Religion as Supportive Care

Abstract

Religion may be considered a complex construct, consisting of two components: practice (church affiliation, attendance and work usually within a specified organization) and religiosity (individual attitudes, thoughts, feelings, and faith). Though the two overlap, practice often requires group meetings or participation in group approved rituals by the individual, while religiosity represents individual activity. Although conflicting information is available, church attendance as a measure of practice appears to decline in the elderly as death approaches while religiosity increases [1]. This seems reasonable if churches are viewed as social organizations, deriving their participatory support from working adults. Just as the elderly leave the work force so do patients with advancing cancer, and both approach death. Insights from studies of the elderly with regard to religious practices and religiosity can supplant the meager information relevant to religion in the cancer literature.