Episode Details

Perhaps you’ve heard it before - religion is bad for your mental health. It triggers feelings of guilt, self-loathing and bigotry. 

But, actually, there are many ways in which the opposite is true. Karen Pang's story is testament to that, which you'll hear in this episode.

There’s also a growing body of research - authoritative, real-life, peer-reviewed research - that reports a significant benefit to wellbeing if you are religious. 

That’s right. You are more healthy if you are religious.

Do you need help? 

• If you're in Australia, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. 
• In the UK? Call The Samaritans on 116 123.
• If you're in the US, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255

LINKS

• This episode is brought to you by Zondervan Academic's book, Three Views on Chrisitanity and Science with contributions from Alister McGrath, Bruce L Gordon and Michael Ruse. 
• Meet our guest, Karen Pang 
• Meet our guest, Professor Tyler VanderWeele
• Meet out guest, Lyn Worsley
• Listen to the full interview with Buff and John Dickson on ABC's The Spirit of Things 
• Watch the full Playschool series on feelings, How do you feel today?
• Read the full data on the risk of suicide for people with bipolar, from SANE Australia
• Read the biblical accounts of the deaths of Saul and Judas.
• Read St Augustine's City of God
• Check out Tyler VanderWeele's research on deaths of despair and religious service attendance. Full paper here.
• Tyler's research on mental and physical health and the effects of religious service attendance (also check out his full list of research papers in his profile above!) 
• Watch Tyler VanderWeele consider whether the results of his research that concluded religious service attendance had a significant positive impact on mental health might be reverse causation.
• Get the Oxford Handbook of Religion and Health 
• See for yourself the strong evidence of an association between attending religious services and happiness and life satisfaction.
• Need help to pray? Try the Book of Common Prayer, which Buff Dickson talks about praying through when she just couldn't find the w