On Moral Medicine by
In print for more than two decades, On Moral Medicine remains the definitive anthology for Christian theological reflection on medical ethics. This third edition updates and expands the earlier awardwinning volumes, providing classrooms and individuals alike with one of the finest available resources for ethics-engaged modern medicine.
The Healing Gods by
Complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, has become mainstream. The question people typically ask about CAM is whether it works. However, an issue of equal or, perhaps, greater significance is why it is supposed to work. Answering this question reveals how CAM may change not only yourhealth, but also your religion. This book explains how and why CAM entered the American biomedical mainstream and won cultural acceptance, even among evangelical and other theologically conservative Christians despite its roots in non-Christian religions and the lack of scientific evidence of itsefficacy and safety.Many CAM providers make religious or spiritual assumptions about why CAM works: assumptions informed by religious traditions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism forged in Asia, or metaphysical spirituality developed in Europe and North America. Before the 1960s, most of the practices consideredin this book - yoga, chiropractic, acupuncture, Reiki, Therapeutic Touch, meditation, martial arts, homeopathy, and anti-cancer diets - if encountered at all-were generally dismissed as medically and religiously questionable. What causes practices once classified as illegitimate for medical andreligious reasons to be redefined as legitimate routes to physical and spiritual wellness? Promoters of holistic healthcare, or integrative medicine, strategically marketed products to consumers poised to embrace effective, spiritually wholesome therapies.Once-suspect health practices gained approval as they were re-categorized as non-religious (though generically spiritual) healthcare, fitness, or scientific techniques, rather than as religious rituals. Although CAM claims are similar to religious claims, CAM gained cultural legitimacy becausepeople interpret it as science instead of religion. Healthcare consumers, providers, policymakers, and courts need to know not just whether CAM works, but also why it should work. Holistic healthcare raises ethical and legal questions of informed consent, consumer protection, and religiousestablishment at the heart of biomedical ethics, tort law, and constitutional law. Answering this question gets to the heart of values such as personal autonomy, self-determination, religious equality, and religious voluntarism.
Should We Live Forever? by
In Should We Live Forever? Christian ethicist Gilbert Meilaender puzzles over the implications of the medical advances that have lengthened the human life span, wrestling with what this quest for living longer means for our conception of living well and completely. As he points out in his introduction, "That we often desire, even greedily desire, longer life is clear; whether what we desire is truly desirable is harder to say." The six chapters of this book take multiple perspectives on issues surrounding aging and invite readers to consider whether "indefinitely more life" is something worth pursuing and, if humans are created for life with God, whether longer life will truly satisfy our underlying hunger.
When breath becomes air by
At the age of 36, on the verge of a completing a decade's worth of training as a neurosurgeon, Paul Kalanithi's health began to falter. He started losing weight and was wracked by waves of excruciating back pain. A CT scan confirmed what Paul, deep down, had suspected: he had stage four lung cancer, widely disseminated. One day, he was a doctor making a living treating the dying, and the next, he was a patient struggling to live. Just like that, the future he and his wife had imagined, the culmination of decades of striving, evaporated. Breath Becomes Air approaches the questions raised by facing mortality from the dual perspective of the neurosurgeon who spent a decade meeting patients in the twilight between life and death, and the terminally ill patient who suddenly found himself living in that liminality. At the base of Paul's inquiry are essential questions such as: What makes life worth living in the face of death? What happens when the future, instead of being a ladder toward the goals of life, flattens out into a perpetual present? When faced with a terminal diagnosis, what does it mean to have a child, to nurture a new life as another one fades away? As Paul wrote, "Before my cancer was diagnosed, I knew that someday I would die, but I didn't know when. After the diagnosis, I knew that someday I would die, but I didn't know when. But now I knew it acutely. The problem wasn't really a scientific one. The fact of death is unsettling. Yet there is no other way to live.
Anatomy of the Soul by
Do you want to improve your relationships and experience lasting personal change? Join Curt Thompson, M.D., on an amazing journey to discover the surprising pathways for transformation hidden inside your own mind. Integrating new findings in neuroscience and attachment with Christian spirituality, Dr. Thompson reveals how it is possible to rewire your mind, altering your brain patterns and literally making you more like the person God intended you to be. Explaining discoveries about the brain in layman's terms, he shows how you can be mentally transformed through spiritual practices, interaction with Scripture, and connections with other people. He also provides practical exercises to help you experience healing in areas where you've been struggling. Insightful and challenging, Anatomy of the Soul illustrates how learning about one of God's most miraculous creations-your brain-can enrich your life, your relationships, and your impact on the world around you.
