The Great Physician: Jesus’ Healing Ministry as Model for Encountering Suffering in Modern Medicine

Date

2019-05-06

Authors

Nieson, Emily

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Worldwide access

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Abstract

The goals of modern medicine are often described as the elimination of suffering and cure of disease, rather than the healing of the individual. As such, technology, scientific research, and cultural norms have been directed towards eliminating physical suffering. However, this shift in the goals of medicine has come at the cost of the ability and resources to attend to non-physical suffering. In an attempt to recover some of these resources, I will analyze Jesus Christ’s healing ministry in the Gospel of Luke through selected narratives, recognizing distinct ways in which Jesus encounters and heals the suffering individual. I will then discuss the role of these traits in the healing ministry of the Early Church, as well as the modern healthcare system. Finally, I will attempt to describe ways in which modern healers can recover some of these traits to faithfully encounter and heal suffering individuals.

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