Investigating Prayer [electronic resource] : Impact on Health and Quality of Life / by Ian N. Olver.

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?

From the ancients to the Renaissance, religion and medicine worked hand in hand to heal the people, until the scientific minds of the Enlightenment created a physical model of illness without a spiritual component. In this century, spirituality is gaining recognition as part of individuals’ psychological makeup and capacity for meaning-making, and gaining currency as part of holistic concepts of wellness despite resistance from many in the scientific community.   Prayer: Investigating Its Impact on Quality of Life brings science and spirituality together, pointing out thought-provoking parallels and asserting that each can enrich the other. At the book’s center is a detailed study of a randomized double-blinded trial that added intercessory prayer (i.e., prayer for others) to conventional cancer treatment, with findings relevant to conceptions of prayer as intervention. In addition, a review of salient medical literature (including complementary and alternative medical journals) contains both positive and negative studies, encouraging a vigorous dialogue about methodology, endpoints, and whether metaphysical phenomena can—or should—be studied using scientific methods. Among the topics covered:   ·       The role of spirituality in illness. ·       Prayer as complementary or alternative therapy. ·       The relationship between spiritual wellbeing and quality of life. ·       Instruments for assessing religious and spiritual belief. ·       A randomized blinded study of intercessory prayer in patients with cancer. ·       Possible directions for further research.   Prayer: Investigating Its Impact on Quality of Life should interest readers on all sides of the debate, including doctors, practitioners, psychologists, psychiatrists, and others involved in holistic treatment of patients.