Orthodox Healing. Reader

Orthodox healing is the care for the health of parishioners, carried out by priests who incorporate medical ministry into their daily pastoral activities. In Russia, at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 20th centuries, spiritual leaders acquired medical knowledge through self-education as well as in spiritual seminaries. In the 20th century, under the influence of socio-political circumstances, the tradition of Orthodox healing was virtually destroyed, but has notably been revived in the present time, especially in the field of psychology. This reader contains texts mostly published in pre-revolutionary church newspapers. They are thematically divided into five categories: prescriptions and sermons, the activities of priest-physicians, cases of healing, recommendations and healing books written by priests, explanations and discussions about treatment. The appendix includes simple medical guides written by scholars to assist priests and literate peasants.