From Medical Orthodoxy to Dialogical Practice Applying Theological Models of Creative Engagement to Contemporary Healthcare

Review Article

Abstract

This paper explores how strategies developed by Orthodox Jewish thinkers for engaging modernity while maintaining core commitments can transform medical practice from rigid orthodoxy toward more nuanced, dialogical approaches. Drawing on six methodological frameworks—progressive revelation, editorial synthesis, dialectical engagement, critical integration, synthetic methodology, and post-modern exploration—we examine how physicians can maintain medical authority and evidence-based foundations while embracing greater openness to patient perspectives, interdisciplinary collaboration, and evolving knowledge. The study demonstrates that "creative fidelity" in medicine involves neither abandoning clinical expertise nor rigidly adhering to protocols but developing sophisticated approaches that honor both medical science and the complexity of human experience. Through case studies and theoretical analysis, we show how physicians can cultivate "hermeneutical humility"—recognizing that medical truth often emerges from unexpected sources including patient narratives, alternative healing traditions, and interdisciplinary insights. This approach enhances rather than threatens medical effectiveness by creating space for the dynamic tension between clinical knowledge and individual patient needs that characterizes excellent healthcare.