RECLAIMING THE BODY
Christians and the faithful use of modern medicine
By Joel Shuman and Brian Volck. Brazos Press. 174 pages. £10.00
ISBN 1-58743-127-0
This book is one of a series published by the Ekklesia Project, ‘an ecumenical gathering of pastors, theologians and lay leaders committed to helping the church recall its status as the distinctive real-world community dedicated to the priorities and practices of Jesus Christ’. One of the authors is a paediatrician, the other teaches moral theology at a Catholic college in Pennsylvania.
It is not a conventional textbook on medical ethics, but rather an attempt ‘to explore medicine as if God actually mattered’. The ‘body’ of the title refers to the church (which, for the authors, consists of those who are baptised and participate in the Eucharist) and readers are encouraged to adopt a communal approach to medicine and illness. The early chapters are somewhat philosophical, and explore the nature of modern medicine, including it, rather unconvincingly in my opinion, among Paul’s ‘principalities and powers’. We are reminded that Christians should never consider a doctor’s care sufficient for the needs of the ill, but should provide care within the church.
The later chapters consider the relationship of the church to medicine in the areas of infertility, concern for the poor, cosmetic surgery, suffering and death. They prove to be more readable than the early chapters, and provide some examples of how Christian belief should affect our actions. A chapter entitled ‘Perfection Money Can’t Buy’ contains a timely reminder that true satisfaction is found in glorifying God, and not in being younger, fitter or more desirable. The penultimate chapter contains a moving account of how a Christian family coped with terminal cancer, although the use of a living will surely needed more discussion.
Reclaiming the body will be of interest to doctors and others interested in exploring the relationship between medicine and the church. The earlier chapters in particular are not easily read, limiting its usefulness to those without some prior knowledge of the subject.
Michael Thompson,
GP in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone;
member of Dungannon Baptist Church
