Religion and medicine Research Papers (original) (raw)
2025, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Gaza Mental Health Psyche-Social Support (MHPSS)
Right to Death Nonviolent Doctrine is a transparently audited open science proposal based on the researches I for a nonviolent restorative justice rule of law (RoL) least worse possible minimum set of guidelines for the jurisprudence of... more
Right to Death Nonviolent Doctrine is a transparently audited open science proposal based on the researches I for a nonviolent restorative justice rule of law (RoL) least worse possible minimum set of guidelines for the jurisprudence of mental health psyche-social support (MHPSS) harm reduction for individuals and groups demanding for their legal rights to assisted death, also called euthanasia, and suicide. It was developed from my personal experience saving countless lives without any method available, so having to research them infield, and was compiled from my readings when writing the Immortal Magazine's article 'Right to Death and Eternity Thanatology' due to a request from the humanitarian agents of the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Gaza Mission.
2025, Titles & Abstracts of the DaoConf in Romania, June 4-7
Convening in Dracula country, our topic this year is the dark and demonic. It can be explored on three different levels: philosophy, mythology, and practice. In terms of philosophy, it invites an exploration of concepts of evil, the... more
Convening in Dracula country, our topic this year is the dark and demonic. It can be explored on three different levels: philosophy, mythology, and practice. In terms of philosophy, it invites an exploration of concepts of evil, the shadow side of things, the wayward or heteropathic flows of qi, the destructive effects of intervening in natural processes, the detriments of conscious divisions, emotional excesses, and more. On the mythological level, the topic encompasses the study of all sorts of chthonic figures: ghosts and demons, sprites and goblins, the discontented dead (with their sepulchral plaints), supernatural animals, deathbringers in the body, agents of disease, and many more. From early demonologies through extensive Daoist lists of harmful agents to modern ghosts and viruses, negative forces have occupied an important position in the worldview and cosmology of the religion. As regards practice, third, the dark side has given rise to numerous techniques that may be described in five types: ethical, energetic, herbal, magical, and ritual. Thus, good moral behavior can guard against the effects of the deathbringers; there are numerous ways of guiding qi to empower the organs and create a protective shield; plant matter-in particular peach leaves and branches-have strong demon-quelling properties; magical chants, including the calling out of demons' names, as well as talismans and potent writs can drive out nasty forces; and there are numerous ritual ways to control and subdue dark forces, including evocation, exorcism, and ensigellation, to name a few. All these and other related topics deserve much more extensive and in-depth study, which the conference invites to pursue.
2025, Journal of Religion and Health
Resident physicians receive little training designed to help them develop an understanding of the health literacy and health concerns of laypersons. The purpose of this study was to assess whether residents improve their understanding of... more
Resident physicians receive little training designed to help them develop an understanding of the health literacy and health concerns of laypersons. The purpose of this study was to assess whether residents improve their understanding of health concerns of community members after participating in the Lay Health Educator Program, a health education program provided through a medical-religious community partnership. The impact was evaluated via pre-post surveys and open-ended responses. There was a statistically significant change in the residents' (n = 15) understanding of what the public values as important with respect to specific healthcare topics. Findings suggest participation in a brief, formal community engagement activity improved medical residents' confidence with community health education.
2025, Journal of Vascular Surgery
This case report describes the use of a customized branched device for the treatment of a distal anastomotic false aneurysm in an ascending to descending interposition graft in a 34-year-old Jehovah's Witness with congenital aortic arch... more
This case report describes the use of a customized branched device for the treatment of a distal anastomotic false aneurysm in an ascending to descending interposition graft in a 34-year-old Jehovah's Witness with congenital aortic arch interruption. A single branched customized stent graft device was used to successfully exclude the false aneurysm. The procedure was challenging due to the abnormal congenital anatomy. The planning, operative technique, and successful execution are described in this case report. (
2025, IOSR Journal Of Humanities And Social Science (IOSR-JHSS)
This paper examines the concept of "prospatheia" and its relationship to the creation and management of psychological complexes, drawing on elements from both Neptic Theology and psychology. Prospatheia, as a powerful longing for... more
This paper examines the concept of "prospatheia" and its relationship to the creation and management of psychological complexes, drawing on elements from both Neptic Theology and psychology. Prospatheia, as a powerful longing for connection, is considered a primary drive leading to emotional attachment and contributing to the formation of complexes. In psychology, complexes are interpreted as unconscious patterns that guide behavior, reinforcing dependence on external sources to fulfill fundamental emotional needs. The approach of Neptic Theology proposes a therapeutic process that differs from the psychological acceptance or integration of complexes. Specifically, Neptic Psychology emphasizes the prevention of complex formation from childhood through training the individual to develop a more measured relationship with the material world, avoiding excessive pleasure. In adulthood, Neptic Psychology supports controlling prospatheia through the conscious avoidance of pleasure, which sustains dependence. Thus, the treatment of complexes involves three phases: prevention, pleasure control, and gradual weakening of the complexes. Focusing on the abandonment complex, the paper illustrates how excessive reliance on security can transform into a fear of abandonment, leading to emotional insecurity and alienation from one's spiritual nature. Neptic Theology advocates for self-control and the avoidance of pleasure that reinforces complexes, thereby fostering an inner balance. This methodology differs from modern psychological methods, as it aims at the weakening rather than the acceptance of complexes, offering a unique framework for understanding the human soul and its relationship to the material world.
2025
How Waffle House cracked my beliefs. Have you ever had a moment that just opened up a thought, a path of sorts that would ultimately change your life? I have… and to look back and think that one night with friends at a waffle house would... more
How Waffle House cracked my beliefs. Have you ever had a moment that just opened up a thought, a path of sorts that would ultimately change your life? I have… and to look back and think that one night with friends at a waffle house would change the course of my life is an astonishing thing for me to reflect back on. This event was not traumatic per say, no one was hurt, there was not a robbery, heck there wasn't even a drunk person in the waffle house that night, which is pretty standard for a waffle house. But there was one man who called out an issue, the issue would not be resolved that night and we never saw the man again. But the revealing of the issue would open up events in my life
2025
The scope of this thesis is the interdisciplinarity between Medical and Daoist knowledge in the 3rd to 6th century of China. Almost all the writings of Chinese medical history have raised the connection between Chinese medicine and Daoism... more
The scope of this thesis is the interdisciplinarity between Medical and Daoist knowledge in the 3rd to 6th century of China.
