Build a Strong Foundation in Herbal Medicine, Rooted in the Christian Faith .:. Become your family’s own herbalist and learn to care for your loved ones.

Introduction to Christian Herbalism: A 12-month foundational course for Christians who want to learn herbal medicine from the ground up. NOTE: Th Introduction to Christian Herbalism is a structured, one year course of study with quarterly live classes and a capstone project. If you are interested in a self-paced model, please visit this page to register for our Christian Family Herbalist Course.

No previous experience with herbal medicine is required.

Whether you are completely new to herbalism or have already begun learning on your own, Introduction to Christian Herbalism will give you the knowledge, skills, and Christian framework you need to develop a solid foundation in herbal medicine.

This is Level 1 in the School of Christian Herbalism’s three-course path toward Herbal Mastery, beginning with family herbalism and progressing toward more advanced study and practice.

Register Today! Classes begin in January 2027

Tuition: $349 or Four Payments of $113

Space is Limited – Only the First 25 Students will be Admitted to the Course

What Is Christian Herbalism?

Christian Herbalism begins with a simple conviction: Creation is good, the human person is more than a collection of symptoms, and caring for the sick is an act of Christian love and mercy.

Throughout Christian history, Christians have cultivated medicinal plants, prepared remedies, cared for the sick, established hospitals, served in monastery clinics, and used the gifts of creation in thanksgiving to God for the service of their neighbors.

This course explores herbal medicine within that Christian understanding.

You will learn the practical skills of herbal medicine while also asking deeper questions:

• Why can plants be medicinal?
• What does it mean to care for the body as a gift from God?
• How should Christians think about sickness and healing?
• What is the proper role of the herbalist?
• How do prayer and thanksgiving belong in the work of caring for the sick?
• When should an herbalist treat a problem at home, and when should someone be referred to a physician or other qualified professional?
• How can we practice herbalism without confusing the created world with the Creator?

Christian Herbalism is not simply conventional herbalism with Christian language added to it. The Christian understanding of creation, healing, stewardship, mercy, and human dignity is part of the foundation of the course.

Who Is This Course For?

Introduction to Christian Herbalism is designed primarily for Christians who are beginning their study of herbal medicine.

You do not need previous herbal training.

You may already have books on your shelf, grow medicinal herbs in your garden, make herbal teas, or have experimented with a few home remedies. That’s perfectly fine.

But if you want to move beyond collecting herbal information and actually develop a structured foundation in herbal medicine, this course is designed for you.

You will learn:

• How to approach herbal medicine safely
• How to identify and work with medicinal plants
• How to prepare common forms of herbal medicine
• How to understand basic herbal actions
• How to begin working with herbal energetics
• How to build a foundational materia medica
• How to approach common family health complaints
• How to work appropriately with children, adults, and elders
• How to prepare a basic home apothecary
• How to recognize situations that require referral or emergency care
• How Christian theology and practice inform the work of an herbalist

Your First Step Toward Herbal Mastery

This course is the first level of a three-course educational pathway.

Level 1: Introduction to Christian Herbalism

Family Herbalism

Build the foundation. Learn the plants, preparations, safety principles, basic herbal actions, common family applications, and Christian theology of healing.

Level 2: Intermediate Christian Herbalism

Community Herbalism

Move beyond the household and develop more advanced skills in assessment, tissue states, advanced herbal actions, body systems, formulation, teaching, and community care.

Level 3: Advanced Christian Herbal Medicine

Advanced Study

Develop advanced knowledge and skills through deeper study of herbal medicine, clinical application and/or herbal research.

Each level builds upon the one before it.

You don’t have to know everything before you begin.

You simply need to begin with the right foundation.

Register Today! Classes begin in January 2027

Tuition: $349 or Four Payments of $113

Check out our other courses!

What You Will Learn

The course contains nine major units, progressing from the fundamentals of herbal medicine into practical family care.

Unit 1: Orientation, Safety and Scope

Before learning how to use herbs, you need to understand how to use them responsibly.

You will learn what herbalism is and is not, the scope of the family herbalist, basic safety principles, adverse and allergic reactions, herb-drug considerations, pregnancy cautions, common red flags, and when it is time to seek professional medical care.

You will also begin developing your own materia medica journal.

The course begins by placing this practical responsibility within the biblical understanding of healing and stewardship.

Unit 2: Plants, Botany and the Home Herb Garden

Learn how to recognize and understand medicinal plants.

Topics include:

• Plant parts and basic botany
• Plant families
• Identification
• Ethical foraging
• Protecting at-risk plants
• Harvesting
• Drying and storage
• Growing medicinal herbs
• Container and small-plot gardening
• Seasonal harvesting

You will begin developing an understanding of medicinal plants that goes beyond simply memorizing their uses.

Unit 3: Core Medicine Making

This is where herbal knowledge becomes practical.

You will learn how to prepare:

• Infusions
• Decoctions
• Tinctures
• Herbal syrups
• Herbal honeys
• Vinegars and oxymels
• Infused oils
• Salves
• Basic household preparations

You will also study dosing, labeling, storage, quality sourcing, equipment, and kitchen safety.

Alongside this practical work, you will explore prayer and gratitude in the apothecary, understanding prayer as thanksgiving rather than a technique for manipulating the healing process.

Unit 4: Kitchen Herbs and Food as Medicine

Some of the most important herbs in a home apothecary may already be sitting in your kitchen.

You will explore culinary herbs and spices, seasonal eating, basic nutrition, broths, bitters, fire cider, and foods appropriate for convalescence and recovery.

