The Essential Guide to Religious Traditions and Spirituality for Health Care Providers

740 Pages·2012·54.414 MB·\740

by  Jeffers Steven (Author), Michael E Nelson (Author), Vern Barnet (Author), Michael C Brannigan (Author)

The Essential Guide to Religious
Traditions and Spirituality for
Health Care Providers
Edited by
STEVEN L. JEFFERS, PhD
MICHAEL E. NELSON, MD
VERN BARNET, DMin
MICHAEL C. BRANNIGAN, PhD
Forewords by
PERRY A. PUGNO, md, mph , faafp, facpe
American Academy of Family Physicians
CARL E. LUNDSTROM, md
Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Boca Raton London New York
CRC Press is an imprint of the
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First published 2013 by Radcliffe Publishing Ltd
Published 2019 by CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
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© 2013 Steven L. Jeffers, Michael E. Nelson, Vern Barnet, and Michael C. Brannigan
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Inform.a business
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under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the authors of this work.
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ISBN 13: 978-1-84619-560-0 (hbk)
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Dedication
This book is dedicated to the memory of chapter and spent hours editing the chap-
Steven L. Jeffers. He is the individual who ters as each was received. Unfortunately, he
had the idea that eventually grew into this died in an accident prior to the completion
book and without his tireless energy it would of the book and so never got to see the text
have never been completed. It was Steve in its final form. However, his spirit will
who recruited the authors for almost every continue to live on in this work.
Michael E. Nelson, md
Vern Barnet, DMin
Michael C. Brannigan, PhD
iii
Prologue
I would be remiss in my duty as an editor but I read it and made a few suggestions,
if I did not provide additional insight into thinking my work was now done. How
how this book was “born.” Steve Jeffers was wrong I was! In relatively rapid succession
a fixture in the hallways and care areas of I received additional manuscripts, which I
Shawnee Mission Medical Center, always dutifully checked for “medical readability”
looking to provide spiritual support to the and sent back to Steve with suggestions as
health care workers, from patient transport- to what might be of additional interest to
ers to nurses to physicians to the hospitals health care personnel. This process later
chief executive officer. He found me one morphed into 5:30 a.m. or 6 a.m. meetings
morning in the intensive care unit and, as to review the chapters and make changes
was my wont, I was complaining about a to the structure of the book. I still thought
young lady who had low blood pressure. I had made it clear that I did not have time
She also had low blood counts, but would to participate. Steve would enthusiastically
not consent to a transfusion because of her incorporate my suggestions and, should I
religious beliefs. I asked her if her spiritual recommend that an additional tradition be
tradition would allow for transfusion of included (as I did with the Afro-Atlantic
products that did not include cells, but she religions), he would find an author for that
did not know the answer to this. I noted to chapter, somehow convincing an individual
Steve that it would certainly be helpful to with expertise to write it.
clinicians if there were a resource one might In the fall of2007 it was clear that the book
use that explained the restrictions of the was well on its way to completion, and Steve
various spiritual traditions. Steve returned requested that I provide him with a short bio
a few days later and suggested that we write as he was adding me as an editor. I explained
a “Spiritual PDR” that would be similar to to him that I did not want to be listed as an
the PDR (Physicians Desk Reference) for editor and reiterated that I did not have time
medication. I suggested that this would be to participate. In the spring of 2008, we had
a good project for him and that I would not received initial positive responses from a
have the time to participate. Those who publisher and Steve again requested that I
knew Steve are aware that a “no” to him send him a bio as it was important to have an
didn’t really mean no. It just meant that he editor who was a physician. Procrastination
would ask again at a later time. is the best weapon against persistence and
A number of weeks later I received an I employed this as skillfully as a fencer uses
email asking me to review a manuscript (I his épée. Quite unexpectedly and unfortu-
don’t recall which spiritual tradition), which nately, Steve died in the late summer of2008.
was the initial chapter of the book. I thought It was agreed by all involved in the project
I had made it clear that I couldn’t participate, that this book would be a fitting tribute to an
IV
Prologue
individual who had invested so much time in finishing the chapter on Sufism. This
in the care of others. was met by a protracted silence ended by
I had a copy of the book on a thumb drive, a query, “What?” I repeated my introduc-
which I had used during our morning edit- tion and again asked if he were interested
ing sessions and during the evening when I in participating to which he replied, “What
made the changes we would subsequently the hell are you talking about and what is
discuss. Of course, I thought that I would Sufism?” I verified that his name was the
be able to access all of the authors' contact same as the authors but came to find out
information on his computer in his office in that he was a plumber from Des Moines,
the hospital, as I did not have any of this. As Iowa, and he had never even heard of
there were still some chapters that had not Sufism. A new author was subsequently
been completed, it would be necessary to identified. Unfortunately, similar episodes
contact the authors for final revisions and occurred with other chapters as well, result-
addition. However, I subsequently found ing in a time to completion that was much
out that all of his communications had been longer then I had anticipated.
deleted after his death, leaving me only with However, I must personally thank all
the names of the authors on the headers of of the authors who have graciously shared
their chapters. I received help from the kind their knowledge and who have done so
people in the Spiritual Wellness section of much to help bring this work to completion.
Shawnee Mission Medical Center in getting In all of my communications, whether by
