Bad faith : when religious belief undermines modern medicine / Paul A. Offit.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Offit, Paul A., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Medicine--Religious aspects.

Medicine.

Child welfare.

Spiritual healing.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (270 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York, [New York] : Basic Books, 2015.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"In Bad Faith, acclaimed physician and author Paul Offit gives readers a never-before-seen look into the minds of those who choose to medically martyr themselves, or their children, in the name of religion. Never afraid of controversy, Offit takes a stark and disturbing look at our surprising capacity to risk the health and safety of children in service of our beliefs. He tells the story of two devoted Christian Scientists who are shocked and heartbroken when their infant dies of a treatable disease; of orthodox Jewish parents who risk infecting their babies with herpes during an unsterile circumcision ritual; and of a man who believes his faith can cure his son's diabetes and, when that tragically fails, tries to raise him from the dead. The tangled relationship between religion and medicine may appear to afflict only certain pockets of America, but this phenomenon reaches much further -- whether you are seeking treatment at a Catholic hospital or trying to keep your kids safe from diseases spread by their unvaccinated peers, you'll likely encounter these issues"--Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Intro

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Introduction: At the Crossroads

1. "The Very Worst Thing"

2. A Fragile Magic

3. A Vengeful God

4. The Faith Healer Next Door

5. The Literal and the Damned

6. Dialogue of the Deaf

7. Do Unto Others

8. Ungodly Acts

9. The Miracle Business

10. The Peculiar People

11. The Divine Whisper

12. Standing Up

Epilogue: "The Frail Web of Understanding"

Notes

Selected Bibliography

Acknowledgments

Index.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-5416-9764-2

0-465-04061-6

OCLC:

905917349