Almost all the writings of Chinese medical history have raised the connection between Chinese medicine and Daoism when they are writing the history of Chinese medicine. However, the assumption of this narrative has been to distinguish medicine – a term that implicitly implies modern scientific sensibilities – from medical therapies. After reading a lot of primary sources,
especially those from the Han to Tang periods, I realized that the intellectual development and knowledge transmission embodied within these pieces of literature could not be summarized in such a binary framework.
In this research, the development of intellectual and knowledge transmissions of the notions about the human body is characterized by specific technical jargon related to the body and illness. The signifier and the signified of these terms did not remain static over time. By comparing the differences between primary sources located in the Han to Tang periods, I found that the terms had quite varied meaning in their earliest appearances in the primary sources, which became consolidated into a relatively stable meaning over time, reflecting multiple knowledge systems at work. I argue that these “systems” did not indicate a separate ‘medical’
or ‘religious’ system but a “knowledge system” based on a certain consensus between one group of literate participators within the specific historical and social context. Multiple knowledge systems coexist in the same society as each system interacts to define the same jargon. More importantly, certain literate elites had the autonomous choice to adhere to whichever knowledge system they preferred, within some social constraints on access to texts and knowledge transmission rules. In particular, those who demonstrate an understanding of the same jargon used across different knowledge.
2025, American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research
This paper discusses some of the implications of a cultural perspective for the delivery of mental health care at the Kwawachee Mental Health Counseling Center of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. The paper first places Kwawachee in its... more
This paper discusses some of the implications of a cultural perspective for the delivery of mental health care at the Kwawachee Mental Health Counseling Center of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians. The paper first places Kwawachee in its cultural and socioeconomic context. A series of issues is then chosen as a basis for considering the clinical relevance of this treatment setting. These issues include cultural maps, family structure, ritual and ceremonialism, values and value conflict, communication styles, anger and traditionality. The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of integrating local cultural perspectives within mental health services.
2025, Neurosurgical Focus
OST OF THE WORLD'S cultures and religions have a creation myth. The most familiar is perhaps the story of Adam and Eve and the abrupt creation of the world a few thousand years ago as described in the Old Testament. In the ancient world,... more
OST OF THE WORLD'S cultures and religions have a creation myth. The most familiar is perhaps the story of Adam and Eve and the abrupt creation of the world a few thousand years ago as described in the Old Testament. In the ancient world, one of the principal recorded creation myths is the Egyptian myth. The complex story of the Egyptian creation was mostly forgotten until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone in 1799, which led to the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphics in the 19th century. The Egyptian creation myth is vastly different from the Judeo-Christian version, principally because: 1) it extends back into history for millions of years rather than just a few thousand; 19 2) it progresses in a series of stages of steadily advancing complexity; and 3) it provides a detailed transition from a world populated by gods into a world ruled by Pharaohs. The Egyptian creation myth also includes geographic and political details. Most interestingly, just as the creation story of Adam and Eve involves a critical role for an anatomical structure (the rib), the Egyptian creation story contains a critical role for the spine.
2025
Chinese medicine encompasses ancient practices, and in this article, any person who performed them during the imperial period will be considered a "doctor". Although many names are historical references, little is heard of female doctors,... more
Chinese medicine encompasses ancient practices, and in this article, any person who performed them during the imperial period will be considered a "doctor". Although many names are historical references, little is heard of female doctors, even though they did exist. The objective is to verify whether there is a relationship between the way in which imperial Chinese female doctors are described and the sociocultural characteristics of each era. From the Hàn period, they are mentioned in random events, unrelated to medical practice. With the arrival of Buddhism in China and the strengthening of Taoism, in the Jìn, Suí and Táng dynasties, female names were more valued, and in the latter, one of them even published a book in her name. The Sòng dynasty is emblematic of the return of radical Confucianism and the organization of medicine, and precisely for this reason, women were excluded, with their appearances being associated only with mystical and miraculous events. In the Míng dynasty, medicine became institutionally disorganized, but with the valorisation of humanistic aspects. The most relevant description of a female doctor from this period is that of a autodidact aristocrat, who intentionally justifies her work in the preface to her book by her concern for humanity. And in the last Chinese dynasty, the Qīng dynasty, social dissatisfaction with the dominant Manchu minority and Western imperialism culminated in the prominence of a professional whose work symbolizes this process: from traditional conservatism to social reformism, based on education and health as transformative instruments. It is therefore concluded that the historical description that remains of these female doctors is related to the sociocultural characteristics of each historical period. Secondarily, it is suggested that this is due to the influence that historians were subject to from how each dynasty viewed the role of women. 150 caracters Chinese medicine encompasses ancient practices, anyone who performed them was considered "doctor". Little is heard about women. Objective is to verify whether there´s a relationship between how Chinese doctors is described and dynastic sociocultural characteristics. At first, they appear in random events, unrelated to practice. With the strengthening of Buddhism and Taoism, in the following dynasties were more valued. One published in her own name. In Sòng, Confucianism returned, promoting organization of medicine. For this reason, women were excluded, with appearances associated with mysticism. In Míng, a doctor intentionally justified herself by her concern for humanity because humanistic aspects are valorised. Social dissatisfaction with dominant Manchu minority and imperialism in Qīng culminated in prominence of a professional whose work symbolizes it: traditional conservatism with social reformism, based on education and health as transformers. It's concluded that historical description of these doctors is related to dynastic sociocultural characteristics.
