Healing Power of the Christian Mind, The: How Biblical Truth Can Keep You Healthy [Paperback]

William Backus (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1998

A remarkable study that shows how dwelling on God's Word enhances your immune system and provides a crucial link to good health.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. William Backus is founder of the Center for Christian Psychological Services, and an ordained clergyman in the Lutheran church. He is also a licensed Consulting Psychologist. He has a master's degree in theology from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Minnesota.



Dr. Backus has conducted follow-up studies of his clients, which show a 95 percent improvement rate, compared to a 67 percent success rate for other methods of therapy. The difference, Dr. Backus says, is "the truth of God as revealed in the Word."



In addition, he serves as an assistant pastor on the staff of North Heights Lutheran Church, Roseville, Minnesota, where he has founded and directed a lay-staffed free counseling clinic. He and his wife live in Minnesota.

Product Details

• Paperback: 188 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (May 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764221019
• ISBN-13: 978-0764221019
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #361,580 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Biblical and Balanced Approach to the Topic, July 27, 2001

By 

Cameron B. Clark (Bristow, Virginia United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Healing Power of the Christian Mind, The: How Biblical Truth Can Keep You Healthy (Paperback)

This book provides a biblical and balanced approach to an otherwise misunderstood and controversial topic: the healing power of the human mind. Dr. Backus is aware of the misunderstandings, especially among Christians, that cloud the issue so he renders due cautions and clarifications during his exposition. Although he believes that miracles and instant healings through prayer do happen today, he distinguishes between a supernatural healing (a miracle) which is entirely an act of God and the natural process of healing which involves our cooperating with God to create a healthy inner life based upon truth, especially and ultimately God's truth revealed in the Bible. He disagrees with those Christians who think that God always wills the healing of our bodies here on earth and think that healing always happens if the person praying has "enough faith" (pg. 110). These same Christians usually "see God's promise to preserve the health of his people, as recorded in Exodus and Deuteronomy, as a pledge to perform miracles routinely" and "think that by 'claiming' these promises they can unleash miracle-power as if by magic from heaven" (pg. 51). Instead, Dr. Backus believes that "the Exodus and Deuteronomy promises assume that God's people will live in a relaxed state of trust - a state of inner peace and rest and obedience" (pgs. 51 - 52).

Dr. Backus also distinguishes between spiritually unhealthy false religions (including New Age and Mind Science cults) and the scientific (and Biblical!) fact that "your health and your healing can be made better or worse by what you do with your mind" (pg. 63). Regarding "positive thinking," he asserts: "If you must choose between a positive thought and a true thought, always choose what is true." He adds: "Sometimes truth has a negative effect - angering us, causing grief, frightening us. But the whole truth transforms those negatives into positives, because God turns evil into good. When you tell yourself the whole truth you don't deny pain or illness, you defeat it" (pg. 129). He gives examples of "illicit positive thinking" that deny reality and also gives examples of confronting negative reality with positive culmination (the "whole" biblical truth) that brings hope and can contribute to one's physical healing. Dr. Backus clearly points out that "most diseases do not result from a single causal factor" and that "even so-called 'terminal' illnesses are not, in themselves, sufficient to cause death. Nutrition, exercise, and rest make a significant difference, as does a sense of belonging to a group of other people" (pg. 53). Also, renewing our minds with Christian truth as taught in the Bible promotes healing; hence, the (revised) title of the book: The Healing Power of a CHRISTIAN Mind.

Although many of the health principles expounded in this book are natural and supported by scripture, Dr. Backus also promotes prayer and the possibility of supernatural healing from God. I highly recommend this book. It is practical, easy to read, and lifts one's spirit with the biblical hope that grounds the Christian gospel.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Healing Power of a Christian Mind, June 27, 2004

By 

Suzanne P. Turner (Huntland, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Healing Power of the Christian Mind, The: How Biblical Truth Can Keep You Healthy (Paperback)

I am currently fighting cancer. Someone handed me this book and it has been great in helping me keep my focus on Jesus Christ the one who has my life in His hands and the one who is calling me to LIVE LIFE, even as I battle with this cancer. The book has been a tremendous help to me and I have been passing it on to other fellow cancer strugglers. Praise God for he shows us life and the miracles in them each day that He gives us! Thanks so much for writting this book Dr. Backus!