Unction, Anointing with Oil

Unction is another term for anointing. The oil may be called chrism. Early Christian usage

In early Christian times, sick people were anointed for healing to take place:
James 5:14-15
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Mark 6:13
13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

Early Gnostic usage

Many early apocryphal and Gnostic texts indicate that anointing was part of the baptismal process, and in fact that the baptism with water (Johns baptism) is incomplete. The Gospel of Philip states; "The Chrism is superior to baptism, for it is from the word "Chrism" that we have been called "Christians", certainly not because of the word "baptism." And it from the "Chrism" that the "Christ" has his name. For the Father anointed the Son, and the Son anointed the apostles, and the apostles anointed us. He who has been anointed possesses everything. He possesses the Resurrection, the Light, the Cross, the Holy Spirit. The Father gave him this in the bridal chamber, he merely accepted the gift. The Father was in the Son and the Son in the Father. This is the Kingdom of Heaven." In the Acts of Thomas the anointing is in fact the beginning of the baptismal process and essential to becoming a "Christian." It claims that God knows his own children by his seal, and that we shall receive the seal by the oil. Many such baptisms/Chrismations are described in detail throughout the text.


Orthodox usage

In the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches, Confirmation is known as Chrismation—from the Greek word chrisma (χρίσμα), meaning the medium and act of anointing. The Eastern Churches perform the Mystery of Chrismation immediately after the Mystery of Baptism during the same ceremony, even in the case of infant baptism, using the sacred myron (chrism) which they believe contains a remnant of oil blessed by the Twelve Apostles. This myron may be added to as needed, usually at a ceremony held on Holy Thursday at one of the Patriarchal Cathedrals. The new myron contains olive oil, myrrh, and numerous spices and perfumes. This myron is normally kept on the Holy Table (altar) or on the Table of Oblation. During Chrismation, the newly illuminate (i.e., newly baptized) person is anointed by making the sign of the cross with the myron on the forehead, eyes, nostrils, lips, both ears, breast, hands and feet. The priest uses a special brush for this purpose.

The oil that is used to anoint the catechumens before baptism is simple olive oil which is blessed by the priest immediately before he pours it into the baptismal font. Then, using his fingers, he takes some of the blessed oil floating on the surface of the baptismal water and anoints the catechumen on the forehead, breast, shoulders, ears, hands and feet. He then immediately baptizes the catechumen with threefold immersion in the name of the Trinity.

Anointing of the sick is called the Sacred Mystery of Unction. Although practices will vary, most of the Orthodox use Unction not only for physical ailments, but for spiritual ailments as well, and the faithful may request Unction any number of times at will. In some churches, it is normal for all of the faithful to receive Unction during a service on Holy Wednesday of Holy Week. The holy oil used at Unction is not stored in the church like the myron, but consecrated anew for each individual service. When an Orthodox Christian dies, if he has received the Mystery of Unction, and some of the consecrated oil remains, it is poured over his body just before burial.

It is also common to bless using oils which have been blessed either with a simple blessing by a priest (or even a venerated monastic or layperson), or by contact with some sacred object, such as relics of a saint, or which has been taken from an oil lamp burning in front of a wonderworking icon or some other shrine.


1 John 2:27
27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

What Happened to Christian Anointing - How Did We Lose it in History?

By the Middle Ages, anointing in the Christian church was pretty much the prerogative of a male catholic priesthood. Rules had been set down on who could and could not anoint. Unlike the early Christian era where laypeople-both men and women could use essential oils to anoint for healing-that role was now in the hands of the ordained priests who were by then only men. Anointing for healing had become a sacrament of the church and the oil used was "symbolic" at best.

After the Reformation in the 1500's the laying-on of hands and anointing along with its required donations fell into disfavor among most of the new Christian denominations and the use of blessed oils and many other Christian rituals were discarded.

The Roman Catholic Church continued its practice of blessed oil for this final anointing even though the true meaning of anointing for healing of physical and spiritual health appeared to be lost. The sacrament of anointing became "extreme unction" performed by the priest at one's final breath.

The Anglican Church allowed for anointing in the visitation of the sick. Anointing was limited to the forehead and breast in contrast to the sevenfold anointing (eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands, feet and heart) practiced to that date.

For most of the reformers, anointing was interpreted as the "inward anointing of the Spirit." They believed that the external rite, although acceptable in the first century, was no longer needed. There were occasional justifications for anointing of the sick, but they were almost apologetic in tone as they protested Roman abuse of unction.

It was actually not until the last 40 years, a lapse of over 500 years, that a renewed interest in the healing power of anointing with oil began to reshape the Catholic Church's understanding of the anointing of the sick. Even though anointing for healing was restored, it still used "symbolic" anointing with only little fragrance of an essential oil.

In recent years Protestantism has seen a number of revivals of anointing of the sick.

The 1979 American Prayer Book (Episcopalian) provides a form for the priest to bless the oil for anointing the sick and the rubrics state that when necessary, a deacon or layperson may perform the anointing.

The Canadian Book of Alternative Services, (1985) states that anointing may be performed by laypersons authorized by the bishop. All use oil blessed by the bishop.

In the Lutheran tradition, provision is made for anointing in the Occasional Services (1982). After the laying on of hands in silence, the minister may "dip a thumb in oil, make a sign of the cross on the forehead," and pray that, as the apostles anointed and healed many who were sick, so the Spirit may be given to the one anointed with oils that he or she "may in repentance and hope be made whole."
The Book of Worship (1986) of the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Holy Baptism and Services for the Renewal of Baptism both contain forms of anointing.

The hard-lined belief that anointing was superstitious doesn't seem to carry the same weight that it once did. Small groups reading the Scriptures have felt called to restore the use of oil for healing. Clearly-anointing with oil is beginning to become a sign of hope for many who suffer physically, emotionally and spiritually.


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