Aletheia in Ethosland

Author: Andreea-Iulia Someșan
Original publication: Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Bioethica, Vol. 60, No. 1, June 2015, pp. 111–115
Section: Book Reviews
Original language: Romanian
Translation note: This text is an English translation of the book review originally published in Romanian in Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Bioethica (2015). The author prepared this translation for the English-language section of their personal blog, Aletheia in Ethosland.
Original publication: https://studia.reviste.ubbcluj.ro/index.php/subbbioethica/issue/view/146/374

The present volume, Medicii și Biserica (Physicians and the Church), Vol. XIII, was published with the blessing of His Eminence Andrei, Archbishop of Vad, Feleac and Cluj, Metropolitan of Cluj, Maramureș and Sălaj. The volume is divided into six sections, whose articles bring together authors from fields such as medicine, theology, philosophy, fine arts, and the social sciences and humanities. Consequently, the volume succeeds in covering a broad range of issues situated at the intersection of medical practice and the Church, addressing the following themes: “The Influence of Christian Values on European Bioethics,” “Psychotherapy in the Practice of the Orthodox Church,” “Bioethical Implications of Medical Decisions at the Beginning of Life,” “Ethical, Psychological and Legal Issues of Sexuality in the Contemporary World,” and “Christian Art and Its Importance in a United and Post-Christian Europe.” The sixth section includes the discussions of a roundtable entitled “Trauma Psychotherapy, Pastoral Counselling, Psychoanalysis.”

The articles in the first section, as its title, “The Influence of Christian Values on European Bioethics,” suggests, draw attention to the contribution of Christian values and morality to bioethics in the European context, as well as to the losses experienced in a culture severed from its metaphysical dimension. Thus, the central axis of Christian morality is not constituted by values laid down as foundational principles, since such values could also exist outside Christianity. Rather, this axis is represented by the incarnate Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who, in Christianity, represents “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Accordingly, for Christian bioethics, prescribing principles and values to guide professionals is insufficient; instead, it should be grounded in the pursuit of sanctification. “The idea is that a Christian bioethics should be founded upon the recognition that the reference point for all reflection concerning how we live our lives or use medicine is God,” as Herman Tristram Engelhardt Jr. writes (p. 26). Argumentative and analytical approaches undoubtedly have their place. However, as St. John Chrysostom also maintained, the greatest need is moral guidance; therefore, bioethics stripped of Christianity could only be incomplete (p. 78).

The second section is focused on “Psychotherapy in the Practice of the Orthodox Church,” adopting a holistic approach to the human being, aiming at the role played by the relationship and communication between physician or psychotherapist and patient, which make a considerable contribution to the improvement of the latter’s health. Thus, Gabriel Roman quotes, in his article, from a work by Irvin Yalom, who states, among other things: “In my work with patients, I strive for connection more than anything else. […] I do not refuse to answer questions, I do not hide behind my role, and, finally, I do not conceal my own vulnerabilities” (p. 199). The One who offers a model of a psychotherapist truly worthy of practitioners’ imitation is the Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, we must be careful not to reduce His Person merely to a psychotherapist’s human efforts, even though He succeeds in providing the Samaritan woman with an atmosphere of complete trust in which she could move towards a transformation of her being. Thus, Orthodox Christotherapy aims to turn the human being away from the false goals of spiritual wandering and towards the original purpose of existence: God (p. 213). Consequently, the methods employed in Orthodox psychotherapeutic counselling seek to eliminate those approaches that attempt to reduce the individual to a mere biological organism or that rely on coercion. Instead, they pursue the profession of Christian faith, use practices grounded in the teachings of the Church Fathers, and provide guidance through which patients may acquire spiritual habits and moral education (p. 267). Thus, love of one’s neighbour and the use of the word as a therapeutic means are two elements of the Orthodox faith involved in this process of spiritual healing. The word creates interpersonal communion; the human being is the only speaking creature, yet it is also the Word that brings the human being to the quiddity of his ontological existence, which is, in fact, situated beyond himself: in the Archetype of God as Love. Nevertheless, contemporary everyday life reveals the emergence of alienation in the human being who, despite developing sophisticated means of communication, becomes increasingly estranged. This recalls the words attributed to Father Cleopa Ilie: “The end of the world will come when there is no longer a path from one person to another” (p. 130).

