivations seem uniquely
realistic. (Geertz
1973:90)
4.2 Ritual Process
psycho cultural processes always involve ritual process: going to
hospital; being exorcised; anointing of sick; casting out demons.
The ritual as repeated symbolic behaviour
ritual processes include symbols as carriers of power which are
manipulated through the ritual process by the healer to achieve the emotion
transfer which is the healing process.
4.3 The Role of
Faith
C
The role of faith is central.
C
By faith we mean a medically defined term which includes expectancy,
suggestion, personality structure and status (Frank in Bate 1995: 88;
1999:87).
C
Without a belief in the healing process it is very difficult for the
healer to lead the sick person through the ritual process and manipulate the
symbols of healing which carry the power required for the emotion transfer to
occur.
C
Healers and patients need to share the same belief system for healing
to occur. When people are motivated try
out new healing forms in a faith structure that is not their own and the
healer is effective. Conversion to the faith system is an almost inevitable
consequence.
4.4
Trance/Altered States of Consciousness/Spirit possession
C
A central dimension of most forms of spiritual healing.
spirit possession may be defined as ... any altered state of
consciousness indigenously interpreted in terms of the influence of an alien
spirit Crapanzano in Davies 1995:23.
The psycho genesis of trance/dissociative states is explained by Kiev
(1972:30) as the psychological
inducing of regressive or altered states of consciousness, through either a
reduction or an increase of external stimuli. The contagiousness of excitement
...may also lead to a breakdown of the higher integrative functions of the
central nervous system, thereby producing the possession state
(Kiev 1972:30).
dissociative states can provide emotional catharsis, a sense of
renewal and an improved capacity for dealing with reality (Kiev
1972:33-34).
An essential part of human wholeness is the ability to have a space
with other aspects of our humanity can emerge. The fact of becoming possessed
can increase the status of people whose normal status in society is low.
States like meditation provide activists with a place for the introverted side
to emerge. In extreme pathological forms these can emerge as multiple
personality disorders.
An emotion chareged atmosphere can enhance the emergence of altered
states of consciousness. So music, dance, an atmosphere of expectancy; the use
of holy or magic words and
symbols are all used in this regard. But even in our normal life the taking on
of other consciousness can be therapeutic eg: at gym, at prayer/meditation; in
healing service, as possessed, as oppressed, as victim, as saviour conqueror
healer; as the sick person in need of care in hospital and so on
These states were an essential part of the life of Jesus according to
Davies 1995
5
Applications
5.1 To izifo
zabantu
Izifo zabantu are examples of what are referred to medically as Culture bound
syndromes
By this we mean illness expressed within a cultural framework which
have psycho-cultural etiologies
Emotion transfer as healing is important in such sickness
They usually manifest for psycho-cultural and social reasons such as
family and social problems. These manifestation as culturally
determined symptoms through psycho-somatic mechanisms.
Healing is achieved through emotion transaction which in a culturally
acceptable way allows the person to indicate stress, receive care and be
re-incorporated into the community.
Clearly the church needs to be involved in healing such forms of
sickness which may be culturally labelled as possession, a sickness sent by an
ancestor or a whole range of other sicknesses.
The church should be able to provide culturally acceptable remedies to
such illness through mechanisms like praying for the sick, casting out evil
spirits, having places of shelter (hospices) where people can come for healing
and where Christian experts can allow people to emote in a controlled way
Clearly such Christina healers also need to plug into the larger
healing system knowing when
to help and when to refer
As in all ministry we need to acknowledge the importance of gift
(charism), talent and skill. Some
are better healers than others.
5.2
Application to HIV AIDS
C
AIDS is a Syndrome which is defined as: a complex of concurrent symptoms
or illnesses. This means AIDS has more of the characteristics of illness rather
than disease although it is clearly
both. You dont die of AIDS but of other infections which it allows
C
People dont want to be tested since this will construct the illness
out of the disease and people will go into the socially ostracised group of AIDS
victims
C
In our culture AIDS is a culturally bad illness. TB,
Cancer etc are culturally more acceptable
The mission to heal may concern itself with the curing of disease but it
should not focus there for a number of reasons
C
AIDS is an illness and needs healing as much if not more than curing
C
Healing is concerned with the human person whereas curing is concerned
with scientific processes
C
curing is often out of our hands as Missionaries and Christians.
Whereas healing is our vocation
C
Care, affirmation, hope and acceptance are not provided by the curing
model which is concerned with organic processes not human processes
6.
The Way forward: Interpreting
Matthew 10 for us today.
C
Re-appropriation of the mission to heal. Matthew 10 today: An agenda for
mission in a global world. (See Bate 2000).
A Authority:
(>@LF\"<)
C
In Matthew 10 the nature of the authority given to the apostles is
specific articulated (Cf Mt 28 all authority). In v 1 they receive authority
over unclean spirits, to cast them out and to heal every
disease (<`F@<)
and infirmity ("8"6\"<).
C
It is authority over unclean spirits to cast them out and to heal
sickness and infirmity
C
mandated to fight the influence of evil in the community at hand: the
world they know and belong to.
C
Authority contains within it the notion that those under the power of the
authority accept that power over them.
C
The demons accept that Jesus has authority over them. When he approaches
they cry out (Mt 8,29-31; Lk 8, 28-31)
C
They reveal their name
C
Jesus authority is first manifest in his temptation by Satan before
his ministry (Lk 4).
