Religion, Spirituality, and Health Revisited: Bringing Mainline Western Protestant Perspectives Back into the Discourse - Theology's "Seat at the Table"

Theological perspectives have been given short shrift in the literature on religion and health research. This study demonstrates how including different schools of mainline Western Protestant theological thought (evolutionist, correlationist, and dialectical) in the scientific process could contribu...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of religion and health
Subtitles:"Spirituality, Mental Health, and COVID-19"
Main Author: Béres, András (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Springer Science + Business Media B. V. 2024
In: Journal of religion and health
Further subjects:B Theology
B Spirituality
B Health
B Religion
B Christianity
Online Access: Volltext (kostenfrei)
Description
Summary:Theological perspectives have been given short shrift in the literature on religion and health research. This study demonstrates how including different schools of mainline Western Protestant theological thought (evolutionist, correlationist, and dialectical) in the scientific process could contribute to clarifying controversies. The issue is not just theoretical: Theology can even challenge assumptions on elicitability and reproducibility. Theology perceives spirituality as a dialogue with the Total Other, thus making each encounter with the transcendent (not just the individuality of the person) unique and unpredictable. By accepting setbacks on a journey with wide-ranging aspirations, theology redefines health as the momentum of constant striving toward the divine spirit. Since these theological insights relate to interventions that affect patients' intimacy, attempting to recognize the (albeit implicit) spiritual-theological standpoint of the patient and the self - and how these relate to authentic traditions of spirituality - appears to be an essential prerequisite for ethical spiritual intervention.
ISSN:1573-6571
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of religion and health
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1007/s10943-023-01888-3