"Anointing the sick" : the rediscovery of an old rite within the Evangelical Church in Germany

Abstract

In the Evangelical Church in Germany a ritual that faded into virtual meaninglessness in the course of the Reformation, the “anointing of the sick”, has been rediscovered. This article traces the meaning and interpretation of the anointing ritual in broad outline throughout the centuries. Focal points here are Luther’s position on the anointing and the prescribed steps of the ritual. The article proceeds chronologically, beginning with the period up to the Reformation. This is followed by an overview of the period up to the conceptualisation of the programme “ministering to the sick” in the twentieth century. In conclusion the formula “blessing the sick [with anointing]” is discussed in detail and analysed from different perspectives.