Readers interested in the relationship between religion and medicine will find that this book sets a new standard.
A. W. Klink Choice (11/01/2012) This book is a remarkable synthesis of empirical research and theological insight which opens up important new areas for evidence-based scientific and spiritual exploration. It points out, and then guides the reader around, the multiple pitfalls, biases ... Read moreand emotions that inevitably surround the topic of the scientific investigation of prayer and healing.
Martin Moore-Ede, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman, Global Medical Research Institute and former Professor, Harvard Medical School Testing Prayer fills a significant gap in the study of the role of healing in contemporary religious movements, and is unusual in doing so through the use of a range of perspectives. The book is clearly written, well referenced, and in a balanced and considered way avoids the temptations to privilege either theology or experience over science, or to reduce observed phenomena to material explanations. The author instead encourages conversation among scientists and religious practitioners with a view toward future collaborative exploration. I found the project original, credible and compelling.
Dr. John R. Peteet, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School Show Less