spirit and healing in africa - University of the Free State

affirmation of life, creating a strong anthropocentric emphasis in Moltmann’s approach to
healing: healing as a gift leads to healing as a charge (cf. 1992:174). Moltmann is very clear
about his anthropocentric approach. However, the question remains: what kind of healing, what
kind of transformation does he have in mind? In addition, when Moltmann speaks about the
body and its transfiguration, there is noticeable hesitance to set out clear lines for the theme of
physicality in relation to healing. His theological articulations on physical healing focus mainly
on wholeness and reverence for life. What is still missing, however, is an elaboration on the
meaning and the calling of the believer with not only a transformed view of the self, but with a
transfigured body. Moltmann translates God’s salvation into an anthropocentric participation
without clarifying how God’s salvation is actualized in the life of the believer.
In summary, it can be said that Moltmann’s theological views on healing constitute a refreshing
contribution to the reflection on healing within Reformed theology, if only because he is one of
the few Reformed theologians who made an effort to move beyond the Reformed embarrassment
surrounding the subject of healing. However, it must be said that his perceptions of healing as
transfiguration and as charisma are not clearly defined. On the one hand, healing is something
that has to do with a transformation within the believer; on the other hand, healing is the
vocation of the believer who has the responsibility to affirm life. How Moltmann views the
tangible transformation of the believer is not fully explicated in his approach. In addition, it is
also not clear why Moltmann elaborates explicitly on the charisma of healing, when all other
forms of life are also viewed in the service of the kingdom already. What then is the exact
meaning of healing? In a sense, Moltmann, as a representative of modern Reformed theology,
reveals a weak spot in Reformed thought about healing: the relation between faith, healing and
the body.
6.2.6 Michael Welker
Michael Welker (1947) is another German Reformed theologian with an international influence.
His contributions address, among others, themes such as the work of the Holy Spirit, creation,
and the relation between theology and natural sciences. In his publication God the Spirit (1994),
Welker presents a very distinct and intriguing approach to the work of the Holy Spirit. As
opposed to other pneumatological models, he prefers a postmodern frame of reference in order to
rediscover the powerful dynamics of the Spirit’s presence in this world (1994:40). His distinctive
approach is also reflected in some other contributions on pneumatology (see for example Welker
1989:5-20; 2006b:221-232; 2007:236-248).
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