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ABSTRACT
This paper summarizes the history of gerontological research on religion and health. Through the 1970s, work was sporadic, neither programmatic nor theory-driven. In the 1980s, gerontologists began exploring religion more systematically. The 1990s brought institutional recognition and support, including from the NIH. Since 2000, religious research has become integrated into the mainstream of gerontology. Findings implicate religious constructs as determinants of numerous psychosocial, health, and well-being outcomes, and theories have been proposed for these effects in older adults and throughout the life course. Recent emphasis on longitudinal research, sophisticated methodologies, and creative assessment of religiousness point to exciting research frontiers.
The authors' work on this paper was supported by the National Institute on Aging under NIH Research Grant No. RO1-AG18782.
An earlier version of this manuscript was presented at Religion, Spirituality, and Aging: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue as to What We Know and What We Need to Find Out, 58th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, Orlando, FL, November 21, 2005. This was based on a lecture at the Gerontology Faculty Colloquium, University of Kansas Gerontology Center, Lawrence, KS, May 1, 2003.