God, Faith and Health: Exploring the Spirituality-healing Connection - Hardcover

In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Jeff Levin explores the latest compelling evidence of the connection between health and an array of spiritual beliefs and practices, including prayer, attending religious services, meditation, and faith in God. Drawing on his own and other published studies, Dr. Levin shows how religion's emphasis on healthy behaviors and supportive relationships influences one's overall health and how the optimism and hopefulness of those who profess faith promote the body's healing responses. Filled with dramatic personal stories, God, Faith, and Health will alter the way you think about your body and your faith and will show you the path to improving your own health through spiritual practice. "Jeff Levin writes with incredible clarity, style, and passion. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the religion-health connection, especially those wondering if such a connection exists at all." -Harold G. Koenig, M.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, and author of The Healing Power of Faith "Beautifully written and packed with compelling scientific evidence for the spirituality-health connection . . . . With the precision of a scientist, the courage of a true pioneer, and the artistry of a storyteller, Levin reminds us of what we can no longer afford to ignore: that our spiritual life matters mightily to our health and well-being at every level." -Janet F. Quinn, Ph.D., R.N., Associate Professor, University of Colorado School of Nursing

JEFF LEVIN, Ph.D., M.P.H., a social epidemiologist, is a Senior Research Fellow of the National Institute for Healthcare Research; an Advisory Board member of the Center on Aging, Religion, and Spirituality; a Board of Trustees member of the Shepherd's Centers of America; and former Chairman of the National Institutes of Health Working Group on Quantitative Methods in Alternative Medicine. His research has been funded by major organizations, including the NIH, the American Medical Association, and the Institute of Noetic Sciences. He has been featured in Time, USA Today, Reader's Digest, JAMA, Newsday, and Maclean's, and on NPR, PBS, CTV, and CBN. He lives with his wife, Dr. Lea Steele, in Kansas.