Biblical Perspectives on Health for the Contemporary World

Abstract

Perspectives on health from the Bible such as biblical anthropology and the laws of God, as a basis for health and disease dynamics, are receiving support from science. Biblical anthropology teaches that a human being is a whole person, with physical, mental, social, ecological and spiritual dimensions. The body is not the opposite of the soul, it is its visible expression. One dimension affects the other dimensions, because a human being is a unit. Scientific studies show many connections between mind and body, such as aerobic exercise and memory, the effect of one body system on another, and even spirituality and disease. Health and disease are the result of obedience or disobedience to God’s laws. Research in the area of behavioral epidemiology shows links between lifestyle and diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Biblical perspectives provide a useful theoretical framework for public health practice and research.