A Christian View Of Sickness

A large portion of pastoral care, including the portion addressed in Christian worship, is directed to those who battle sickness in some form. Every culture and worldview has a unique way of thinking about sickness, with important implications for how care is administered. The following article describes one way of viewing sickness from a Christian perspective. Most religious traditions have attempted to make sense of illness and disease. The interpretative frameworks they employ involve elements of medicine, religion, and magic; and in some religions all three elements are totally intertwined. The basic question frequently dealt with is the cause of illness, though this is scarcely adequate. A theological and pastoral approach to illness can not be reduced to questions of origin and cause; it must answer the question of the significance of illness in the economy of creation and salvation. This significance is closely tied with the meaning of suffering in human existence. Illness i…