Blood, Faith, and Medicine: The Christian World and the History of Transfusion in Europe and North America

Blood has long held a central place in both religious symbolism and medical practice, carrying meanings that range from life, purity, and covenant to danger, impurity, and death. This article examines the historical relationship between blood, medicine, and Christian thought, focusing especially on how Christian traditions interpreted the emergence of blood transfusion. The study adopts a historical narrative approach, analyzing primary and secondary sources from Europe and North America. After outlining the theological meanings of blood—covenant, sacrifice, redemption, purity, and danger—the article traces key milestones in the scientific development of transfusion from early modern legends to twentieth-century advances. Particular attention is given to the ways in which various Christian denominations responded to transfusion as it entered clinical practice. While Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Reformed, and Methodist communities gradually embraced transfusion as a legitimate therapeutic act aligned with principles of charity and the preservation of life, other groups, most notably Jehovah’s Witnesses, adopted a restrictive interpretation of biblical texts that led to the rejection of transfusion and generated significant ethical and legal debates. By integrating medical history with theological perspectives, this article demonstrates that the reception of transfusion within Christian cultures was shaped not only by scientific progress but also by enduring religious understandings of blood as a symbol of life, redemption, and moral responsibility.