840: 334 HEALING: SACRED AND SECULAR
Spring 2003
Dr. James W. Jones
Office: Loree 132
Office Hours: M 11:00-1200, W 10:00-12:00 , & by appointment
Ph.: 732-932-9623 [Please use this phone number and not email to contact Dr. Jones]
Purpose. This course will cover the latest research on the relationship between religion and health and will explore how different concepts of health and healing develop from different models of human nature.
Readings. The following books are at New Jersey Books on college avenue.
E. Sternberg, The Balance Within
H. Koenig, Is Religion Good for your Health?
L. Dossey, Healing Words
M. McGuire, Ritual Healing in Suburban America.
All other readings are on electronic reserve through the Douglass Library.
Requirements. Each class period will be devoted to both lecture and discussion. Students are expected to have done the reading and come to class prepared with questions and comments for discussion. This is one of the reasons the class is being kept small. Class participation will be part of the final grade. There will be three brief (6-8 pages) essays due, as marked on the syllabus. The topic for the final essay will be given out the last day of class. No extensions will be given on any assignments.
Essays. One of the purposes of this course to help students learn to evaluate the research literature on religion and health. The essays will require students to critically evaluate and discuss this research. Each of the three required essays must contain at least three components: (1)reference to the specifics of the studies or texts that you have chosen to evaluate, and not a just report of general conclusions; (2)discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of these studies or texts; and (3)discussion of the implications of these studies for the specific topic of the essay and, where appropriate for such issues as the nature of health, for our understanding of religion, medicine, and human nature. No readings or references beyond the course material should be consulted. Students are required to do their own analysis and evaluation of the material. Violations of the university policy on academic integrity will be dealt with severely. The University Policy can be found at http://TeachX.rutgers.edu/integrity/index.himl.
Note: All cell phones, pagers, etc. must be turned off in class. Anyone whose device goes off during class will be asked to leave for the remainder of that period.
COURSE OUTLINE
1/27/ Introduction - Religion and healing
Part One: Mind-Body Medicine
1/29, 2/3, 2/5, Mind-Body Medicine: Psychoneuroimmunology
Reading: E. Sternberg The Balance Within (to be read throughout part one)
2/10/, Mind-Body Medicine: placebo effect
Reading: T. Hurley, “Placebos and Healing”
2/12/Mind-Body Medicine: biofeedback
Reading: S. Grof, Ancient Wisdom and Modern Science, Chapter 19, Alyce
Green, “Psychophysiology and health” and Chapter 20, Elmer Green, “Science
and psychophysiology”
2/17; 2/19 Mind-Body Medicine: hypnosis
Reading:
2/24, 2/26, 3/3, 3/5, The scientific basis of mind-body medicine.
This section will be a combination of class lectures and video taped lectures from
a recent NIH Conference on Mind-Body medicine.
Part Two: Religion and Health
3/10 First essay due at the start of class today: to what extent do the scientific findings
presented in class, in Sternberg’s book or the various lectures, explain the effects of
mind-body medicine. No extensions will be given.
3/10, 3/12, 3/24,36 [no class 3/17, 3/19] Research: religion and health
Readings:
H. Koenig, Is Religion good for your health? Chapters 3, 5,6, 7.
Primary Care Reports, Oct. 16, 2000. “Patient spirituality in clinical care”;
McCullough, Larson, et. al, “Religious involvement and mortality”;
Scientific Research on Spirituality and Health (National Institute for Healthcare
Research), “Physical Health.” (all to be read throughout this section).
3/31, [4/2]; 4/7, 4/9 Research: religion, stress & coping
Reading: Hathaway & Pargament, “The religious dimensions of coping” from
Pargament, Maton, Hess , Religion and Prevention in Mental Health
Part Three: Beyond Conventional Medicine
4/14 Second essay due at the start of class today: critical review of the research on religion and health (you should choose two or three specific studies to discuss) – what do you see as the major implications of this research? No extensions will be given.
4/14; 4/16; 4/21 Transpersonal healing
Readings:
L. Dossey, Healing Words, chapters 1, 2, 7-12, appendices 1-4.
E. Targ, “Evaluating distant healing,” and “Distant healing and prayer –
Evidence and new directions”;
Sicher, Targ, et. al., “A randomized double blind study of the effects of distant
healing …”;
Harris, et.al., “A randomized, controlled trial of the effects of remote,
intercessory prayer.”
4/23; 4/28; 4/30 Cultural context of Unconventional Medicine
Reading: M. McGuire, Ritual Healing in Suburban America, chapters 1, 6-10
5/5/ Conclusion.
Final essay topic handed out. Due back in one week
5/12 Final essays due by noon. No extensions will be given.