Human History and Worldview

Healthcare Philosophies of Christians and Shinto Followers Every culture has its own worldview, and its own approach to the health of its people. The Christian philosophy when it comes to healthcare is quite different than the approach that believers in the Shinto faith take.

This paper points to the worldviews of each of these faiths, and it uses the available literature to delve deeply into those worldviews and the differences / contrasts between the In the process of providing worldviews, this paper also offers answers to questions (What is prime reality? What is the nature of the world around us? What is a human being? What happens at death? Why is it possible to know anything at all? How do we know right from wrong? What is the meaning of human history?).

Worldview / Faith & Health Philosophy from a Christian Perspective In the book, Called to Care: A Christian Worldview for Nursing, the authors point to two different fields of study and how those fields approach the concept of a worldview.

Philosophers see worldview as a "series of assumptions that underlie a system of thought, and anthropologists have a "broader" perspective of worldview, as "wellsprings of our thinking" and they add, out worldview shapes and "integrates" various fields of understanding such as theology, anthropology, and moreover our worldview defines our "everyday behavior" (Shelly, et al., 2009). In a simple way of seeing worldview, Shelly writes that is it part of the cultural experience every individual has that helps form each person's view of the world and how things actually work.

The worldview in the "modern" Western world is often referred to as "dualism," which encompasses the concept that good and evil are constantly "locked in eternal conflict," according to anthropologist Paul Hiebert, quoted by Shelly (35).

That is among the more basic definitions of worldview from the perspective of the Christian believer: "The biblical teaching" holds that humans' lives have their source of power in God and that humans are put on earth with "...the capacity to relate to God in a personal way." The "postmodern" approach to understanding worldview, Shelly continues (37), holds that as important as science is, it cannot give humans all the meaning they need to thrive in society.

There needs to be a more "holistic view that brings humans into harmony with their environment," and when it comes to the postmodern approach to nursing, the worldview of Joyce Fitzpatrick is respected and relevant. The way human development works, Fitzpatrick explains, is through "...rhythms that occur within the context of continuous person-environment interaction" (Fitzpatrick, 2011).

In other words, nurses learn best methods for caregiving through the process of working with humans, understanding humans, communicating with others honestly, and interacting with patients while understanding that they are each "unique biological, psychological, emotional, social, cultural and spiritual attitudes" (Fitzpatrick, p. 2). Optimum health, according to Fitzpatrick's worldview, is the "actualization of both innate and obtained human potential," and that potential is realized due to "relationships with others, goal-directed behavior, and expert personal care" (Fitzpatrick, p. 2).

It sounds simplistic, but when Fitzpatrick uses the term "rhythms," she is alluding to the promotion of wellness practiced in nursing, which is how nurses (while applying the concept of metaparadigm) approach each patient. Fitzpatrick's four parts: a) a person; b) a person's health; c) the environment in which the person exists; and d) nursing, which is all the specific skills a professional nurse must acquire and fine-tune.

Shelly's Seven Basic Worldview Questions -- and Answers Prime Reality, according to the Christian Shepherd, should be thought of as God and the Cosmos (as many Native American tribes view the universe, the Great Spirit). Because God is at the highest level of importance to human existence, He is considered prime. In the book of Luke (Chapter 21), the Lord points out that "Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away (Luke 21:33) (Christian Shepherd).

Also found in the Christian Answers website is a passage from Colossians 1:18): "And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have preeminence." What is the nature of the world around us? We see the world around us through the lens of our own culture, of our human experiences, in other words, through our worldview.

Just because there is ongoing violence and cruelty in the world, that doesn't (and shouldn't) color our approach to the world as corrupt and dark. All the homeless, the refugees and other unfortunate souls living on this planet are seeking what the happy and healthy people are seeking -- love, peace, meaningful relationships and a place to call home (shelter).

What is a human being? The second of the seven worldview questions is answered simply by noting that humans are biological specimens, and they face great complexity as the concepts of good and evil are always choices in humans' lives. Biologist Paul Ehrlich believes human differences are a product of "cultural evolution" which in turn is based on "the foundation of genetic evolution...[and] cultural evolution references the influence of massive transformations in the body," which healthcare and nursing come to understand as human frailty (Fuller, 2011).

