Jeitschko, Thomas D. and O’Connell, Séamus and Pecchenino, Rowena A. (2009) Having Life More Abundantly: Caring for the Body, Mind and Spirit. Faith and Economics, 53. pp. 1-33.

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Abstract

An individual’s health can be subdivided into three categories: physical health, mental health, and psychic health. Extensive empirical work has shown that the health of the spirit, that is, psychic health, is an important correlate of the health of the body and the mind. To trace the linkages between one’s choices concerning the disposition of one’s income and time and one’s health and well-being broadly defined, we develop a model which allows us to compare individuals with differing spirituality characteristics. While subjective well-being is increasing in one’s spirituality, the more spiritual may not be healthier than their less spiritual peers. Those whose faith provides a superior ability to cope with stress and illness, via spiritual capital or a sense of coherence, will have both higher levels of health and subjective well-being. But, these positive health effects are not directly amenable to exploitation by public policy – faith, although nurtured by the Church, cannot be mandated by the State.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Preprint version of original published article. We would like to thank Enda McDonagh, David Madden, Finbarr Bradley, Ayman Reda, and the seminar participants at the University of Nottingham, Drexel University, Michigan State University and the 2005 Irish Economic Association Meetings for their comments. All errors are ours alone.
Keywords:	Spirituality; Spiritual Capital; Sense of Coherence; Health and Well-being;
Academic Unit:	St Patrick's College, Maynooth > Faculty of Theology Faculty of Social Sciences > Economics, Finance and Accounting
Item ID:	2795
Depositing User:	Prof. Rowena Pecchenino
Date Deposited:	25 Oct 2011 15:28
Journal or Publication Title:	Faith and Economics
Publisher:	Association of Christian Economists
Refereed:	No
URI:	http://www.gordon.edu/ace/ACEFandE.html
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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