The Covenant of Water by
From the New York Times-bestselling author of Cutting for Stone comes a stunning and magisterial epic of love, faith, and medicine, set in Kerala, South India, following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret The Covenant of Water is the long-awaited new novel by Abraham Verghese, the author of the major word-of-mouth bestseller Cutting for Stone, which has sold over 1.5 million copies in the United States alone and remained on the New York Times bestseller list for over two years. Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on India's Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning--and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala's Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time. From this unforgettable new beginning, the young girl--and future matriarch, Big Ammachi--will witness unthinkable changes over the span of her extraordinary life, full of joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss, her faith and love the only constants. A shimmering evocation of a bygone India and of the passage of time itself, The Covenant of Water is a hymn to progress in medicine and to humanunderstanding, and a humbling testament to the hardships undergone by past generations for the sake of those alive today. Imbued with humor, deep emotion, and the essence of life, it is one of the most masterful literary novels published in recent years.
Man's Search for Meaning by
A book for finding purpose and strength in times of great despair, the international best-seller is still just as relevant today as when it was first published. "This is a book I reread a lot . . . it gives me hope . . . it gives me a sense of strength." -Anderson Cooper, Anderson Cooper 360/CNN This seminal book, which has been called "one of the outstanding contributions to psychological thought" by Carl Rogers and "one of the great books of our time" by Harold Kushner, has been translated into more than fifty languages and sold over sixteen million copies. "An enduring work of survival literature," according to the New York Times, Viktor Frankl's riveting account of his time in the Nazi concentration camps, and his insightful exploration of the human will to find meaning in spite of the worst adversity, has offered solace and guidance to generations of readers since it was first published in 1946. At the heart of Frankl's theory of logotherapy (from the Greek word for "meaning") is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but rather the discovery and pursuit of what the individual finds meaningful. Today, as new generations face new challenges and an ever more complex and uncertain world, Frankl's classic work continues to inspire us all to find significance in the very act of living, in spite of all obstacles. A must-read companion to this classic work, a new, never-before-published work by Frankl entitled Yes to Life- In Spite of Everything, is now available in English.
Being Mortal by
#1 New York Times Bestseller In Being Mortal, bestselling author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming birth, injury, and infectious disease from harrowing to manageable. But in the inevitable condition of aging and death, the goals of medicine seem too frequently to run counter to the interest of the human spirit. Nursing homes, preoccupied with safety, pin patients into railed beds and wheelchairs. Hospitals isolate the dying, checking for vital signs long after the goals of cure have become moot. Doctors, committed to extending life, continue to carry out devastating procedures that in the end extend suffering. Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession's ultimate limitation, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. Gawande offers examples of freer, more socially fulfilling models for assisting the infirm and dependent elderly, and he explores the varieties of hospice care to demonstrate that a person's last weeks or months may be rich and dignified. Full of eye-opening research and riveting storytelling, Being Mortal asserts that medicine can comfort and enhance our experience even to the end, providing not only a good life but also a good end.
Transforming Care by
Nursing involves skill, judgment, compassion, and respect for human life whether or not the nurse is a Christian. Is there anything distinctive, then, about Christian nurses? The authors of Transforming Care address the question of how Christian faith molds nursing practice. Suggesting that such faith entails something more essential than evangelism or a certain position on moral dilemmas, they deal with the ordinary, everyday nature of nursing practice. The first part of the book articulates the relationship between Christian faith and nursing practice while analyzing the concepts of nursing, person, environment, and health common to nursing literature. The second part describes and evaluates nursing practice in three different health care contexts: acute care settings, mental health facilities, and community care contexts. Sidebars throughout the book offer thought-provoking quotations from well-known authors and nursing experts. Contributors: Cheryl Brandsen Bart Cusveller Mary Molewyk Doornbos Mary Flikkema Ruth E. Groenhout Arlene Hoogewerf Kendra G. Hotz Clarence Joldersma Barbara Timmermans
Called to Care by
Nursing keeps changing.The role of the nurse grew out of a Christian understanding of the human person as created in the image of God, and viewed the body as a living unity and the "temple of the Holy Spirit" (1 Cor 6:19). Contemporary nursing, however, is increasingly characterized by a diminished understanding of personhood. The impact on patient care has proven confusing and discouraging to many nurses.In the newly revised and expanded Called to Care: A Christian Worldview for Nursing, Judith Allen Shelly and Arlene B. Miller define nursing for today based on a historically and theologically grounded understanding of the nurse's call:Nursing is a ministry of compassionate care for the whole person, in response to God's grace toward a sinful world, which aims to foster optimum health (shalom) and bring comfort in suffering and death for anyone in need.Called to Care asserts that nursing is a vocation, giving nurses a framework for understanding their mission and living out their calling: service to God through caring for others.
