"The literature on the relationship between religion and health is vast, but it is in a state of disarray. One empirical study has been piled upon another while little effort has been made to integrate them into a more tightly knit theoretical whole. This book was designed to address this problem. It is the product of forty years of empirical research, hundreds of peer-reviewed publications, and countless hours of deep reflection. This volume contributes to the literature in three ways: (1) a unique approach to theory construction and model development is presented that is designed to produce a conceptual scheme that is evidence based and empirically verifiable; (2) a new construct - communities of faith - that has largely been overlooked in empirical studies on religion is introduced; and (3) the need is highlighted for a no-holds barred discussion of how to practice one's research craft"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.