2025
The conviction that the Old Testament struggles to function as Scripture for Christians in the modern west has a long history. The first to identify the problem was likely eighteenth--century natural philosopher John Hutchinson.... more
The conviction that the Old Testament struggles to function as Scripture for Christians in the modern west has a long history. The first to identify the problem was likely eighteenth--century natural philosopher John Hutchinson. Hutchinson complained that the Old Testament had fallen into disrepute because, while people were praising Newton as the font of natural philosophical wisdom, they should have been looking to Moses. Hutchinson accordingly devised an ingenious method of interpreting the words of Moses as natural philosophical emblems. Hutchinson's disciples applied Hutchinson's method to the full range of Scriptural words. In the process, they made the providential significance of the full range of natural and historical objects dependent upon their reinterpretation as Scriptural figures. The way the Hutchinsonians were able to make all Scriptural words beneficial for providential discernment enabled them to defend the Old Testament as an equal partner in the Christian canon of Scripture. It was as a historical document that the Old Testament was called into question in eighteenth--century England. In a context captivated by the ability of the new empirical science to illumine the providential order of nature, people questioned the ability of history and historically contingent disciplines to provide similar illumination. also to the formation of the entire person. I am especially grateful for the way that this community provides a unique atmosphere to reflect upon the nature and meaning of Christian Scripture by bringing biblical scholars and theologians together in a common quest. I would also like to thank my mom, my brother Stephen, Jeff Boldt, and James Vander Woulde for the astute and sacrificial help they provided in revising my text. Words of thanks to The Rev. Dr. Ephraim Radner are more difficult to adequately articulate. Ephraim, the way you manage to pursue your academic vocation as part of your call to your pastoral office is remarkable and exemplary. Thank you as well for showing me that intellectual humility does not mean being a wet noodle. And above all, thank you for living out your conviction that we find ourselves in a "State of Probation" in plain view of us all. And my dear Jamie. The sacrifices you have made in seeing your perpetual student through to the end have been remarkable. Thank you so much for your patience and support. I pray that God would bless you richly on this account, and that you would come to see that your sacrifices have been well made. v TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .
2025, The Cochrane library
Trusted evidence. Informed decisions. Better health. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Analysis 4.2. Comparison 4 AWARENESS OF INTERCESSORY PRAYER versus INTERCESSORY PRAYER, Outcome 2 Clinical state: 1. Improved/not improved:... more
Trusted evidence. Informed decisions. Better health. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews Analysis 4.2. Comparison 4 AWARENESS OF INTERCESSORY PRAYER versus INTERCESSORY PRAYER, Outcome 2 Clinical state: 1. Improved/not improved: intermediate or bad outcome.
2025, MRER
Before the Second Vatican Council, the Roman Catholic Church believed that the responsibility for rearing children belonged to parents and she alsocontended that education belonged pre-eminently to her domain. In practice, she forbade... more
Before the Second Vatican Council, the Roman Catholic Church believed that the responsibility for rearing children belonged to parents and she alsocontended that education belonged pre-eminently to her domain. In practice, she forbade Catholic parents from sending their children to non-Catholic schools that were neutral or mixed. Such teachings are to be kept in mind while understanding Archbishop Michael Gonzi's position as regards the role of education in Malta. Archbishop Gonzi was in office between 1943 and 1976.
2025, Sociology of Health & Illness
Over 40,000 people are now living with diagnosed HIV in the UK. There is, however, uncertainty about how people with HIV use religion or spirituality to cope with their infection. Adopting a modified grounded theory approach, we analysed... more
Over 40,000 people are now living with diagnosed HIV in the UK. There is, however, uncertainty about how people with HIV use religion or spirituality to cope with their infection. Adopting a modified grounded theory approach, we analysed individual and group interviews with the people most affected by HIV in the UK: black African heterosexual men and women and gay men (mostly white). For the majority of black African heterosexual men and women in our study, religion was extremely important. We found that gay men in the study were less religious than black Africans, although many were spiritual in some way. Black African individuals constructed their spiritual narratives as largely Christian or collective, while gay men described more individualistic or 'New Age' approaches. We developed a six-level heuristic device to examine the ways in which prayer and meditation were deployed in narratives to modulate subjective wellbeing. These were: (i) creating a dialogue with an absent counsellor; (ii) constructing a compassionate 'life scheme'; (iii) interrupting rumination; (iv) establishing mindfulness; (v) promoting positive thinking, and (vi) getting results. That people with HIV report specific subjective benefits from prayer or meditation presents a challenge to secular healthcare professionals and sociologists.
2025, Social Science & Medicine
Several recent studies have examined the connection between religion and medical service utilization. This relationship is complicated because religiosity may be associated with beliefs that either promote or hinder medical helpseeking.... more
Several recent studies have examined the connection between religion and medical service utilization. This relationship is complicated because religiosity may be associated with beliefs that either promote or hinder medical helpseeking. The current study uses structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between religion and fertility-related helpseeking using a probability sample of 2183 infertile women in the United States. We found that, although religiosity is not directly associated with helpseeking for infertility, it is indirectly associated through mediating variables that operate in opposing directions. More specifically, religiosity is associated with greater belief in the importance of motherhood, which in turn is associated with increased likelihood of helpseeking. Religiosity is also associated with greater ethical concerns about infertility treatment, which are associated with decreased likelihood of helpseeking. Additionally, the relationships are not linear throughout the helpseeking process. Thus, the influence of religiosity on infertility helpseeking is indirect and complex. These findings support the growing consensus that religiously-based behaviors and beliefs are associated with levels of health service utilization.
