Healing Histories – Where it starts

In this first episode of the Healing Histories series we share a conversation with Professor Amanda Porterfield – it was such an inspiration to be reminded that with Jesus we are healers, and that has always been the way. Indeed, Amanda reckons that the early church succeeded largely because the disciples went to the ill with such a profound message of healing and hope – and we can do this too!

Amanda is professor emerita of religion at Florida State university and author of ‘Healing in the history of Christianity’ Could there be anyone more perfect to launch this new podcast series from GoHealth? We don’t think so.

In their conversation, Gillian and Amanda cover the following topics: 

• Why Amanda wrote her book, ‘Healing in the History of Christianity.’ 
• The reason healing played such a large part in the early church. 
• The history of christian healing in cultural context. 
• What Amanda means by the word ‘healing’ and ‘miracle.’
• How the church might heal from its sometimes harmful history. 
• How Amanda views the future of healing in the Christian faith. 
• The role of Community in making the world a better place. 

Links:

Amanda Porterfield ‘Healing in the History of Christianity.’
The GoHealth Everyday Healing Course 
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Visit our website to get connected with the GoHealth Community.

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Gillian Straine: Amanda, welcome. It’s fantastic that you’re able to join us. 

Amanda Porterfield: Thank you very much. Delighted to be here. 

Gillian: So, Amanda, you wrote this book, Healing in the History of Christianity. What gap in the market did it fill for the publishers. And once people read it, what was the key message they were taking away from your book?

Amanda: Well, I didn’t, you know, and this is my failing, I didn’t do it for the market. I did it to, somehow cope with my ignorance. I wanted to fill in what I didn’t know. I wasn’t doing it because I knew that there weren’t books, I mean, there were so many things about, you know, the medieval period. There were some fine books about medicine and the history of medicine. This project started out to satisfy my own curiosity and interest.

Gillian: But I’m also curious about I mean, there are books on medicine, how the monks of the medieval period saved the Greek thinking and, you know, practiced it and did herbal gardens and things like that. There’s interesting stuff around the Reformation and you know, lots of stuff. But, you know, I’m not that long through theology myself and theological college. No one mentioned this stuff to me. You know, so, yes, I can hear what you’re saying, but, you know, it was for you as an academic, you need to write something really ground, you know, breaking for your career, but actually, there was a gap I think. Certainly a collated study of this stuff, given how important it was for Jesus’s early ministry. 

Amanda: I agree. Yeah. But I kind of fell into it, you know. 

Gillian: Yeah, yeah. Ah maybe that’s how God works. 

[Laughter]

Thank you. Thank you for falling into it. Gave me a great book.

But what – could you summarise the key message for somebody picking up and reading the book?

Amanda: That healing has been a distinctive, not exclusive, but distinctive and compelling part of the history of Christianity from the beginning. Other religions have healing, I’m not saying that Christianity is alone in this. Indigenous religions in particular, but Christianity’s success, when it has succeeded. And by that I mean popular and loved has had everything to do with healing.

Gillian: Some scholar and I can’t remember who did it, worked out that Jesus spent up to 40% of his ministry healing, so it’s not a small bit of his life. What was it about Jesus’s ministry that that made healing such a key part of the faith? 

Amanda: Well, of course, there’s a lot of scholarship and, understanding about what things we really know Jesus did and what things were said about him by other people. It seems that among the surest things that we do know is that he, he was a healer and, an exorcist. And that he, he seems to have had a simple ritual involving pointing his finger, and conducting the Spirit of God through that finger. Something like that. I may be expressing it poorly, but that seems to be that kind of ritual practice seems to be one of the surest things that we know about Jesus, in a lot of maybes. So the, the exorcism and other kinds of healing seems to be among the things you can be most confident about that, Jesus actually did.

Gillian: And in the book, you paint a picture of healing being not just a part of the ministry of the early church, but a key part of establishing it amongst other religions. Why do you think that was? 

Amanda: I think that early Christians were often very compassionate people, who when perhaps many people headed for the hills in a pandemic, an epidemic, buried the dead or nursed the sick and stories got around, probably magnified, about these incredible, Christians who, from their compassion, cared for the sick. I think it could be as simple as that. 

