What Distinguishes Christian Caring?

Volume 23, Number 3 Summer 2006

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GOING DEEPER

Personal or group study ideas.
Read the articles, choose your questions!

Biblical Caring
Read Trafecanty, pp. 6-11.
a. Read the references listed in table one, p. 9 in your Bible. In what ways do these verses reflect the caring God shows us? List specific things God does to empower caring in his people. How could these help you with your caring as a nurse?
b. Read the story Jesus told of the Good Samaritan in Lk 10:30-35. What elements of compassionate care do you find?
c. Choose one or more passages from Rom 3:10-26; Gal 5:19-26; Col 3:5-10;Tit 3:3-7. How do the verses you read describe people in our natural state? How do they describe people redeemed in Christ? Do you think these attributes impact caring? How?

Evaluating Worldviews:
Read the editorial on page one.
a. Read Col 2:6-23.What do you think "worldly philosophies" means in this passage? Are there worldly philosophies in nursing today? On what criteria do you base your opinion? What principles are offered in this passage for evaluating worldviews?

Understanding Mysticism:
Read Willard, pp. 34-36.
a. Read Gal 2:20-21. Put into your own words 3 differences between mysticism that is attaining a status of "Union with the Absolute" and the relationship with God described in this passage (i.e., God is a person vs. an "illusory All").
b. What does Willard say is the specific "color" of Christian mysticism? What does that mean to you?

(Select the article title to view a summary.)

3 What Determines Caring? - Editorial

6 Biblical Caring Comes Full Circle Lisa Trafecanty

In nursing, caring evolved from being based on Christ's command to care for the needy, to science-based to holistic caring. What is biblical caring today?

ZEROING IN ON CHRISTIAN CARING

14 Finding Your Model of Caring Practice Elizabeth Ann Davis Lee

Learn how to uncover your personal model of caring.

20 What's Unique in Christian Caring?
Kris Haldeman

Read golden nuggets nursing students and faculty unearthed about Christian nurses!

22 Can Nurses Say No to Caring?
Alice Teisan

God opened this author's heart to set her free to care for others . . . and herself.

24 The Gift of Presence
Arlie Campbell Staab

REVISITING NIGHTINGALE: DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES

A Nightingale scholar, a nurse historian and a theologian respond to "Florence Nightingale's Changing Image?" (JCN, 22, no 3, 4). Their differing interpretatons present an opportunity to examine our beliefs.

26 Why Revisit Nightingale?
Kathy Schoonover-Shoffner

27 A Response to Grypma & Commentary on Mysticism
Barbara Montgomery Dossey

32 Nightingale the Person - Not the Symbol
Sonya Grypma

34 A Christian Mysticism?
Dallas Willard