Monastic Medicine: A Unique Dualism Between Natural Science and Spiritual Healing

Unique Dualism Between Natural Science and Spiritual Healing Benjamin C. Silverman In the early Middle Ages, the excessive prevalence of illness and disease guided the practice and development of medical care. As a result of poor living conditions and the technical inadequacies of medieval medicine, disease was a constant menace in Europe and often controlled people’s daily lives. In response to illness in general and to large-scale epidemics of dreaded diseases such as plague, leprosy, and influenza in particular, individuals and societies began searching for new, more effective means of medical practice. In this context, medicine expanded into a large and important occupation and encompassed a variety of professional and folk practices, ranging from natural, physical-based medicine to religious medicine, magical medicine, and herbalism [1].