First published in 2000. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

In "Medicine, Society, and Faith in the Ancient and Medieval Worlds" Darrel Amundsen explores the disputed boundaries of medicine and Christianity by focusing on the principle of the sanctity of human life, including the duty to treat or attempt to sustain the life of the ill. As he examines his themes and moves from text to context, Amundsen clarifies a number of Christian principles in relation to bioethical issues that are hotly debated today. In his examination of the moral stance of the earliest syphilographers, for example, he finds insights into the ethical issues surrounding the treatment of AIDS, which he believes has its closest historical antecedent not in plague but in syphilis.

He also shows that the belief that all healing comes from God, whether directly, through prayer, or through the use of medicine--a sentiment commonly held by contemporary Christians--cannot be accurately attributed to any extant source from the patristic period. Indeed, all the Church Fathers were convinced that healing sometimes came from evil sources: Satan and his demons were able to heal, for example, and Asclepius was a demon "to be taken very seriously indeed."

Most religious traditions have a rich, if largely forgotten, heritage of involvement in medical issues of life, death, and health. Religious values influence our behavior and attitudes toward sickness, sexuality, and lifestyle, to say nothing of more controversial subjects such as abortion and euthanasia. The essays in this important book illuminate the history of health and medicine within the Judeo-Christian tradition. Bringing together 20 original articles by expert scholars in the fields of the history of religion and the history of medicine, "Caring and Curing" provides a fascinating and enlightening overview of how religious values have come to affect the practice of medicine and medical care.

Reaching back to 5th century Greece and proceeding to the late twentieth century, this volume describes the relationship of science and religion throughout history. From ancient cosmology and medieval Occult sciences to modern physics and psychology, every major intellectual movement and discipline of study is covered. There is also comprehensive coverage of the foundational aspects of the study of science and religion with, for example, detailed discussions of the demarcation of science and religion, of epistemology and of causation.
Also included here are biographical studies of major scientific figures - among them Galileo, Newton, and Darwin - who were particularly concerned with the religious implications and dimensions of their scientific discoveries.


eBook available with sample pages: 0203801296