News Room

Prayer for Heart Surgery Patients shows no effect

In the largest study of third-party prayer to date, researchers at the Harvard Medical School's Mind/Body Institute found that patients undergoing heart surgery who received prayer fared no better than those who did not receive prayer. The study also found that those who were told they were being prayed for actually fared worse. Skeptics have used the information to discredit claims of the benefits of prayer in healing, though researchers speculate the lesson learned may involve design flaws that can be avoided in future studies...

Healing Initiative Establishes Ongoing Program on Body/Mind Connections

Leading scholars, theologians, and health professionals from throughout the United States examined the interrelation between various perspectives of healing, the psychosomatic tradition of personhood in Orthodox Christianity, and modern holistic healing practices during the second convocation of the Healing Initiative. Sponsored by a Lilly Endowment Grant at Hellenic College, the Metanexus Institute, and the Kambouras Scholarship, the Healing Initiative examines integrative healing practices within the framework of the Byzantine culture as they relate to modern understandings of holistic health.

“Harvard Study Invites Professionals to Participate in Research on Healing in Medicine, Psychology, and Religion”

“Through a Lilly Foundation Award and a Metanexus Grant, John T. Chirban, Ph.D., Th.D., a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University and Director of the Institute for Medicine, Psychology, and Religion, will lead research to explore Orthodox Christian approaches to healing in view of their historical roots and modern practices…

“Scholars, Practitioners Discuss Challenges of Holistic Healing”

The Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University and Hellenic College will host the conference Holistic Healing in Byzantium this May 7th-8th.  The event, sponsored by the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard, a grant from the Lilly Endowment to Hellenic College, and the Metanexus Institute, invites scholars and practitioners to explore the relevance of Orthodox Christian approaches to healing for modern times…

“Religion was part and parcel of Byzantine healing” Science and Theology News, July 2004

Though spirituality may be a last resort for patients today, in the Byzantine era patients looked to both religion and science as part of
a holistic approach to healing.This retrospective was the focus of the two-day conference, “Holistic Healing in Byzantium: Epistemologies and Methodologies…”

The Healing Initiative—supported by Lilly and Metanexus Grants

The Local Societies Initiative provides “seed grants” to start up or support established centers’ formation of innovative dialogue programs. These programs then explore the field of science-and-religion. For more information, visit www.metanexus.net/local_societies.

THE ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION OF MEDICINE, PSYCHOLOGY, AND RELIGION (O.C.A.M.P.R.) holds regular meetings for professionals serving in the Orthodox Christian faith. Please visit their site for more information: www.ocampr.org