How Faith in Christ Alters Our Perspective on Death

The Role of Autonomy

There are two main points in which our faith should differentiate how we approach end-of-life care compared to those who are not believers. The number one thing is autonomy, which is upheld within the secular medical system as a very tightly guarded aim. It’s one of the key principles of modern bioethics and it does have Christian parallels.

What the Bible teaches us is that through the cross, nothing—not a ventilator, not dialysis, not CPR—can frighten us or wrench us from God’s love.

We are all made in the image of God. We all have inherent dignity. We’re all born with free will. The one distinction I would make is that when we talk about autonomy as self-determination in the Christian worldview, it should not be an end in and of itself. We are given free will and we are made unique in the image of God to glorify him. For any decisions that we make at the end of life, autonomy is something we should consider but it should not just be for what I want for me, it should also be a projection of what should I do and how should I use my life and my free will to glorify him?

The Gift of Hope

And the second thing and most important thing is the hope that we have in Christ where death is not the end. This is a tremendous source of hope that should really guide every decision we make. It should be through this lens of the gospel because what the Bible teaches us is that through the cross, nothing—not a ventilator, not dialysis, not CPR—can frighten us or wrench us from God’s love.

Between Life and Death

Kathryn Butler, MD

This book aims to equip Christians facing end-of-life decisions by simplifying confusing jargon and exploring biblical principles families need in order to navigate the transition from this life to the next.

The title for Between Life and Death: A Gospel-Centered Guide to End-of-Life Medical Care was actually inspired by Romans 8:38–39 because “neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Clinging to that and realizing how that changes our view of life and these end-of-life scenarios can be so helpful.

Kathryn Butler (MD, Columbia University) trained in surgery and critical care at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where she then joined the faculty. She left clinical practice in 2016 to homeschool her children, and now writes regularly for desiringGod.org and the Gospel Coalition on topics such as faith, medicine, and shepherding kids in the gospel.