This paper examines the healthcare philosophies of two distinct faith traditions — Christianity and Shinto — through the lens of worldview analysis. Drawing on sources including Shelly's Called to Care, Fitzpatrick's Life Perspective Rhythm Model, and scholarly studies of Japanese Shinto, the paper addresses seven foundational worldview questions (prime reality, human nature, death, knowledge, ethics, and history) from a Christian perspective. It then contrasts Christian attitudes toward healing and illness with those of Shinto believers, who ground health in natural forces, spiritual purity, and ritual purification. The paper concludes by emphasizing that nurses must understand patients' religious worldviews to provide effective, respectful care.
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 from the approach that followers of the Shinto faith take. This paper examines the worldviews of each of these faiths, drawing on the available literature to explore those worldviews and the contrasts between them. In the process, the paper also offers answers to seven foundational worldview 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?
In the book Called to Care: A Christian Worldview for Nursing, the authors point to two different fields of study and how each approaches the concept of worldview. Philosophers see worldview as a "series of assumptions that underlie a system of thought," while anthropologists take a broader perspective, describing worldviews as "wellsprings of our thinking" that shape and integrate various fields of understanding — such as theology and anthropology — and define "everyday behavior" (Shelly, et al., 2009). In simpler terms, Shelly writes that worldview is part of the cultural experience every individual has that helps form each person's understanding of the world and how things actually work.
The worldview of 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, as 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 placed 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 must 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 the best methods for caregiving through the process of working with humans, understanding humans, communicating honestly, and interacting with patients while recognizing that each patient embodies "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," realized through "relationships with others, goal-directed behavior, and expert personal care" (Fitzpatrick, p. 2).
When Fitzpatrick uses the term "rhythms," she is alluding to the promotion of wellness practiced in nursing — specifically how nurses apply the concept of the nursing metaparadigm in approaching each patient. Fitzpatrick's framework centers on four components: (a) a person; (b) a person's health; (c) the environment in which the person exists; and (d) nursing itself, encompassing all the specific skills a professional nurse must acquire and refine.
Prime Reality. According to the Christian perspective, prime reality should be thought of as God and the Cosmos (analogous to how many Native American tribes view the universe through the concept of 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 declares: "Heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away" (Luke 21:33). Also relevant 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 and human experiences — in other words, through our worldview. The presence of ongoing violence and cruelty in the world should not color our perception of the world as entirely corrupt and dark. All people, whether homeless, displaced refugees, or otherwise unfortunate, are seeking what the happy and healthy seek: love, peace, meaningful relationships, and a place to call home.
What is a human being? Humans are biological beings who face great complexity as the concepts of good and evil present themselves as constant choices. Biologist Paul Ehrlich believes human differences are a product of "cultural evolution," which in turn is based on "the foundation of genetic evolution," with cultural evolution referencing the influence of "massive transformations in the body" — a reality that 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 sometimes that glue comes undone, at which point it falls to healthcare professionals to mend and heal the body.
What happens to a person at death? According to most Christian theological approaches, at death a person will either go to heaven or hell, depending on the kind of morality and humanity exhibited during his or her lifetime. Roman Catholics believe a person first enters "purgatory" before the transition to heaven or hell. Hindus hold a belief in reincarnation, and some radical members of the Islamic faith believe that martyrdom leads to paradise — an extreme view of the afterlife. Whatever a patient's beliefs may be, a nurse must remain open-minded and respectful when providing care.
Why is it possible to know anything at all? This question is addressed philosophically by S. R. Griffiths of England. Griffiths argues that even though humans have been gifted with cognitive skills — the ability to think and learn — if a person holds strong beliefs but fails to pursue knowledge, then "in the broadest sense we cannot know anything" (Griffiths, 2012). The reason some humans struggle to know is that "we are locked within our own minds and ambiguous language," Griffiths asserts. Humans do not need to know everything, only "the key things that link us to society and our families" — which amounts to various forms of practical knowledge (Griffiths). Nurses cannot rest on their laurels; in order to carry out their healthcare duties, they must commit to lifelong learning.
How do we know what is right and what is wrong? If we lead moral lives grounded in fairness and empathy, we demonstrate that ethical behavior does not require rigid adherence to religious doctrine or scientific dogma alone. Learning right from wrong comes from the family, the community, and the culture in which each of us lives. Children raised by caring and intelligent parents generally develop an understanding of respectful interaction with others.
"Shinto concepts of kami, musubi, and pollution"
"Comparing Shinto rituals and Christian healing practices"
I believe humans were put on earth according to a plan conceived by God, but that the dogma of organized religion, as a general rule, is carried out in the narrow promotion of specific faiths. For me, spirituality is found by going out at night and looking at the millions of stars and galaxies — not by sitting in a pew listening to a sermon. That said, because patients need help, the job of the nurse is to serve each person regardless of whether the nurse fully understands or accepts the patient's religious views. Knowing the beliefs of others is vital to serving them well, but the nurse need not personally adopt the dogma of a patient's religion. This paper broadened my understanding of the traditions of other cultures and reinforced for me the importance of maintaining a worldview that is open-minded and fair.
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