Gillian: So they were willing to touch when others ran away. 

Amanda: Exactly. 

Gillian: And do you, are you saying maybe what we know nowadays about the healing power of human presence, as well as what, whatever God might be doing? 

Amanda: Precisely. 

Gillian: Yeah, it’s willing to do. And that went back into didn’t to not only what Jesus did but what he taught around…I’m thinking of the parable of the Good Samaritan. 

Amanda: Yes. 

Gillian: And things, you know, there was something about that, not only imitating Christ, but overcoming social barriers, maybe, or cleanliness barriers.

Amanda: Yes!Exactly. 

Gillian: Yeah. 

Amanda: And, being willing to cross barriers and finding that, yes, part of the mission of being Christian a kind of heroism about that. 

Gillian: But I’m just curious, as well, given that Jesus did so much of it and it was a key part of his ministry. It was definitive as you’ve said, it swung in and out of how mainstream it is within Christianity over the years and over the centuries. I wonder why, why you think that might be?

Amanda: Well, in the modern era, there’s, the discoveries of modern science and modern medicine. So we know a lot more about how, sickness works than people two millennia ago did. You know it was only in the middle of the 20th century that antibiotics were, were discovered or used. So I think that, scientific medicine has been a huge issue in terms of secularising the process of medicine and healing, that’s one factor. 

Another factor would be that healing, I would say, healing is not the only thing about the history of Christianity that is important to know. The way in which Christianity was linked to imperial power and that it was in the interests of imperial power to have healing saints and healing rituals that brought money to the church and to the empire that needs to be taken into account. So there there’s a transactional, exploitive and manipulative dimension to this that may be lesser now because people are more sceptical. But maybe not…

Gillian: And this is, of course, is what we look at all the time in GoHealth. We have a course called Everyday Healing, which we give people the history, the theology of the healing ministry, good practice, which is very important, but I often feel it’s a tightrope sometimes between believing in the power of God to intervene in the natural order and miracles and the reality that doesn’t seem to happen all that often. Bracketed with a ‘thank God for medical science’ because that’s also a gift of God. So it’s a real balance, and it needs nuance as well. There’s plenty of grey areas in that when we think about it. So I think it seems to remain complex, I think, over the years. 

Amanda: Well, there is one thing that modern science has discovered that helps us understand how healing can work in a religious context, and that is the placebo effect. So expecting something positive to happen when you take this powerful pill or when you are involved in a ritual that is meaningful to you, often has an impact. In fact, the placebo effect is so well known that new medicines that are approved have to be shown that they are more effective than the placebo effect. 

Gillian: Yeah, yeah. 

Amanda: And I think, you know that there are many things that do give people a placebo effect. Compassion and being part of a community and listening to music that soothes your mind, all of these things could have healing effect. You might say that miracle is a hyperbolic term to talk about something that is natural. I mean, and think about the, the placebo effect. You know, you could go to a church service and be really profoundly emotionally stirred and things come up and you could be washed in tears and you feel a lot better afterwards and you could say – ‘that’s a miracle’. It wouldn’t necessarily be supernatural. 

Gillian: It’s so interesting, Amanda, we had somebody on the podcast last series, A Professor of pain psychology from the University of Colorado, and she highlighted a study which showed, was talking about pain perception and four different types of patients. Patients who believed in God, but also did their physical therapy. Patients who believed in God but didn’t do the physical therapy because God should heal them. People that didn’t believe in, well, didn’t, weren’t bothered either way. And a group who hated God and the group that healed faster, who reported lower pain were the group that believed in God, but also did their physical exercises so were part of the process, as well, you know, which is another way to illustrate the same point I think. 

So it’s really interesting, the picture you’re painting of the history of healing in the Christian religion. It’s it was started by Jesus, early disciples then imitated Jesus or tried to live out a new power structure in going to it. We perhaps might summarise it – they did well because of God? Yeah. But also what we understand about placebo and human presence and compassion when they, when it comes to healing. 

Over the years, when has the healing ministry been really powerful within the established church? And when when is it waned? And why might that that be? 