2025, Cornell journal of law and public policy
This Article asks whether parents who choose not to vaccinate their child should be liable if that child, at higher risk of infectious disease than vaccinated children, transmits a vaccine-preventable disease to another. The Article... more
This Article asks whether parents who choose not to vaccinate their child should be liable if that child, at higher risk of infectious disease than vaccinated children, transmits a vaccine-preventable disease to another. The Article argues that a tort remedy in this situation is both desirable and appropriate. It is desirable to assure compensation to the injured child and the family, who should not have to face the insult of financial ruin on top of the injury from the disease. It is appropriate to require that a family that chooses not to vaccinate a child fully internalizes the costs of that decision, and does not pass it on to others. This Article argues there should be a duty to act in the aforementioned situation, since the non-vaccinating parents create a risk. Even if not vaccinating is seen as nonfeasance, there are policy reasons to create an exception to the default rule that there is no duty to act. As an alternative, the Article suggests creating a statutory duty to act...
2025
Objective: To determine blood glucose levels by conducting an oral glucose tolerance test in low and normal birth weight young black adults. Design: A case control study was done. Seventy students in the College o f Health Sciences who... more
Objective: To determine blood glucose levels by conducting an oral glucose tolerance test in low and normal birth weight young black adults. Design: A case control study was done. Seventy students in the College o f Health Sciences who had neonatal clinic cards as proof of birth weight were recruited into the study. Blood glucose levels were measured before, during and after the oral glucose tolerance test.
2025, Journal of Medical Ethics
2025
Zahra Taheri-Kharameh, Mohammad Abdi, Reza Omidi Koopaei, Mostafa Alizadeh, Vahid Vahidabi, Hesam Mirhoseini 1 School of Allied Health Sciences, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran. 2 Shahid Beheshti hospital, Qom University of... more
Zahra Taheri-Kharameh, Mohammad Abdi, Reza Omidi Koopaei, Mostafa Alizadeh, Vahid Vahidabi, Hesam Mirhoseini 1 School of Allied Health Sciences, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran. 2 Shahid Beheshti hospital, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran. 3 Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran. 4 School of Allied Health Sciences, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
2025, East Asian Science Technology and Medicine
2025, Mosaic
n the eighteen-thirties and eighteen-forties, Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-64) was a young writer trying to make a living by submitting sketches, tales, and short stories to periodicals and gift books. Having declined his mother's suggestion... more
n the eighteen-thirties and eighteen-forties, Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-64) was a young writer trying to make a living by submitting sketches, tales, and short stories to periodicals and gift books. Having declined his mother's suggestion to pursue a career in medicine, at Bowdoin (1821-25) Hawthorne studied classics and philology. He went on to position himself as a social critic aloof from all of the professions and as a keen observer of his contemporaries' foibles and obsessions. Hawthorne's life coincided with a period of intense struggle in American medicine between academic, or "regular," medicine and a multitude of alternative healing systems, collectively referred to as "irregular" practices, such as Thomsonianism, homeopathy, eclecticism, and water cure. As regulars and irregulars vied for the public's trust and business, each touted the virtues of their own cures. College-educated physicians, following Benjamin Rush's heroic revolution in therapeutics, turned away from complex medicines with dozens of ingredients and began using heavy doses of opium, mercury, antimony, quinine, and arsenic, along with blood-letting by leech or Nathaniel Hawthorne's stories "The Rejected Blessing" and "Rappaccini's Daughter" dramatize ideological competition among doctors and clergymen from Renaissance Italy to colonial Boston over care of the body. In the context of Hawthorne's life, these stories show his foresighted theorizing of medical hegemony and its dangers to public and individual health.
2025, Journal of pain and symptom management
While religion often informs ethical judgments, little is known about the views of American clergy regarding controversial end-of-life ethical issues including allowing to die and physician-aid in dying or physician-assisted suicide... more
While religion often informs ethical judgments, little is known about the views of American clergy regarding controversial end-of-life ethical issues including allowing to die and physician-aid in dying or physician-assisted suicide (PAD/PAS). To describe the views of U.S. clergy concerning allowing to die and PAD/PAS. A survey was mailed to 1665 nationally representative clergy between 8/2014 to 3/2015 (60% response rate). Outcome variables included beliefs about whether the terminally ill should ever be "allowed to die" and moral/legal opinions concerning PAD/PAS. Most U.S. clergy are Christian (98%). Clergy agreed that there are circumstances in which the terminally ill should be "allowed to die" (80%). A minority agreed that PAD/PAS was morally (28%) or legally (22%) acceptable. Mainline/Liberal Christian clergy were more likely to approve of the morality (56%) and legality (47%) of PAD/PAS, in contrast to all other clergy groups (6%-17%). Greater end-of-life...
2025, Chest
Interest in the relationship between spirituality, religion, and clinical care has increased in the last 15 years, but clinicians need more concrete guidance about this topic. This article defines spirituality and religion, identifies the... more
Interest in the relationship between spirituality, religion, and clinical care has increased in the last 15 years, but clinicians need more concrete guidance about this topic. This article defines spirituality and religion, identifies the fundamental spiritual issues that serious illness raises for patients, and argues that physicians have a moral obligation to address patients' spiritual concerns. Religions often provide patients with specific moral guidance about a variety of medical issues and prescribe rituals that are important to patients. Religious coping can be both positive and negative, and it can impact patient care. This article provides concrete advice about taking a spiritual history, ethical boundaries, whether to pray with patients, and when to refer patients to chaplains or to their own personal clergy.
2025
This paper explores the complex relationship between the "right to die" and the fundamental rights to life and liberty. It questions whether invoking the right to die can be considered an exercise of these inherent rights. Arguing that... more
This paper explores the complex relationship between the "right to die" and the fundamental rights to life and liberty. It questions whether invoking the right to die can be considered an exercise of these inherent rights. Arguing that morality profoundly shapes human discipline, beliefs, culture, standards, and rights, the paper contends that humanity's pursuit of utopia has led to a subconscious disregard for coexistence. Consequently, the rationale behind the widespread moral condemnation of suicide and similar acts as disruptive to order is challenged through philosophical abstraction and rational discourse. Ultimately, this analysis, supported by arguments and facts, advocates for the consideration of evolving perspectives in jurisprudence, legislation, healthcare, and the acceptance of new moral norms. II.Introduction In Philippines, where 78.8% of the population consists of Roman Catholics[1] in which, the majority of the people address suicide as taboo. Suicide, is a death caused by selfinflicted injury by oneself with the intent to die.[2] It is often stigmatized because it has not been adequately addressed due to lack of awareness of suicide as a major public health problem and the taboo in many societies to openly discuss it.
