Spiritus, Scientia, et Salus

Reviews the book, Spirit, science, and health: How the spiritual mind fuels physical wellness edited by Thomas G. Plante and Carl E. Thoresen (see record 2007-10362-000). The struggle to understand and articulate the influence of spiritual beliefs and practices on the various aspects of human health has spanned centuries. Advances in the physical, psychological, and social sciences have allowed more precise definition and measurement in both predictor and outcome measures in the those fields, but clarification and specification of spiritual and religious variables have lagged behind progress in the other disciplines. To update both professional and lay readers on current investigation in this developing field, Plante and Thoresen chaired an interdisciplinary research conference, then selected presentations representing the disciplines of psychology, medicine, nursing, public health, religion, and pastoral care for inclusion in Spirit, science, and health: How the spiritual mind fuels physical wellness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)