Why Study Religion and Spirituality in Bioethics? Results of a Survey of Courses in Graduate Bioethics Programs in the USA

The critical relevance and importance of considering religion and spirituality (R/S) in academic and public discourse on bioethical issues and in the illness experiences of patients and families is difficult to deny. Yet, little is known about the nature and scope of R/S education in graduate bioethics training. We therefore conducted a literature review and survey of bioethics programs in the USA and a content analysis of relevant syllabi of courses. In this article, we identify the core didactic components of existing offerings, characterize their curricular trends, and consider the implications of our findings. We propose a new critical humanist approach to the study of R/S in bioethics to both expand and enhance more established pedagogies.