The Bible and the Anointing of the Sick: Healing in Christ - Paperback

by Michael Patrick Barber (Author), Timothy C. Gray (Editor), John Sehorn (Editor)

The Catholic Biblical Theology of the Sacraments series provides readers with a deeper appreciation of God's gifts and call in the sacraments through a renewed encounter with God's Word. In this addition to the series, Michael Barber offers a biblical approach to anointing of the sick, drawing from both the Old and New Testaments.

This book unpacks the riches of the Scriptures to explain what true healing in Christ involves. In addition, Barber demonstrates how an exegetical approach to the sacrament can advance our understanding of it. Topics include the biblical significance of oil; the relationship of physical healing and spiritual healing, including the forgiveness of sins; sin and death; Christ as the New Adam; the continuation of Jesus's ministry in the church; the power of sacral anointing; Christ's fulfillment of messianic hopes; and participation in Christ's royal, priestly, and prophetic mission. The book is suitable for classroom use and parish ministry.

Series editors Timothy C. Gray and John Sehorn teach at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology, and Gray is also president of the Augustine Institute.

Back Jacket

Michael Barber offers a biblical theology of the anointing of the sick rooted in the Old and New Testaments.

"Barber's splendid treatment of the biblical foundations of the sacrament of the anointing of the sick demonstrates how this sacrament actualizes the believer's participation in Christ's royal, priestly, and prophetic identity. With scholarly rigor and spiritual sensitivity, Barber presents a deeply compelling proclamation of Christ as the true physician of our souls and bodies."
--Khaled Anatolios, University of Notre Dame

"A much-needed, exhaustive study of the sacrament of anointing of the sick. Taking cues from the traditional biblical markers of James 5 and Mark 6:13, Barber explores the ritual from every aspect, seamlessly integrating the wisdom of Church Fathers with contemporary scholarly insight. Understanding anointing and 'the Anointed One' as the heart of the gospel message, he argues incisively for the sacramental effects of diverse participation in Christ's mission in the world."
--Sherri Brown, Creighton University

"This book on the anointing of the sick, without departing from its first task, emerges delightfully as a biblical theology gathered around its main theme. Readers are treated not only to a masterful exegesis of Mark 6, James 5, and other pertinent texts but also to a biblical, patristic, and ecclesial treatment of interrelated topics--faith and sacrament, sin and death, exile and the mercy of God, sacral and remedial uses of oil, and how those who are ill are anointed witness to their participation in Christ as prophets, priests, and kings. Its deliberate context within Roman Catholic theology and teaching makes it particularly helpful for the Catholic reader, but Orthodox and Protestants will also benefit from Barber's generous and trenchant insights, even where these clarify differences with their own communities."
--Edith M. Humphrey, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (emerita)

Praise for the Catholic Biblical Theology of the Sacraments series

"This excellent series will help Catholics appreciate more and more both the relationship between Word and Sacrament and how the sacraments are grounded in the riches of Scripture."
--Thomas D. Stegman+, SJ, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry

Author Biography

Michael Patrick Barber (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is professor of Sacred Scripture and theology at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology. He is the author of The Historical Jesus and the Temple: Memory, Methodology, and the Gospel of Matthew and the coauthor of Paul, a New Covenant Jew: Rethinking Pauline Theology.