2025, The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
2025, Female doctors explain the female body - Lessons to learn from the 19th century
The present volume is devoted to Elizabeth Blackwell, Alice Bunker Stockham, and Aletta Henriëtte Jacobs. Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1910), whose relevant works appeared in 1852 (The Laws of Life) and 1902 (Essays in Medical Sociology),... more
2025
The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there." 哻 Chinese medical history is a new and flourishing field in Taiwan. A majority of the publications in this area have appeared in academic journals only in the past ten... more
The past is a foreign country, they do things differently there." 哻 Chinese medical history is a new and flourishing field in Taiwan. A majority of the publications in this area have appeared in academic journals only in the past ten years, and the community is fairly small. Nevertheless these scholars have circulated quite a few reflections on their own research and their works have undergone a number of reviews in different occasions. 哷 This may have several reasons, ranging from the activeness of the participants to their needs to clarify and to defend their research interest in the academic community at large. Since most of the pioneers are trained as historians, and their followers are junior scholars in the field, they face challenges not only from their more conventional colleagues but also from medical professionals, who often consider physicians the best qualified to do medical history. Shengkun Chen , a medical doctor with a master , s degree in history, claimed just that in his publication, which stimulates a historian , s The Past as a Foreign Country: Recent Research on Chinese Medical History in Taiwan 哻 "The past is a foreign country. They do things differently there" is the opening sentence of L.P. Hartley , s novel The Go-between (New York: New York Review Books Classics, 1953Classics, /1996)). David Lowenthal, a British historian, uses the phrase for the title of his book, The Past is a Foreign Country (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985), which focuses on the way modern people make use of historical material to their present interest, especially in the Anglo-American civilization, and the author , s somewhat disapproval of it. This review, although not disagreeing with Lowenthal , s assessment on modern history and historiography, applies the novel , s opening sentence to denote another dimension in historical research in which the foreignness of the past is taken seriously enough that historians feel compelled to conduct an anthropological observation in order to overcome the difficulties of understanding those who lived in the worlds before us. This foreignness and the efforts involved to overcome it may have and perhaps should have existed in historical research in general, but they are, as will be shown in this review, particularly evident when scholars in Taiwan work on the history of Chinese medicine. 哷These reviews take various forms from correspondence notes in academic newsletters to review articles in conference and academic journals. For instance, Cheng-sheng Tu, "A note on medical history as social history: introducing the achievements of the 'disease, healing and culture , research group,"
2025, Journal of Religion and Health
Although providing religious/spiritual (SpR) support to sick has received in Poland growing attention in the scientific literature, little has been written about how to measure whether patients are in search for SpR or may already have... more
Although providing religious/spiritual (SpR) support to sick has received in Poland growing attention in the scientific literature, little has been written about how to measure whether patients are in search for SpR or may already have trust in such a resource helpful to cope with disease. The Polish version of the SpREUK questionnaire was validated in a sample of 275 patients with chronic diseases. Both explorative and confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the already established three subscales, i.e., Search, Trust, and Reflection, with good internal consistency coefficients (Cronbach's a between .74 and .91). The instrument appears to be a good choice to be used in both secular and religious societies.
2025
JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Estudos têm demonstrado que a espiritualidade pode promover efeitos positivos e negativos na saúde do paciente. Entretanto, os médicos possuem grande dificuldade para a abordagem deste assunto. O objetivo deste... more
JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: Estudos têm demonstrado que a espiritualidade pode promover efeitos positivos e negativos na saúde do paciente. Entretanto, os médicos possuem grande dificuldade para a abordagem deste assunto. O objetivo deste estudo foi rever o tema, focando nas necessidades dos clínicos. CONTEÚDO: Realizou-se um apanhado geral dos conhecimentos que o clínico deve possuir sobre os aspectos espirituais do paciente, dividindo-se nas seguintes partes: introdução, contexto histórico, conceitos básicos, por que o clínico deve abordar a espiritualidade do paciente, pesquisas e bases científicas, espiritualidade no meio acadêmico, quando e como deve ser abordada a espiritualidade/religiosidade, bar-
2025, Historias Del Orbis Terrarum
La investigación trata sobre la relación que existe entre el héroe homérico Aquiles y el ideal de princeps presente en El Príncipe de Maquiavelo. Este último se basa en "El mito de Alejandro" y su constante inspiración en el Aquiles de la... more
La investigación trata sobre la relación que existe entre el héroe homérico Aquiles y el ideal de princeps presente en El Príncipe de Maquiavelo. Este último se basa en "El mito de Alejandro" y su constante inspiración en el Aquiles de la Ilíada, para determinar algunas de las características que debieran tener los príncipes o todos aquellos que detentan o desean el poder. Asimismo, se establece una relación entre las intervenciones humanas y celestes en la Ilíada, en relación con la interpretación que entrega Maquiavelo sobre la doble naturaleza de los príncipes.
2025, Transplant International
A survey of public attitudes toward organ donation and transplantation was conducted in a Turkish community. The 1030 subjects were chosen using a random, stratified method. Some 50.5 % of those interviewed were willing to donate their... more
A survey of public attitudes toward organ donation and transplantation was conducted in a Turkish community. The 1030 subjects were chosen using a random, stratified method. Some 50.5 % of those interviewed were willing to donate their organs while 33.7% refused and 15.8% were uncertain. A total of 53.6% said they would consent to donate a deceased relative's organs. Reasons for refusal to donate organs were as follows: fear that their body would be cut into pieces (43.8 %), religious beliefs (26.2 %), no reason (23.1 Yo) and the belief that they would need their body and organs for their second life (6.9%). Attitudes toward organ donation were clearly related to level of education, age, sex, and socioeconomic status.
