Professor Harold Koenig of the Duke University Medical Centre in Durham (USA) delivered a speech last week at the Research Institute for Spirituality and Health in Bern, Switzerland, on his key thesis that “religious people live longer, have better immune systems and fewer cardiovascular illnesses”.
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Professor Koenig is one of the world’s leading experts on the topic of ‘religiosity, spirituality and health’ and author of the “Handbook of Religion and Health”.

According to Professor Koenig, Christians in general have a higher life expectancy, suffer less frequently from cancer, have healthier hearts and more stabile circulation.

He also argues that Christians live healthier and are less likely to suffer from stress or depression.

Professor Koenig called on doctors and medical bodies to take faith more seriously in treating illnesses. He said that enough scientific evidence shows that faith is supportive of the healing process from illnesses and should therefore be brought into the healing process.

He also demanded the medical profession open itself up more to spiritual questions, as has been the case in the USA, although he remarked that even America must practise this more.

Professor Koenig also made a call on European researchers to follow suite of America where there are already numerous research articles and studies examining the link between health and spirituality.