The third section, entitled “Bioethical Implications of Medical Decisions at the Beginning of Life,” concerns primarily issues in medical practice during the earliest years of life. The section opens with an article based on a questionnaire administered to neonatologists in Romania, in which 40 physicians agreed to participate, concerning futile and aggressive life-sustaining treatments administered by these practitioners. In this context, physicians base their decision to propose withdrawing such treatments on their personal values. Nevertheless, the analysis of the responses demonstrates that a greater number of physicians refrain from making this decision because of their fear of being accused of malpractice than because of their hope that a miracle might occur, the latter being predominantly resident physicians (pp. 309–310). On the other hand, it is also necessary to consider how society’s attitudes toward children and newborns have evolved over the centuries. Whereas infanticide was a common practice in ancient Greece and throughout the Roman Empire, with children born with malformations, those suffering from illness, and unwanted children being deprived of value and legal protection, the Old Testament maintains that “the deliberate destruction of any human life is an affront to God,” since, regardless of the circumstances of life, every human being is “an expression of the image of God” (p. 341). As for our Saviour, the Holy Scriptures show His particular affection and care for young children. Therefore, “In accordance with the doctrine of the ‘sanctity of life,’ life possesses exceptional value, and the right to life must be upheld from both moral and legal perspectives. This right, however, must also be accompanied by the right to a ‘quality of life’” (p. 342). Despite the limitations in this field, identifying congenital malformations through prenatal diagnostic techniques should lead to an individualised approach, supported by intensive treatment until the situation is clarified. Other topics of interest in this area, discussed in several papers within this section, include the issue of informed consent in paediatrics, stem cell therapies and the use of embryonic stem cells in research, as well as the views of homeopathic physicians on vaccination. Observations of medical practice and the PubMed website indicate that homeopathic physicians prescribe vaccines considerably less frequently than their allopathic colleagues (p. 397). In this article, the authors advocate improving the relationship between homeopathy and vaccination because, according to Professor George Vithoulkas, homeopathy lacks the prophylactic capacity of vaccines (p. 402).

The fourth section addresses “Ethical, Psychological and Legal Issues of Sexuality in the Contemporary World.” These pages discuss both issues related to assisted reproduction and aspects concerning the search for a new sexual identity. Thus, Lecturer Dr Maria Aluaș, discussing the positions of different religious perspectives on this subject, identifies issues such as contraception, in vitro fertilisation and surrogate motherhood as belonging to the first category. Depending on the values they embrace, different churches approve the use of these practices to a greater or lesser extent. However, abortion, embryo research and procreation within same-sex couples are regarded with considerable reluctance by the churches discussed in the article. The Christian churches’ understanding of homosexuality is profoundly shaped by the biblical message concerning the sin of Sodom. Certainly, a newer perspective on the message of the Holy Scriptures attributes God’s punishment to a lack of hospitality. Nevertheless, from this perspective, such interpretations can be readily dispelled through a careful examination of the biblical text and consideration of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, which present this practice as unacceptable from a biblical standpoint. New Testament verses also support this position. Nevertheless, the Church must not create a gulf between itself and these individuals, but rather “must relate to them as subjects of mission, dialogue and prayer” (p. 428).

The fifth section, entitled “Christian Art and Its Importance in a United and Post-Christian Europe,” focuses primarily on medieval iconography and contemporary sacred art, aesthetics, the composition of visual space, icon-making techniques, and elements of restoration. These themes are less directly relevant to bioethical approaches. Nevertheless, some of the articles also discuss representations of healing saints or the possible therapeutic influences of icons. Another interesting aspect is found in the observations made by Lecturer Dr Marin Cotețiu regarding possible “borrowings” from the medical field by art restorers. These borrowings concern fundamental principles, the ultimate purpose of intervention, and the instruments used in the procedures performed (p. 604). The principles described as resulting from this exchange include: Primum non nocere (first, do no harm), the principle of compatibility, the principle of material testing, the principle of reversibility of materials, the principle of distinctive intervention, the principle of avoiding interventions based on hypotheses or assumptions, and the principle of post-restoration monitoring. The main purpose of restoration is to preserve the work of art, rather than to return it to its original appearance. Its aesthetic aspect should be able “to convey, as far as possible, its original function without compromising its authenticity through reconstructions of missing parts” (p. 604).

