"Frederick Gaiser has a great instinct and gift for moving to and fro in the space between the contemporary world and the biblical text. He began this book in Africa, and although he does not keep referring to that, one can see the way it shaped and resourced the 'conversation' between our contemporary world(s) and the Bible's world. He keeps chewing at the text, seeking to be fully open to it, precisely because it comes from a different world and thus has the power to illumine our world. Every chapter is illuminating."--__John Goldingay__, Fuller Theological Seminary  
  
"What an enormous grasp of issues of health Frederick Gaiser demonstrates in this book as he moves easily between stories of Zimbabwe, biblical exegesis, and applications for twenty-first-century Christians. Gaiser's volume on the wide variety of literature in the Bible about healing is obviously the result of many years of committed research and contemplation; readers will be amazed at the range of his erudition and the depth of his faith. I am very grateful for his insightfully inspiring work."--__Marva J. Dawn__, author, Being Well When We're Ill; Regent College  
  
"With his careful analysis of healing stories in the Bible, Professor Gaiser has given us a great gift. He reminds us that healing is always tied up in the mystery and wonder of relationships--with our self, with our community, and with God--and that health depends on the wholeness of both individuals and communities. As we work to reform and improve health care in America, we would do well to keep these lessons in mind."--__James F. Hart, MD__, University of Minnesota School of Public Health  
  
"Frederick Gaiser has written a book that everyone interested in the intersection of theology and health needs to read. This is the work of a skilled exegete who is intimately familiar with the biblical stories of God's healing acts. Gaiser reminds us that all of our theological reflection concerning health ought to begin with and account for the biblical narrative. I look forward to the opportunity to use this book in my own teaching and scholarship."--__Joel James Shuman__, coauthor, Reclaiming the Body; King's College

__Frederick J. Gaiser__ (DTheol, University of Heidelberg) is professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he has taught for over thirty years. He is also the editor of Word &amp; World, one of the top theological journals in North America.

In the midst of an ongoing debate about health care, what does the Bible say about healing? Here a respected scholar reads biblical texts on health and healing with care and imagination, engaging the reader in lively conversations with the text and with questions of contemporary theological and pastoral concern. Gaiser offers close readings of fifteen key Old and New Testament passages, considering their significance for the church's understanding of healing and its ministry today. The book examines such significant matters as God's role in healing, the relation between sickness and sin, healing and prayer, God's healing and medical science, and healing under the sign of the cross, offering fresh insights for anyone interested in Christian views on healing.

A respected biblical scholar offers a close reading of fifteen key biblical texts on healing, considering their significance for the church's ministry today.

1\. Introduction and Method  
2\. "O LORD, Heal Me": The Primal Witness of Psalm 6  
3\. "I Am the LORD, Your Healer": The God of Healing (Exodus 15:22-27)  
4\. "Moses Made a Serpent of Bronze": Healing and Culture (Numbers 21:4-9)  
5\. "Hezekiah Wept Bitterly": Healing and Prayer (2 Kings 20:1-11; Isaiah 38:1-22)  
6\. "Please Accept a Present": The Cost of Healing (2 Kings 5:1-27)  
7\. "No Health in My Bones": Reflecting on Illness (Psalm 38)  
8\. "What God Is So Great as Our God?" The Healing Community (Psalm 77)  
9\. "Hannah Conceived and Bore a Son": The Place of Healing in Biblical Theology (1 Samuel 1:1-2:10)  
10\. "The Sensible Will Not Despise Them": Healing, Medicine, Human Wisdom, and God (Sirach 38:1-15)  
11\. "I Command You, Come Out of Him": Jesus and the Demons (Mark 9:14-29)  
12\. "He Spat on the Ground and Made Mud": Jesus the Shaman? (John 9:1-41)  
13\. "If I but Touch His Clothes": Healing and Touch (Mark 5:21-43)  
14\. "Your Faith Has Made You Well": Healing, Salvation, and Cure (Luke 17:11-19)  
15\. "Your Sins Are Forgiven . . . Stand Up and Walk": On Sickness and Sin (Mark 2:1-12)  
16\. "What I Have I Give You": Healing in the Name of Jesus (Acts 3:1-26)  
17\. "By His Bruises We Are Healed": Healing under the Sign of the Cross (Isaiah 53:4-5)  
18\. Healing in the Bible: A Summary  
Indexes

Gaiser, Frederick J.

Cover

Title Page

Copyright Page

Endorsements

Dedication

Preface

List of Abbreviations

1. Introduction and Method

2. “O LORD, Heal Me”

3. “I Am the LORD, Your Healer”

4. “Moses Made a Serpent of Bronze”

5. “Hezekiah Wept Bitterly”

6. “Please Accept a Present”

7. “No Health in My Bones”

8. “What God Is So Great as Our God?”

9. “Hannah Conceived and Bore a Son”

10. “The Sensible Will Not Despise Them”

11. “I Command You, Come Out of Him”

12. “He Spat on the Ground and Made Mud”

13. “If I but Touch His Clothes”

14. “Your Faith Has Made You Well”

15. “Your Sins Are Forgiven. . . . Stand Up and Walk”

16. “What I Have I Give You”

17. “By His Bruises We Are Healed”

18. Healing in the Bible

Selected Bibliography

Scripture Index

Subject Index

Notes

Frederick J. Gaiser (DTheol, University of Heidelberg) is professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he has taught for over thirty years. He is also the editor of Word &amp; World, one of the top theological journals in North America.

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The author explains his methodology in his introduction and describes it as ‘appreciative enquiry,’ and ‘conversational enquiry.’ These enquiries are applied to ten Old Testament and six New Testament texts. Each is treated in what the author calls’ a case study approach.’ This does not make for ease of reference, let alone ‘skimming’ to find a quick definition, or brief exegesis. Rather a meditative approach is needed by the reader so that the complexities of the text and argument can be more completely understood. It needs time and some concentration to get the best out of this wide-ranging study.

Healing in the Bible

Healing in the Bible [eBook]

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