Wednesday, February 09, 2011

On Stories and Medicine and Faith

It's been a big week for my work in other settings.  Today my newest piece is up at Episcopal Cafe.  It centers on the importance of stories: how they can be important for learning about health, and important for learning about the Christian faith.  As always, I'd be happy to hear your comments on the post, whether at the Cafe or here.

In health care, stories are part of the field of "Narrative Medicine."  If you're not familiar with it, let me suggest a place to start.  Susan Palwick is a valued blog colleague.  You can see a link to her blog, Rickety Contrivances of Doing Good, in my list because she's an Episcopal chaplain, volunteering in a local hospital emergency room and writing about it.  She's also a published author (I can personally recommend The Necessary Beggar) and university professor; and in those capacities she lectures on Narrative Medicine at the medical school in Reno, Nevada.  She has blogged about that, and you can look at some of that here.  It's an interesting field, and should catch the notice of chaplains.  I encourage you to take some time with what Susan has written.

5 comments:

Susan Palwick said...

Thanks for the kind words, Marshall!

Marshall Scott said...

Well, as I said, credit where due. And anyway we need to note good resource people in our own church!

Marlin Whitmer said...

I have been doing story listening for years. Even doing a internet seminar on the Healing Power of Story Listening. Plus much more. First I have to figure out how to enter my comments.

Marlin Whitmer said...

I have been doing story listening for years. I even have a seminar on the Healing Power of story listening.

Marlin Whitmer said...

I was part of journal writing research as a care giver for a cancer patient. Journal Writing benefits the immune system. Dr. Pennybaker began this research much earlier.

Back in the late 80's I did some presentations for the Episcopal Chaplains on this subject.