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Jean-Claude Larchet's The Theology of Illness explores biblical and patristic perspectives on sickness and redemptive suffering. The questions Larchet considers are fundamental: the origins of sin in a fallen world, its impact on physical health, and the healing of human nature by the incarnate Son of God. He explains healing as a means of glorifying God, stressing again the crucial role of prayer and sacramental grace in promoting genuine health. When illness plunges us into unfamiliar territory, even to the point of death, Larchet teaches us to marshal spiritual reserves in a society dominated by technology and materialism. In a time when the physician has been dubbed the high priest of the god of Modern Medicine, Larchet encourages us to situate these crucial experiences within the framework of their relationship to the unique reality of the Holy Trinity.
"[This book] offers us fresh insight into the mystery of evil, sin, and illness, and their place within our struggle toward holiness... It gives us renewed hope, by locating the "problem of pain" in a profoundly theological framework, in which ultimate resolution of the mystery of illness and suffering is provided by the healing touch of Christ Himself, the Physician of our souls and bodies."
-- John Breck, from the Foreword
"[This book] offers us fresh insight into the mystery of evil, sin, and illness, and their place within our struggle toward holiness... It gives us renewed hope, by locating the "problem of pain" in a profoundly theological framework, in which ultimate resolution of the mystery of illness and suffering is provided by the healing touch of Christ Himself, the Physician of our souls and bodies."
-- John Breck, from the Foreword
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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338 people want to read
About the author
Jean-Claude Larchet
59 books67 followersJean-Claude Larchet, né le 9 août 1949 à Badonviller (Meurthe-et-Moselle), est un patrologue et théologien orthodoxe français.
Auteur de nombreux ouvrages publiés aux éditions du Cerf et traduits dans dix-neuf langues, il est notamment spécialiste de Maxime le Confesseur.
Auteur de nombreux ouvrages publiés aux éditions du Cerf et traduits dans dix-neuf langues, il est notamment spécialiste de Maxime le Confesseur.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 1, 2015
A short introduction on the topic of illnesses and maladies, as usual Jean-Claude Larchet is a master of organizing various teachings of the fathers when discussing different aspects of eastern orthodox psychotherapy. Those who are interested in his magnum opus Therapy of Spiritual Illness should take a look at this work first.
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"At times, saints are even more afflicted than others. This can be eplained for two basic reasons. The first flows from the nature of the divine economy. We shall see in the next chapter that God, without ever being the cause of sickness and suffering, can nevertheless allow them to occur, and He can use them to further the ill person's spiritual progress as well as to serve the spiritual edification of friends and family members. Raising the question, "Why God allows the saints to bear so many afflictions," St John Chrysostom offers eight different but closely related answers. First, to prevent their sublime virtues and their extraordinary works from inspiring pride. Second, to prevent others from honoring the saints more than they honor other people, regarding them as gods rather than as simple mortals. In the third place, so that the power of the Lord might make a still greater impact, since it is especially in weakness that his power becomes manifest. Fourth, so that the patience of the saints itself might make a greater impression, demonstrating to others that they serve God disinterestedly, with a pure love, since in the midst of their tribulations they remain equally devoted to him. In the fifth place, their suffereing leads us to meditate on the resurrection of the dead; for when one sees a just and virtuous man leave this life only after suffered an infinite number of ills, one can only focus on future judgement which will demonstrate in one's regard the righteousness of God. Sixth, it is so that those who experience adversities might be relieved and consoled by seeing that the holiest of people have experienced the same things and even worse. Seventh, it is so that the sublime character of their actions will not lead the rest of us to think that they were of another nature than ours and that we can in no way imitate them. And eight, it is to teach us what constitutes true happiness and unhappiness: true happiness is to be united with God by a virtuous life, whereas the only true cause of misery is to be seperated from God." pg 47
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"At times, saints are even more afflicted than others. This can be eplained for two basic reasons. The first flows from the nature of the divine economy. We shall see in the next chapter that God, without ever being the cause of sickness and suffering, can nevertheless allow them to occur, and He can use them to further the ill person's spiritual progress as well as to serve the spiritual edification of friends and family members. Raising the question, "Why God allows the saints to bear so many afflictions," St John Chrysostom offers eight different but closely related answers. First, to prevent their sublime virtues and their extraordinary works from inspiring pride. Second, to prevent others from honoring the saints more than they honor other people, regarding them as gods rather than as simple mortals. In the third place, so that the power of the Lord might make a still greater impact, since it is especially in weakness that his power becomes manifest. Fourth, so that the patience of the saints itself might make a greater impression, demonstrating to others that they serve God disinterestedly, with a pure love, since in the midst of their tribulations they remain equally devoted to him. In the fifth place, their suffereing leads us to meditate on the resurrection of the dead; for when one sees a just and virtuous man leave this life only after suffered an infinite number of ills, one can only focus on future judgement which will demonstrate in one's regard the righteousness of God. Sixth, it is so that those who experience adversities might be relieved and consoled by seeing that the holiest of people have experienced the same things and even worse. Seventh, it is so that the sublime character of their actions will not lead the rest of us to think that they were of another nature than ours and that we can in no way imitate them. And eight, it is to teach us what constitutes true happiness and unhappiness: true happiness is to be united with God by a virtuous life, whereas the only true cause of misery is to be seperated from God." pg 47
July 8, 2011
Fantastic book.
