The Gospel of Science

Raymond Downing

doi:10.15566/cjgh.v2i1.25

Abstract

Medical missionaries have always been a part of global health. One of their greatest potential assets as global health workers was that they carried with them a spiritual world view that coincided with that of the people they had come to, especially in Africa and Oceana. In the early 19th Century, before medical science had much to offer, some of the medical missionaries recognized these commonalities with the spiritual world view of Africans. However, as medical science grew in effectiveness, the role of spirituality in medicine began to get squeezed out, even for medical missionaries. By the early 20th century their spiritual world view, while still very strong in the religious realm, had been replaced by science in the medical realm. As Christians in global health, we must address this.

Highlights

In 1803, Dr Thomas Winterbottom, writing about superstition and “witchcraft” in West Africa, noted that West Africans “conceive that no death is natural or accidental, but . . . is the effect of supernatural agency,” and commented on how strongly “is the notion of medicine being a supernatural art imprinted on the minds of the people on the western coast of Africa, that they look on every person who practices it as a witch . . . ”1 Many European visitors to Africa in the 19th century used the word “witchcraft” promiscuously
Christian Journal for Global Health 2(1): 43-48. Downing this more from fear than love . . . It is a great step in advance towards a purer faith that they are not materialists; their very fears and superstitions are in the right direction.”[6]. As a Christian missionary, Livingstone well understood that Africans were already very religious
Do you carry out the work which I have begun? I leave it to you.”[8]. This early merging of the science of the day with Christ’s Gospel might be summarized in the motto of some mission hospitals even today, “We Treat, Jesus Heals.”. These insights by 19th Century doctors could have provided a foundation for all mission work, and the qualified respect for African cosmology would have benefitted all explorers and colonists, providing a basis for dialogue

Summary

Introduction

In 1803, Dr Thomas Winterbottom, writing about superstition and “witchcraft” in West Africa, noted that West Africans “conceive that no death is natural or accidental, but . . . is the effect of supernatural agency,” and commented on how strongly “is the notion of medicine being a supernatural art imprinted on the minds of the people on the western coast of Africa, that they look on every person who practices it as a witch . . . ”1 Many European visitors to Africa in the 19th century used the word “witchcraft” promiscuously. Despite calling this belief in supernatural agency “gross superstition,” Winterbottom saw great potential value in African indigenous medicine.

Results

Conclusion