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Revd James Buxton

Chaplain of the Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences

I have been both fascinated and appalled by the pictures and video images I have seen of Von Hagens' work. As a medical school chaplain, working alongside students who are in the process of dissecting bodies, I am familiar with this aspect of the study of anatomy, and I have been impressed by the way students are prepared for the task, and the care that is taken over the use of the donated bodies.

But what of the plastinates themselves? First of all, some positive reflections:

It is clear that they offer opportunities for study that may sometimes go beyond what is possible in the dissecting room. Mainstream contemporary Christianity supports entirely the need for medical professionals to receive the best possible education for the tasks to which they are called, so we cannot say, from a Christian point of view that plastination should be ruled out as an aid in the education process. After all, body parts such as skeletons continue to be essential aids to learning, as they have been for several centuries.

Beyond this, I have also found some of the plastinates to be awe-inspiring and beautiful, such as the configurations of blood vessels. To behold the intricacy and artistry of these makes me reflect on the sublime energies of God who creates and sustains all things. The huge interest that the exhibition of plastinates has engendered shows that people are fascinated to know more about what goes on inside their bodies, and I would say this in itself is much to be encouraged. The 'democratisation' of anatomy in this and other ways is a positive development .

Ours is a society in which death and our natural impermanence have been pushed further and further out of our consciousness. In general, we encounter death far less often than our forbears did. The plastinates may help us to recover a more realistic sense both of the wonder of our inner workings, and the limitations of our mortal lives.

There is however a very big difference between what Von Hagens and his team are doing, and anatomy that takes place in higher education, where students are carefully prepared for dissection, and asked to reflect on the very significant self-gift that each body represents.

In my experience here at GKT, the bodies are treated with diginity, and the integrity of each dead person Is, as far as possible, preserved. At the end of the period of use, a remarkable service of thanksgiving is held at which anatomists, students and families of the deceased are present (the annual service at Southwark Cathedral in London attracts between 600 and 800 people). Thus the use of the bodies is carefully framed, with consideration given to all those involved. This reflects the fact that for Christians, the living body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and even when dead, is not to be treated casually. Whether the remains are buried or cremated, Christian thinking is that they should be treated in a dignified way.

But here, Christians must show humility. Bodies and relics have been dealt with in a startling variety of ways both now and in the past. Has all this been dignified? Maybe we don't have the right to be too judgemental about plastination. Certainly, some of the figures are presented in a quite sensationalist way, which is not primarily to do with the study of anatomy. I am thinking particularly of the 'fragmented plastinates', where cubes of human 'material' have been drawn out of the body's insides, or swung open like doors. Both these, and the other more 'artistic' plastinates, like the chess player and the horse and rider, have a somewhat frivolous or playful character, which some would find offensive.

Underlying my questions is the Christian desire (shared by people of many other faiths, and none) to uphold the dignity of every person and to struggle against the exploitation of the vulnerable. Even if the individuals have given full consent, this could be seen as a form of exploitation, and a reflection of the determination in our culture to exploit everything as a commodity or a 'utensil'. In particular the use of body parts from numerous individuals (such as in the 'exploded' bodies) is a challenge to the precious uniqueness of the human individual.

These are my concerns. But none of them amount to a clear condemnation of plastination. I am too mindful of the variety of practices and beliefs surrounding dead bodies, within the tradition in which I stand. Christians, like everyone else, should check out the exhibition, and come to a mind, fully armed with the facts.

As I write this, the exhibition is arriving at the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane. In spite of my doubts and questions, I shall be joining the queue!

One thing is for sure: my pious Quaker forbears (who founded the brewery along with the Trumans and the Hanburys) will be spinning in their graves at the prospect!

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