ASE: Where anatomy and spirituality intersect

IF 5.2 2区 教育学 Q1 EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES Anatomical Sciences Education Pub Date : 2024-10-29 DOI:10.1002/ase.2529
Jason M. Organ
{"title":"ASE: Where anatomy and spirituality intersect","authors":"Jason M. Organ","doi":"10.1002/ase.2529","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Anatomy is more than just the study of the body; it is the foundation of life itself. For millennia, humans and our evolutionary ancestors have sought answers to explain the natural phenomena we observe daily. This quest for understanding is a fundamental part of the human experience. Throughout history, people worldwide have searched for answers in religion and spirituality. This exploration is the focus of this month's special issue of the journal, <i>The Intersection of Anatomy &amp; Spirituality</i>, guest edited by Dr. Joy Balta of Point Loma Nazarene University.</p><p>Our field of anatomical sciences has a rich history intertwined with religious thought and practice.<span><sup>1-3</sup></span> However, this special issue does not focus on that history. Instead, Joy has brought together authors who share different perspectives on how religion and spirituality inform the practice of anatomy education. The papers are deeply personal. When I read them, I feel a strong connection to my anatomy colleagues from diverse backgrounds. The cultural and ethical questions they grapple with resonate with me, and I hope they will resonate with you too, Moreover, they connect to additional perspectives that center inclusion in the anatomical sciences published in the pages of our sibling journal <i>The Anatomical Record</i>.<span><sup>4-9</sup></span> The papers in this issue have also prompted me to reflect on the intersection of anatomy and spirituality in my own life.</p><p>I was raised in a traditional conservative Ashkenazic Jewish home within a vibrant, multicultural Jewish community in the suburbs of Kansas City. My family and I were surrounded by extended “family” from Jewish communities around the globe: South Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Europe, Central and South America, and more. This diverse environment enriched my upbringing, exposing me to a wide array of cultural practices and perspectives within Judaism. For 13 years, from kindergarten through high school, I attended a Jewish community day school. This school provided a dual curriculum where half the day was devoted to secular studies, including subjects like math, science, and literature, while the other half focused on religious studies. These religious courses were often taught in Hebrew and drew from traditional Hebrew and Aramaic texts such as the Torah and Talmud.</p><p>The education I received was deeply rooted in Jewish values and ethics, emphasizing principles like justice, compassion, and the importance of community. This foundation has profoundly influenced every aspect of my life, including my professional approach to anatomy education. The rigorous academic environment, combined with a strong emphasis on religious and ethical teachings, instilled in me a sense of responsibility and respect for the human body. This perspective has been invaluable in my career, guiding my interactions with students and colleagues and shaping the way I conduct research and teach anatomy. I'm grateful to my parents and teachers for providing me with such a comprehensive education, which has allowed me to develop a strong Jewish identity and a nuanced understanding of the intersection between my faith and my profession.</p><p>I've written previously about standing in front of a dissection table at Auschwitz in 1994, and the profound impact it had on me.<span><sup>10</sup></span> This experience was not just a moment of historical reflection but a deeply personal encounter with the intersection of anatomy and spirituality. Standing in that room, I was acutely aware of the tragic history and the countless lives lost. It was a stark reminder of the ethical responsibilities we bear as educators and practitioners in the field of anatomy. The dissection table at Auschwitz is a symbol of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust, where the sanctity of the human body was grossly violated. This moment underscored the importance of approaching our work with the utmost respect and reverence for the individuals whose bodies are used in science.</p><p>This experience was a formative time in my life where the intersection between anatomy and spirituality was clear. It prompted me years later to delve deeper into the ethical considerations surrounding anatomy education, particularly in the context of historical events. There is a wealth of recent literature about medical education and research in Nazi Germany, which explores the complex and often troubling history of anatomical sciences during that period.<span><sup>11-14</sup></span> Additionally, appropriate Rabbinic guidelines for handling the remains of Jewish Holocaust victims have been established in the Vienna Protocol.<span><sup>15</sup></span> This protocol provides a framework for the respectful and ethical treatment of these remains, ensuring that they are handled in accordance with Jewish law and tradition. Engaging with this literature has been uncomfortable and also comfortable (or perhaps familiar is a better word) at the same time, and I'm grateful for our colleagues who have conducted such important historical work to shed light on these atrocities and recommend an ethical path forward.</p><p>At the intersection of anatomy and Jewish ethics, the principle of Pikuach Nefesh (saving a life) stands out prominently. According to Sanhedrin 37a:13 of the Talmud, saving the life of a single person is akin to saving an entire world. The Talmud is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and it serves as the primary source of religious law and interpretation of the Torah. Various tracts within the Talmud emphasize the sanctity of the human body, generally suggesting that human dissection and autopsies are prohibited. However, exceptions rooted in Pikuach Nefesh permit organ donation and, in some cases, whole-body donation if it directly saves a life. Otherwise, whole-body donation is typically prohibited in more orthodox and conservative Jewish traditions.</p><p>These teachings were part of my education, but I never anticipated how deeply they would influence my professional journey. The respect for the sanctity of the human body and the ethical treatment of the bodies and tissues we are priviliged to use in our teaching have become central to my work in the dissection room at Indiana University. This perspective also guides the research we produce and publish in <i>Anatomical Sciences Education</i>, where we strive to maintain the highest ethical standards. The intersection of my Jewish education and my role as an anatomical sciences educator shapes my approach to teaching and research, just as others' backgrounds and histories guide their approaches. This special issue showcases the diverse perspectives of our colleagues worldwide, and I believe that understanding these varied identities will help us all grow as educators. I invite you to engage with this month's special issue and join the conversation.</p>","PeriodicalId":124,"journal":{"name":"Anatomical Sciences Education","volume":"17 8","pages":"1521-1522"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ase.2529","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Anatomical Sciences Education","FirstCategoryId":"95","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ase.2529","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0