additional contact information for many email (now numbering over 1000), phone
of these individuals. Some of the individu- calls (well into the hundreds), or even snail
als were easily located because Steve knew mail (two or three folks), there has been
them from his contacts in this area. Others nothing but friendly and helpful responses.
were much more difficult to find, or even While this book is dedicated to the memory
to identify. of Steve Jeffers, it is important for readers
One anecdote bears repeating. I was to know that this project would never have
trying to contact the individual who had existed without the gracious assistance of
authored an incomplete chapter on Sufism. these many fine authors.
I was unable to find him in the local phone I would also like to thank Gillian
book and finally “googled” his contact Nineham and Jamie Etherington from
information. Excited that I would finally Radcliffe Publishing, who have helped to
get to speak with this author, I made a call, move this project to completion. In addi-
which was answered by a pleasant man tion, I would like to thank Camille Lowe of
whose name was on the chapter heading. Undercover for all of her assistance, espe-
I explained that I was attempting to com- cially in keeping me on schedule. Finally, I
plete the book for which he had authored a need to thank Lore, Brad and Graham for
chapter and asked if he was still interested their patience through this process.
Mike Nelson
September 2012
v
Table of Contents
Dedication iii
Prologue iv
Preface ix
Foreword by Perry A. Pugno, MD xi
Foreword by Carl E. Lundstrom, MD xiii
Reasons For and How to Use This Book xv
About the Editors xxi
About the Contributors xxi i i
Acknowledgments xliii
Setting the Stage 1
Spirituality and Religion: An Overview of the Three Families of Faith 7
Spirituality, Religion, and Culture 17
Spirituality and Religion: Relevance in the ClinicalS etting? 23
Spirituality and Religion in the Clinical Setting: Prosa nd Cons 38
Spiritual Care in the Clinical Setting: Assessment and Application 43
American Indian Spirituality 52
Baha'i Faith 63
Buddhism: General Introduction 83
Mahayana Buddhism 101
Theravada Buddhism 111
Vajrayana Buddhism 130
Christianity: General Introduction 149
Anabaptist Traditions: General Introduction 157
• Amish 159
• Brethren in Christ 166
• Church of the Brethren 178
• Hutterites 187
• Mennonites 193
vi
Table of Contents
Catholic Traditions: GeneralI ntroduction 208
• Eastern Rite Catholic Church 210
• Roman Catholicism 220
The Church ofjesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon) 229
Community of Christ 237
Jehovah’s Witnesses 244
Orthodox Christianity 252
Protestant Traditions: General Introduction 280
• African American Baptist/Protestantism 283
• African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME) 293
• Assemblies of God 301
• Baptist Church 309
• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 315
• Christian Science 321
• Church of God Movement (Anderson, IN) 328
• Episcopal Church 335
• Evangelical Covenant Church 341
• Lutheran Church 348
• Church of the Nazarene 356
• Presbyterian Church 364
• Seventh-Day Adventist Church 371
• United Church of Christ 376
• United Methodist Church 383
• Unity 392
Quakerism: General Introduction 406
• Liberal Quakers (Friends) 408
• Pastoral (Programmed) Quakers 413
Confucianism 422
Hare Krishna 437
Hinduism 445
Islam 465
Jainism 491
Judaism 500
Paganism 517
Church of Scientology 530
vii
Table of Contents
Secularism 548
Shintoism 554
Sikhism 571
Spiritualism 586
Sufism 604
Taoism 617
Unitarian Universalism 635
Vodou and Afro-Atlantic Religions 652
Zoroastrianism 663
Concluding Words 683
Sources Cited and Consulted 685
VIII
Preface
The vision of Shawnee Mission Medical that we could all learn a great lesson from
Centers Institute for Spirituality in Health crayons for living in this world. Collectively,
is to help create an atmosphere wherein crayons are a vast array of different colors,
delivery of health care occurs within an but they all live harmoniously in the same
environment that values medical skills com- box. When different-colored crayons are
plemented by spirituality, which is often used in creating a piece of art, it is the
expressed in the language of faith. combination of those colors that turns the
The mission of the Institute is to facili- resultant work into a beautiful masterpiece.
tate collaboration among various groups to We think it is fair to say that the world in
improve the physical, emotional, and spir- which we live is analogous to an artists
itual health of patients and their families, creation. A resplendent piece of handiwork
while respecting every individuals faith. is created when various cultures, ethnic
In this world of ethnic, cultural, and reli- groups, and spiritual and religious tradi-
gious pluralism, we believe people have the tions are woven together into a tapestry,
right to expect that their spiritual and reli- rich with different hues, reflecting society’s
gious traditions should be acknowledged diversity.
and respected in social and professional It is our belief that knowledge of other
settings. That same expectation holds true cultural, ethnic, and faith traditions can
for patients in a clinical setting, who often enable us to be better citizens of the world
experience “crises of faith” caused by the in which we live and work. It can also aid in
onset of adverse physical conditions. highlighting the common elements our own
In the fall of 2007, the institute initiated backgrounds share with differing traditions,
a new educational program for physicians, and may prove to be one way of enriching
entitled “Spirituality and Faith Traditions our own personal culture, ethnicity, faith,
of the World in the Healthcare Setting,” at and spirituality.
Shawnee Mission Medical Center. At the We also want to point out how important
first meeting, the facilitator asked the physi- it is for clinicians to establish good work-
cians what they wanted to obtain from this ing relationships with chaplains and other
series. The consensus was to learn about spiritual care providers in order to offer the
other faith traditions in order to be more broadest possible range of care to patients
respectful of their colleagues and supportive and their families.
of their patients with spiritual traditions dif- Even though this book is lengthy and
ferent from their own. contains much information, it is impossible
Those physicians desire to become more to provide an exhaustive resource on such
knowledgeable of various spiritual and a broad topic. Thus, there are religious and
religious traditions leads us to conclude spiritual traditions that were not included.
IX