Where to Draw the Line: Crossing the Boundaries of Religion and Public Health

by | Nov 23, 2013 | IHP Archive

Author:  John Blevins

Date:  November 23, 2013

Location: Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion, Baltimore, MD

Background: This paper, offered at the session of the Religions, Medicine, and Healing Group during the AAR, raises ethical questions about interdisciplinary work between religion and public health. Dr. Blevins argues that religious health assets may not always be assets for the health of everyone in the community and that the interests and motivations of public health practitioners may compromise the values of religious communities. While he agrees that the important contributions of religious communities to public health must be supported, Dr. Blevins lays out some of the potential challenges to collaboration between religion and public health in this presentation.

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