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01-02-2017 | Original Paper

Unbelievable?! Theistic/Epistemological Viewpoint Affects Religion–Health Relationship

Author: David Speed

Published in: Journal of Religion and Health | Issue 1/2017

Abstract

Research suggests that Religion/Spirituality promotes a variety of positive health outcomes. However, despite reporting lower levels of Religion/Spirituality, non-believers report comparable levels of health to believers. The current study tested the hypothesis that Religion/Spirituality does not have a uniform effect on health for all persons, and tested theological/epistemological categories as moderators. Using the 2012 and 2014 General Social Survey (N = 2670), the relationship between Religion/Spirituality and happiness and self-rated health was investigated. Results indicated that Gnostic Theists experienced Religion/Spirituality more positively than their peers did; Agnostic Theists experienced Religion/Spirituality less positively than their peers did; and Negative Atheists experienced Religion/Spirituality less positively than their peers did. These findings suggested that Religion/Spirituality is not associated with salutary effects for all persons, and that whether a person believes in god(s) and how confident he/she was in god(s)’ existence, influenced his/her experience with Religion/Spirituality.

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Title: Unbelievable?! Theistic/Epistemological Viewpoint Affects Religion–Health Relationship
Author: David Speed
Publication date: 01-02-2017
Publisher: Springer US
Published in: Journal of Religion and Health / Issue 1/2017
Print ISSN: 0022-4197
Electronic ISSN: 1573-6571
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-016-0271-2

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Unbelievable?! Theistic/Epistemological Viewpoint Affects Religion–Health Relationship

Abstract

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