Science, the Church and Disease

Abstract

THERE appears to be little or nothing recondite in the widely advertised dispute concerning missions of “spiritual” healing which has developed within the Church of England. The point at issue was expressed with great clearness and ability by a committee of the Lambeth Conference at the beginning of the year. That committee was at great pains to define its attitude towards the problem which had been submitted to its consideration. It strove boldly and without equivocation to set forth its view of what “spiritual” meant or could mean in relation to the cure of disease. It was to mean primarily and principally a healing of the “spirit”—and the committee explicitly set aside the claims of spiritual healers to any power not evidenced as strongly in ordinary medical practice by persons who professed no religious belief. The committee emptied the ritual of all meaning save as a suggestive technique, but recommended its use.