Called to Care

What does Christianity have to do with a career in nursing? In Called to Care, by Judith Allen Shelly, Arlene B. Miller, and Kimberly H. Fenstermacher present us with a Christian vision for nursing.

Christian Worldview

This book does an excellent job of introducing the concept of Christian nursing through a Christian worldview. The book defines it as “a ministry of compassionate and restorative care for the whole person, in response to God’s grace which aims to promote and foster optimum health (shalom) and bring comfort in suffering and death for anyone in need.”

With the primary perspective that humans are created in the image of God, the book aims to see and find yourself in Jesus as relational, multidimensional, sexual, moral, mortal, and destined for eternal life. This mindset captures how we are to care for patients and direct our careers.

In a timely chapter, the book places an emphasis on how Christians in healthcare are to relate cross-culturally. Being aware of ethnocentrism, seeking to identify transcultural truths, learning from other cultures, being humble and tolerant of differences, and accepting people where they are are at the top of the list.

Hope in Suffering

What I most appreciated was how the book distinguishes between an unseen, seen, and storied components of our environment of care. Christians understand the complexity of humans, especially in the spiritual realm and God’s sovereignty.

The book closes by specifying that Christians have hope in suffering while facing the problem of the paradox of death. Christ reshapes the way we care for others, how we see suffering, and our disposition towards death.

While academic in tone, the book also reads rather devotionally. Questions for further thinking are personal, and questions for theological reflection are Gospel-centered. The included discussion questions would be perfect for a small group or Sunday School specifically for healthcare professionals.

Care Like Christ

While I am often tempted to think that God is not present in the hospital, I must remember that it is here where many need him most. As a Registered Nurse, I am proud of my profession and see this book as a must-read for my Christian colleagues. It will show you how we can love when life is on the line. And it will call you back to care like Christ.

I received a media copy of Called to Care and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.