ABSTRACT
Based on the research described previously, we can come to some tentative and cautious conclusions about the relationship between religion and health. One conclusion we can make with a high degree of confidence is that religion, particularly that based in traditional Judeo-Christian belief and practice, does not have a negative influence on health. This, of course, excludes religious cults similar to those involved in the Jonestown mass acre and Waco disaster, as well as other deviant religious groups operating on the fringe of society or outside of an established religious tradition on the fringe of society. There is simply no solid research that supports a negative influence on mental or physical health for church attendance, prayer, scripture reading, or devout religious commitment, particularly when these occur in the context of an established Judeo-Christian religious tradition. What about the positive effects of religious belief and practice on mental and physical health?
