Unbound Book Review: Barber's The Bible and the Anointing of the Sick: Healing in Christ

CBA Welcomes an Unbound Book Review of Michael P. Barber's

The Bible and the Anointing of the Sick:
Healing in Christ

A part of CBA's series of free virtual events which draw together scholars from diverse fields to discuss a recent publication through reflection on specific questions.

In this Unbound Book Review, we will gather to reflect on the following questions:

1) Barber positions this volume as a “Catholic biblical theology of the sacraments,” using the Anointing of the Sick as a test case. What does the book most successfully contribute to contemporary sacramental theology and to biblical theology, and where do you see its most generative openings for further work?

2) Barber emphasizes the sacrament’s role in uniting physical healing, spiritual restoration, and participation in Christ’s suffering. What are the strengths and concerns of this theological approach to suffering? 

3) Barber places significant weight on key biblical passages (e.g., James 5:14–16, Gospel healing narratives, and Old Testament anointing traditions) to argue for continuity between biblical healing practices and the Catholic sacrament. Where does Barber’s approach illuminate the biblical foundations of the sacrament, and where might it risk theological harmonization that outpaces the historical or textual evidence?

After a brief introduction to the book from Michael Barber, we welcome reviews from Kevin Magas, Emily Barnum, and Gary Anderson.