Anglican Rites of Healing

Abstract An examination of Anglican rites of healing, from the first visitation offices to more recent services of healing, illustrates the ways in which Anglicans over time have understood sickness and suffering. This chapter considers the purpose of sacramental healing as it relates to Christ’s saving ministry. It explores such questions as: What is the role of the individual and the worshipping community in pastoral care of the sick? What part does modern medicine play in the spiritual care of the faithful? Does exorcism have a place in the church’s ministry of healing? The reader is encouraged to look not just at the history of the church’s healing rites, but at the underlying spirituality they express through word, touch, and anointing. Considering different Anglican Prayer Books, the chapter explores the roles of clergy and laity and the theology and circumstances that have helped shape Anglican liturgies of unction.