World Congresses have been held by the International Christian Medical and Dental Fellowship (ICMDA) every 3-4 years since 1963. The last Congress was held in Durban, South Africa in 1998 and attended by over 1,000 doctors from 60 countries. 100 students from 20 countries met at the Student Conference in Pietermaritzburg before joining the main conference. The proceedings of this Congress have been published in this book and are stimulating and highly relevant to medicine in the 21st century. Biblical principles are examined, relevant applications made, and moving testimonies of Christian experience are given from different cultural backgrounds.

The book contains the full text of plenary talks. Ten talks from the main conference include, 'Integrity in Medical Decision Making', 'Uniting Faith and Medicine', and 'The Role of the Christian doctor and dentist in preventing the Demoralisation of Healthcare'. Similar themes are continued in the student sessions, with talks on 'The Myth of Moral Neutrality', 'Christian World View' and 'African World View'. The abstracts of 43 thought-provoking parallel sessions are also given. These are more focussed on specific issues such as AIDS, abortion, medical mission and the family.

With at least 59 contributors from all over the world, a wide range of issues are covered in a helpful and challenging way from an international perspective. I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

Reviewed by
Stephen Browne
General Practitioner in Birmingham