Fuller Tyler J
Graduate Program in Religion, Boston University, 145 Bay State Road, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
J Relig Health. 2025 Aug 27. doi: 10.1007/s10943-025-02426-z.
Religious traditions shape health beliefs, behaviors, and institutions in diverse and complex ways. To understand these dynamics better, public health scholars must examine not only religious content but also the frameworks through which religion is studied. This review identifies and critically analyzes three dominant approaches in public health scholarship: (1) religion as a quantifiable variable, (2) religious institutions as partners in health promotion, and (3) religion as a social force shaping public health. Drawing on recent public health research and interdisciplinary literature, the article examines how each approach conceptualizes religion as a social determinant of health and engages with religious diversity. By mapping the epistemologies, limitations, and strengths of each approach, this article offers a conceptual framework to guide interdisciplinary dialog and methodological integration. The novel framework advocates for reciprocal engagement within and between approaches and for closer collaboration between public health and religious studies scholars to produce more nuanced, culturally responsive, and theoretically grounded research.
宗教传统以多样且复杂的方式塑造着健康观念、行为和机构。为了更好地理解这些动态关系，公共卫生学者不仅必须研究宗教内容，还需审视研究宗教所采用的框架。本综述识别并批判性地分析了公共卫生学术研究中的三种主要方法：（1）将宗教视为可量化变量；（2）将宗教机构视为健康促进的合作伙伴；（3）将宗教视为塑造公共卫生的社会力量。本文借鉴近期的公共卫生研究和跨学科文献，考察了每种方法如何将宗教概念化为健康的社会决定因素以及如何应对宗教多样性。通过梳理每种方法的认识论、局限性和优势，本文提供了一个概念框架，以指导跨学科对话和方法整合。这个新颖的框架倡导在不同方法内部以及它们之间进行相互交流，并倡导公共卫生学者与宗教研究学者开展更紧密的合作，以开展更具细微差别、文化适应性和理论基础的研究。
