Ellen G White and the Use of Medicine: A Contextual Review

Bangwato Sikwa Ramabu, MD

Abstract

Ellen G White, an acknowledgedpioneer of the Advent Movement that gave birth to the current Seventh-day Adventist Church, is hailed as a true prophetess of our time. She wrote extensively on various religious subjects such as spirituality, church community and Christian living.But she also wrote much about the human body, as a wonderful gift from God the Creator, its care, use and preservation in spite of the sinful world we live in. As one not trained in the field of medicine, yet highly acclaimed to see visions and receive instructions from God on the subject of human health, she has made many statements that have invitedcritical analysis, even controversial debates at times. The use of her books as medical "Bibles” has led to uprising of some extremist views especially in the interpretations of her views on Medicine and the use of medical implements/derivatives. The question that often arises in this regard is: was Mrs. EG White's instructions on the use of medicine absolutely prohibitive or permissive? In this paper, the author, having looked at the bulk of the publications (and unpublished letters) of Mrs. White on this subject, makes a critical review of the assertions made in light of medical history at the time of her writing and also current available evidence based scientific knowledge. The full library of the EGW center available online was reviewed with specific focus on the topic, for a comprehensive appreciation of the statements made to be true to theircontext. Further research was done in context looking at these statements in line with publications by scientists, historians and medical professionals on the topics under consideration. The results and conclusions are discussed.