This unit helps restore an important connection between food, nourishment, household care, and medicine.

Unit 5: Herbal Actions, Basic Energetics and Foundational Materia Medica

Begin learning how herbalists actually think about plants.

You will study approximately 20 common herbal actions and begin using warm/cool and moist/dry qualities as foundational tools for understanding herbs.

You will also develop a foundational materia medica of approximately 40–50 herbs, studying their:

• Actions
• Traditional uses
• Basic energetics
• Safety considerations
• Dosage
• Practical applications

The unit also introduces a study of plants mentioned in Scripture, while acknowledging that the identification of some biblical plants remains uncertain.

Unit 6: Common Family Complaints by System

Now you will begin putting your knowledge together.

You will study practical approaches to common family complaints involving:

• The immune and respiratory systems
• Colds and coughs
• Digestion
• Stress and sleep
• The nervous system
• Skin and body care
• Minor aches and discomforts

Perhaps most importantly, you will learn to distinguish what may appropriately be addressed within the home from what should be referred to a qualified healthcare professional.

Unit 7: Across the Lifespan

Herbal care must take the individual person into account.

This unit introduces foundational considerations for:

• Children
• Women
• Men
• Older adults

You will study pediatric dosing principles and red flags, pregnancy and lactation cautions, everyday men’s and women’s health concerns, and the special considerations involved when working with older adults and people taking multiple medications.

Unit 8: Herbal First Aid and the Home Apothecary

Develop practical skills for common minor injuries and emergencies.

You will study herbal approaches to:

• Minor wounds
• Burns
• Bites and stings
• Sprains
• Basic first-aid situations

You will also learn how to assemble a practical home herbal first-aid kit and, just as importantly, recognize when first aid ends and emergency medical care begins.

This unit connects herbal practice with the Christian call to mercy through the story of the Good Samaritan.

Unit 9: Holistic Living and Capstone

Herbal medicine is not only about taking an herb when something goes wrong.

The final unit brings together a broader understanding of health, including:

• Sleep
• Movement
• Stress
• Time in nature
• Holistic care
• Working appropriately alongside conventional healthcare
• An introduction to the history of Western herbal medicine

You will then complete your Family Herbalist Capstone, including a family apothecary portfolio, your own herbal monographs, and a household safety plan.

Register Today! Classes begin in January 2027

Tuition: $349 or Four Payments of $113

Space is Limited – Only the First 25 Students will be Admitted to the Course

Christian Theology Throughout the Course

Christian theology isn’t an optional add-on to this program.

It is woven throughout the curriculum.

You will explore themes including:

Creation and the Goodness of Matter

Why can a plant heal?

What does it mean that God called creation good?

How should Christians understand the medicinal gifts found within creation?

Prayer and Thanksgiving

How does prayer belong in the work of an herbalist?

Mercy and the Care of the Sick

The Good Samaritan provides a powerful image of practical care.

Christian healing begins not with fascination with remedies, but with love of one’s neighbor.

Rest, Rhythm and Stewardship

Health involves more than treating symptoms.

We will consider the biblical patterns of work, rest, Sabbath, stewardship, and responsible care for the body.

Plants of Scripture

Throughout the course we will also encounter plants mentioned in Scripture, including olive, hyssop, mint, dill, cumin, rue, fig, pomegranate, myrrh, frankincense, balm, saffron, spikenard, and mandrake.

Where the identification of a biblical plant is uncertain, that uncertainty will be acknowledged rather than presented as fact.

Your Practical Work

This is not a course designed simply for watching videos.

You will have practical assignments and projects that help you actually develop herbal skills.

Your studies will include:

• A materia medica journal
• Herbal medicine-making projects
• Plant identification and gardening work
• Foundational herbal monographs
• Household herbal preparations
• A family apothecary portfolio
• A household safety plan
• A final capstone project

By the end of the course, you should have something more valuable than a collection of notes.

You should have the beginnings of your own working family herbal practice.

Twelve Months to Complete

You will have 12 months to complete the course, assignments, and projects.

The course is organized into nine units, but you are not required to race through them.

The twelve-month completion window gives you room to:

• Work through the lessons at a sustainable pace
• Complete practical assignments
• Grow and harvest herbs in season
• Make your own preparations
• Read and study
• Build your materia medica
• Develop your family apothecary
• Complete your capstone project

Herbal medicine is a skill that develops through practice.

This course gives you the time to practice.

No Previous Experience Required

You don’t need previous herbal training.

You don’t need to already know dozens of herbs.

You don’t even need to have an established home apothecary.

You simply need a willingness to learn.

We will build your foundation step by step.

Family Herbalist Completion Certificate

Students who successfully complete the course requirements will receive a:

Family Herbalist Completion Certificate

This certificate recognizes completion of the Level 1 foundational curriculum in Christian Herbalism.

It represents your completion of the first stage in the School of Christian Herbalism’s three-level educational pathway.

Begin Your Study of Christian Herbalism

For centuries, Christians have cultivated plants, prepared medicines, cared for their neighbors, established hospitals, and served the sick.

You can begin learning that tradition today.

Introduction to Christian Herbalism gives you a structured place to begin.

Learn the plants.

Learn the preparations.

Learn how to practice safely.

Learn when to refer.

Learn to care for your household.

And learn to see herbal medicine within a Christian understanding of creation, healing, stewardship, and love of neighbor.

No experience required.

12 months to complete.

Family Herbalist Completion Certificate upon successful completion.

Level 1 of the School of Christian Herbalism’s path toward Herbal Mastery.

Register Today! Classes begin in January 2027

Tuition: $349 or Four Payments of $113