Reclaiming the Body: Christians and the Faithful Use of Modern Medicine (The Christian Practice of Everyday Life) [Paperback]

Joel Shuman (Author), Brian M.D. Volck (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Christian Practice of Everyday Life | Publication Date: February 1, 2006

We live in an age of incredible medical technology, and with it, a great emphasis on health and well-being. We fully entrust the care of our bodies to the medical profession, often taking its solutions and judgments as gospel. But what role, if any, should our Christian faith play in all this?

In Reclaiming the Body, a physician and a theologian take a critical look at some of the assumptions we draw from the medical profession and explore what theology has to say about medicine, our bodies, our health, and the Body of Christ. The authors deal with such issues as suffering, caring for the sick, children and reproductive technologies, medicine and the poor, our obsession with physical perfection, and death and dying.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Shuman, an ethicist, and Volck, a pediatrician, are on a mission to persuade Christians to stop worshiping the medical establishment and to start "using medicine as if God mattered." It is easy to put medicine in the place that only God should occupy: "The medical project of controlling life and defeating death is attractive... because a denial of our own mortalities and a desire to be in control is very near the center of our own disordered desires." Christian theology, however, teaches that "because we come from God, belong to God, and are destined finally to return to God, we need not fight without restraint to control all the circumstances of our existence, or to preserve our lives as they near their end." As they develop this theme through literature, contemporary stories and theological reflection, the authors affirm the goodness of the human body, the importance of the church as the gathered body of Christ and the necessity of hospitality toward the world's helpless and suffering. Brilliantly reasoned and artfully written, this quotable book should reach well beyond its obvious market of medical and spiritual caregivers to engage anyone concerned about human values in a technological age. (Feb.)
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About the Author

Joel Shuman (Ph.D., Duke University) teaches moral theology at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He is a frequent public speaker, the author of numerous articles about theology and medicine, and coauthor of Heal Thyself: Spirituality, Medicine, and the Distortion of Christianity.

Brian Volck, M.D., is a pediatrician. He teaches an elective on literature and medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and his essays, narrative nonfiction, and poetry have appeared in such publications as DoubleTake, America, and St. Anthony Messenger.

Product Details

• Paperback: 174 pages
• Publisher: Brazos Press; 1 edition (February 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1587431270
• ISBN-13: 978-1587431272
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #836,380 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars spiritual context for medical decisions, July 17, 2006

By 

John Murray (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Reclaiming the Body: Christians and the Faithful Use of Modern Medicine (The Christian Practice of Everyday Life) (Paperback)

This book offers a thoughtful review of how Christianity and medicine interact. Shuman and Volck do not lose sight of our status as created beings who generally want to please our creator, but due to our very clever abilities make that hard sometimes. The anecdotes get to the heart of many difficult problems. Probably best read before one faces a life-or-death medical decision--when the crunch comes, you will be glad you did.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Medicine in a Christian Context, April 20, 2007

By 

Joseph H, Wessling "Joseph H. Wessling" (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reclaiming the Body: Christians and the Faithful Use of Modern Medicine (The Christian Practice of Everyday Life) (Paperback)

"Reclaiming the Body," the joint effort of a theologian (Joel Shuman) and a physician (Brian Volck), is a masterful discussion of the practice and consumption of medicine in a larger context--in this case the context of the Christian faith. Because American society, with its emphasis on individualism, provides little guidance regarding what medicine should be doing or not doing or who in society should have what claims on its services, there is a need for a comprehensive vision which takes in community claims as well as individual claims on medical benefits. Christian faith can be for many people that comprehensive vision. "Reclaiming the Body" lays out this vision masterfully. In spite of its complex subject matter, this book is quite accessible to a general readership. Especially insightful are the chapters "What Are Children For?" and "A Body Without Borders." This book is bound to change or deepen our thinking. It deserves a wide readership.
Joe Wessling
Professor Emeritus of English (Xavier University)
Author of "Alice in Academe" and Other Stories

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought-Provoking Book, April 5, 2008

By 

Peggy A. Reynoso (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Reclaiming the Body: Christians and the Faithful Use of Modern Medicine (The Christian Practice of Everyday Life) (Paperback)

Interesting analysis of the almost-magical power attributed to medicine and other human systems, while still respectful and grateful to the medical community. Thought-provoking for medical professionals and patients.

Peggy Reynoso