People do not come "preassembled, but are glued together by life," according to Joseph Ledoux (quoted in Fuller Studio); and of course sometimes that glue becomes undone and it is in the hands of healthcare professionals to mend the body and heal the body. What happens to a person at death? According to most Christian theological approaches to this question, at death he or she will either go to heaven or go to hell, depending upon what kind of morality and humanity the person exhibited during his or her lifetime.

Roman Catholics believe a person first enters "purgatory" prior to the transition to heaven or hell. Hindus have a belief that people are reincarnated, and radical jihadist members of the Islamic faith believe that by becoming a martyr they will (after blowing themselves up) enter a paradise with lovely virgins, which is as extreme an idea as any religion vis-a-vis understanding the afterlife. A nurse must be open-minded when caring for a patient no matter what their beliefs are.

Why is it possible to know anything at all? This question is answered philosophically by S.R. Griffiths of England. Griffiths says that even though humans have been gifted with the ability to think and learn (cognitive skills), if a man or woman has strong beliefs, but does not obtain knowledge to enhance his or her existence, "in the broadest sense we cannot know anything" (Griffiths, 2012).

Why can't some humans know anything? That's because "we are locked within our own minds and ambiguous language," Griffiths asserts; and humans don't need to know "everything" -- just the key things that link us to society and our families, which is of course, various kinds of knowledge (Griffiths). Nurses cannot rest on laurels and fail to keep learning; in order to carry out their healthcare duties; nurses must learn new things constantly.

How do we know what is right and what is wrong? If we lead moral lives based on fairness and empathy, we are showing that we don't need to cling to beliefs in religion and science. Learning right from wrong comes from the family, the community, and culture each of us lives in; children brought up by intelligent, caring parents know the polite way of interacting with others versus the rude, crass way of interacting.

What is the meaning of human history? The Christian nurse knows that humans are on earth according to God's plan. That means God expects humans to "glorify" Him and "enjoy Him forever," said Michelle Isenhoff (2016). The Christians that nurses care for understand that the resurrection of Jesus Christ was a symbol of how humans would be forgiven when they commit sings, that human history was changed at that moment. Muslims, on the other hand, accept the view that "moral norms are arbitrary, a product of God's decree" (Isenhoff).

Worldview / Faith & Healthcare view of Japanese Shinto The Shinto worldview is that humans are "manifestations of a life-giving power, a generative, creative force that is the basis of all life" (Boyd, et al., 2005). Shinto refers to "kami" (deity), which entails the natural world -- mountains, rivers, fields, seas, rain and wind, birds, animals, insects, trees, grass and minerals. The source of human power, in other words, comes from the natural world.

Shinto worldview zeros in on the "generative, connecting force (musubi) that is inherent in the natural world," as opposed to the heavenly deities that the Christian worldview embraces. Christians think nothing of pollution, other than this is a byproduct of the industrial revolution and there is nothing to be done to ultimately stop polluting the earth.

(That said, there are millions of people who care and try to stop or cleanup pollution, but Christians don't see pollution as anything inherently evil, just bad.) Meanwhile, the Shinto faith believes that by polluting (tsumi), humans create a "fundamentally death-related" situation. Disturbing the natural processes (polluting agriculture; inflicting injury or death; "scattering excrement"; "engaging in indiscriminate sexual relations...the falling of lightning, damage done by harmful birds, and the use of magic") means disrupting the creative process of musubi, in the minds of those Shinto believers (Boyd, 36).

Shinto & Christian Attitudes toward Healing The Shinto belief is that while humans are born pure, they become corrupted through participating in society; their way of healing / purifying themselves is by worshiping the spirits (through silent prayers, rituals and "offerings to the spirits"). Illness, in the view of Shinto believers, is caused by the fact that spirits weaken the immune system, or order to "convey messages to humans..." (Kalland, 2010). So, when a Shinto believer gets ill, healing means asking for strength through other spirits, Kalland explains.

That can also mean entering into "a dialogue with the grievous spirit," but only those with religious training can do this. Healing also may mean restructuring one's house, because the ritual of curing means locating the source of the illness. Polluting sources also evolve from "blood, sick people, and dead bodies," and purification rituals also.