THE CHURCH AND MENTAL HEALING
By Ellis Roberts
The object of this paper is to show and
comment on the present attitude of the
Church of England, and of the Churches
in communion with her, towards psychic
healing: but it may be advisable to remove
at the outset one or two misconceptions.
With the theory and practice of the Church
in this country before the Reformation I am
not now concerned. It did not differ essentially
from that of the Churches on the Continent.
But it should be noticed that a large number
of centres for psychic healing, spiritual
hospitals, if one may use the term, were
removed by the destruction of shrines. In
the medieval Church the healer, with his
specific charisma, was generally one who
was reputed a saint; and usually he healed
more people after his death than before.
The curious in this matter may consult the