2025
Fasting, the voluntary abstention from all restricted foods, is a feature of many religions, and the putative health benefits have attracted both scientific and popular interest. There is no clear understanding that religious fasting has... more
Fasting, the voluntary abstention from all restricted foods, is a feature of many religions, and the putative health benefits have attracted both scientific and popular interest. There is no clear understanding that religious fasting has great effects on metabolic syndrome. There is little data available that provides information concerning Ethiopian Orthodox Christians fasting influence on metabolic syndrome indices and serum electrolytes to date. To determine the effect of 'Abiy tsom' (lent fasting) of Ethiopian Orthodox Christians on metabolic syndrome indices and serum electrolytes in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: 88 Study subjects were included conveniently who were followers of Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity faith and fasting "lent" and longitudinal cross-sectional study design was employed. Data were collected twice, the first during last week of the fasting months and the second during the last week of two months' time after returning to usual diet. The data and sample were collected, analyzed, interpreted and was displayed by using descriptive and analytical statistical methods. Results: Our study found that Ethiopian Orthodox lent fasting had clear and significant effects on Anthropometric measurements, systolic blood pressure, lipid profiles, and Urea. It was also found that this fasting decreased the levels of Calcium and Chloride ions while Serum sodium and potassium were influenced insignificantly. Conclusion: Ethiopian Orthodox Christians lent fasting is beneficial for weight loss and fighting metabolic syndrome.
2025, Surgical Clinics of North America
. -Ambroise Pare´, 16th century surgeon, arguably among the 5 or 6 most important surgeons in medical history. The authors have nothing to disclose. The views expressed herein are the author's and do not represent the Department of... more
. -Ambroise Pare´, 16th century surgeon, arguably among the 5 or 6 most important surgeons in medical history. The authors have nothing to disclose. The views expressed herein are the author's and do not represent the Department of Veterans Affairs, TVHS.
2025, PubMed
A troubling attitude seems to be taking hold in the scienti c community. It concerns how far we should go back when searching the literature. Many researchers and reviewers consider research that is more than 5 years old -or even 3 -to be... more
A troubling attitude seems to be taking hold in the scienti c community. It concerns how far we should go back when searching the literature. Many researchers and reviewers consider research that is more than 5 years old -or even 3 -to be outdated and irrelevant. I have noticed that more reviewers, in their comments on a manuscript, are writing "out-of-date reference list," to refer to lists that contain publications dating back further than 5 years. Why do I and some of my colleagues nd this trend disturbing? It is because the wheel of knowledge is being re-invented. Discoveries are being touted as new even though they have been in the literature for some time. To ignore anything more than 5 years old is, to my mind, to engage in a sort of ageism of knowledge -discarding the old to create an illusion of the new. Knowledge must be rooted in the work of our predecessors and be built on solid foundations. How else can it advance? Why is ageism of knowledge happening? What is the source of this attitude and practice? The attitude appears to be more prevalent in the health sciences than in the behavioural sciences and in the humanities. I can immediately conjure up two possible explanations for the growing phenomenon of date-limiting searches, both emanating from advances in technology. The rst relates to advances in medical technology. New medical techniques are transforming medical research and medical practice. Every day sees new discoveries in the diagnosis and treatment of disease -new diagnostic procedures, new drugs, new treatment modalities, new surgical procedures. Good medicine is predicated on the latest, most current knowledge in diagnosis and treatment. Thus it is understandable why medicine may limit some of its searches to the past 3 years. But wait! Should the same practice be adopted by nurse scholars? Should nursing limit its reviews to the past 5 years? Does previous research have no relevance for the development of nursing science and nursing practice? The answer to these questions lies in our understanding of the nature of nursing practice. Nursing is similar to medicine inasmuch as it is concerned with best practices. Some of these best practices rely on new technologies. Most,
2025, Journal of Biosocial Science
I read with great interest Akrami and Osati’s article entitled ‘Is consanguineous marriage religiously encouraged? Islamic and Iranian considerations’ published in the March 2007 issue of the Journal of Biosocial Science (Akrami & Osati,... more
I read with great interest Akrami and Osati’s article entitled ‘Is consanguineous marriage religiously encouraged? Islamic and Iranian considerations’ published in the March 2007 issue of the Journal of Biosocial Science (Akrami & Osati, 2007). The authors showed that in many Islamic sources, there is no sign that could be described as encouraging cousin marriages. I would like to make a few comments about it.
2025, Psychology & Health
African-American women are significantly less likely to undergo postmastectomy breast reconstruction compared White women in the US. These observed differences have been interpreted as evidence of a healthcare disparity. The current study... more
African-American women are significantly less likely to undergo postmastectomy breast reconstruction compared White women in the US. These observed differences have been interpreted as evidence of a healthcare disparity. The current study examines breast reconstruction decision-making among African-American women, locating reconstruction decisions in a context of culture, racial inequality, and biomedicalization. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 African-American women who underwent mastectomy for breast cancer to add patientcentred perspectives to existing conceptualizations of racial/ethnic differences in reconstruction. Participants were socio-demographically diverse, and resided in the New York metropolitan area. Data analysis was informed by grounded theory. Spiritually and culturally-informed body ethics often guided surgery decisions. Participants expressed reservations about breast implants, preferring autologous procedures that use "what God has given." For some, breast reconstruction restored a sense of normalcy after cancer; others challenged an imperative to reconstruct. Several participants redirected our focus on access to reconstruction toward access to alternatives, noting the low reimbursement for prostheses, or their unavailability in patients' skin tones. We suggest that a framework of "stratified biomedicalization" better addresses the complexities of race, class, and gender that inform preference, access, and recommendations for breast reconstruction, and focuses attention on access to high and lower-tech interventions.
2025
Abstract: The updated biography and bibliography of Pero Vidović were compiled by Tadija Milikić, Editor-in-Chief of the academic journal Obnovljeni život, and Ivan Antunović, Dean of the Philosophical and Theological Institute SJ in... more
Abstract: The updated biography and bibliography of Pero Vidović were compiled by Tadija Milikić, Editor-in-Chief of the academic journal Obnovljeni život, and Ivan Antunović, Dean of the Philosophical and Theological Institute SJ in Zagreb.