Abstract

Anatomy is more than just the study of the body; it is the foundation of life itself. For millennia, humans and our evolutionary ancestors have sought answers to explain the natural phenomena we observe daily. This quest for understanding is a fundamental part of the human experience. Throughout history, people worldwide have searched for answers in religion and spirituality. This exploration is the focus of this month's special issue of the journal, The Intersection of Anatomy & Spirituality, guest edited by Dr. Joy Balta of Point Loma Nazarene University.

Our field of anatomical sciences has a rich history intertwined with religious thought and practice.1-3 However, this special issue does not focus on that history. Instead, Joy has brought together authors who share different perspectives on how religion and spirituality inform the practice of anatomy education. The papers are deeply personal. When I read them, I feel a strong connection to my anatomy colleagues from diverse backgrounds. The cultural and ethical questions they grapple with resonate with me, and I hope they will resonate with you too, Moreover, they connect to additional perspectives that center inclusion in the anatomical sciences published in the pages of our sibling journal The Anatomical Record.4-9 The papers in this issue have also prompted me to reflect on the intersection of anatomy and spirituality in my own life.

I was raised in a traditional conservative Ashkenazic Jewish home within a vibrant, multicultural Jewish community in the suburbs of Kansas City. My family and I were surrounded by extended “family” from Jewish communities around the globe: South Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Europe, Central and South America, and more. This diverse environment enriched my upbringing, exposing me to a wide array of cultural practices and perspectives within Judaism. For 13 years, from kindergarten through high school, I attended a Jewish community day school. This school provided a dual curriculum where half the day was devoted to secular studies, including subjects like math, science, and literature, while the other half focused on religious studies. These religious courses were often taught in Hebrew and drew from traditional Hebrew and Aramaic texts such as the Torah and Talmud.

The education I received was deeply rooted in Jewish values and ethics, emphasizing principles like justice, compassion, and the importance of community. This foundation has profoundly influenced every aspect of my life, including my professional approach to anatomy education. The rigorous academic environment, combined with a strong emphasis on religious and ethical teachings, instilled in me a sense of responsibility and respect for the human body. This perspective has been invaluable in my career, guiding my interactions with students and colleagues and shaping the way I conduct research and teach anatomy. I'm grateful to my parents and teachers for providing me with such a comprehensive education, which has allowed me to develop a strong Jewish identity and a nuanced understanding of the intersection between my faith and my profession.

