The Word and the Flesh: Religion, Medicine, and Protestant Faith Healing Narratives in North America, 1880-1910

Abstract

In the last two decades of the nineteenth century, a veritable explosion of narratives appeared detailing experiences of faith healing. Because these narratives were written as first-person testimonials to faith healing and published in religious journals, they have been neglected as a potential source for exploring late-Victorian perceptions of medical culture, health, and the body. An examination of Protestant healing testimonials and their relationship to the medical culture of North America between 1880 and 1910 indicates that faith healing was not isolated from broader social trends, nor was it a backward reaction. While medicine attempted to distance itself from religion, these personal narratives bridged the two realms, shaping a new understanding of the body and creating a legitimate space for the expression of a personal voice within the context of a transforming medical culture.