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While the health of the body can be defined by its functioning parts and systems, the health of the person is more complex. To flourish, we need to understand health in the context of God’s intent.
A Theology of Health presents a Christian understanding of the very concept of health, both the health of the body and the health of the person. Preeminent scholar Tyler J. VanderWeele argues that health can be understood as wholeness as intended by God and that sin—whether individual wrongdoing, societal injustice, or the fallenness of creation—causes ill health. VanderWeele explains that restoration and fulfillment of health is salvation, pointed toward in the life of Jesus Christ, to be lived out through the work of the Church, and for which we await final completion. VanderWeele also demonstrates the broader relevance and implications of his insights to all who seek to understand health, well-being, and the ultimate ends of human life.
A Theology of Health is an essential theological exploration that seeks to promote health, healing, and flourishing of the whole person.
"A watershed book. . . . If this book is given its due, it could mark the beginning of a new and even stunning moment—one that makes space for explicitly theological ideas and reflection within the highest-level academic discussions of health." —Public Discourse
"VanderWeele provides scholars in health-related fields with a robust, comprehensive, and theologically rich framework for understanding human flourishing." —The Gospel Coalition
“This book does a great service to the fields of human health and theology by bringing the richness of both disciplines into deeper contact with the other. Tyler J. VanderWeele’s comprehensive work expands our thinking in both disciplines and invites us all to consider new partners in the quest for human flourishing.” —Michael Rozier, SJ, Saint Louis University
“This remarkable book by a world-class research scientist will change your life forever by providing a deeper understanding of how faith and the application of moral values can impact health and flourishing in ways you may not have realized before. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to grow both your mind and your spirit.” —Harold G. Koenig, author of Religion and Mental Health
“The originality of this book lies in the union of philosophical and theological meanings of health in a comprehensive and empirically grounded account of human flourishing. The writing is clear and often elegant; the argument is persuasive, nuanced, and highly sophisticated.” —Dominic F. Doyle, author of The Promise of Christian Humanism
"The book is innovative in its attempt to approach it from a Christian perspective to make suggestions for another view on health and healthcare." —In Dienst der Genezing (IDDG)
Tyler J. VanderWeele is the John L. Loeb and Frances Lehman Loeb Professor of Epidemiology at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and director of the Human Flourishing Program and co-director of the Initiative on Health, Spirituality, and Religion at Harvard University. He is author and co-author of several books, including Measuring Well-Being and the Handbook of Religion and Health.
Preface
Part 1. Health and Wholeness
Introduction. Health as Wholeness
1.1. The Health of Persons and Human Flourishing
1.2. The Health of the Body
1.3. Health, Unity, and Goodness
1.4. Health and Community
1.5. Health and Spiritual Well-Being
1.6. Health and Responsibility
1.7. The Implications of Health as Wholeness
Part II. Ill Health and Sin
Introduction. Ill Health as the Absence of Wholeness
2.1. Agency, Sin, and Ill Health
2.2. Injustice and Ill Health
2.3. Fallenness and Ill Health
2.4. Sin and Death
2.5. Incapacity and Sin
2.6. Ill Health and Suffering
2.7. The Implications of Ill Health and Sin
Part III. Healing and Salvation
Introduction. Healing as the Restoration of Wholeness
3.1. Healing of Persons and Healing from Sin
3.2. Healing and Love
3.3. Healing and Jesus Christ
3.4. The Church, Community, and Healing
3.5. The Limits of Healing
3.6. God, Resurrection, and Salvation
3.7. The Implications of Healing and Salvation
A Nontheological Postscript
Appendix
Propositional Outline
Brief Glossary Concerning Health and Illness
References