Spirituality, Religious Wisdom, and the Care of the Patient

Healing and the Care of the Patient: Introduction

Alan B. Astrow, M.D.
aastrow@maimonidesmed.org

Our January 7, 2002 conference concerned "Healing and the Care of the Patient." While the focus of most medical treatments is relief of symptoms or cure, patients may have different expectations-certainly hoping for cure, but sometimes seeking healing in the sense of being made whole as well.  Misunderstandings may arise between doctor and patient when each holds differing assumptions about the appropriate goals and means of treatment.  Patients may turn to their religious traditions for communal support and to help them comprehend their situation. A patient may also embark on a personal journey of healing which often involves the religion in which he or she was raised. How the medical team can best acknowledge and whether or not the team can actually support patients in their spiritual journeys is one of the questions that underlies the conference series.

For both Judaism and Christianity, healing has always been a central interest.  The Hebrew Bible portrays the Lord God as source of all healing. Subsequently we learn in the New Testament of the miraculous healing powers of Jesus. In the modern world, Christian denominations have established and manage an extensive network of health care institutions.  Similarly, Jewish philanthropy supports medical schools, hospitals and medical research.

Most recently, the increasing interest in alternative and complementary medicine provides evidence that people of all backgrounds are seeking modes of treatment and of understanding outside the strict scientific medical model. How these needs might best be met without sacrificing the diagnostic and therapeutic power of modern medicine was the subject of our January 7 dialogue between Susan Starr Sered and Courtney Jane Bender.

Table of Contents