"God, in creating human nature, did not introduce suffering into it."
St. Maximos the Confessor
and
"In every illness God speaks to us about our salvation and expresses His will to help us in attaining it." pg. 60.
What a comforting, readable little book. Most of it is now underlined with thoughts I want to go back to again and again.
Although this book focused on bodily illness it gave me a hope and a promise that illness, suffering, and troubles are never in vain.
"God, in creating human nature, did not introduce suffering into it."
St. Maximos the Confessor
and
"In every illness God speaks to us about our salvation and expresses His will to help us in attaining it." pg. 60.
What a comforting, readable little book. Most of it is now underlined with thoughts I want to go back to again and again.
Although this book focused on bodily illness it gave me a hope and a promise that illness, suffering, and troubles are never in vain.
November 25, 2019
Wonderful book about the Christian perspective on dealing with illness.
December 31, 2023
Don’t let the brevity of this book fool you. This is an excellent treatment of a topic that is not often discussed in a theological manner. Larchet, an Orthodox philosopher and theologian, gets more out of 130 or so pages than most theologians get out of twice as many pages. There is plenty of Scripture that underscores the theological reality of illness, Christ as healer of both body and soul, and heaven as the place where illness and disease are finally eradicated. Also of note is the exploration of the church fathers and their impact on both medicine and hospitals. Larchet is holistic in his theological understanding of illness. This approach is welcome in a culture where we compartmentalize the human being and treat only the most obvious part of the illness while failing to consider how that illness impacts every part of the human being.
March 6, 2025
As someone with several small children, I’ve realized illness is something that is and will be part of our lives-- frequently, and for years to come. I reached for this book because I found myself viewing sickness as something to be avoided at all costs and subtly believing the world’s narrative that health is an ultimate good. I prayed the Lord would guide my husband and me to good resources that would transform our perspective in light of our faith that God can use all things for our good and His glory. This book delivered.
Written from an Orthodox perspective and laden with references from church fathers and mothers, this slim yet substantial book acknowledges the unique suffering of illness and explores its origins, reminding us that we are all marked by sin and, therefore, life “is by its very nature a temporary staying of death” (p.9). Larchet then expands our perspective to accept we are not just bodies but also spiritual beings and should be treated as such, especially in sickness. “The struggle against illness indirectly constitutes a part of the larger struggle one is called to assume against the powers of evil” (p.81). God does not cause illness, but He can and does use it to attain “abundant and eternal joy” (p. 57) when we surrender to His will and see it as an opportunity to strengthen our faith, practice patience, gain humility, repent and pray. The final section walks through the Christian paths towards healing, including “secular” medicine. The author thoroughly explores Jesus’s healing ministry and notes that, “far from being resigned or indifferent in the face of illness, Christ revealed clearly, by healing those who came to him, that illness is undesirable” (p. 81).
One of the most challenging statements for me to read was: “By systematically requesting that he be healed, the ill person merely seeks the fulfillment of his own will, because the human will always desire the lessening of pain and suffering” (p. 73). While the author does later posit that we should pray and seek healing, he encourages the reader to also suffuse our prayers in times of illness with requests for endurance, a spirit of thanksgiving, and requests that our will be aligned with the Lord’s.