Amanda: Okay, so if we take, let’s just take three examples:

One would be those pandemics in the fourth and fifth centuries, which is a time where, you know, Christianity really grew and became connected to the power structure. And it’s in large part, I think, not just because the Roman Empire embraced Christianity, but because Christians were doing a lot for people in their compassion with respect to healing. And that was crucial to the success of early Christianity. 

I would say we have, you know, leaping forward, there’s a period right before the Reformation that in some ways is the cause of the Reformation, where there’s all kinds of healing rituals going on, and it’s very lucrative for the church. And people like Martin Luther call that out as blasphemy. So, leading up to the Reformation, I mean, healing is hugely important. 

And now I would say if we go leaping forward again to our own time, maybe it’s time to have a little more healing. We don’t have much, or pay attention to what it exactly is about Christianity that people have found healing, apart from filling the coffers of whatever, but, you know, the community, the beauty of so many songs and poems, the human touch, friendship. 

Gillian: So we’d agree entirely that we, you know, part of the our organisation is saying yes! you know, healing is such an important thing for the mission of the church, particularly right now. But given what you know around theology and the history, how do you think that might happen, from your perspective? If you could advise us as the professor of the whole of the history of healing in the Christian Church, what is it today that we should be focusing on?

Amanda: Well, I think, as a kind of model, let’s think back to medieval women, some nuns, some not, who were so moved by stories about compassion and stories about Jesus or other healers within that tradition, you know that they started movements, groups, communities, you know, dedicated to helping people, to creating communities of love and compassion. Now, if we don’t get wiped out by all the people that are so mad and so full of grievance and the world doesn’t blow up, I think some people like yourselves who are really trying to do exactly that, you know, form communities of people who get pleasure and satisfaction and meaning out of helping to make the world better.

 

Gillian: Well, I wasn’t looking for an endorsement, but I’ll take it, that’s a world, that’s a movement. We’re trying to create a movement of people that think that, too. But I tell you what, Amanda, a couple of obstacles I really see in the way and one of them is the professionalisation of health in general. And part of that, obviously, is the sort of, dualism around mind and body but in what ways might you suggest we can help tackle that? It’s a shift of mindset, isn’t it you know, and I sometimes say when I do stuff, if you break your leg, don’t come to church, go to the hospital.

Amanda: Oh, absolutely. 

Gillian: They’ve got the stuff, they’ve got the drugs. But what is it? How can we level the playing field? Because what I believe is what we offer in the church is absolutely fundamental to human health and flourishing. 

Amanda: Well, now we’re really out of my bailiwick, so, but as an older person who sees a lot of doctors, I will, and nurses and health care practitioners of various sorts, these are, by and large, extremely caring, helpful, knowledgeable people. And I am so lucky to have access to them because they are often overworked and a lot of people don’t have access to them.

Their lives, I think, are rewarding. And then you can see that they really enjoy helping other people. But it’s hard to find, you know, there’s there’s a shortage of nurses because they don’t get paid enough. The hours are terrible. They can’t, they can’t spend the time with patients that they need to. So, there need to be more resources, but also more people in control of the resources who aren’t just there to make money. That’s the key, I think. 

Gillian: So this is political stuff, but also caring for those who are in our health care system, who are working in the health care system. 

Amanda: Right. And it’s, you know, these corporations that own, you know, nursing homes and hospitals. You know, I’m sure some of them, many of them are, you know, doing a wonderful job, but not all of them are. And I think there needs to be. And now again, this is outside of my bailiwick. But there needs to be some sense of the, you know, what healing is and the caregivers and what they need to be able to be good healers. 

Gillian: Absolutely and that’s a very holistic approach, isn’t it, to our health care, our health care system, to being there and being a movement. But I’m thinking once again, historically, and it’s come up a number of times, you know, as I’m going about my daily life talking about the church and healing, quite often someday we’ll come back straight away and say, how dare you? How dare you talk about healing in an institution which has at times done harm? And, we’ve got a bit of form on this, haven’t we, around abuse within the church? So I wonder if you had any comment on the healing needs of the history of Christianity. 

