Paternalism, Evangelism, and Power

Authors

Kimberly Bloom-Feshbach, Section of Hospital Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, New York-Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center, 525 East 68th Street, Box 331, New York, NY, 10065, USA. kib9047@med.cornell.edu.
Nathan Goldberg, Department of Spiritual Care and Education, Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, CT, USA.
Joseph J. Fins, Division of Medical Ethics, Department of Medicine, Weill-Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of religion and health

Abstract

In medicine and pastoral care, there are parallel struggles with paternalism and evangelism, each exertions of power in the setting of privilege. While striving to avoid abuses of power, well-intentioned professionals may unwittingly abjure providing guidance. This can result in threats to patient care: professional abdication and patient abandonment. In The Healer's Power, Howard Brody conceptualizes an approach to the use of power in therapeutic relationships. In this essay, we invoke Brody's framework to consider the place of evangelism and paternalism in the fields of chaplaincy and medicine in order to promote healing amidst power differentials.

First Page

1258

Last Page

1272

DOI

10.1007/s10943-020-01009-4

Publication Date

6-1-2020

Recommended Citation

Bloom-Feshbach, Kimberly; Goldberg, Nathan; and Fins, Joseph J., "Paternalism, Evangelism, and Power" (2020). All Research. 156.
https://scholar.bridgeporthospital.org/all_research/156

Identifier

32318959 (pubmed); 10.1007/s10943-020-01009-4 (doi); 10.1007/s10943-020-01009-4 (pii)