A Theology of Health and Human Flourishing
Why Read This
What Makes This Article Worth Your Time
Summary
What This Article Is About
Tyler J. VanderWeele challenges conventional medical definitions of health by distinguishing between “health of the body”—normal functioning enabling characteristically human activities—and “health of the person”, which he equates with complete human flourishing and well-being. Drawing on his new book A Theology of Health, VanderWeele argues that the etymological connection between “health” and “wholeness” requires a normative framework to understand what constitutes complete human wholeness, which varies by culture and tradition.
While acknowledging medicine and public health’s remarkable success in preventing disease and treating illness, VanderWeele contends these achievements have led society to neglect psychological, relational, and spiritual pathways to health. Extensive empirical research demonstrates that purpose, hope, community relationships, religious participation, love, and forgiveness powerfully affect both bodily health and overall flourishing. VanderWeele argues that achieving the WHO’s “highest attainable standard of health” requires integrating these often-neglected dimensions, suggesting that truly comprehensive health promotion must address not just physical systems but the full spectrum of human well-being.
Key Points
Main Takeaways
Two Distinct Concepts of Health
VanderWeele distinguishes “health of the body” (normal physiological functioning) from “health of the person” (complete flourishing and well-being), with conceptual confusion arising from conflating these.
Wholeness Requires Normative Framework
Since “health” etymologically relates to “wholeness,” understanding health requires cultural and traditional frameworks to define what constitutes complete human wholeness.
Theological Perspective Fills a Gap
While theology of healthcare has been extensively explored, VanderWeele’s book addresses the under-examined concept of health itself from Christian theological perspectives.
Neglected Pathways to Health
Medical success has led society to overlook psychological, relational, and spiritual pathways—including purpose, hope, community, and religious participation—that empirical research shows powerfully affect health.
Love and Forgiveness as Medicine
Research documents that love from various sources powerfully alters well-being, while forgiveness helps address wrongdoing and hurt essential to restoring health and relationships.
Facilitating Interfaith Dialogue
Explicitly articulating religious perspectives on health promotes understanding across traditions, creating opportunities for collaboration while offering insights valuable even to those outside the faith.
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Article Analysis
Breaking Down the Elements
Main Idea
Expanding Health Beyond Biomedicine
VanderWeele’s central thesis argues that contemporary medicine’s biomedical paradigm—focused primarily on physical disease and bodily systems—represents an incomplete understanding of health that must be broadened to encompass psychological, relational, and spiritual dimensions. By distinguishing “health of the body” from “health of the person,” he contends that true wholeness requires attention to empirically-validated pathways often marginalized in medical discourse: community relationships, love, forgiveness, purpose, and religious participation. This conceptual framework challenges the reduction of health to mere absence of disease or normal physiological functioning, instead positioning flourishing as the proper telos of health promotion efforts. The theological perspective provides a normative foundation for this expanded vision while remaining empirically grounded.
Purpose
Bridge Theology and Public Health
VanderWeele writes with multiple purposes: to introduce his new book, to articulate a distinctively Christian framework for health while making it accessible to secular audiences, and to advocate for integrating neglected pathways into health promotion efforts. He aims to facilitate interfaith dialogue by modeling how religious traditions can explicitly articulate health concepts, believing such clarity enables both understanding across traditions and identification of shared insights valuable regardless of faith commitments. The piece serves an apologetic function—defending theological perspectives as legitimate contributors to health discourse—while maintaining empirical credibility through extensive research citations. His ultimate goal appears to be expanding medicine and public health’s scope beyond disease treatment toward comprehensive human flourishing.
Structure
Conceptual Distinction → Theological Framework → Practical Implications
The article opens with fundamental questions about health’s nature and the WHO definition’s adequacy, establishing conceptual groundwork. It then introduces the body/person health distinction through everyday language examples before presenting VanderWeele’s theological project as filling a gap in existing literature. The middle section outlines how theology addresses health’s nature, ill-health’s causes, and healing’s mechanisms while connecting these to empirical research. The final section pivots to practical applications, arguing that medical success has created blind spots regarding psychological, relational, and spiritual pathways, before concluding with specific neglected dimensions like love and forgiveness. This structure moves from abstract philosophical questions to concrete policy implications, making theological insights actionable for public health practitioners.
Tone
Scholarly, Irenic & Constructive
VanderWeele adopts a measured academic tone that acknowledges multiple legitimate perspectives while advocating for his own. He demonstrates intellectual humility through phrases like “perspectives may vary” and “arguably,” avoiding dogmatic pronouncements. The tone is irenic—seeking peace and understanding across traditions rather than conflict—evident in his emphasis on dialogue, partnership, and collaboration. He balances theological conviction with empirical grounding, repeatedly citing research to support spiritual pathways’ efficacy. The writing remains constructive rather than merely critical; while identifying neglected dimensions, he frames this as complementing rather than replacing biomedical approaches. This tone makes theological arguments palatable to secular public health audiences by emphasizing shared empirical ground and practical benefits.
