This book is unique in that others have covered a multitude of studies on religious beliefs and the impact on health across a variety of areas, and in fact are mentioned within the book (Sheiman, Levin, Koenig). But the breadth of this work, the currency of its material (ie COVID is mentioned, other survey works are decade+ old), and its language geared toward the nonscholar fills a needed niche. There are many who – for at times correct political sensitivity in their professional roles—have overlooked recommending or discussing the potentially largest untapped source of health benefits to our society. Unless the literally thousands of studies are wrong of course… this book deftly takes the reader through, quite an easy read, balance of statistics, study reviews, and anecdotal personal stories.
This is not a simple take on believers vs nonbelievers and differing outcomes in education, mental, health, longevity, etc. It drives home key points from studies that define true ‘religiosity’ (such as those who regularly attend church weekly and really have faith in those teachings, an active prayer life, etc), and how those types tend to derive substantive and marked benefits, even when correcting for socioeconomic and other variables, and even against “spiritual but not religious” or ‘SBNR’ groups. Most folks after reading this – myself included—will have corrected impressions about certain myths (religious people divorce or commit suicide at the same rates as non-believers, for example, is demonstrably false), for when the studies become more specific about the depth of the faith, the differences in those categories and others (post-heart surgery mortality, drug use, etc) become shocking when comparing in terms of religiosity. For example, praying at home alone (“I’m spiritual but not religious”) often has little to no mental/physical health benefit, even rating below atheists and agnostics, while those actively professing a faith and regularly going to church are seen in almost every study to come out ahead on the wellness scale in question.
RAND studies, Harvard studies, these aren’t fringe or simply a bunch of religiously funded studies. Although openly biased in a sense—the writer encourages attending church even if doubting or lacking faith, the openness is at least refreshing in today’s climate in that the writer isn’t hiding, and in fact atheist and agnostic comments are included, as are countless studies (even if in the minority) detailing negative physical impacts related to religiosity in studies. This book presents a clear case that the value of religiosity should be discussed more publicly (or privately between professional and patient), given the health value described within its pages. Go to church : )
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From the Publisher
Church Boosts Longevity
It pays to pray in the pews. Non-churchgoers have a 1.87 times higher risk of death than more-than-weekly churchgoers, on average. “This translates into a seven-year difference in life expectancy at age 20 between those who never attend and those who attend more than once a week,” declared the researchers. They estimated a 20-year-old weekly churchgoer is expected to live to age 82, versus 75 ½ for a never-attender.
This is just one of the many startling findings reported in Holy Health - as related to physical, mental, and societal well-being.
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Reviews with images
Everyone should read “Holy Health” -the reward could be both in this life, and in the next.
The case for the benefits of regular churchgoing has been made clearly, convincingly and conclusively in Holy Health. Patrick Chisholm, author, provided overwhelming evidence from thousands of peer reviewed scientific researches mostly done by agnostics and atheists on the benefits of churchgoing to our mind, body, and community. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. I now have a much deeper understanding of my religion because of the extremely insightful discussion on follow the evidence in chapter 17: Reasons to Believe. Holy Health will be one of the reference books on my shelf and a book I would give as gift to friends and Family. The reward could be both in this life, and in the next.I received early access to this book in exchange for my honest review.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2021
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2021
I received early access to this book in exchange for my honest review.
Everyone should read “Holy Health” -the reward could be both in this life, and in the next.
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2021
The case for the benefits of regular churchgoing has been made clearly, convincingly and conclusively in Holy Health. Patrick Chisholm, author, provided overwhelming evidence from thousands of peer reviewed scientific researches mostly done by agnostics and atheists on the benefits of churchgoing to our mind, body, and community. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. I now have a much deeper understanding of my religion because of the extremely insightful discussion on follow the evidence in chapter 17: Reasons to Believe. Holy Health will be one of the reference books on my shelf and a book I would give as gift to friends and Family. The reward could be both in this life, and in the next.Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2021
I received early access to this book in exchange for my honest review.
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