Sacred Spaces, Clinical Encounters Integrating Theological and Medical Perspectives
Julian Ungar-Sargon
Abstract
This paper synthesizes Dr. Julian Ungar-Sargon's
theological and healing essays with comparative scholarship to develop an
integrative framework for understanding the sacred dimensions of medical
practice. Modern healthcare increasingly operates within a paradigm of
scientific reductionism that can inadvertently reduce patients to collections
of symptoms and laboratory values. Drawing upon hermeneutic philosophy,
phenomenology, and theological perspectives, we argue that authentic healing
emerges from recognizing the sacred-profane dialectic inherent in therapeutic
encounters. The analysis explores four key domains: hermeneutic approaches to
medical practice that emphasize interpretation over mere technical application;
the sacred-profane dialectic in therapeutic spaces that transforms ordinary
clinical settings into healing environments; evidence distortion in clinical
decision-making that acknowledges the interpretive dimension of all medical
knowledge; and a theological framework for physician-patient relationships
grounded in covenantal rather than contractual models. By integrating these
perspectives, we propose a model of healing that honors both scientific rigor
and spiritual dimensions of human experience. This framework has significant
implications for clinical practice, medical education, and healthcare ethics,
offering concrete strategies for creating healing environments that address the
full scope of human suffering. The paper contributes to ongoing
interdisciplinary dialogue regarding the relationship between spirituality and
medicine, particularly from Jewish theological perspectives that complement
existing Christian and secular approaches.