C
Authority somehow lies in this experience of fighting the demons in our
own lives as individuals and as Christian communities. Only in that way do we
gain the experience to be able to continue the struggle in our ministry to
people. Authority is not passed on automatically to the disciples but only when
they have been with Jesus for some time. Being part of his work they become
ready and experienced to enter into his mission and ministry.
C
The greatest sign of Jesus authority is his willingness to accept the
sins and evil of the world onto himself and to become the sacrificial victim of
them.
for reflection;
How do healers got authority in our society?
B.
Evil Spirits/Demons
C
Is this old fashioned superstition or do such things exist? How we see
these today?
C
This will depend on our notion of the spiritual world for us. Can we
speak of spirits like the following spirits in modernity
C
modern Western culture was very
uncomfortable with the idea of demons and many theologians were concerned to
demythologise these kinds of texts in their quest for an inculturated
Christianity of the modern age.
C
Today demons are more accepted
C
Many cultures have no difficulty with the notion of demons.
C
Popular culture is increasingly investigating these areas
C
Reinterpret the presence of evil in the world, especially social evil.
C
In the highly structured society in which we live, individual culpability
for many of the evils which beset us is increasingly difficult to establish.
C
crime, violence, ethnic cleansing, structural poverty, capitalism as
social evils have become the demons of today
C
since they seem to transcend human agency gaining a life of their own
which is oppressive and seemingly out of control.
C
demon of Apartheid or the demons of communism, AIDS,
global warming, pollution and so forth.
C
Demons may also be understood today as the compulsions, obsessions and
evil structures which sometimes possess us.
C
Propensity to demonise the fearful. Certain people are easily and quickly
demonised. One of the first was Hitler. Since then we have had many others:
Josef Stalin, the Vietcong, Saddam Hussein, Fidel Castro, Bill Gates and even
the Pope.
C
need to be liberated from this tendency of ours to create demons in the
image of our enemies
C
Casting out demons here means the quest for responsibility to use the
immense technological means we have in a responsible manner.
C
Raising the dead
C
When Jesus heals or casts out demons, his goal is to bring life to the
human being who is sick or possessed.
C
His mission is about saving, rescuing and restoring human life.
C
This, then, is the sense in which the mission to raise the dead should be
understood.
C
The sense of deadness spoken about here needs to be interpreted for our
time and culture.
C
We live in a world where people are increasingly deadened and dulled by
the plethora of images around them.
C
Life is easily lost in a world of drugs, violence, HIV-Aids and the like.
C
Often the sense of life once found in belonging to family, tribe, village
and local community is increasingly replaced by the deadness of anomie and
alienation which the technologically linked global vision brings.
C
The restoration of life is a search for identity in the confusion of
sameness and the facelessness of the new world.
C
Such dead people and communities need the raising of which this text
speaks..
C
Can we fulfil this mission today?
C
The value of metaphorical understandings rather than literal ones.
C
Raising of Lazarus not so important to Jesus because he will die again.
New Life is important
C
Notion of Life in John and Life in African culture as important for
evangelisation
D Healing
the Sick
C
his own life Jesus made the kingdom present in three fundamental ways:
C
He preached good news, he healed the sick and he died on the cross
carrying the sin of the world.
C
We have already discussed the nature of this mission in the life of Jesus
(see 1)
C
Our mission to heal is a search for the means of human healing in our
ministry
C
Care in an accepting human environment (family as best)
C
Education of the culture on the dignity and humanity of the AIDS person
C
Setting up Caring Structures which help people to cope and live HUMAN
LIFE even with the disease
C
Prayer for healing: the
power of dunamis: the Holy Spirit
C
Affirmation of healing ministry of AIDS workers and educators
C
Encouragement of those Religious Orders and Congregations with Healing
Charism to DO Healing ministry in this way. Many left hospitals and went into
parishes was this a good idea?
C
Other??
C
Some different types of healing
Umthandazi
Laying of hands
Healing of memories
Psychotherapy
Counselling
Spiritual Direction
Healing Services: anointing, prayer laying of hands
See Lumko Book for Methods
References
Bate, S C 1995.
Inculturation and Healing: Coping-Healing in South African
Christianity. Pietermaritzburg: Cluster.
1998
Inculturation in South Africa Grace and Truth 15,3:26-43.
1999
The Inculturation of the Christian Mission to Heal in the South African
Context. NY: Edwin
Mellen.
2000
Matthew 10: A Mission Mandate for the Global Context. In Okure, T. ed. To Cast Fire Upon the Earth.
Pietermaritzburg: Cluster. Pp 42-56.
Davies,
S L 1995. Jesus the Healer.
NY: Continuum.
Hagner,
D A 1993. Matthew 1-13: Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 33A. Dallas: Word.
Harrington,
D J 1992. The Gospel of Matthew: Sacra Pagina Series Vol 1. Collegeville
Mi: liturgical Press.
Kiev,
A. 1964. Magic, Faith, and Healing. London: Collier Macmillan .
Kleinman,
A. 1980. Patients and Healers in the Context of Culture. Berkeley:
University of California Press
Roest
Crollius A 1986. Inculturation: Newness and Ongoing Process.
in
Waliggo, J.M., Roest Crollius, A., Nkramihigo, T., Mutiso‑Mbinda, J.
Inculturation: Its Meaning and Urgency.
Kampala: St. Paul‑Africa pp. 31-45.
Wilkinson,
J 1974. The mission charge to the twelve and modern medical missions. SJT
27, 313-328.