​Outlook on the Christian Global Health Movement
Biblical Perspectives on Health, Healing and Wholeness: Theological Insights
 
God is a God of HEALTH – His original design for man was total health. At the conclusion of this section students will:

• have a clear understanding of OT teaching regarding what it meant to be healthy in those times
• have a thorough understanding of Shalom as explained in the OT
• understand and be able to express a biblically informed opinion about what life/health were like before the FALL
• understand the various Hebrew words used to describe health, healing and wholeness

 
Man’s fall results in death, suffering and dis-ease in the world. At the conclusion of this section students will:

• understand and be able to explain clearly to others the consequences of man’s fall. His desire to be his own god
• be able to explain how the fall has affected the health of all peoples
• be able to make the connection between the fall, the health of God’s creation and the health of humans
• appreciate the importance of the “greatest commandment” as it relates to living a healthy life. 

 
God provides a way to experience true health, though still not perfect health, through Christ. At the conclusion of this section students will:

• understand how the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ, overcomes what man has never been able to do for him/herself; Sin. 
• understand what healing means in terms of a new life in Christ
• have an appreciation for the way in which Jesus fully integrated the healing and restoration of health to those He ministered to. 
• understand that all healing comes from God. That the primary healing necessary for humans to experience health is their spiritual renewal by becoming a follower/disciple of Christ. That God may still choose to work to heal people in miraculous ways but that usually He chooses to use conventional means.
• understand the various words used in the NT for healing, curing, restoring to health and experiencing the fullest health possible this side of heaven. (Irene for example) 

 
God’s plan is now that His Church reaches out to all people groups to bring them into His kingdom and to provide healing for the nations. At the conclusion of this section students will:

• again make the connection between the “greatest commandment” and people living healthy lives
• understand the essential nature of ministries of health, healing and wholeness in our efforts to reach those people groups who as of yet have no witness to Jesus among them
• understand that in order to help others live healthy lives, we ourselves must be living healthy lives in Christ.

 
 
Historical Perspective
Health and Healing from the time of Jesus to the advent of modern medicine - after this session students will:

• understand what Jesus called His followers and His Church to do, regarding helping people live healthy lives, after His departing
• have a perspective on how the early Church attempted to continue the ministry of health, healing and wholeness as Jesus modeled
• recognize where things started to go wrong; when the Church started to give up on this type of ministry
• have an understanding of when trained physicians were first sent out as “missionaries.”  
• understand the genesis of the modern hospital movement and that of the nursing profession

The Christian global health movement from the 19th century to the present time - after this session students will:

• understand how the modern Protestant “medical missions” movement began
• understand the roots of the dualism/reductionism that came to dominate even Christian medical missions activities (this likely goes back further than the 19th century, but I put it here just to start the conversation)
• appreciate the contribution Christians made to what has become known as Primary health care
• appreciate the scope of the work done by countless health care projects around the world in the 20th century
• have a thorough understanding of the history of the Christian Medical Commission and reasons why it has faded in significance
• understand the various global strategies for helping people live healthy lives (global health, oneHealth, international health, community health, public health, etc)

Cultural Aspects
Worldview, values and culture. Impact on the health of people/people groups. At the conclusion of this session students will:

• understand worldview, beliefs, values, and how they shape people's behavior and how this impacts their health (includes some study of world religions)
• understand why it has been so difficult helping people change behavior that leads to unhealthy living
• have an appreciation for the shortcomings of their own culture and how they can overcome these
• appreciate the importance of cultural intelligence when serving cross-culturally and have knowledge of how to become culturally intelligent
• understand the main culture of secular agencies working in global health

 
Present and Future Strategies
Helping the Church understand HEALTH from a biblical perspective. At the conclusion of this lesson students will:

• understand why most of the Church’s global health efforts are more like secular non-Christian efforts than like the model Christ demonstrated in His ministry (I know this one will raise some ire in some minds but I truly think this is the case)
• understand why our efforts are still hampered by a dualistic/reductionistic understanding of health which then causes our health initiatives to often fall short
• appreciate why seminaries and bible colleges play such a key role in overcoming our present hindrances.
• appreciate the need for truly Christ centered health sciences programs
• understand the present situation in their own context as to how health is understood and how the general population seeks to live a healthy life
• understand the global initiatives that seek to help people/nations live healthier lives
• understand the shortcomings of non-Christ centered efforts presently

Local churches as community centers for Whole Person Care. At the conclusion of this lesson students will:

• understand the crucial role local churches should be playing in caring for the whole person
• understand the nature of the local church as a healing community
• have knowledge of locations where WPC is being conducted by local churches.
• appreciate the crucial role of the multidisciplinary team in caring for the whole person and how the church can provide for such care in their communities

Strengthening and expansion of Christian health services globally. At the conclusion of this lesson students will:

• have an understanding of the present situation regarding “mission” hospitals globally and why they are still crucial to our desire to help people live healthy lives in Christ
• have knowledge as to the major Christian entities working at the Community Health level.
• appreciate the gap that exists, and have strategies to overcome this gap between those involved in CH/PHC and secondary and tertiary care facilities.
• understand the problem of unhealthy dependency, how it stifles development and how to overcome this massive problem
• appreciate the threat that secular global health efforts present to those seeking to see Kingdom of God expanded to all peoples
• appreciate the potential for working in cooperation/coordination of activities with non-Christian healthcare entities
• appreciate the importance of “systems thinking” and its application to Christian global health efforts
• appreciate the need for multidisciplinary input for overcoming health challenges among the least reached and most unhealthy populations (here I am getting at the potential development of health innovation hubs globally)

Christian health services (in the broadest sense) and finishing the task. At the conclusion of this lesson students will:

• understand the link between understanding health from a biblical perspective (as caring for the whole person, mind/body/spirit) and the mandate to reach all peoples with the Gospel (since we acknowledge our health depends on the status of our spiritual, mental and physical well-being, then it seems true that our spiritual condition is of the highest priority. If 7000 people groups have no witness to Christ within them, then they have no chance of living a healthy life)
  
• appreciate the crucial need for having addressing the health needs of the people as a central theme in all efforts at reaching unreached people groups.