I've written previously about standing in front of a dissection table at Auschwitz in 1994, and the profound impact it had on me.10 This experience was not just a moment of historical reflection but a deeply personal encounter with the intersection of anatomy and spirituality. Standing in that room, I was acutely aware of the tragic history and the countless lives lost. It was a stark reminder of the ethical responsibilities we bear as educators and practitioners in the field of anatomy. The dissection table at Auschwitz is a symbol of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust, where the sanctity of the human body was grossly violated. This moment underscored the importance of approaching our work with the utmost respect and reverence for the individuals whose bodies are used in science.

This experience was a formative time in my life where the intersection between anatomy and spirituality was clear. It prompted me years later to delve deeper into the ethical considerations surrounding anatomy education, particularly in the context of historical events. There is a wealth of recent literature about medical education and research in Nazi Germany, which explores the complex and often troubling history of anatomical sciences during that period.11-14 Additionally, appropriate Rabbinic guidelines for handling the remains of Jewish Holocaust victims have been established in the Vienna Protocol.15 This protocol provides a framework for the respectful and ethical treatment of these remains, ensuring that they are handled in accordance with Jewish law and tradition. Engaging with this literature has been uncomfortable and also comfortable (or perhaps familiar is a better word) at the same time, and I'm grateful for our colleagues who have conducted such important historical work to shed light on these atrocities and recommend an ethical path forward.

At the intersection of anatomy and Jewish ethics, the principle of Pikuach Nefesh (saving a life) stands out prominently. According to Sanhedrin 37a:13 of the Talmud, saving the life of a single person is akin to saving an entire world. The Talmud is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and it serves as the primary source of religious law and interpretation of the Torah. Various tracts within the Talmud emphasize the sanctity of the human body, generally suggesting that human dissection and autopsies are prohibited. However, exceptions rooted in Pikuach Nefesh permit organ donation and, in some cases, whole-body donation if it directly saves a life. Otherwise, whole-body donation is typically prohibited in more orthodox and conservative Jewish traditions.

These teachings were part of my education, but I never anticipated how deeply they would influence my professional journey. The respect for the sanctity of the human body and the ethical treatment of the bodies and tissues we are priviliged to use in our teaching have become central to my work in the dissection room at Indiana University. This perspective also guides the research we produce and publish in Anatomical Sciences Education, where we strive to maintain the highest ethical standards. The intersection of my Jewish education and my role as an anatomical sciences educator shapes my approach to teaching and research, just as others' backgrounds and histories guide their approaches. This special issue showcases the diverse perspectives of our colleagues worldwide, and I believe that understanding these varied identities will help us all grow as educators. I invite you to engage with this month's special issue and join the conversation.

