Abstract
Determining a patient's capacity and protecting one's autonomy have become increasingly important in medical decision-making and bioethics. Capacity and autonomy usually connote the ability to make decisions (capacity) without necessary help or coercion from others (autonomy). Advances in neuroimaging have led to imaginative studies of the anatomic and physiologic basis of the different aspects of capacity. Similarly, clinical instruments have been created to capture clinical nuances of capacity among different patients. The worthiness as well as reductionistic pitfalls of both approaches are discussed. A major challenge for Christians is the pursuit of a biblically-grounded concept of capacity and autonomy that counters the rationalistic and individualist concepts of secular society. Such a concept could lead to more normative assessments of capacity and put added value on the communal and faith dimensions of autonomy in medical decision-making.