,World Religions for Healthcare Professiona
v v v v
ls
Religiousvbeliefsvandvcustomsvcanvsignificantlyvshapevpatients’vandvprofessionals’v a
ttitudesvtoward,vandvexpectationsvof,vhealthcare,vasvwellvasvtheirvwishesvandvper-
v sonalvboundariesvregardingvsuchvdailyvmattersvasvdress,vdiet,vprayer,vandvtouch.v
Undoubtedly,vthevsensitivityvwithvwhichvcliniciansvcommunicatevwithvpatientsvandv
makevdecisionsvregardingvappropriatevmedicalvinterventionvcanvbevgreatlyvincrease
dv byvanvunderstandingvofvreligiousvasvwellvasvothervformsvofvculturalvdiversity.
Thisvsecondveditionvofvavpopularvandvestablishedvtextvoffersvhealthcarevstudents
v andvprofessionalsvavclearvandvconcisevoverviewvofvhealthvbeliefsvandvpracticesvinv
worldvreligions,vincludingvHinduism,vBuddhism,vJainism,vConfucianism,vTaoism,v Sik
hism,vIslam,vJudaism,vandvChristianity.vAdoptingvavconsistentvstructure,veachv chapt
ervconsidersvthevdemographicvprofilevofvthevcommunity,vthevreligion’svhistor-
v icalvdevelopment,vandvkeyvbeliefsvandvpractices,vincludingvviewsvregardingvhealth
v andvsickness,vdeath,vandvdying.vEachvchaptervalsovendsvwithvavusefulvchecklistvofv
advicevonvwhatvtovdovandvwhatvtovavoid,valongvwithvrecommendationsvforvfurtherv
reading,vbothvonlinevandvinvprintvform.
Thevbook’svclearvandvconsistentvstylevensuresvthatvreadersvwithvlittlevbackgroun
dv knowledgevcanvfindvthevinformationvtheyvneedvandvassimilatevitveasily.vAvbrandvn
ewv chaptervonvapplicationsvandvavsetvofvnewvcasevstudiesvillustratingvissuesvinvclini
calv practicevenhancevthisvwide-
rangingvbook’svvaluevtovstudentsvandvpractitionersvalike.
SirojvSorajjakoolvhasvstudiedvandvtaughtvworldvreligionsvinvuniversityvandvhealth-
v carevsettingsvforvoverv25vyears.vHevisvavprofessorvinvthevSchoolvofvReligionvatvLom
av LindavUniversity.
MarkvF.vCarrvhasvstudiedvandvtaughtvinvthevareasvofvreligion,vtheology,vethics,vandv
bioethicsvforvoverv20vyears.vHevholdsvavclinicalvethicsvandvadministrativevpositionva
tv ProvidencevHealthvandvServices,vAlaska.
ErnestvJ.vBurseyvhasvstudiedvandvtaughtvinvthevareasvofvreligion,vtheology,vNewv Te
stament,vandvhealthcarevforvoverv40vyears.vHevteachesvonvthesevtopicsvatvthev Adve
ntistvUniversityvofvHealthcarevSciences.
,
, World Religions for He
v v v
althcare Professionals
v
Second edition edited by
v v v
Siroj Sorajjakool, Mark F. Carr,
v v v v v
and Ernest J. Bursey
v v v
v v v v
ls
Religiousvbeliefsvandvcustomsvcanvsignificantlyvshapevpatients’vandvprofessionals’v a
ttitudesvtoward,vandvexpectationsvof,vhealthcare,vasvwellvasvtheirvwishesvandvper-
v sonalvboundariesvregardingvsuchvdailyvmattersvasvdress,vdiet,vprayer,vandvtouch.v
Undoubtedly,vthevsensitivityvwithvwhichvcliniciansvcommunicatevwithvpatientsvandv
makevdecisionsvregardingvappropriatevmedicalvinterventionvcanvbevgreatlyvincrease
dv byvanvunderstandingvofvreligiousvasvwellvasvothervformsvofvculturalvdiversity.
Thisvsecondveditionvofvavpopularvandvestablishedvtextvoffersvhealthcarevstudents
v andvprofessionalsvavclearvandvconcisevoverviewvofvhealthvbeliefsvandvpracticesvinv
worldvreligions,vincludingvHinduism,vBuddhism,vJainism,vConfucianism,vTaoism,v Sik
hism,vIslam,vJudaism,vandvChristianity.vAdoptingvavconsistentvstructure,veachv chapt
ervconsidersvthevdemographicvprofilevofvthevcommunity,vthevreligion’svhistor-
v icalvdevelopment,vandvkeyvbeliefsvandvpractices,vincludingvviewsvregardingvhealth
v andvsickness,vdeath,vandvdying.vEachvchaptervalsovendsvwithvavusefulvchecklistvofv
advicevonvwhatvtovdovandvwhatvtovavoid,valongvwithvrecommendationsvforvfurtherv
reading,vbothvonlinevandvinvprintvform.
Thevbook’svclearvandvconsistentvstylevensuresvthatvreadersvwithvlittlevbackgroun
dv knowledgevcanvfindvthevinformationvtheyvneedvandvassimilatevitveasily.vAvbrandvn
ewv chaptervonvapplicationsvandvavsetvofvnewvcasevstudiesvillustratingvissuesvinvclini
calv practicevenhancevthisvwide-
rangingvbook’svvaluevtovstudentsvandvpractitionersvalike.
SirojvSorajjakoolvhasvstudiedvandvtaughtvworldvreligionsvinvuniversityvandvhealth-
v carevsettingsvforvoverv25vyears.vHevisvavprofessorvinvthevSchoolvofvReligionvatvLom
av LindavUniversity.
MarkvF.vCarrvhasvstudiedvandvtaughtvinvthevareasvofvreligion,vtheology,vethics,vandv
bioethicsvforvoverv20vyears.vHevholdsvavclinicalvethicsvandvadministrativevpositionva
tv ProvidencevHealthvandvServices,vAlaska.
ErnestvJ.vBurseyvhasvstudiedvandvtaughtvinvthevareasvofvreligion,vtheology,vNewv Te
stament,vandvhealthcarevforvoverv40vyears.vHevteachesvonvthesevtopicsvatvthev Adve
ntistvUniversityvofvHealthcarevSciences.
,
, World Religions for He
v v v
althcare Professionals
v
Second edition edited by
v v v
Siroj Sorajjakool, Mark F. Carr,
v v v v v
and Ernest J. Bursey
v v v
