There were three religions that were researched and they were Zoroastrian, Umbanda, and Hinduism. The first two were researched because they are not well known and Hinduism was chosen for the unfamiliarity of it’s healing practices. These three religions mainly associate their healing practices with the beliefs of their culture and mainly address physical healing however mental healing is also key in being well or healthy. These three religions and Christianity seek out either a priest or the spiritual leader for healing. Understanding and knowing about the various forms of healing across different religions can help healthcare providers care for patients.
Introduction
The various religions throughout the world vary in what is provided to its followers concerning healing. The three religions that are discussed are: Zoroastrian, Umbanda, and Hinduism. In the three faiths that were researched healing mainly focused on the physical aspect of healing because that is mainly what people need healing for. Healing also does not necessarily include a medical perspective to be considered healed, however, healing in some religions also include healing from spirits. Although healing based religious faiths vary from faith to faith, most, if not all share a common belief to heal a person for whatever reason they are seeking out to be healed from.
Spiritual Perspective on Healing
Spirituality in general in relation to healthcare has not been defined specifically or has been thought of in order to meet the spiritual needs of patients in order to heal. However, understanding that spirituality and religion are different entities but have interrelations with each other will help define spirituality based on the idea of healing. Susan Hollin states that “The major difference between [spirituality and religion] is that religion provides a firm set of beliefs, rituals and worship patterns within a faith community for the expression of a particular spirituality”
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