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Accommodating religion and belief in healthcare: political threats, agonistic democracy and established religion

Abstract:
This paper considers what concept of accommodation is necessary to identify and address discrimination, disadvantages and disparities in such a way that the plurality of religious people with their beliefs, values and practices may be justly accommodated in healthcare. It evaluates threats to the possibility of such accommodation pertaining by considering what beliefs and practices might increase the risk of unjust discrimination against and disadvantage for religious people, whether as individuals or as groups; and the risk of disparities between the care provided to religious people. The claim is that there is an important cluster of risks that are political in kind and emergent within philosophical bioethics. While not amounting (yet) to a trend, they are sufficiently threatening to a just civic life for patients and healthcare staff as to warrant scrutiny. After an Introductory Section 1, Section 2 evaluates a criticism of ‘accommodation’ and the apparently additional health-related requirements that those of religious faith demand, when compared with other people. It does so by comparing Lori Beaman's idea of agonism with that of a distinct and somewhat complementary approach in Jonathan Chaplin's political philosophy, before examining the role of established religion in setting the conditions for the accommodation of religion and belief in healthcare. Section 3 examines risks to such accommodation by engaging critically with three health-related instantiations of political philosophy that differ radically from both Beaman and Chaplin. A concluding Section 4 focusses on appropriate modes of communicating about religious and other beliefs in healthcare.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1111/bioe.13112

Authors


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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
HUMS
Department:
Theology Faculty
Role:
Author


Publisher:
Wiley
Journal:
Bioethics More from this journal
Volume:
37
Issue:
1
Pages:
15-27
Publication date:
2022-11-18
Acceptance date:
2022-10-26
DOI:
EISSN:
1467-8519
ISSN:
0269-9702


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1287629
Local pid:
pubs:1287629
Deposit date:
2022-10-27

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