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Bibliografija Pere Vidovića raspoređena je u šest skupina:
1. Knjige – autorske i uredničke, znanstveni i stručni prilozi u autorskim knjigama i zbornicima;
2. Znanstveni i stručni radovi u časopisima;
3. Enciklopedijski i leksikonski članci;
4. Prijevodi, uvodnici i stručna suradnja;
5. Popularizacijski prilozi – članci, intervjui i dr.;
6. Prikazi, osvrti i ocjene.
Sve bibliografske jedinice unutar svake od šest skupina poredane su dosljedno kronološkim redoslijedom, prema godinama njihovih objavljivanja, od novijih prema starijima.
2025, The Expository Times
2025, Rheumatology
Objective. Beliefs about the causes of SLE have rarely been investigated. The purpose of this study was to explore these beliefs. Methods. Face-to-face interviews were carried out with a total of 33 women with SLE, fulfilling the ACR... more
Objective. Beliefs about the causes of SLE have rarely been investigated. The purpose of this study was to explore these beliefs. Methods. Face-to-face interviews were carried out with a total of 33 women with SLE, fulfilling the ACR criteria, with a median age of 40 (range 15-65) years. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results. Women attributed SLE to many causes, some of them being not congruent with biomedical models. The most frequent beliefs about the causes of SLE related to autoimmunity, psychological and familial causes, heredity, magico-religious causes (especially in first-and second-generation migrants) and infectious causes. Autoimmunity was often seen as a self-destructive process. Conclusions. Being diagnosed with SLE prompted 'Why me?' and 'Why now?' questioning among these women, who attempted to reconstruct coherence in their life histories. For clinicians, analysis of the beliefs about the causes clarifies what is at stake for the patient. The objective is to allow patients to produce narrative to describe their chronic illness experience in order to facilitate a long-term treatment alliance. Further studies are required to understand relationships between beliefs about causes, psychological distress and SLE morbidity.
2025, Journal of Religion and Health
2025, Journal of Religion and Health
Faith-based organizations (FBO) continue to play a significant role in the lives of individuals and communities in the United States. This study focused on the contributions of FBO to the health and well-being of residents of Rio Grande... more
Faith-based organizations (FBO) continue to play a significant role in the lives of individuals and communities in the United States. This study focused on the contributions of FBO to the health and well-being of residents of Rio Grande Valley, South Texas. Specifically, this study examined two main areas of involvement of FBO in Hidalgo County, Texas: health initiatives and community social services. Despite their influential and historical involvement, FBO partnership in the delivery of health and social services is not well accounted for. This study explores the characteristics of the clergy, parishioners, and FBO that are associated with community health initiatives and social services. Analyses revealed that FBO deliver a remarkably wide range of services. On a weekly basis, one in six or 17% of Hidalgo County residents were reported as receiving some form of health assistance or social services from county FBO. Variations exist depending on the characteristics of the clergy and the FBO. Policy and practice recommendations include engaging in additional networking, organizing resources, and strengthening FBO health initiatives.
2025, Annals of Plastic Surgery
Introduction: Despite advances in resuscitation, resurfacing, and reconstruction, recovery in burn patients often depends upon emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual healing. We characterized the spiritual needs of burn patients to help... more
Introduction: Despite advances in resuscitation, resurfacing, and reconstruction, recovery in burn patients often depends upon emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual healing. We characterized the spiritual needs of burn patients to help identify resources necessary to optimize recovery. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all patients admitted to a regional, accredited burn center, in 2011. We accessed multiple clinical, financial, and administrative databases, collected demographic data, including religious affiliation, and recorded the number and type of pastoral care visits. Outcome measures included length of stay (LOS), physician and facility charges, and mortality. We compared patients who had a pastoral care visit with those who did not, as well as patients with a religious affiliation with those who had no or an unknown affiliation. Results: During the study period, our burn center admitted 1338 patients, 314 of whom were visited by chaplains, for a total of 1077 encounters (3.43 visits per patient seen). Most frequent interventions were prayer, social support, and spiritual counseling. Compared to patients who had no visit, patients who saw a chaplain had a larger total body surface area burn, longer LOS, higher charges, and higher mortality (10.2% vs. 0.78%, P G 0.001). Patients who had a religious affiliation had slightly lower mortality than patients with unknown or no religious affiliation (0.87% vs. 3.19%), but this did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: In burn patients, utilization of pastoral care appears to be linked to size of burn, financial charges, and length of stay, with religious affiliation serving as a possible marker for improved survival. Plastic surgeons and burn providers should consider and address the spiritual needs of burn patients, as a component of recovery.
2025, Annals of Plastic Surgery
Introduction: Despite advances in resuscitation, resurfacing, and reconstruction, recovery in burn patients often depends upon emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual healing. We characterized the spiritual needs of burn patients to help... more
Introduction: Despite advances in resuscitation, resurfacing, and reconstruction, recovery in burn patients often depends upon emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual healing. We characterized the spiritual needs of burn patients to help identify resources necessary to optimize recovery. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all patients admitted to a regional, accredited burn center, in 2011. We accessed multiple clinical, financial, and administrative databases, collected demographic data, including religious affiliation, and recorded the number and type of pastoral care visits. Outcome measures included length of stay (LOS), physician and facility charges, and mortality. We compared patients who had a pastoral care visit with those who did not, as well as patients with a religious affiliation with those who had no or an unknown affiliation. Results: During the study period, our burn center admitted 1338 patients, 314 of whom were visited by chaplains, for a total of 1077 encounters (3.43 visits per patient seen). Most frequent interventions were prayer, social support, and spiritual counseling. Compared to patients who had no visit, patients who saw a chaplain had a larger total body surface area burn, longer LOS, higher charges, and higher mortality (10.2% vs. 0.78%, P G 0.001). Patients who had a religious affiliation had slightly lower mortality than patients with unknown or no religious affiliation (0.87% vs. 3.19%), but this did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: In burn patients, utilization of pastoral care appears to be linked to size of burn, financial charges, and length of stay, with religious affiliation serving as a possible marker for improved survival. Plastic surgeons and burn providers should consider and address the spiritual needs of burn patients, as a component of recovery.
