Healthy Human Life: A Biblical Witness

Health is Gods original created intent: whole persons healthy relationships a thriving environment and ongoing interaction with himself. In the Bible human health is body-based community-based and deeply integrated in a relationship with Gods creating Spirit. The Pentateuch prophets writings Gospels and epistles all are deeply if not primarily concerned with the ongoing and ultimate health of Gods good creation. Scripture also has a wide perspective on the disruption of human health. It deals with the human tendency to violence corruption and self-destructive behaviors. The recently renewed interest in health vitality and spirituality of all kinds has led to this articulation of a biblical spirituality in relation to human health. Surprisingly when we look for spirituality in the Bible we find real and embodied relationships. Everyone is for health and for the restoration of health. But what are health and healing? How does the Bible describe or define them? Here is the result of ten years of conversations with health care professionals in a masters course on biblical perspectives on health and healing. The biblical witness can transform the way we practice the healing arts. This book provides a biblical foundation for health and its restoration. This is a rare book a theologically savvy solidly biblical and deeply integrative contribution to faith and health. Grounded especially in Old Testament Scripture this profound study of embodied human health will challenge and inform anyone involved in health care professions churches and theological study of the human person. --Joel B. Green professor of New Testament Interpretation at Fuller Theological Seminary Bruckner a seasoned biblical scholar offers here a teaching book in the best sense--one that students of the Bible those in the healing professions and general readers will turn to for its wisdom and its scholarly theological pastoral and human insights. The book inevitably becomes an outline of biblical theology as a whole as a careful study of biblical healing must. The God of the Bible is a God of healing and Bruckners book helps us meet and know that God. --Frederick J. Gaiser professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary James K. Bruckner is Professor of Old Testament at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. He is the author of commentaries on Exodus (2008) and on Jonah Nahum Habakkuk and Zephaniah (2004) as well as of Implied Law in the Abraham Narrative (2001).