Health Care Ethics by
In their thought-provoking and insightful revised introductory ethics text, authors Michael Panicola, David Belde, John Slosar, and Mark Repenshek address complex and controversial health care issues that are very much a part of our everyday lives. Using a normative framework, the authors incorporate specific issues, case studies, and multimedia aides in each chapter to encourage students to engage in moral discourse and reflection. The authors' stimulating faith-based discussion of how particular circumstances in society have an impact on ethical decision making is a significant contribution to our understanding of the complex relationship between health care issues and ethics. Linking new material, including chapters on the patient-physician relationship, regenerative medicine, the pharmaceutical/device industry, and health care reform, to classic chapters on reproductive technology, abortion and maternal-fetal care, stem cell research, genomic technologies, and end-of-life care, the authors underscore the important real-life concerns and issues that confront people in their daily living and the need to discern these concerns and issues with the goal of attaining human and social flourishing. Key additions to the revised text include a glossary; updated facts, figures, tables, and statistics; new case studies; chapter discussion questions, including social-ethics questions; and social analysis.
Bioethics for Nurses by
Recovering the foundation of faith in a profession enduring the pressures of a rapidly changing health-care system. If you are one of the millions of Christian nurses or nursing students in the United States, you already know that there is no real way to separate your faith commitments from your professional vocation--nor would you want to. Especially amid the bedlam of the COVID-19 pandemic, faith has given countless nurses the strength to carry on and be there for their patients, one exhausting shift after another. Bioethics for Nurses, the first book of its kind, is for nurses and nurses in training who still believe in treating the whole person--not just their medical condition. It is for those committed to living out the love of Jesus Christ through the warm, relational care they provide for all hurting and vulnerable people--including those in underserved populations--each of whom has the dignity of a human being made in the image of God. It is also for those who rightly see themselves as crucial members of medical teams alongside doctors (and sometimes without doctors present at all), empowered to exercise professional judgment while protecting their consciences. With the combined wisdom of Alisha Mack, a professor of nursing with many years of clinical experience, and Charles Camosy, an award-winning bioethicist and theologian, Bioethics for Nurses advances a vision for a holistic Christian notion of health care with practical applications for everyday relevance on the job. Through a series of case studies in the second part of the book, Mack and Camosy explore the ethics of specific situations with far-reaching implications for nurses working in a range of fields. In the last part, the authors reflect on the future of nursing after COVID-19, making this an especially timely book for a pivotal moment in the history of the profession. Now, more than ever before, the wisdom of the ancient tradition of Christianity is needed to speak into the profound contemporary realities we are facing together as a culture.
New : Nursing and the Art of Being Human by
Author Tenley Force's journey from student to fully registered nurse wasn't easy, causing her to face the very extremes of humanity. In her debut book, New: Nursing and the Art of Being Human, Tenley seeks to answer the question... How can we heal ourselves while we are busy healing others? In her search, Tenley interviewed 50 different nurses throughout the United States - some with only several months experience, and some with many years. Through the process of open and honest communication Tenley was able to compile a variety of voices, which, along with her own experiences, help others to hang onto their sense of self in the midst of stressful, new situations. Filled with advice, experience, and commiseration, New is a direct look into the world of high-pressure careers, and the way we process emotions in both our personal and professional lives.
The Soul of Shame by
We're all infected with a spiritual disease. Its name is shame. Whether we realize it or not, shame affects every aspect of our personal lives and vocational endeavors. It seeks to destroy our identity in Christ, replacing it with a damaged version of ourselves that results in unhealed pain and brokenness. But God is telling a different story for your life. Psychiatrist Curt Thompson unpacks the soul of shame, revealing its ubiquitous nature and neurobiological roots. He also provides the theological and practical tools necessary to dismantle shame, based on years of researching its damaging effects and counseling people to overcome those wounds. Thompson's expertise and compassion will help you identify your own pains and struggles and find freedom from the lifelong negative messages that bind you. Rewrite the story of your life and embrace healing and wholeness as you discover and defeat shame's insidious agenda.
