faith healing
C1Formal, Religious, Alternative Medicine
Definition
Meaning
A form of healing or treatment that relies on spiritual or religious faith rather than medical science.
Any attempt to treat illness or injury through prayer, religious ritual, or the power of belief, often involving a healer who acts as a conduit for divine power.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Typically refers to an organized practice or event, not just personal prayer for healing. Often carries connotations of belief in the supernatural.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is identical in spelling and core meaning. The cultural contexts and prevalence of practitioners may differ.
Connotations
In both varieties, it can have neutral, positive (among believers), or skeptical/negative connotations (from a scientific viewpoint).
Frequency
Similar frequency. More likely to appear in discussions of religion, alternative therapies, or cultural anthropology.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] practises/believes in faith healing.[Subject] turned to faith healing for [ailment].Faith healing is based on [principle].Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A leap of faith (related conceptually)”
- “To take it on faith”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in contexts like 'the faith healing industry' or 'wellness tourism'.
Academic
Used in anthropology, religious studies, sociology of religion, and medical history.
Everyday
Used when discussing alternative treatments, personal beliefs, or news stories about miraculous claims.
Technical
Used in medical ethics debates and studies on the placebo effect or complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Some churches still faith-heal during special services.
- They travelled to Lourdes hoping to be faith-healed.
American English
- The televangelist claims to faith-heal through the power of prayer.
- She had her chronic pain faith-healed at the revival meeting.
adverb
British English
- The community healed faith-healingly, relying on prayer alone. (Extremely rare/awkward)
- N/A
American English
- N/A
- N/A
adjective
British English
- They attended a faith-healing service at the local chapel.
- The faith-healing movement has a long history.
American English
- He runs a popular faith-healing ministry online.
- The book explores faith-healing traditions in Appalachia.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Some people believe in faith healing.
- My grandmother went to a faith healer when she was ill.
- Faith healing is not accepted by most doctors.
- Despite the lack of scientific evidence, faith healing remains popular in some communities.
- The documentary examined the phenomenon of faith healing in different cultures.
- Anthropologists study faith healing as a cultural system of meaning that addresses suffering.
- The efficacy of faith healing is a contentious issue at the intersection of theology, medicine, and psychology.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: FAITH in a higher power + HEALING the body = FAITH HEALING.
Conceptual Metaphor
FAITH IS A MEDICINE / THE SPIRIT IS A PHYSICIAN.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'вера лечение'. The standard term is 'целительство' or 'духовное исцеление'.
- Do not confuse with 'народная медицина' (folk medicine), which may involve herbs, not just faith.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'He is a faith healer doctor.' Correct: 'He is a faith healer.' or 'He is a doctor who also practises faith healing.'
- Incorrect spelling: 'faithhealing' (should be two words or hyphenated: faith-healing).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is most central to the concept of 'faith healing'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly. Faith healing typically involves a specific practice or healer aimed at curing physical illness through faith, whereas prayer can be more general and personal.
Yes, some Christian denominations (e.g., Pentecostals, Charismatics) have rituals or services focused on healing through prayer and laying on of hands. Similar practices exist in other religions.
Mainstream science is skeptical, attributing any perceived successes to the placebo effect, spontaneous remission, or misdiagnosis. It is not considered a substitute for evidence-based medical treatment.
Primarily, yes. It implies a supernatural or spiritual mechanism. The term is sometimes used more loosely for any non-medical healing strongly influenced by belief, but the core concept is religious.