Adam’s original sin had roots in trying to live like God. Despite living like gods compared to past generations, our society aims to attain even more perfect health -- which has roots in the same motivation. “Without a doubt, these attitudes bear witness to the positive aspirations that are deeply rooted in human nature: that man might escape death, which he rightly considers as foreign to his true nature…” (p.12). In light of this, The Theology of Illness is a practical guidebook that demonstrates “sickness and suffering can and should be spiritually transcended and transfigured in Christ” (p. 79) even in the world’s currently fallen state -- praise the Lord for that! May it be so.
Written from an Orthodox perspective and laden with references from church fathers and mothers, this slim yet substantial book acknowledges the unique suffering of illness and explores its origins, reminding us that we are all marked by sin and, therefore, life “is by its very nature a temporary staying of death” (p.9). Larchet then expands our perspective to accept we are not just bodies but also spiritual beings and should be treated as such, especially in sickness. “The struggle against illness indirectly constitutes a part of the larger struggle one is called to assume against the powers of evil” (p.81). God does not cause illness, but He can and does use it to attain “abundant and eternal joy” (p. 57) when we surrender to His will and see it as an opportunity to strengthen our faith, practice patience, gain humility, repent and pray. The final section walks through the Christian paths towards healing, including “secular” medicine. The author thoroughly explores Jesus’s healing ministry and notes that, “far from being resigned or indifferent in the face of illness, Christ revealed clearly, by healing those who came to him, that illness is undesirable” (p. 81).
One of the most challenging statements for me to read was: “By systematically requesting that he be healed, the ill person merely seeks the fulfillment of his own will, because the human will always desire the lessening of pain and suffering” (p. 73). While the author does later posit that we should pray and seek healing, he encourages the reader to also suffuse our prayers in times of illness with requests for endurance, a spirit of thanksgiving, and requests that our will be aligned with the Lord’s.
Adam’s original sin had roots in trying to live like God. Despite living like gods compared to past generations, our society aims to attain even more perfect health -- which has roots in the same motivation. “Without a doubt, these attitudes bear witness to the positive aspirations that are deeply rooted in human nature: that man might escape death, which he rightly considers as foreign to his true nature…” (p.12). In light of this, The Theology of Illness is a practical guidebook that demonstrates “sickness and suffering can and should be spiritually transcended and transfigured in Christ” (p. 79) even in the world’s currently fallen state -- praise the Lord for that! May it be so.
January 9, 2025
Larchet writes to, in a way, "win back" illness and healing from materialistic and modern technological medicine towards spiritual dimensions as what he calls "the Physician of our souls and bodies...[from] physicians the new priest of modern times, a king who holds over them the power of life or death, and a prophet of their ultimate destiny."
Larchet cites early church fathers (St. John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nyssa, etc.) to highlight illness as a consequence of the fall, the redemptive roles of suffering, and the church as a healing and salvific community.
I don't disagree with this premise nor [most of] the content of his writing. However, the overly theoretical and paternalistic (lots of "should's" and "ought's") tone coupled with limited engagement with postmodern pluralistic contexts makes his book unnecessarily strange to most ears. It is filled with purposeful ambiguities that, if not read carefully, are seen as inconsistencies.
The epitome of the book, the sense that illness often brings on a spiritual pursuit to find meaning and seek God's presence within the lived context of the disease, and that modern approaches both steal that opportunity and neglect it via the total reliance placed upon the medical practitioner to engage said illness, is a powerful call for contemporary medicine to reposition the patient towards the agency of their own story- and the encouragement to write one.
I just wish that important message was not buried beneath Maximus and Barsanuphius.
Larchet cites early church fathers (St. John Chrysostom, Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nyssa, etc.) to highlight illness as a consequence of the fall, the redemptive roles of suffering, and the church as a healing and salvific community.
I don't disagree with this premise nor [most of] the content of his writing. However, the overly theoretical and paternalistic (lots of "should's" and "ought's") tone coupled with limited engagement with postmodern pluralistic contexts makes his book unnecessarily strange to most ears. It is filled with purposeful ambiguities that, if not read carefully, are seen as inconsistencies.
