Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Aug;61(4):3151-3163.
doi: 10.1007/s10943-021-01388-2. Epub 2021 Sep 1.

Medicine in Between: Thomas Wolfe, Spirituality, and the Meaning of Life

Aldis H Petriceks  1
Affiliations

Medicine in Between: Thomas Wolfe, Spirituality, and the Meaning of Life

Aldis H Petriceks. J Relig Health. 2022 Aug.

Abstract

Questions of meaning may seem more properly suited to the spheres of religion or philosophy; yet physicians certainly witness some of the greatest sufferings of their patients' lives, and through this suffering, many patients look to their doctors not just for treatments but for answers. In this essay, the author highlights an exchange between patient and doctor in Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward, Angel, to argue that physicians need not have ready made answers about life, meaning, or spirituality, but should indeed provide comfort and support when their patients ask: "What's it all about?"

Keywords: Illness; Literature; Meaning; Patient-doctor relationship; Spirituality.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Abdulla, A., Hossain, M., & Barla, C. (2019). Toward comprehensive medicine: Listening to spiritual and religious needs of patients. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 5, 233372141984370. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333721419843703 - DOI
    1. Amonoo, H. L., Harris, J. H., Murphy, W. S., Abrahm, J. L., & Peteet, J. R. (2020). The physician’s role in responding to existential suffering: What does it mean to comfort always? Journal of Palliative Care, 35(1), 8–12. https://doi.org/10.1177/0825859719839332 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Balboni, T. A., Vanderwerker, L. C., Block, S. D., Paulk, M. E., Lathan, C. S., Peteet, J. R., & Prigerson, H. G. (2007). Religiousness and spiritual support among advanced cancer patients and associations with end-of-life treatment preferences and quality of life. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 25(5), 555–560. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.2006.07.9046 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bates, A. T. (2016). Addressing existential suffering. British Columbia Medical Journal, 58(5), 268–273.
    1. Best, M., Butow, P., & Olver, I. (2015). Do patients want doctors to talk about spirituality? A systematic literature review. Patient Education and Counseling, 98(11), 1320–1328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2015.04.017 - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources