Professor of Religious Studies,
Indiana University Bloomington
Candy Gunther Brown is professor of Religious Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington. She holds a BA, MA, and PhD from Harvard University.
Her research and teaching focus on Christianity, particularly global Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, healing, prayer and the intersection of religion and health. She previously served as assistant professor of American Studies at Saint Louis University and assistant professor of History at Vanderbilt University.
Dr Candy is the author or editor of six books, including Global Pentecostal and Charismatic Healing (Oxford University Press, 2011), Testing Prayer: Science and Healing (Harvard University Press, 2012), The Healing Gods (Oxford University Press, 2013), and Debating Yoga and Mindfulness in Public Schools (University of North Carolina Press, 2019). She is the co-founder of the Global Medical Research Institute and co-executive producer of the television series Miracle on Angel Studios.
Having been involved in various ecumenical dialogues over the past three decades, I have gained some important insights. Much progress has been made, yet the question remains: How can we, despite our diverse histories and identities, live and function as the Church together? Secularising tendencies in our societies that bring about new challenges, especially in the large urban centres. For the sake of a credible Christian witness, we need to be able to address common concerns together. There are fundamental spiritual desires that are not met in a secular context. The Christian churches have the opportunity to respond to these human yearnings, to a void that is felt, and present the Good News of Jesus Christ in relevant ways. Furthermore, as we live in increasingly pluralistic societies, we witness a growing polarisation of attitudes. This is evident in one-sided nationalist agendas and a discourse rooted in fear. The ecumenical work done so far can serve as a bridge for a common Christian witness “so that the world may believe.”