Suffering and divine impassibility.

Many theologians believe in the doctrine of divine impassibility: that God does not experience pain or pleasure from the actions of creation. However, the question inevitably touches upon our personal relationship and journey with God, a journey involving deep joys and pains. This discussion of divine impassibility relates to the medical profession, which seeks to heal the sick and comfort the dying.

Interfaith Dialogue and Sir William Osler.

None: In recent years, the US has become extensively polarized across social, political, and religious divides. As the cultural, political, and social divides continue to grow, the medical establishment has shown similar divisions between clinicians and patients. However, an inclusive dialogue that recognizes the intellectual and interpersonal boundaries of opposing groups and traditions would provide an avenue toward mutual understanding and further collaboration toward a common goal and solution. One such method for building bridges between opposing groups can be found in interfaith dialogue. The goal of interfaith dialogue is not merely to exchange pleasantries but also to develop a mutual collaboration addressing moral and ethical issues with a unified voice. This is achieved through moving beyond separation and suspicion, inquiring more deeply, sharing both the easy and the difficult parts, moving beyond safe territory, and exploring spiritual practices from other traditions. A physician who exemplified many aspects interfaith dialogue in his clinical practice was the late Sir William Osler. Through examining Osler's application of interfaith dialogue, we may develop a framework by which clinicians can actively build new bridges and dialogue between their patients and society.

Interfaith dialogue in medicine.

A moral crisis has swept through the United States dividing social, political, and religious organizations with corrupt and ineffectual leadership. However, the present moral crisis has its roots in the technological and cultural shifts of the last half century. The goal of interfaith dialogue is not merely to exchange pleasantries, but to build a mutual collaboration addressing the moral and ethical issues with a unified voice. Interfaith dialogue has the potential to pull us out of our individualism and, in focusing on our relationships, create a new sensibility about being human. And were that new sensibility understood to reflect some of the fundamentals of science, it would strengthen the ability of religions to pursue a more healing inclusivity and reveal a rich unity among religious faiths, stretching down from our personal relationships with each other to the divine and the very fabric of reality.

Neurotheology in interfaith dialogue.

In recent years, a growing interfaith movement has sought to bring together worldviews from various religious and spiritual backgrounds to investigate life's biggest questions. However, it is remarkable that such dialogue is possible given the vast differences that exist between individuals. A relatively new but burgeoning field, known as neurotheology, has sought to address the neurological processes and mechanisms of religious thought and experience. Overall, neurotheology provides insight into the common thread of religious belief across cultures and the ability of humans to participate in interfaith dialogue. In this manner, the shared overlap with the human mind and religious belief enables the ability to dialogue and face the vast unknowns of our modern world.