查看原文
分享 分享
微信好友 朋友圈 QQ好友 复制链接
本刊更多论文
ASE:解剖学与灵性的交汇点。
解剖学不仅仅是对身体的研究,它还是生命本身的基础。千百年来,人类和我们进化的祖先一直在寻找答案,以解释我们每天观察到的自然现象。这种对理解的追求是人类经验的基本组成部分。纵观历史,全世界的人们都在宗教和灵性中寻找答案。这种探索是本月特刊《解剖学与灵性的交汇》的重点,特邀洛马拿撒勒角大学的乔伊-巴尔塔(Joy Balta)博士担任编辑。相反,乔伊汇集了一些作者,他们从不同角度阐述了宗教和灵性如何影响解剖学教育实践。这些论文具有深刻的个人色彩。当我阅读这些论文时,我感到自己与来自不同背景的解剖学同行之间有着紧密的联系。他们所探讨的文化和伦理问题引起了我的共鸣,我希望这些问题也能引起您的共鸣。此外,这些论文还与我们的兄弟姐妹期刊《解剖记录》(The Anatomical Record)上发表的以解剖科学的包容性为中心的其他观点相联系。我和我的家人被来自全球各地犹太社区的 "大家庭 "所包围:南非、中东和北非、欧洲、中美洲和南美洲等等。这种多元化的环境丰富了我的成长经历,让我接触到犹太教中各种各样的文化习俗和观点。从幼儿园到高中,我在一所犹太社区日校学习了 13 年。这所学校提供双轨制课程,每天一半时间用于世俗学习,包括数学、科学和文学等科目,另一半时间则侧重于宗教学习。我接受的教育深深植根于犹太价值观和伦理道德,强调正义、同情和社区的重要性等原则。这一基础深刻地影响了我生活的方方面面,包括我对解剖学教育的专业态度。严谨的学术环境,加上对宗教和伦理教义的高度重视,向我灌输了对人体的责任感和尊重。这种观点在我的职业生涯中非常宝贵,它指导着我与学生和同事的互动,并塑造了我进行研究和教授解剖学的方式。我很感谢我的父母和老师为我提供了如此全面的教育,使我形成了强烈的犹太人身份认同,并对我的信仰与职业之间的交集有了细致入微的理解。我曾写过一篇关于 1994 年站在奥斯威辛集中营解剖台前的文章,以及它对我产生的深远影响。站在那个房间里,我清楚地意识到那段悲惨的历史和无数逝去的生命。它严酷地提醒我们,作为解剖学领域的教育者和从业者,我们肩负着道德责任。奥斯维辛集中营的解剖台是大屠杀期间暴行的象征,在那里,人体的神圣性遭到了严重践踏。这段经历是我人生中的一个成长时期,解剖学与灵性之间的交集在此清晰可见。多年后,它促使我深入研究与解剖学教育相关的伦理问题,尤其是在历史事件的背景下。最近有大量关于纳粹德国医学教育和研究的文献,探讨了那段时期解剖科学复杂且往往令人不安的历史。11-14 此外,《维也纳议定书》15 中还规定了处理犹太大屠杀受害者遗体的适当拉比准则。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
求助全文
约1分钟内获得全文 去求助
来源期刊
Anatomical Sciences Education
Anatomical Sciences Education Anatomy/education-
CiteScore
10.30
自引率
39.70%
发文量
91
期刊介绍: Anatomical Sciences Education, affiliated with the American Association for Anatomy, serves as an international platform for sharing ideas, innovations, and research related to education in anatomical sciences. Covering gross anatomy, embryology, histology, and neurosciences, the journal addresses education at various levels, including undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate, allied health, medical (both allopathic and osteopathic), and dental. It fosters collaboration and discussion in the field of anatomical sciences education.
期刊最新文献
Refocusing graduate gross anatomy training: Curating future content experts. Anatomical Sciences Education Vol. 17, Issue 8, 2024 Cover Image Editorial Board and Table of Contents Comparing assisting technologies for proficiency in cardiac morphology: 3D printing and mixed reality versus CT slice images for morphological understanding of congenital heart defects by medical students. Effect of peer facilitation in anatomy small group curriculum on academic performance and retention: A pilot study.
×
引用
GB/T 7714-2015
复制
MLA
复制
APA
复制
导出至
BibTeX EndNote RefMan NoteFirst NoteExpress
×
×
提示
您的信息不完整,为了账户安全,请先补充。
现在去补充
×
提示
您因"违规操作"
具体请查看互助需知
我知道了
×
提示
现在去查看 取消
×
提示
确定
0
微信
客服QQ
Book学术公众号 扫码关注我们
反馈
×
意见反馈
请填写您的意见或建议
请填写您的手机或邮箱
已复制链接
已复制链接
快去分享给好友吧!
我知道了
×
扫码分享
扫码分享
Book学术官方微信
Book学术文献互助
Book学术文献互助群
群 号:481959085
Book学术
文献互助 智能选刊 最新文献 互助须知 联系我们:info@booksci.cn
Book学术提供免费学术资源搜索服务,方便国内外学者检索中英文文献。致力于提供最便捷和优质的服务体验。
Copyright © 2023 Book学术 All rights reserved.
ghs 京公网安备 11010802042870号 京ICP备2023020795号-1