Every Deep-Drawn Breath by
Winner of a Christopher Award--now with a discussion guide "Perhaps one lesson to draw from the pandemic, with help from books like this one, is that the ICU experience can be changed for the better" (The Washington Post) for both patients and their families. You will learn how in this timely, urgent, and compassionate work by a world-renowned critical care doctor. In this rich blend of science, medical history, profoundly humane patient stories, and personal reflection, Dr. Wes Ely describes his mission to prevent ICU patients from being harmed by the technology that is keeping them alive. Readers will experience the world of critical care through the eyes of a physician who drastically changed his clinical practice to offer person-centered health care and through cutting-edge research convinced others to do the same. Dr. Ely's groundbreaking investigations advanced the understanding of post- intensive care struggles and introduced crucial changes that reshaped treatment: minimizing sedation, maximizing mobility, and providing supportive aftercare. Dr. Ely shows that there are ways to bring humanity into the ICU and that "technology plus touch" is a proven path toward returning ICU patients to the lives they had before their hospital stays. An essential resource for anyone who will be affected by illness--which is all of us.
Sacred Rest by
Staying busy is easy. Staying well rested-now there's a challenge. Discover how understanding the 7 types of rest can help. How can you keep your energy, happiness, creativity, and relationships fresh and thriving in the midst of never-ending family demands, career pressures, and the stress of everyday life? In Sacred Rest, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, a board-certified internal medicine doctor, reveals why rest can no longer remain optional. Dr. Dalton-Smith shares seven types of rest she has found lacking in the lives of those she encounters in her clinical practice and research-physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, sensory, social, creative-and why a deficiency in any one of these types of rest can have unfavorable effects on your health, happiness, relationships, creativity, and productivity. Sacred Rest combines the science of rest, the spirituality of rest, the gifts of rest, and the resulting fruit of rest. It shows rest as something sacred, valuable, and worthy of our respect. By combining scientific research with personal stories, spiritual insight, and practical next steps, Sacred Rest gives the weary permission to embrace rest, set boundaries, and seek sanctuary without any guilt, shame, or fear.
The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family by
"An extremely useful parenting handbook... truly outstanding ... strongly recommended." --Library Journal (starred review) "A tremendous resource for parents and professionals alike." --Thomas Atwood, president and CEO, National Council for Adoption The adoption of a child is always a joyous moment in the life of a family. Some adoptions, though, present unique challenges. Welcoming these children into your family--and addressing their special needs--requires care, consideration, and compassion. Written by two research psychologists specializing in adoption and attachment, The Connected Child will help you: Build bonds of affection and trust with your adopted child Effectively deal with any learning or behavioral disorders Discipline your child with love without making him or her feel threatened "A must-read not only for adoptive parents, but for all families striving to correct and connect with their children." --Carol S. Kranowitz, author of The Out-of-Sync Child "Drs. Purvis and Cross have thrown a life preserver not only to those just entering uncharted waters, but also to those struggling to stay afloat." --Kathleen E. Morris, editor of S. I. Focus magazine "Truly an exceptional, innovative work . . . compassionate, accessible, and founded on a breadth of scientific knowledge and clinical expertise." --Susan Livingston Smith, program director,Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute "The Connected Child is the literary equivalent of an airline oxygen mask and instructions: place the mask over your own face first, then over the nose of your child. This book first assists the parent, saying, in effect, 'Calm down, you're not the first mom or dad in the world to face this hurdle, breathe deeply, then follow these simple steps.' The sense of not facing these issues alone--the relief that your child's behavior is not off the charts--is hugely comforting. Other children have behaved this way; other parents have responded thusly; welcome to the community of therapeutic and joyful adoptive families." --Melissa Fay Greene, author of There is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children
Small Things Like These by
Shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize One of the New York Times's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century "A hypnotic and electrifying Irish tale that transcends country, transcends time." --Lily King, New York Times bestselling author of Writers & Lovers Small Things Like These is award-winning author Claire Keegan's landmark new novel, a tale of one man's courage and a remarkable portrait of love and family It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. An international bestseller, Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers.