Key Terms
Vocabulary from the Article
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Tough Words
Challenging Vocabulary
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An ultimate end, purpose, or goal toward which something naturally develops or is directed; the inherent aim of an activity or process.
“Flourishing as the proper telos of health promotion efforts positions well-being as health’s natural endpoint.”
The state of being complete and undivided; unity integrating all dimensions of human existence rather than fragmentary functioning.
“Etymologically, the word ‘health’ is related to ‘wholeness,’ requiring understanding of the complete human person.”
Relating to the systematic study of the nature of the divine, religious beliefs, and the practice of religious faith.
“A Theology of Health attempts to advance discussion by providing an account from the Christian tradition.”
A healthcare professional who works directly with patients, especially a doctor or nurse involved in patient observation and treatment.
“Much has been written on what it means to be a good clinician from a theological perspective.”
Having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word or phrase; closely associated or equivalent in significance.
“The concept of ‘health of the person’ is essentially synonymous with ‘flourishing’ or ‘complete human well-being.'”
In a manner that is suggested or understood without being directly stated; indirectly or by implication rather than explicitly.
“Christian organizations around the world, perhaps somewhat implicitly, approach the topic of health this way.”
Reading Comprehension
Test Your Understanding
5 questions covering different RC question types
1According to VanderWeele, understanding “wholeness” requires a normative framework that varies by culture and tradition.
2What gap in existing literature does VanderWeele’s book aim to fill?
3Which sentence best illustrates VanderWeele’s concern about modern medicine’s limitations?
4Evaluate these statements about VanderWeele’s argument:
The distinction between “health of the body” and “health of the person” helps resolve conceptual confusions in health discourse.
VanderWeele argues that theological insights about health are only valuable to those who share Christian faith commitments.
According to the article, empirical research supports the health effects of spiritual pathways like forgiveness and community participation.
Select True or False for all three statements, then click “Check Answers”
5What can be inferred about VanderWeele’s view on the relationship between medicine’s biomedical focus and holistic health?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
This everyday sentence demonstrates how ordinary language naturally employs two distinct health concepts simultaneously. The first clause uses “health” to mean bodily functioning (health of the body), while the second uses “healthy person” to mean overall well-being or flourishing (health of the person). This linguistic evidence supports VanderWeele’s conceptual distinction and shows how conceptual confusion arises when we fail to recognize which meaning is operative in a given context. The example proves these aren’t just philosophical abstractions but concepts people implicitly use in daily communication about wellness.
VanderWeele bridges theology and empirical science by arguing that theological claims about health pathways—community, forgiveness, hope, religious participation—can be tested through research methods. He cites “extensive research” documenting these spiritual pathways’ effects on both bodily health and overall flourishing. This approach makes theological insights empirically accountable while suggesting that theology might identify important health determinants that empirical science can then investigate. The strategy allows him to address secular public health audiences by demonstrating that theological perspectives yield testable hypotheses rather than remaining purely metaphysical.
When VanderWeele says injustice and unkindness “propagate,” he means these acts multiply across social networks and time rather than remaining isolated incidents. Empirical evidence shows that experiencing injustice or unkindness doesn’t just harm the immediate victim but can spread through behavioral modeling, trauma transmission, or cycles of retaliation. This propagation pattern suggests that addressing health’s relational and spiritual dimensions isn’t merely about individual well-being but about preventing cascading harms throughout communities. The propagation concept links individual ill-health to broader social pathology, supporting his argument that love and forgiveness serve public health functions.
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This article is rated Advanced because it requires understanding abstract philosophical distinctions (body versus person health), navigating the intersection of theology and empirical science, and grasping how normative frameworks shape health concepts across cultures. Readers must follow VanderWeele’s argument structure moving from conceptual analysis to theological positioning to practical implications. The piece assumes familiarity with academic discourse conventions while presenting arguments that challenge mainstream biomedical assumptions. Advanced readers should recognize the strategic nature of VanderWeele’s empirical citations—grounding potentially controversial theological claims in research evidence to establish credibility with secular audiences.
VanderWeele argues that explicitly articulating religious perspectives on health creates several benefits: helping non-Christians understand how Christian organizations implicitly approach health globally, facilitating mutual understanding when different traditions clarify their frameworks, and creating opportunities for partnership and collaboration around shared insights. This emphasis reflects his recognition that health is culturally and religiously contested territory where implicit assumptions can create misunderstanding. By making theological frameworks explicit, different communities can identify both differences requiring respectful acknowledgment and commonalities enabling cooperation. The dialogue focus positions his theological project as contributing to pluralistic conversation rather than claiming exclusive truth.
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