After years of marginality, research on religion and health is entering the academic mainstream. Scholarship on this topic
has evolved into a large, productive field. As in any emerging field, there are competing visions for what the field should
be about and what research questions should be pursued. Different opinions exist as to which constructs should be researched.
Words like religion, spirituality, faith, and prayer, and health, healing, medicine, and healthcare, imply different things.
The study of their various interconnections can thus take myriad forms. This article argues for a welcoming approach open
to the widest range of research subjects.
Keywords Religion - Spirituality - Theology - Health - Healing - Medicine
An earlier version of this article was presented as a Visiting Scholar Seminar, Duke Center for Spirituality, Theology, and
Health, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, March 6, 2008.