The epitome of the book, the sense that illness often brings on a spiritual pursuit to find meaning and seek God's presence within the lived context of the disease, and that modern approaches both steal that opportunity and neglect it via the total reliance placed upon the medical practitioner to engage said illness, is a powerful call for contemporary medicine to reposition the patient towards the agency of their own story- and the encouragement to write one.
I just wish that important message was not buried beneath Maximus and Barsanuphius.
March 19, 2020
It really changed my view of the meaning of illness. Until I read the book I thought that illnesses have just a negative meaning in the sense of a divine punishment for our sins with the whole purpose to make us suffer and repent. But I didn't understand how a God of love and kindness would do such a thing. It appeared somehow that God is also the cause of evil If it let it happen. However, now I understand that God is NOT the cause of evil, but it may allow it with the purpose to help us progress in our spiritual journey. Like a father who doesn't allow his children when they are very young to go out after the sunset. Of course, the child would see the parent as a bad person, but the parent do what it's best for his children. However, the task of the child should be to find out the meaning of the suffering he's experiencing and try to overcome it without hating God for it. Nevertheless, the illness is not something we should want in our life, but if it happens we should strive not to despair and trust the Lord that it's for our own good, We just don't know it yet.
December 22, 2022
My third Jean-Claude Larchet book, and the second in his area of specialty. The author focuses on the problem of Illness and healing in the Orthodox Christian tradition form the early Christian Patristic source. A brief book, well written, and sourced. The author talks about such interesting questions as. "If Christ has successfully came in the world and saved humanity, then why do we still get sick and die?" The book is divided into three parts. The first on about the origin and state of the world that has illness in it. The second on the meaning physical sickness has to believers. The last on views and methods on the healing of sickness. The book is clear and not over obfuscated in terms and conjecture. If you have any interest in the topic addressed you would gain much prophet from reading this book.
January 7, 2025
Decent-- mostly helpful in that it compiles the writings of church fathers and does a tasty bit of compare and contrast, but felt a bit sporadic (jumping centuries), and there wasn't any theologically transforming ideas-- otherwise a good, broad strokes way to start engaging with early Christian theological ideas of illness and suffering. Understanding health as a mediator for a relationship between the creature and creator is something I will take away (pulling from Irenaeus' and Origen's concepts of human nature/embodiment).
January 16, 2023
A well-footnoted overview of the Patristics’ and Greek church Fathers’ understanding of the meaning behind illness, disability, death, and the proper role of physicians and medicine. One of my big takeaways is that many contemporary Christian discourses about medicine were already being hashed out in the 2nd-4th centuries. The tenor of these arguments, and the various cases for and against engagement with secular medicine, have largely stayed consistent across thousands of years, surprisingly.
May 19, 2020
Larchet analyzes the spiritual and physical aspects of the body, the soul, sin and death, illness, and healing.
Much of this book is dripping with patristic wisdom. It is also hylomorphic -- the human person is a body/soul composite.
Fantastic exploration into how Christians ought to view illness, suffering, and health.
Much of this book is dripping with patristic wisdom. It is also hylomorphic -- the human person is a body/soul composite.
Fantastic exploration into how Christians ought to view illness, suffering, and health.
June 25, 2019
Most excellent book about what the Church Fathers thought and wrote about illness.
March 31, 2020
A must read book to understand Orthodox view of illness, written by a patristics scholar. Filled with patristic references.
May 22, 2025
Alright… A pretty boring read that I feel is missing a lot of practicality and compassion
he says that we shouldn't pray to be healed, rather for what is spiritually beneficial… Can't imagine telling that to someone who is sick… Nor is that how we pray… And then he backtracks and says the opposite
he says illness is caused by our sins, but does not think at all how that thinking would affect the treatment of sick people or the stigma around it...
he says that we shouldn't pray to be healed, rather for what is spiritually beneficial… Can't imagine telling that to someone who is sick… Nor is that how we pray… And then he backtracks and says the opposite
he says illness is caused by our sins, but does not think at all how that thinking would affect the treatment of sick people or the stigma around it...
January 28, 2015
some very good reflections on the practical and spiritual meaning of illness in our lives.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews