The Link Between Religion and Health

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) studies the relationships between mental states and the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. Among the issues it focuses upon are how mental states, in general, and belief states, in particular, affect physical health. The book examines a series of PNI topics that relate to religious faith and behavior. The contributors argue that religious involvement and belief can affect certain neuroendocrine and immune mechanisms, and that these mechanisms, in turn, positively affect a wide variety of health outcomes, such as susceptibility to cancer and recovery following surgery. This book is the first to present medical research establishing a connection between religion and health and to examine the implications for Eastern and Western religious traditions and for society and culture.