The final pages of the volume reproduce the transcript of the roundtable discussion entitled “Trauma Psychotherapy, Pastoral Counselling, Psychoanalysis.” The participants in this event were Professor Dr Pavel Chirilă (moderator), Rev. Professor Ioan Chirilă, Rev. Professor Dr Stelian Tofană, Professor Dr Adrian Opre, His Eminence Andrei Andreicuț, Professor Sebastian Moldovan, Rev. Professor Ioan Teșu, Ioan Marin Croitoru and Rev. Professor Nicolae Feier.¹ Professor Dr Pavel Chirilă’s introductory remarks highlight the universality of trauma, beginning with the moment of the fall in sin and extending to the moment described in Revelation 21:4, where it is written: “There shall be no more mourning, nor crying, nor pain.” Ever since Adam, while hiding, answered God’s question with the words “I hid myself because I was afraid,” trauma has been a reality of everyday life that transcends all religious affiliations and social conditions. However, as Rev. Professor Ioan Chirilă argues, the most compelling expression of anxiety appears in Genesis 4, which describes the consequences of the first fratricide. Nevertheless, not even the Lord Jesus, during His earthly life, was spared fear and agony. Moreover, one of the most distressing experiences for a person who is suffering is to be abandoned by those close to them. Consequently, the Holy Scriptures offer the possibility of an extremely extensive study of trauma and the anxiety it generates. Both the Old and the New Testaments reveal that the functional or dysfunctional implications of fear arise from the emergence of thought (p. 674). The continuation of the discussions shifts the debate towards the issues of transplantation, brain death and biological death. Yet even in the case of transplantation, fear has a negative role in the recovery of the transplant recipient. As for feelings of guilt or other frustrations, their negative effects are reflected in the individual’s spiritual condition and health. For this reason, a holistic approach to the human being, based on the relationship between soul and body, is necessary. Furthermore, the trials endured by the Holy Martyrs, who experienced the transformative power of Christian love, the strength of Christian faith and the inner transformation brought about by the acceptance of suffering, reveal that those who persevere under such conditions are strengthened in five virtues: humility, patience, hope, prayer and love of God. Viewed from this perspective, “suffering becomes a form of God’s pedagogy for the human being” (pp. 684–685). The discussion concludes with an intervention by His Eminence Andrei Andreicuț, who cites the First Epistle’s biblical verse that “perfect love casts out fear.” Recalling Father Dumitru Stăniloae, he also mentions the stages of fear through which every human being passes on the path towards perfection: “the measure of servants, the measure of hired workers, and the measure of sons, which is equal to love” (p. 688).

The volume under review is distinguished, above all, by the disciplinary and thematic plurality it addresses at the intersection of Medicine and the Church. Furthermore, its pages clarify the importance of a holistic approach encompassing both body and soul in efforts to heal the human being. Nevertheless, the central role of the Church in medical practice is to bring the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ into the relationship between therapist and patient, and to guide the sinful human being along the path of sanctification. Although important, moral values, analytical approaches, and argumentative endeavours alone would not be sufficient to improve human life. Thus, Eastern Christianity seeks to resist the tendencies towards secularisation and the spread of a post-metaphysical social consciousness that leaves the human being alienated and vulnerable to anxiety.

ANDREEA-IULIA SOMEȘAN

Footnote

¹ The participants are listed in the order in which they appear as speakers in the transcript of the roundtable discussion.

APA Reference (7th Edition)

Someșan, A.-I. (2015). Medicii și Biserica, vol. XIII, volum coordonat de Prof. Dr. Mircea Gelu Buta, Editura Renașterea, Colecția Bioetica, Cluj-Napoca 2015, 703 p. [Book review]. Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Bioethica, 60(1), 111–115.