Center for Spirituality, Theology, and Health
The Center for Spirituality, Theology, and Health initiated and supports the Society for Spirituality, Theology, and Health. The Center seeks to promote a deeper understanding of the influence that spirituality, beliefs and practices of caring have on individual health and the health of communities.
The three main goals of the Center are:
- To conduct research and education on the role of spirituality in health and healthcare
- To explore the role of faith communities in forming the health of the broader community
- To integrate research and scholarship into the practical disciplines of care and service
A cornerstone of the Centers work is the Community of Scholars. This group forms a leadership core that assembles once a month to discuss relevant issues in order to stimulate creativity, research and scholarship in spirituality, theology, and health. The Center gives leadership in the field by facilitating, supporting, and conducting research in spirituality and health as well as providing various educational programs including:
- A Weekly Literature Reading Group
- Monthly Seminars
- Summer Research and Clinical Workshops
- Post-doctoral Research Fellowship (description,application)
The Center is supported by the John Templeton Foundation and is based at Duke University Medical Center in the Center for Aging and Human Development. Keith Meador, M.D., Th.M., M.P.H. and Harold Koenig, M.D., M.H.Sc. are the co-directors of the Center.
