Physicians' Observations and Interpretations of the Influence of Religion and Spirituality on Health

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Abstract
Few topics in medicine generate more disagreement than the relationship between religion and health. Consensus seems to begin and end with the idea that many (if not most) patients draw on prayer and other religious resources to navigate and overcome the spiritual challenges that arise in their experiences of illness.1-3 Beyond this limited agreement, and in spite of a substantial empirical literature,4-6 controversy remains regarding whether, to what extent, and in what ways religion and spirituality (hereinafter “R/S” and treated as a single concept) helps or harms patients' health.7-9