Jews and Medicine: Religion, Culture, Science

In this comprehensive collection, Berger gathers 11 essays that examine the relationship between Judaism and medicine. Berger contends that there has never been such a thing as ""Jewish medicine per se,"" but, rather, that ""Jews have adopted the medical teachings of the prevailing cultures in which they lived, and proceeded to enhance them through their own significant contributions."" Included in this beautifully illustrated volume of essays are sections that examine ""Healing in Jewish Lore and Law,"" ""Jewish Folk Medicine"" and ""Jewish Women in Medicine."" Of special interest is a chapter devoted to Jewish medical ethics. Berger's collection traces the relationship between Judaism and medicine from biblical times through the Middle Ages to the modern age. In thoroughly accessible prose, the writers gathered here make a significant contribution to an understanding of the relationship between Judaism and medicine. For example, Peter Gay's essay on Freud shows how Freud's paradoxical relationship with his Judaism contributed to his psychoanalytic theory. (Dec.)