Cultura

Faith and Doubt: A Comparative Study of their Epistemic Status in Religious Traditions

VOLUME 22, 2025

The Role of Targeted Infra-popliteal Endovascular Angioplasty to Treat Diabetic Foot Ulcers Using the Angiosome Model: A Systematic Review

VOLUME 6, 2023

Alistair W. Mackenzie
University of Heidelberg, Germany

Abstract

Doubt and faith are inseparable from religion or religious belief since they affect how a person and a particular religion relate to God, read scriptures, and develop an epistemic system. This is a comparative study on religion which explores the epistemic nature of faith and doubt in the major religions of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Faith is usually considered as a key to the truths in divinity, in which Abrahamic religions emphasize trust in revelation while Eastern religions treat faith as a subset of a larger pursuit towards enlightenment or self-realization. On the other hand, doubt is understood both as an undermining factor of faith and as a potential to receive a more thorough comprehension of other ideas. While Christianity and Islam predominantly view doubt as a problem to resolve, Hinduism and Buddhism welcome questioning as a fundamental part of spiritual exploration. This study examines the complex relationship between faith and doubt and reveals that rather than being antipodes, they tend to act as two sides of the same coin of religion. This analysis emphasizes the variety of theories and beliefs, showing that religious faith is not simply passive acceptance, but rather a dialectical approach involving endless inquiry, contemplation, and development. Faith and doubt clearly coexist within religious traditions, serving us with an epistemic foundation as well as motivating intellectual and spiritual advancement. Some traditions grapple with doubt while others work through it as an incentive to cultivate understanding. While faith can be perceived as blind trust, there exists another view where faith is regarded as a tool towards more profound understanding. The assertion of faith and doubt brings into question different aspects of religion, resulting in astonishing findings where intense declarations and skepticism are not mutually exclusive, but exist intricately intertwined, shaped in a vivid discourse.

Keywords : Faith and Doubt (F&D), Epistemic Status (ES), Religious Traditions (RT), Comparative Studies (CS).
Erin Saricilar
Lecture in accounting. University of Basrah, College of Administration and Economics, Department of Accounting.

Abstract

Atherosclerotic disease significantly impacts patients with type 2 diabetes, who often present with recalcitrant peripheral ulcers. The angiosome model of the foot presents an opportunity to perform direct angiosome-targeted endovascular interventions to maximise both wound healing and limb salvage. A systematic review was performed, with 17 studies included in the final review. Below-the-knee endovascular interventions present significant technical challenges, with technical success depending on the length of lesion being treated and the number of angiosomes that require treatment. Wound healing was significantly improved with direct angiosome-targeted angioplasty, as was limb salvage, with a significant increase in survival without major amputation. Indirect angioplasty, where the intervention is applied to collateral vessels to the angiosomes, yielded similar results to direct angiosome-targeted angioplasty. Applying the angiosome model of the foot in direct angiosome-targeted angioplasty improves outcomes for patients with recalcitrant diabetic foot ulcers in terms of primary wound healing, mean time for complete wound healing and major amputation-free survival.
Keywords : Diabetic foot ulcer, angiosome, angioplasty