This paper presents a personal worldview inventory examining the key components of worldview—scientific, religious, bacteriological, and societal—and contrasts modern Western and postmodern perspectives. The author argues in favor of a postmodern worldview grounded in personal spiritual experience. The paper explores how Christian worldview informs nursing practice through the concept of Imago Dei, applies Colossians 1 to core nursing metaparadigm concepts, and addresses tensions arising from religious diversity in healthcare settings. Additional sections reflect on personal responses to a hypothetical HIV diagnosis, a first experience with death, and the benefits of pre-shift reading and modeling physical, mental, and spiritual health for caregivers.
Worldview refers to the method by which individuals interpret reality and nature. Worldviews shape individual experience, and the key components of worldview include the scientific worldview, the religious worldview, the bacteriological perspective, and the societal worldview.
The modern worldview is similar to the scientific worldview in that both require scientific proof to understand any event. The scientific worldview holds that any event which cannot be supported through a scientific basis is baseless. The religious worldview, by contrast, is related to the postmodern worldview, which holds that God answers all prayers and that all events are caused through supernatural means. Religious worldviews maintain that knowledge can only come through supernatural and spiritual means. The bacteriological perspective holds that events are caused by biochemical means, while societal worldviews are grounded in cultural ontology.
Modernism refers to the prevailing view among most people in the western world today. It reflects a strong belief in logic, rationalism, and science. Modernism holds that people should use science and logic to be neutral observers of the world, and it disregards supernatural belief because such belief cannot be proven by science.
The postmodern worldview, however, challenges the modern western worldview on the grounds that while science and logic are useful tools for understanding the world, they cannot answer all mysteries. Postmodernists attempt to embrace holistic medicine through spiritual means. They believe that events are caused by supernatural means through God and spiritual intervention, while modernists deny any event that is not based on scientific proof.
I support the postmodern worldview because there are many events that occur today which cannot be proven scientifically. Several years ago, I had an experience of spiritual healing that reinforced my belief that God carries out spiritual healings. I was very sick and used all available western medicine to treat the illness, with no results. When the sickness became critical, I prayed to God. A few days later, I had a dream in which someone gave me an injection, and when I woke up I felt as though someone had administered one. By the second day, I had recovered from the illness. While modernists can acknowledge that an individual may have a dream, they cannot prove that healing can occur through a dream. I support the postmodern worldview because it recognizes that supernatural events do occur and will continue to occur (Paggit, 2009).
In the contemporary nursing environment, God's intervention assists nurses in carrying out healing successfully. Nursing is built upon Christian practice and thought. God is the creator of the universe, and God shapes our understanding of human health and the environment in which we live. The concept of Christian worldview in nursing informs the concept of health and embraces spiritual caring through prayer and faith, which enhances compassion and caring for patients. The worldview lens has a tremendous impact on nursing practice, particularly with reference to caring for patients. The Christian faith can shape nursing practice because Jesus Christ encouraged his disciples to care for others, including the dying and the sick. From Jesus's teaching, it is revealed that caring for the body through prayer is a fundamental strategy to combat illness. When nurses approach nursing practice through the Christian worldview, they are better equipped to combat illness and disease.
As Svenaeus (2001, p. 87) writes: "Phenomenology is meant to enrich our understanding of health by adding to the disease-level analysis a level of analysis that addresses the questions of how physiological states are lived as meaningful in an environment."
The concept of the phenomenology of disease and illness reveals that illness can disrupt the biological functions of the body, which can lead to disease. The framework of the phenomenology of illness contributes to the patient-nursing relationship in order to improve patient care. My own experience with illness and disease has led me to believe that God is the ultimate healer. Through constant prayer, nurses can support healing from any disease. The illness suffered by Ivan Ilyich was a natural cause; however, Ivan did not draw upon the Christian worldview in combating his illness, despite being a devoted man.
The concept of Imago Dei is a Latin phrase meaning "image of God." The concept of Imago Dei holds that God's image is imprinted upon humanity, identifying human beings as His special creation. In Genesis 1:26–27, God said, "Let man be created in Our image," and God created Adam in His own image. For several centuries, the Christian concept of Imago Dei has influenced the unique approach of healthcare. When the Greeks developed medicine, Christians advised believers on how to use medicine, pointing out that God heals sick people through the work of physicians. Moreover, early Christian philanthropies were informed by the spiritual and theological concept of Imago Dei, believing that it was only God who could ultimately provide care to a sick person. Since God has created human beings in His own image, God holds responsibility for the care of sick people. Although healthcare professionals undergo years of training to learn the art of caring for patients, God has the final say in caring for sick people because God provides knowledge to healthcare professionals.
The concept of Imago Dei is very relevant to the unique approach within the healthcare environment because it reveals that healthcare professionals are required to integrate faith in God into their professional practice. It is important for healthcare professionals to integrate Christian spiritual beliefs into their professional practice and to always seek God's guidance when implementing healthcare decisions. Since God created man in His own image and understands the human physiological dimension, healthcare professionals are encouraged to seek God's guidance in order to carry out their professional practice successfully.
"Maps Colossians 1 to God, environment, person, nursing, health"
"Religious diversity creates conflict in applying Christian worldview"
"Personal HIV response, father's death, reading and wellness modeling"
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