“What More in the Name of God? Theologies and Theodicies of Faith Healing”

Campbell, Courtney S. “What More in the Name of God? Theologies and Theodicies of Faith Healing.” Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 20, no. 1 (2010): 1–25.

After the deaths of two children whose parents were members of the Followers of Christ Church became publicized in 2009, Campbell investigated that and other communities who practice Christian healing without medicine. She sought to identify and critique three central issues: their theological justification for such healing practices, medical practices as morally and metaphysically wrong from their perspectives, and their understanding of theodicy when healing does not occur. Her questions and conclusions are probing and worthy of serious consideration. But a glaring problem arises for researchers of Christian Science because she does not distinguish her findings from among the various groups. For instance, she concluded that the “most common form” of interpretive theodicy finds the fault of failure lies with human sinfulness (18). While she does identify a Christian Science understanding of disease, she misses the Christian Science understanding of theodicy. Then she claims she could not find a logical theodicy among the various groups. Several conclusions are generalized as if to include Christian Science when they do not. But in some cases, her generalizations include Christian Science but are not identified as such. One example is the common legitimate objection to the cultural authority assumed by scientific medicine.

ISSN: 1086-3249
Print ISSN: 1054-6863

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/ken.0.0304

See also annotations:

“Healing and Conscience in Christian Science” by Thomas C Johnsen

“Christian Science: A Comment” by Thomas C. Johnsen

“The Law and Christian Science Healing for Children: A Pathfinder” by Elena M. Kondos

Health and Medicine in the Christian Science Tradition: Principle, Practice, and Challenge by Robert Peel