Dr. Kenneth L. Bakken is a physician and minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He has written several books in the area of healing and wholeness and is president of Health Vision International. After outlining some of the limitations of the present-day biomedical model, the author presents an overview of the Christian church's understanding of healing over the centuries.
Here are some of the basic assumptions: the triune God is the source of all healing. Body, mind, and Spirit form an integrated whole. Healing occurs in many ways and is always more than a physical cure. Healing encompasses the gospel imperatives of justice, peacemaking, and service.
Dr. Bakken moves on to discuss the theological concept of "theosis," defined as "a profound and wonderful invitation for us to share fully in the transfiguring power of God-like life." This Christian understanding of healing is seen as both a grace and a discipline, a pathway to meaning and a means of helping us to reclaim our bodies.
Quoting theologian Krister Stendahl, "God's agenda is the mending of creation," the author relates healing to the stewardship of the earth. He concludes with a discussion of how this "journey into God" offers avenues for Christian faith and practice.