Investigating Prayer

Ian Olver, MD, PhD, is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, its Chapter of Palliative Medicine, and is a member of the Royal Australian College of Medical Administrators. He completed a PhD from Monash University in bioethics, exploring life and death issues, and a Certificate of Ministry at the Adelaide College of Divinity. He trained in medical oncology at Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, and the University of Maryland Cancer Center in Baltimore. In 2006 he was appointed CEO, Cancer Council Australia, a Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Sydney, and he is an Honorary Associate, Department of Medical Oncology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. After serving on several ethics committees in Victoria and South Australia and the American society of Clinical Oncology Ethics Committee, and chairing the Cancer Institute NSW Research Ethics Committee for multicenter cancer trials, he now sits on the Australian Health Ethics committee of the NHMRC and chairs the Medical Oncology Group of the Australia Ethics Committee. In 2008 he was awarded the Cancer Achievement Aware by the Medical Oncology Group of Australia.

From the reviews: "This book examines the effect of prayer on quality of life, particularly as a possible complementary or alternative therapy to fight illness. ... the book is easy to read and a good introduction to this subject ... . The book does a good job of exploring this important topic. Many clients are interested in spirituality, so it makes sense to study prayer as a complementary adjunctive treatment to traditional medicine." (Gary B. Kaniuk, Doody's Book Reviews, March, 2013) "The purpose of this volume is to scientifically study the existence and effects of a spiritual reality ... on the physical health of patients with cancer. The volume also explores various ethical issues associated with scientific research in the spiritual arena ... . this volume is highly recommended as required reading for a wide range of quality of life researchers, students, as well as for members of the general public who share an interest in the book's subject matter." (P. Zanor, Applied Research in Quality of Life, Vol. 8, 2013)

• Chapter 1. What is Prayer and Why Study it?.- Chapter 2. Studies of Prayer as a Complementary Therapy.- Chapter 3. A Theological Reflection on Prayer.- Chapter 4. The Relationship Between Spiritual Wellbeing and Quality of Life.- Chapter 5. A Randomized Blinded Study of Intercessory Prayer in Patients with Cancer.- Chapter 6. The impact of the study on the trials team.- Chapter 7. Response to our Study of Prayer.- Chapter 8. What next?