Faith-healing

Faith healing and faith in healing.

Sarkar and Seshadri have presented an interesting paper in this issue on the ethical approach that a physician should take when faced with requests for faith healing (1). The paper describes four approaches that the physician can take. These are rejecting the request, keeping oneself detached from the issue, endorsing the request and trying to understand the practices concerned so as to make a ...

What more in the name of god? Theologies and theodicies of faith healing.

The recent deaths of two children from parental decisions to rely on faith healing rather than medical treatment raises fundamental questions about the extent and limits of religious liberty in a liberal democratic society. This essay seeks to identify and critically examine three central issues internal to the ethics of religious communities that engage in faith healing regarding children: (1)...

How faith heals: a theoretical model.

This paper summarizes theoretical perspectives from psychology supportive of a healing effect of faith. First, faith is defined as a congruence of belief, trust, and obedience in relation to God or the divine. Second, evidence for a faith-healing association is presented, empirically and in theory. To exemplify religiously sanctioned affirmation of such a connection, selected passages are cited...

The hands of the healer: has faith a place?

Dr Davies discusses faith healing, its clients and the healing process. He suggests that typical healers often have a total faith in themselves, their working methods and their systems of belief, sometimes born out of their own previous suffering. Patients do well if they have faith (which needs to be distinguished from credulity) in their healers and this faith should be nurtured and valued. S...

Abraham, Isaac and the state: faith healing and legal intervention.

Dealing with requests for faith healing treatment.

Faith healing practices are common in the Indian subcontinent, for remedying physical as well as psychiatric disorders. Patients and/ or their family members often resort to such treatment, especially when dissatisfied with the usual medical care or when the patient has a terminal illness. The application of the principles of medical ethics varies across cultures and time, and with the ethical ...