Healing Community Breath by Breath:  A Conversation with Kerrie Trahan

This article sets forth the argument that Christian ministry in Africa must become socially and culturally informed and constructed or else it will not touch the African soul and thus remain superficial. Black African people aspire above everything else to experience fullness of life and wellbeing here and now, as demonstrated by their greetings that are actually an enquiry into each other’s health and an expression of the wish for the other’s good health and wellbeing. The mainline churches that operate in Africa should embrace the scripturally sound Christian healing ministry in obedience to Christ’s commission to preach the gospel and heal the sick, if they are to prosper. Hence, this article discusses the following eight points, namely, (1) good health and healing as Africans’ important aspiration, (2) healing as the work of God and thus of the church, (3) the imperative of serious consideration of and respect for the African worldview, (4) membership decline and mainline churches’ loss of influence, (5) rethinking church in African Christianity, (6) the need for the black African church to adopt a therapeutic or healing community ecclesial model in order to position itself strategically to cater for the holistic needs of African (South African) church members and surrounding communities, (7) the rationale of the healing ministry in today’s Reformed Church in Africa and (8) the recommended healing ministry. The article closes with a few concluding statements and advice

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Creating a vital healing community: A pilot study of an art therapy employee support group at a pediatric hospital

The Arts in Psychotherapy ◽

10.1016/j.aip.2017.04.012 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 54 ◽

pp. 122-127 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Mary K. Kometiani

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Art Therapy ◽

Support Group ◽

Pediatric Hospital ◽

Employee Support ◽

Healing Community

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Chapter Four Power in the Healing Community

Indigenous Christianity in Madagascar ◽

10.3726/978-1-4539-0796-2/8 ◽

2016 ◽

Keyword(s):

Healing Community

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“Heal Thyself”: Holistic Women Healers in Middle America

Diagnosing Folklore ◽

10.14325/mississippi/9781496804259.003.0007 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Elaine J. Lawless

Keyword(s):

Human Body ◽

Holistic Approach ◽

Traditional Healing ◽

Daily Lives ◽

Beliefs And Practices ◽

Healing Community ◽

Middle America ◽

Women Healers ◽

Healing Modalities

In chapter 6, “‘Heal Thyself’: Holistic Women Healers in Middle America,” Elaine J. Lawless profiles a local “healing community” of women in or near Columbia, Missouri, who regularly meet and share knowledge about and practice together various healing modalities. In addition to learning from each other, she notes, the women in the group also learn new healing practices offered by healers who were visiting from other areas, so mouth to mouth and hand to hand learning take place all the time. They all claim a holistic approach, which guides their daily lives as well as their healing practices, and includes attention to complex understandings of how mind, body, and spirit work in conjunction within the human body. Through the stories of these women, Lawless offers a unique glimpse into their shared corpus of knowledge and the traditional healing beliefs and practices they espouse, as well as her own place within the healing community.

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