This book review is reprinted with the permission of the National Center for Homeopathy
A Christian's Guide to Homeopathy
by Alan Crook, MA, MCH, RSHom
London, 85 pages, paperback, $9.95.
Reviewed by Julian Winston
Ian Crook is a homeopath registered with the Society of Homoeopaths in the UK. Since 1964 he has been the preacher at his local Methodist church. In the introduction of this book he tells of his mother showing him a book entitled Homeopathy by Dr. H.J. Bopp of Switzerland. The book attacked homeopathy as "dangerous" and "occult." Over the years many people talked to Crook about the subject, and his book, A Christian's Guide to Homeopathy, grew out of these discussions.
The issue is a very real one. Not long ago there was a discussion about the very topic on the lyghtforce homeopathy Internet list. It started when a practitioner wanted to know how to discuss homeopathy with patients who have been told, through their church or religious literature, that homeopathy is "anti-Christian" because it is "occult" and "New Age." Dr. Bopp says: "Homeopathy is dangerous. It is quite contrary to the teaching of the Word of God. It willingly favors healing through substances made dynamic, that is to say, charged with occult forces. Homeopathic treatment is the fruit of a philosophy and religion that are at the same time Hinduistic, pantheistic, and esoteric ... The occult influence in homeopathy is transmitted to the individual, bringing him consciously and unconsciously under demonic influence."
It is to counter thinking like this that Alan Crook has written his book. He does an admirable job explaining homeopathy in a very clear manner. He follows this explanation with two chapters: "Objections to Homeopathy: (I)Allopathic views" and "Objections to Homeopathy: (II) Christian views." Pointing out that most of the Christian, anti-homeopathic literature is from the pens of allopathic doctors, he questions the initial bias, and points out the areas of conflict in the first of the two chapters.
Crook points out the fallacy of equating homeopathy with "non-Chistian faiths"; some draw conclusions that since homeopathy is widely used in a country like India that it must be anti-Christian. He points out that allopathic medicine is also used in India and no such accusations are brought against it.
To further discuss the book here would be getting too involved in the very work the book is about. Serve it to say that Crook's book is a beautiful exposition of the value of homeopathy and the reasons why it should be acceptable to those of the Christian faith.
There is one analogy that he uses, and credits to Thorwld Dethlefsen, that was truly inspired. When the argument is presented that if one were to chemically analyze different homeopathic remedies on granules, one would find all the granules identical- therefore it is fraudulent to sell them as "different remedies," he suggests that a chemical laboratory analysis of two recording tapes would find them to be identical as well-even though they held different music. "Those who investigate physical phenomena of any kind must be careful to select the appropriate method," says Crook.
If you know people who query you about the "occult" nature of homeopathy, and tell you that it is the work of the devil, have them read this book. It is a book that certainly needed to be written and should be read by all.
September 1998
Homeopathy Today