PHI 413V - Exploring Personal Worldview: Spirituality & Health

This essay presents a personal worldview inventory, exploring the meaning of spirituality and its relevance in modern healthcare. It considers the influence of religious and cultural contexts, including pluralism, scientism, and postmodernism, on individual beliefs and attitudes towards health and medicine. The essay addresses seven fundamental worldview questions, examining the nature of prime reality, the world, human beings, the afterlife, the possibility of knowledge, the basis of morality, and the meaning of human history. The conclusion emphasizes the diverse interpretations of spirituality and its impact on healthcare, highlighting the interplay between personal beliefs and societal perspectives.

Running Head: PERSONAL WORLD VIEW INVENTORY 1
PERSONAL WORLD VIEW INVENTORY
Name
Institutional Affiliation

PERSONAL WORLD VIEW INVENTORY 2
Introduction
An individual has different personal beliefs which determine their behavior and attitudes
towards certain aspects. These beliefs form over time and are influenced by various factors
including cultural and religious factors. An individual’s worldview is influenced by religious and
ethical factors. These two play a major role in shaping people’s beliefs. For some people, for
example, their strong relationship with God makes them believe that he is the ultimate source of
good health and therefore they only need prayers when sick. This essay will focus on my
worldview.
Meanings of Spirituality
Spirituality means different things to different people. Sociologists define spirituality as
collective and individual efforts to uncover their existence’s meaning either independently or
within organized religion. It can also be defined as an experience believed to bring a group or an
individual into direct contact with the divine (Kadar et al., 2015). It the medical field spirituality
entails Connections with others and self-growth realization through various activities, reflection,
prayer, meditation, contemplation, and participation in organized (Bessinger & Kuhne, 2002)
Religious and Cultural Context of Modern Health Care and Medicine
Pluralism
Pluralism is a philosophical term used to refer to the existence of multiple valid and
significant worldviews and belief systems. It is also a societal state in which members of different
social groups, religion, and diverse ethnicities develop special interests within their culture. On

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healthcare matters, multiple religious beliefs and worldviews exist within the confines of various
societies. These religious beliefs affect people’s attitudes and perception towards modern
healthcare and medicine.
Scientism
Scientism is the belief that natural sciences are more reliable sources of individual
knowledge as compared to culture or other branches of learning. In the medical field, the
freedom of through has been highly blockaded because of Scientism. It has led to the disapproval
of new ideas in the medical profession because of the belief in scientific doctrine (Malerba,
2018).
Postmodernism
Postmodernism is the belief for the inexistence of objective moral values. This
philosophy suggests that all concepts whether evil or good are equally correct since they are all
subjective. The impact of this on medicine has been the prevalence of a holistic view of health
and belief that achievement of health is an individual’s responsibility (Tanja-Dijkstra, 2011). It
has also led to the rejection of medical authority and influenced an individual’s preference for
natural remedies above chemical products (Siahpush, 2009).
Seven Basic Worldview Questions
What is prime reality?
Primer reality is concerned with the importance of the existence of God, the truth about
him and his word. Prime reality is concerned with what an individual believes to be the ultimate
reality. It focuses on whether or not an individual believes in God(Edlin, 2008). Their personality

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and cultural values influence People's sense of reality. My personal experiences are my primary
references for what is real or not. For Example, God’s manifestations in my life have influenced
my belief in his existence.
What is the nature of the world around us?
The nature of the World around us is concerned with how individuals perceive the
world.The nature of the world around us is objective, made of matter, made of matter and Created.
As a believer in God, I don’t perceive the world to be chaotic, autonomous or made of spirit. The
world has meaning order and. It does not simply exist.
What is a human being?
This question focuses on the perception of our nature and ourselves. People can perceive
themselves as sleeping gods, a complex machine or a person made in the image and likeness of
God. I believe that person is human based by the fact that he or she is created in the image and
likeness of God.
What happens to a person after death?
I believe that after death a person is transformed into a higher state. The body is generated
from the soul which acquires external life. Through the immortal soul after death, individuals then
receive their external retribution (Edlin, 2008).
Why is it possible to know anything at all?
A person gains knowledge through learning and experience. As individuals, we know
many things because God has given us the ability to know (Shelly & Miller, 2009). Therefore God
is the authority and Source of all knowledge. Through our understanding of things, we can learn

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and obtain knowledge. We can understand what is important and what is not, what is right and
what is not.
How do we know what is right and wrong?
My knowledge of what is right and what is wrong comes from the fact that I am created in
the image of God who is all good. It is not only determined by my personal choices and notions
(Shelly & Miller, 2009). There is no ultimate truth of what is right or wrong. Individuals decide
for themselves what they perceive to be right or wrong.
What is the meaning of human history?
The history of human history is quite meaningful. It helps us to understand where we have
come from and where we are going. Human beings are created for a purpose and therefore not
meant to wander around in Circles. Our history reminds us what we were created for, i.e., to make
the earth a paradise in the realization of Gods purpose for us (Edlin, 2008).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the meaning of spirituality differs among individuals. Its influence in
medicine and health can be explained through concepts such as postmodernism, pluralism,
Scientism. The worldview can be explained through some questions such as defining what a
human being is, explaining what prime reality is, explaining the nature of external reality,
explaining what happens to a person after death and explaining individual’s perception of right or
wrong.

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References
Bessinger, D., & Kuhne, T. (2002). Medical spirituality: defining domains and boundaries. SOUTHERN
MEDICAL JOURNAL-BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA-, 95(12), 1385-1388.
Edlin, R. (2008). Christian education and worldview. International Christian Community of Teacher
Educators Journal, 3(2), 5.
Kadar, J. L., Scott, A. B., Hipp, K., Belavich, T. G., Butfer, E. M., Rye, M. S., ... & Zinnbauer, B. J.
(2015). Religion and spirituality: Unfuzzying the fuzzy. In Sociology of Religion (pp. 29-34).
Routledge.
Malerba, L. (2018).Scientism: The impact of neglecting medical philosophy. Pathways To Family
Wellness. Retrieved from http://pathwaystofamilywellness.org/Holistic-Healthcare/scientism-
the-impact-of-neglecting-medical-philosophy.html
Shelly, J. A., & Miller, A. B. (2009). Called to care: A Christian worldview for nursing. Downers
Grove, Ill: IVP Academic/InterVarsity Press.
Siahpush, M. (2009). Postmodern attitudes about health: a population-based exploratory
study. Complementary therapies in medicine, 7(3), 164-169.
Tanja-Dijkstra, K. (2011). The Impact of Bedside Technology on Patients' Well-Being. Health
Environments Research & Design Journal (HERD), 5(1), 43-51. Retrieved from
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