Posted: April 20th, 2022

This course will provide master’s and doctoral level students with an interdisciplinary

R E L I G I O N A N D P U B L I C H E A L T H
SOC 534
This course will provide master’s and doctoral level students with an interdisciplinary
survey of research and writing on the public health implications of religious practices,
beliefs, and institutions. The course will emphasize evidence from quantitative social
science and epidemiology and the role of religion in the historical development of public
health institutions to identify religion’s role as a social determinant of health.
The relationship between religion and public health may be thought of in two distinct ways
that are of equal interest to social science. Religion, or more properly, “religions” make
up an array of social institutions found in all human societies; these institutions use
symbols, rituals, or practices to evoke a connection with a state that transcends daily life.
Similarly, health care systems may properly be thought of in the plural sense; they take
on some institutionalized form in every society in response to the universal human
problem of illness, and similarly carry the weight of an institution that addresses ultimate
issues of life and death. Religion and public health are related in one sense because
religion is a factor among many others in the social environment that determine the health
of populations. And second, religion has a role in the ways that health care systems are
organized to care for individuals, families, and communities.
Research paper :
Each student is required to work on a research project for this class. You are to do a
scopey review the existing literature on the health consequences of a widespread
religious practice in your chosen faith tradition. Identify unanswered questions for future
research, and propose a study to address them.
Your research should focus on one of the following:
➢ Christian Fasting as the first priority (the period of Christian Holidays: lent, easter,
asceticism, etc.). If I do not find any enough literature to review,
➢ The second choice will be Ramadan fasting.
➢ Based on the design of the course as religion and health, your research must
connect “Fasting” to health and not just fasting. The paper should connect to
health because the course is about “Religion as a Social Determinant of Health.”
So, you need to use scholarship resources on fasting and health.
Few important things to take note of:
Paper presentations:
Prepare to deliver a 12-15 minute presentation of your paper as you might for a
conference or job interview. Be prepared for questions. These presentations will take
place on April 18, 2022.
Final paper:
Final papers should be 18-20 pages in length, double-spaced, 11-12 point font,
including references. Incorporate suggestions from previous drafts and in-class
presentation. There is no requirement to hand in a rough draft of your paper, but I am
happy to read and discuss your work while it is in progress. The final paper is due
April 22, 2022.
SOME RESOURCE TO CONSIDER
1. The Impact of Religious Fasting on Human Health
Link: 1475-2891-9-57.pdf
file:///C:/Users/Sam%20&%20Veronica/Desktop/SPRING%202022/SOC%20534/
ASSIGNMENTS/1475-2891-9-57.pdf
2. Fasting and Eating for Health.
Link: Fasting and Eating for Health A Medical Doctors Program for Conquering Disease by Joel
Fuhrman, Neal D. Barnard, M.D. (z-lib.org).mobi.pdf
Fasting and Eating for Health A Medical Doctors Program for Conquering Disease by Joel
Fuhrman, M.D. (z-lib.org).pdf
3. Juice Fasting and Detoxification.
Link:
file:///C:/Users/Sam%20&%20Veronica/Desktop/SPRING~1/SOC534~1/ASSIGN~1/BUUKSF~1/JU
ICEF~1.PDF
4. Water Fasting for wellness
Link: Water Fasting For Wellness How To Start Your Very Own Water Fast For Optimal Health,
Wellness and Longevity by Naturopath Jen (z-lib.org).epub.pdf
5. Life in The Fasting Lane
Link: LIFEIN~1.PDF
file:///C:/Users/Sam%20&%20Veronica/Desktop/SPRING~1/SOC534~1/ASSIGN
~1/BUUKSF~1/LIFEIN~1.PDF
6. Dash Diet for Beginner
Link:
file:///C:/Users/Sam%20&%20Veronica/Desktop/SPRING~1/SOC534~1/ASSIGN
~1/BUUKSF~1/DASHDI~1.PDF
7. The Fast 800
Link: The Fast 800 How to Combine Rapid Weight Loss and Intermittent Fasting for Long-Term
Health by Dr. Michael Mosley (z-lib.org).epub.pdf
8. The Miracle of Fasting
Link: The miracle of fasting proven through history for physical, mental and spiritual
rejuvenation by Dr. Paul C. Bragg, Dr. Patricia Bragg (z-lib.org).pdf

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SOC 534 R E L I G I O N A N D P U B L I C H E A L T H SOC 534 R E L I G I O N A N D P U B L I C H E A L T H SOC 534 R E L
This course will give master’s and doctoral students an interdisciplinary overview of research and writing on the public health implications of religious practices, beliefs, and institutions. To identify religion’s role as a social determinant of health, the course will emphasize evidence from quantitative social science and epidemiology, as well as the role of religion in the historical development of public health institutions.
The relationship between religion and public health can be viewed in two ways, both of which are of equal interest to social scientists. Religion, or more precisely, “religions,” are a collection of social institutions found throughout the world.