Intellectual Retreat: Theology of Health and Medicine
The North Carolina Study Center is excited to be hosting our second annual intellectual retreat in January of 2023! These retreats are designed to cultivate lively conversation, (friendly) debate, intellectual growth, and fellowship—all in a community of Christian graduate and advanced undergraduate students at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Topic
The topic for this year’s discussion will be the theology of health and medicine. Since its inception, Christianity has been closely aligned with the practice of medicine and caring for the sick. Health and illness are universal experiences that get at the heart of what it means to be human and to be whole. However, knowing how to define health, facilitate healing, and navigate the complexities of contemporary medicine are difficult tasks. In this seminar, we will explore a variety of topics related to health and healing as we think together about how to best bring the Christian tradition to bear on our practices of healthcare.
Format
The format for this year’s retreat will be three seminar-style sessions spread out over a single day. These moderated discussions will be interspersed with meals, casual conversation, and social hours. Prior to the event, everyone will complete a packet of exceptional readings to provide common ground for discussion. The goal is not to settle a debate in a single day, but to provide a structured format for discussing complex, contested questions at the intersection of Christianity and healthcare. To that end, the readings come from a variety of perspectives within the Christian tradition, and we welcome participants from a broad range of disciplines to apply. If a weekend of engaging discussion and good meals with fellow students seeking after truth sounds enjoyable, this is for you!
Application
This year’s retreat will take place on Saturday, January 14th, in town, at the North Carolina Study Center (203 Battle Lane). Reading packets will be provided in early December and refreshments will be available throughout the duration of the event. Business casual is preferred. Owing to the need for a group of limited size, we may not be able to include all interested parties. But we highly encourage you to apply! We look forward to a day of engaging discussions and convivial connections.
The application deadline has been extended to Sunday, Dec. 4. Selected participants will be notified via email by Tuesday, Dec. 6th so they can pick up their reading packets prior to winter break.
Cost
The participation fee for this year’s retreat will be $25. This helps offset the cost of the reading packets, three meals, and snacks. We do not want finances to prevent anyone from participating. Please contact us if you need financial assistance.
Questions? Email Andrew.
Theology of Health and Medicine
Retreat Schedule
Saturday, Jan. 14
8:00 am - Breakfast + coffee (provided)
8:30 am - Opening remarks and introductions
9:00 am - Session 1
10:30 am - Coffee break
11:00 am - Session 2
12:30 pm - Lunch (provided)
1:30 pm - Break
UNC basketball game @ 2 PM (away)
5:00 pm - Session 3
6:30 pm - Closing reception (dinner provided)
Reading List
Session 1: Health
Wendell Berry, “Healing” (poem)
Preamble to the Constitution of the World Health Organization
Daniel Callahan, “The WHO Definition of Health”
Leon Kass, “Regarding the End of Medicine and the Pursuit of Health”
Karl Barth, “The Will to Be Healthy”
Wendell Berry, “Health is Membership”
Brian Brock, Wondrously Wounded, Ch. 7 [excerpt]
Session 2: Illness and Healing
Vassar Miller, “Sick” (poem)
Christian prayers by and for those who are sick
Jean Claude Larchet, The Theology of Illness, Ch. 2
Stanley Hauerwas and Gerald McKenny, “The Strength to be Patient”
Brian Brock, “Disability,” Ch. 2 [excerpt]
Session 3: Contemporary Medicine
W. H. Auden, “Surgical Ward” (poem)
Hippocratic Oaths (Various)
Stanley Hauerwas, “Salvation and Health: Why Medicine Needs the Church”
Gerald McKenny, “Bioethics, the Body, and the Legacy of Bacon”
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services”
Approx. 180 pages in total