Twenty-Two - Religion and Health in Late Life

Abstract

This chapter provides and discusses evidence that religion may indeed have a beneficial effect on the physical and mental health of older people. Although the accelerating pace of this research is encouraging, there is still a great deal to be known. A number of unresolved issues and unexamined questions are identified in the chapter. The chapter focuses on six dimensions of religion that appear to have the greatest potential for illuminating the nature of the relationship between religion and health in late life. The six dimensions examined are church attendance, prayer, religious coping responses, forgiveness, church-based social support, and religious meaning. In the process of exploring these dimensions of religion, an emphasis is placed on two issues that should add to an understanding of the field. An effort is made to highlight the changes in each dimension that might occur across a life's course, and how these changes may influence health and wellbeing. Pursuing these issues ensure that the study of religion and health gets an even stronger gerontological voice. Further, an effort is made to look for logical connections among the different dimensions of religion.