Theology of Health

Tyler J. VanderWeele is the John L. Loeb and Frances Lehman Loeb Professor of Epidemiology at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and director of the Human Flourishing Program and co-director of the Initiative on Health, Spirituality, and Religion at Harvard University. He is author and co-author of several books, including Measuring Well-Being and the Handbook of Religion and Health.

"A watershed book. . . . If this book is given its due, it could mark the beginning of a new and even stunning moment—one that makes space for explicitly theological ideas and reflection within the highest-level academic discussions of health." —Public Discourse"VanderWeele provides scholars in health-related fields with a robust, comprehensive, and theologically rich framework for understanding human flourishing." —The Gospel Coalition"This book does a great service to the fields of human health and theology by bringing the richness of both disciplines into deeper contact with the other. Tyler J. VanderWeele's comprehensive work expands our thinking in both disciplines and invites us all to consider new partners in the quest for human flourishing." —Michael Rozier, SJ, Saint Louis University"This remarkable book by a world-class research scientist will change your life forever by providing a deeper understanding of how faith and the application of moral values can impact health and flourishing in ways you may not have realized before. Don't miss out on this opportunity to grow both your mind and your spirit." —Harold G. Koenig, author of Religion and Mental Health"The originality of this book lies in the union of philosophical and theological meanings of health in a comprehensive and empirically grounded account of human flourishing. The writing is clear and often elegant; the argument is persuasive, nuanced, and highly sophisticated." —Dominic F. Doyle, author of The Promise of Christian Humanism

• PrefacePart 1. Health and WholenessIntroduction. Health as Wholeness1.1. The Health of Persons and Human Flourishing1.2. The Health of the Body1.3. Health, Unity, and Goodness1.4. Health and Community1.5. Health and Spiritual Well-Being1.6. Health and Responsibility1.7. The Implications of Health as WholenessPart II. Ill Health and SinIntroduction. Ill Health as the Absence of Wholeness2.1. Agency, Sin, and Ill Health2.2. Injustice and Ill Health2.3. Fallenness and Ill Health2.4. Sin and Death2.5. Incapacity and Sin2.6. Ill Health and Suffering2.7. The Implications of Ill Health and SinPart III. Healing and SalvationIntroduction. Healing as the Restoration of Wholeness3.1. Healing of Persons and Healing from Sin3.2. Healing and Love3.3. Healing and Jesus Christ3.4. The Church, Community, and Healing3.5. The Limits of Healing3.6. God, Resurrection, and Salvation3.7. The Implications of Healing and SalvationA Nontheological PostscriptAppendixPropositional OutlineBrief Glossary Concerning Health and IllnessReferences