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Religion, Spiritual Practices, and Well-Being

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Integrative Pathways

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Abstract

Religion, medicine, and healing have been connected in most cultures and eras. The development of scientific medicine in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries produced a practical divorce between medical care and religion. However, over four decades of research has shown that religious adherence, attendance at services, beliefs, spiritual practices, and sense of purpose in life can all impact health and longevity. This chapter explores the general impact of religion and spirituality on health, reviews research on specific elements of religious engagement and their effects on health, and examines the approaches of two Christian churches that have placed special emphasis on health and healing. The chapter also introduces religious and spiritual practices commonly used for comfort, consolation, and well-being.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    The Road to Wellville (Beacon Communications/Columbia Pictures) was a 1994 comedy lampooning the medical practices and elaborate therapeutic devices of Dr. Kellogg although many of his interventions anticipated practices widely used by holistic health advocates today.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA

    Angele McGrady PhD

  2. College of Integrative Medicine and Health Sciences, Saybrook University, Oakland, CA, USA

    Donald Moss PhD Dean

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  1. Angele McGrady PhD
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  2. Donald Moss PhD Dean
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McGrady, A., Moss, D. (2018). Religion, Spiritual Practices, and Well-Being. In: Integrative Pathways. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-89313-6_4

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