2025, Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine
Recently, two authors suggested that killing a healthy newborn might be morally permissible, subsuming it under the heading of 'after birth abortion'. Their proposed new definition implies that infanticide should be permitted whenever II... more
Recently, two authors suggested that killing a healthy newborn might be morally permissible, subsuming it under the heading of 'after birth abortion'. Their proposed new definition implies that infanticide should be permitted whenever II trimester abortion for social reasons is. The suggestion stirred public outcry; nonetheless it needs to be analyzed since some 20% of countries allow II trimester abortion for social reasons and 5% do this on demand. A proper delimitation of the definition of ''abortion'' is thus very important to ensure careful application; for this reason we have attempted a critical analysis of their arguments. In the area of pregnancy termination different moral standards are apparently applied in different countries, but many reasons exist why the equation between II trimester abortion for social reasons and the killing of healthy neonates is to be morally rejected in all cases. The ''inversed reification'' of the concept of infanticide as a more abstract, euphemistic 'after birth abortion' blurs the fundamental difference between a non-viable fetus and a viable neonate. The best-known and most widely utilized (although illegal) ''social reason'' for ''late abortion'' and ''infanticide'' is a pregnancy with a female fetus or neonate. If infanticide for neonates were to be considered morally permissible, specifically it is this practice that would be applied. And this should be rejected on two levels: conceptual, through a critique of the exclusive use of one specific notion of personhood, and pragmatic through refusal of gender-discriminatory forms of infanticide (the killing of female neonates). In conclusion, having investigated the new concept we have concluded that the term ''after birth abortion'' is biologically and conceptually nonsensical.
2025, The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine
This discussion article contributes to ethics reform by introducing the contribution of religious, spiritual, and traditional beliefs and practices to both subject vulnerability and patient improvement. A growing body of evidence suggests... more
This discussion article contributes to ethics reform by introducing the contribution of religious, spiritual, and traditional beliefs and practices to both subject vulnerability and patient improvement. A growing body of evidence suggests that religious, spiritual, and traditional beliefs and practices may provide positive benefits, although in some cases mixed or negative consequences to mental and physical health. These beliefs and practices add a new level of complexity to ethical deliberations, in terms of what ignoring them may mean for both distributive justice and respect for persons. International ethical guidelines need to be created that are expansive enough to cover an array of social groups and circumstances. It is proposed that these guidelines incorporate the religious, spiritual, and/or traditional principles that characterize a local population. Providing effective mental healthcare requires respecting and understanding how differences, including ones that express a ...
2025
Corrie, John ‘Folk-lore of Glencairn’, Transactions and Journal of Proceedings of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History & Antiquarian Society 7 (1891), 37–45, 75–83. I had some problems finding this article and so put it up for... more
Corrie, John ‘Folk-lore of Glencairn’, Transactions and Journal of Proceedings of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History & Antiquarian Society 7 (1891), 37–45, 75–83.
I had some problems finding this article and so put it up for future readers.
2025
In addressing some of the issues arising in the context of women, drug use and HIV this article draws on the personal perceptions of the author, the staff of the Ana Liffey Drug Project and on the perceptions of women and men who are... more
In addressing some of the issues arising in the context of women, drug use and HIV this article draws on the personal perceptions of the author, the staff of the Ana Liffey Drug Project and on the perceptions of women and men who are directly affected by drug use or HTV as they have been related in conversation, in counselling or in research. In some ways, then, this presentation may at points appear to be very subjective but we would argue that personal perceptions and people's direct experience cannot be undervalued In 1989, Shane Butler, of the Addiction Studies Unit in Trinity College, and Marguerite Woods carried out a brief qualitative research project.
2025, Lucianea et pseudolucianea
The essay titled On astrology (περὶ τῆς ἀστρολογίης) in the Lucianic corpus has been the object of contradictory interpretations in the recent scholarly history: disregarded as spurious by many, or a serious text in defense of astrology... more
The essay titled On astrology (περὶ τῆς ἀστρολογίης) in the Lucianic corpus has been the object of contradictory interpretations in the recent scholarly history: disregarded as spurious by many, or a serious text in defense of astrology possibly dedicated to a Stoic patron, a parody of a Ionian philosopher, or a Stoic parody. A crucial step forward is represented by Lightfoot’s study of Lucian’s Ionic, according to which we must accept his authorship of On astrology. In this article I attempt to show that in this short piece we have a parody of an astrological defense—an established subgenre in Lucian’s age—which throughout the majority of the text makes exaggerated use of mythical rationalizations of the type frequently employed in historical works to explain the origin of human practices. Since (a) Herodotus was a paradigmatic case of that practice, (b) because of the Ionic dialect, and (c) considering the kind of parody employed by the writer from Samosata in his other piece in Ionic (On the Syrian goddess) and his frequent practice of strikingly combining different genres in a single work, we can conclude that Lucian also wore the mask of the historian here.
2025, PubMed
The paper tackles the question of balneological treatment available for the members of the Order of Preachers in Central Europe between 1650 and 1720. I took advantage of a strict record keeping procedure within the Dominican order, which... more
The paper tackles the question of balneological treatment available for the members of the Order of Preachers in Central Europe between 1650 and 1720. I took advantage of a strict record keeping procedure within the Dominican order, which required that all members obtain a written permission from the Father Provincial before taking any journey beyond local boundaries. As all the records were kept in so called "Provincial books" (Libri provinciae) it was possible to identify travelling permits issued for balneological treatment and collect data about visits to spas from the entire Czech Province.