If theories give form to our social activities, then how might one interpret the absence of theoretical foundations in a professional community? Health psychology is a recent case of a scholarly community in search of theory. This paper examines the professional claims made by this area and the social context that has generated these claims. A comparison between health psychology and its unwitting partner, family medicine, indicates that professional status has preceded the development of a theoretical and practical knowledge base. Historically, North American psychology has followed this pattern. I conclude that the absence of theory in health psychology is a strategic act designed to ensure that its understandings of health and illness do not clash with those of the health care professions.