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Religion and Health: Making Sense of a Disheveled Literature

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Abstract

A growing body of research suggests that religion may exert a beneficial effect on both physical and mental health. Unfortunately, the rapid growth of this literature has made it difficult to get a clear picture of what has been accomplished. This issue is addressed by presenting a conceptual model that focuses on the needs that are satisfied by religion. In the process, an effort is made to show how this conceptual scheme can be used to add greater coherence to the field.

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Acknowledgments

The work on this paper was supported by grants from the National Institute of Aging (RO1 AG014749; RO1 AG 026259) and a grant from the John Templeton Foundation that was administered through the Duke University Center for Spirituality, Theology, and Health. Dr. Krause has conducted the first nationwide surveys that have been devoted solely to the relationship between religion and health among older whites, older blacks, and older Mexican Americans.

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  1. Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 4810, USA

    Neal Krause

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Correspondence to Neal Krause.

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Krause, N. Religion and Health: Making Sense of a Disheveled Literature. J Relig Health 50, 20–35 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-010-9373-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-010-9373-4

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