Religion, Virtues, and Health

In Religion, Virtues, and Health: New Directions in Theory Construction and Model Development, Krause suggests that religion may operate, in part, by bolstering physical health as well as psychological well-being. The book is designed to explain how these health-related benefits arise. The main conceptual thrust of his model is that people learn to adopt key virtues from fellow church members, including forgiveness, compassion, and beneficence. These virtues, in turn, promote a deeper sense of meaning in life. Then, meaning in life exerts a beneficial effect on health and well-being.