The Christian Herbal Medicine Heritage
Christians have a rich tradition of herbal medicine.
It is important to preserve this heritage and give a place for Christians to find support and fellowship within their chosen profession, without the fear of persecution of having to wade through a myriad of pagan and New Age worldviews. The Christian Herbal Medicine Heritage is the foundation for healing and wellness in western history.
In fact, the early church was heavily involved in the Ministry of Healing. Additionally, much of Greek herbal medicine was preserved and passed on by the early Christians. Here are a couple of quotes detailing the efforts of Christians in preserving this Christian herbal medicine heritage:
[…] the survival of the medical works of both Galen (A.D.130-200) and Celsus (1st Century A.D.) substantiate our observation that the great medical works of antiquity owe their survival to the anti-Gnosticism of ancient Orthodox Christians.
Lazar Puhalo
It was the Byzantine physician and medical encyclopedist Oribasios (A.D. 325-403) who made the works of the famous physician Galen of Pergamum accessible to all medical practitioners in the Roman Empire . His massive medical encyclopedia, The Synopsis, compiled much of the ancient medical knowledge that was so necessary to the continued development of this science.
Lazar Puhalo
After the fall of Rome, the classical Greek medical texts were mainly preserved in Latin translation by the Benedictine monasteries, which were based around a patient infirmary, a herb garden and a library.
R J Petrucelli
The Benedictines had the Galenic school of medicine and the Materia Medica of Dioscorides. They not only preserved the medical knowledge of ancient Rome and Greece, but they continued its development. It is no exaggeration to say that were it not for Saint Benedict, thousands of years of collected knowledge may have been lost and much of the next two thousand years of advancement may not have happened.
Judson Carroll
Judson will be one of the featured speakers at this year’s Christian Herbalist Guild Conference –
Herbal Medicine as Mission – 2023
We are hosting our first annual conference on August 5th, 2023!
This year’s theme is “Herbal Medicine as Mission,” and will feature the following speakers: Vas Avramidis, Charles Riffenburg, Judson Carroll, Steven DiSebastian, and Suzanne Shires.
Register now, to learn how your faith can transfigure your practice.
Register Now! Only $16 for Six Hours worth of Content!
NOTE: Members of the Christian Herbalist Guild have FREE access to the Conference. However, members must still register for the conference. To do so, please login to your account and go to the Conference 2023 page for information on how to register for FREE.
It is clear that Christians have a rich tradition of herbal medicine. Therefore, it is our responsibility as Christians to safeguard and continue to pass on this tradition through practice. To help with this important responsibility, the Christian Herbalist Guild provides you with a safe and supportive environment in which to grow as an herbalist amongst other Christians. Through education, networking opportunities, and professional advancement, the CHG can help you prosper in the field of herbal medicine without having to compromise or hide your faith. Learn how our tradition of herbalism can help to bring healing to people, both Christian and non-Christian alike.
Learn more about the Christian Herbalist Guild here.