An investigation into the phenomena and practices of spiritual ...

website (http://www.stonybrookmedicalcenter.org/) that systematically recommends suchideas to its patients. Within such discourses it is a small step to suggest that the life-givingbreath of God described in the first chapter of Genesis can play a similar role.The discussions of cardiac treatment on the Stony Brook website fall in with this imageryof Therapeutic Touch as a type of energy medicine where the therapist moves his handsover the patient‟s energy field, extending the concept of medicine beyond that of somekind of liquid or solid substance that is taken into the body in some form through the skin,mouth or nose to anything which has healing properties if it is the correct medicine for theindividual or the illness. Therapeutic touch, however, does not quite fit into theconventional idea of medicine as the „substance‟ transferred into the body is not tangibleand cannot be measured.Laying on of hands, along with anointing with oil, as described in the bible is a healingritual of the Jewish tradition. The Jerome Bible Commentary (Brown et al 1996) and Lucas(1997) describe how this is incorporated as part of the broad ministry of healing in theearly church, as described in James, 5, where the apostle bids „if there is any sicmongyou let him call the elders to pray over him and anoint him with oil‟. Rice (2001) confirmsthat the early church as well as the church today has continued the practice of healing usingboth the spoken word and touch, as accounts in the book of Acts and the gospels indicate.James 5 makes the connection between healing and the use of anointing oil.Harvey (2004) postulates that James 5 gives us a glimpse of the early church, the Jewishsect who practised both the art of medicine and spiritual healing. Mark 7, Mark 6 and John9 also make reference to touch and the use of oil in healing. Interestingly, the only gospel262