Faith and Health Syllabi Library

Rel 300: Religion & Health – Nathan C. Walker, Rutgers University

This is an interdisciplinary course on Religion and Health. The curriculum is organized into five units. The first unit focuses on cultivating three professional skills: religious, legal, and science literacies, which are utilized to analyze case studies about religion and health. The subsequent units delve into the roles of communities, schools, and hospitals in the context of religion and health, with specific emphasis on responses to COVID-19, vaccine mandates in schools, and understanding of the body and illness from a religious/spiritual perspective. The final unit allows students to integrate their learned competencies into a profession of their choice.

REL 378-002: Health and Healing Across Religions — Darlene Flaming, Mercer University

This course focuses on health and healing practices in various religious traditions, including Native American, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian. It aims to develop cultural competency through religious literacy, case studies, and interfaith dialogue, particularly as it pertains to health and healthcare.

HSAD T380: Jewish Approaches to Bioethics – Sharrona Pearl, Drexel University

This course focuses on Jewish perspectives on biomedical and health ethics. The course explores topics like abortion, end-of-life decisions, transplantation, and resource allocation in healthcare. It also delves into the historical context, considering the role of antisemitism and its impact on Jewish health ethics.

RELI 2360: Religion and Healthcare — Mary Nyangweso, East Carolina University

This course focuses on the historical intersection between religion and healthcare. It explores religious definitions of health and sickness, attitudes toward various health conditions like aging, disability, and mental health, and views on health and healing in diverse religious traditions such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism.

REL: Religion and Medicine in Society — Michael DeJonge, University of South Florida

This course serves as an introduction to the Religion and Health major, offering an overview of the relationship between religion and medicine in societal contexts. The course aims to prepare students for specialized coursework and to help future healthcare workers understand how religion manifests in medical setting

RELC 180/PHLT 180: Religion and Public Health: Collaboration on the Front Lines — Denise Yarbrough, University of Rochester

This course examines the intersection between religion/spirituality and public health at local, national, and global levels. It delves into the role of religion as a social determinant of public health, presenting evidence-based research and real-world case studies. The course also includes community engagement through a partnership with Common Ground Health, where students collaborate on current projects.

REL 254: Theology, Medicine, Ethics — Ann Pederson and LuAnn Eidsness, Augustana University

This course provides a comprehensive exploration of the intersection between religion, theology, and healthcare, focusing specifically on Christian, Muslim, and Native/Indigenous Religious and Spiritual Traditions. Students will critically examine the values and perspectives inherent to both medicine and religion, and the course emphasizes the theme “Location, Location, Location: How our ‘place’ in the worlds of medicine and religion shape our understandings of self, spirit, and other.”

HLTH 3434: Spirituality, Narrative, and Health — Anthony Dissen, Stockton University

This course explores the historical and current impact of religious and spiritual systems on the U.S. healthcare system. The course also focuses on narrative analysis and qualitative research methods as tools for understanding the role of spiritual identity in healthcare experiences and disparities.

DCHP-301-01: Spirituality, Religion and Medicine – Heidi Miller, Rochester Institute of Technology

This course offers an in-depth look at the intersections between spirituality, religion, and healthcare. It encompasses topics from cross-cultural understanding to medical ethics, focusing on both theoretical understanding and practical application.

REL 3850: World Religions for Healthcare Professionals – Garrett Potts, University of South Florida

This course offers a two-pronged approach to understanding the intersection between religious beliefs and healthcare issues. It covers a wide array of topics from major world religions to ethical questions that emerge in healthcare settings, with an emphasis on critical thinking and real-world application.