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

themes, it became necessary to review further literature on the themes selected for analysis.Subject areas such as prayer, the authority of the Holy Spirit, touch (laying on of hands),suffering and music were selected for analysis and possible further study. Chapters 5-9analyse the data in the light of the relevant literature.2.2 Health and Promotion models2.2.1 Health and PhysiologyThere is extensive literature on the theories, definitions of health and health promotionmodels by various writers, that has been developed over the years and has shifted fromperceiving health as merely a physical, biological concept, to seeing it as also affected bythe sociological, psychological and economic environment.Health, according to The World Health Organization (1946), is „a state of completephysical, mental and social wellbeing and not just the absence of disease or infirmity.‟ Thisdefinition is echoed by Bircher (2005:36) who states „Health is a dynamic state ofwellbeing characterized by a physical, mental and social potential which satisfies thedemand of life, commensurate with age, culture and personal responsibilities‟. It is notpossible to take a humanistic approach to healing without considering the spiritualdimension of the human body and mind as well as the social context in which thedefinition of health is offered. Therefore „a sociology of health would have to be above all,one of social order, offering explanations of why one order and not some other orderexists‟ (Acton 2004).Seedhouse (1999) attempts to give a typography of theories and approaches to health, fromsociological, medical and humanistic perspectives. He starts by considering health as an23