Amanda: Well, in addition to healing in the history of Christianity being really an important and defining aspect, coercion in the history of Christianity is, perhaps no less important. And I think when those two things come together, when healing is promised through coercive means, I think, you know, we need to understand how that happens and who is most vulnerable to it and who is likely to do the bad stuff. I think there needs to be more attention to that process. 

Gillian: So this sounds like you’re talking about safeguarding for vulnerable people within within the system, which in the church itself has made huge leaps forward positively. But it also is also a bigger thing I think.

Amanda: Absolutely. 

Gillian: We’re talking about salvation, right? And and you can’t get a bigger gambling chip than that. And it’s used around coercing people as well. So, the history of, of healing is one I think you know, of profound good in the world, but with potential, profound ways to exploit people at the deepest level. And I wonder whether there’s lesson from our history that we can learn from when we’re doing this well today?

Amanda: Well, speaking of myself only, I would back away from salvation and say it’s not just bad actors, you know, it’s a system that encourages bad actors or rewards bad actors. And I think that there’s a a corporate system. And I don’t mean to go all political here, I just mean to make a simple point, that bad actors flourish when there’s incentive for them to do so. And I think we are in a world now where there’s too much of that. And we need people like yourselves to think about that issue. You know, the kind of larger scale thing, sort of analysis. How does that happen? How does a nursing home have less than two nurses for, you know, 500 people? You know, what process sets that in motion?

Gillian: And I think in the UK here, we’ve obviously got a slightly different medical system, but right now what’s showing up as you know, of with, with lack of funding in the NHS is levels of pain and suffering are are on the rise. In fact there was a report published just this month. We’re still in April right? April 2024, looking at life span shortening in the UK, completely related to deprivation index. So the poorer you are, the shorter and unhealthier your life is. And we’re going backwards in this. so within the UK for, for, for me and for many, working in this field, that’s the question we’re tackling. And, and on a practical and a spiritual level and on the political level, this can’t be right. 

Amanda: And here as someone who lives in New York City and sees homeless people all the time and there’s many, many immigrants, young women with small children, in the subway station selling melon and chocolate. You, you do ask yourself, what would Jesus do?

Gillian: What would Jesus do? Well, I’m not asking you to speak for Jesus right. Like what, what what is a future for the healing ministry of the Christian faith right now? 

Amanda: You know, again, I, I have to say what you are doing, you know, because one individual can’t do it, his or herself. You put some people together and they can come up with some ideas and resources and, you know, the communities of people can in, you know, under current way, make change. And maybe something like churches. Too bad churches are going out of fashion and they’re going out of fashion for in some cases, good reason. 

Gillian: But you’re right, we do so much in our church buildings, so we might not have a GP, doctor’s surgery, attached, but we do the welcome, the conversation. we do singing, maybe a cup of tea together as well as a sacrament. We are one of the only places that community is free, you know, come and be part of something. So maybe that’s a really good thing to focus on right now that can genuinely answer.

Amanda: How to depoliticise that?

Gillian: Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. 

Amanda: Easier said than done. 

Gillian: Yeah it is, it is. But do you have hope? Do you have hope?

Amanda: Absolutely. 

Gillian: Amanda, thank you so much for being on our podcast today. 

Amanda: My pleasure. So nice to meet you. 

Gillian: And we’re going to pick up the conversation over in the GoHealth Community. But we’re be encouraging to take what we hear in this podcast, just to tune in to what Amanda said that has made you curious today, or sparked something in your mind, and to go on a journaling journey, with our spiritual guide, Wendy Lloyd.

And there is a beautiful journal and we are giving it away free to anyone who joins the GoHealth Community in May, June and July 2024. So if you’re interested in this, go to our website, GoHealth.org.uk to find out more. 

Thank you to our producer, Rosie Dawson, and to Wendy Lloyd from the GoHealth team for all of her work on this series. Please do hit share and like to let everyone, you know, know about the work of the GoHealth Community and this podcast, where together we seek to flourish, we seek to address some of the problems we’ve talked about today, through being a healing presence in the world today. So just thank you once again to Amanda for a beautiful kickoff to our healing history series on the GoHealth podcast.