This book review is reprinted from The Homoeopath with permission from Nick Churchill of The Society of Homoeopaths.
A Christians Guide to Homaopathy
by Alan Crook, MA,
MCH, RSHom.
1996, 85 pages soft back
Reviewed by Allen Warren
The author comes from a Methodist background and is a local
preacher and a counsellor. He qualified first as a teacher and
later re-qualified as a homoeopath. He brings these skills
together to examine in a scholarly manner a fascinating, if
contentious, subject.
He outlines these reasons for writing this book which
revolve around Christians; responsibility to care for the health
of their bodies and souls. He comments that some Christians
object to homoeopathy and certain other therapies on the
grounds that they are occult, satanic, oriental, resemble
witchcraft, and so on. He explains in non-technical language
what homoeopathy is, how it developed, how it works and
what it can do. He defines 'vital force' and 'energy medicine'
and the differences from (conventional) biochemical medicine;
these touch on the spiritual and arcane. In discussing the
scientific aspects of homoeopathy he raises the question of why
the substance and effects of homoeopathic remedies cannot be
measured and quantified in the accepted ways. Galileo's words
about measuring the measurable and making the
unmeasurable measurable are apposite, especially in the light
of Dr Jacques Benveniste's work. In discussing the objections
raised by conventional (Orthodox/allopathic) medicine against
homoeopathy, albeit rather tartly, an unfortunate bias has crept
in. The point is not made that conventional medicine and
surgery have progressed from dangerous empiricism, which
caused concern to Paracelsus and Hahnemann in their days, to
sophisticated science based on sound physiology and the like.
That some drugs and procedures are not without danger is as
relevant as it was in Paracelsus' and Hahnemann's times.
Likewise, the dismissive attitude that homoeopathic treatment
is a 'placebo response' and not based on sound science and
principles is equally dangerous.
Any fears that Christians may have in using homoeopathy
are well and truly assuaged by reference to the scriptures and
their examples of healing. The occult, satanic and devilish
ideas, especially those connected with the Orient are well
debunked, as are efforts to drag in the New Age, astrology,
Freemasonry and some chemical similes to denigrate
homoeopathy.
There is the comforting thought, whatever one's religious
or moral persuasion may be, that homoeopathy can be of
benefit so long as it is applied by someone who knows what
he/she is doing.
Five appendices give technical details of the preparation of
homoeopathic remedies, the biophysical research of F A Popp
of Kaiserslauten, Germany (the author is also a linguist),
specimen answers to awkward questions, a list of technical
terms with useful addresses and finally a conclusion based on
one of St Paul's writings. All go to make an interesting book of
value to Christians and to adherents to other faiths as well.
The Homoeopath No. 63 1996