Faith, Medicine, and Science: A Festschrift in Honor of Dr. David B. Larson (Haworth Pastoral Press) [Hardcover]

Jeff Levin (Author), Harold G. Koenig (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 18, 2005 | Series: Haworth Pastoral Press

A perfect introduction to the connection between religious faith and physical and mental health!

Faith, Medicine, and Science: A Festschrift in Honor of Dr. David B. Larson is a comprehensive collection of groundbreaking work from one of the principal figures in the establishment, expansion, and acceptance of scientific research at the interface of religion, spirituality, and health. Dr. Jeff Levin and Dr. Harold G. Koenig honor their late colleague with a retrospective of his writings on the impact of religious faith and identity on physical and mental health and on a variety of social issues, including criminal behavior, substance abuse, mental illness, juvenile delinquency, reproductive decisions, marital satisfaction, family functioning, and the quality of life. The book also features a concise history of the religion and health field, a biography of Dr. Larson, and tributes, essays, and remembrances from the leading figures in the field.

Faith, Medicine, and Science honors Dr. Larson’s role in raising awareness of the health effects of religious faith and his vision and efforts in establishing coursework on religion and spirituality within undergraduate and graduate medical education programs. His body of theoretical and empirical writings serves as a permanent record of the powerful role played by religion and spirituality, and his work stands as a lasting contribution to science, medicine, and society. These articles combine with the book’s supplemental features to provide social and behavioral scientists, medical researchers, and clinicians with an essential resource for clinical research and education.

Topics examined in Faith, Medicine, and Science include:

• the religious life of alcoholics
• religion, spirituality, and mortality
• the impact of religion on men’s blood pressure
• the systematic analysis of research on religious variables
• a systematic review of nursing home research
• religious affiliations in mental health research samples as compared with national samples
• the associations between dimensions of religious commitment and mental health
• and much more!

Faith, Medicine, and Science: A Festschrift in Honor of Dr. David B. Larson documents the work of one of the most important writers on the interface of the human spirit and the healing arts. His death in 2002 at the age of 54 remains a profound loss, but through this book, his pioneering research will continue to serve as a thorough and accessible introduction to the religion and health field.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"David Larson energetically challenged a generation of psychiatrists to think differently about faith." -- John Peteet, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; Chair, APA Corresponding Committee on Religion, Spirituality, and Psychiatry

"I AM THRILLED THAT THIS MATERIAL IS NOW AVAILABLE IN PRINT." -- Paul Meier, MD, Founder of Meier Clinics

Product Details

• Hardcover: 354 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (March 18, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789018713
• ISBN-13: 978-0789018717
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,052,434 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Francis G. Lu, M.D., is the Luke & Grace Kim Endowed Professor in Cultural Psychiatry, Director of Cultural Psychiatry, and Associate Chair for Medical Student Education in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis. He is also Assistant Dean for Faculty Diversity for the School of Medicine. Born in 1949 from immigrant Chinese parents, he has devoted his career to cultural psychiatry and psychiatric education, cultural competence and diversity, the interface of religion/spirituality and psychiatry, and the transpersonal as seen in film. He has either co-authored, co-edited, or contributed to the books listed. His Google profile is: www.google.com/profiles/francislumd.

Previously, he was Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Director of the Cultural Competence and Diversity Program, Department of Psychiatry at San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH), where he had worked from July 1977 to June 2009.

Dr. Lu has participated on expert panels and advisory committees on diversity, cultural competence, and mental health disparities sponsored by the Office of the Surgeon General, HHS Office of Minority Health, HRSA, SAMHSA Center for Mental Health Services, the California Endowment, the Templeton Foundation, the American Psychiatric Association, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the California State Department of Mental Health, and the University of California.