For many of the faithful, Sundays begin with a search of the soul. But for a host of clergymen, scholars and health care workers, this Sunday will be a time to search for faith-based answers to caring for the nation's aging population.
Together with the Gerontological Society of America and the John Templeton Foundation, Duke will host "Faith in the Future: Religion, Aging and Healthcare in the 21st Century." The conference is based upon two premises: one, that religion can influence longevity and health, and two, that religious institutions are prepared and willing to deliver services to the elderly.
Conference attendees will hear presentations from several notable figures, including John DiIulio, head of the White House Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives, a Bush agency charged with distributing billions of federal dollars to a variety of religious groups and charities. Although DiIulio's topic of address is still unknown, Harold Koenig, director of Duke's Center for the Study of Religion/Spirituality and Health, hopes to find out how much of the office's funding could be directed towards aiding religious institutions that care for the elderly.
The conference has been driven at least partially by a wave of research that shows a connection between religion and low blood pressure, low incidence of hypertension and a long life span.
In the biggest study to date, a random national sample of 21,204 adults was followed from 1987 to 1995, during which 2,016 deaths occurred. When religious attendance was examined, it was found that people who attended church lived to an average age of 81.9 years compared to 75.3 years for those who did not. Among blacks and those who attended church more than once a week, the differences were even greater.
"What is significant is that we have the same findings in research all over.... Even when you control for psychological, lifestyle factors, social support and even depression and stress," said Koenig. "While [controlling for those factors] weakens the relationship, it doesn't do away with it."
And sponsors of the conference say this relationship could catalyze a new partnership between the nation's health care sector and its religious institutions.
"This conference goes way beyond religion and health," said Koenig, who is on the conference planning committee. "It focuses on religious institutions offering services to the elderly. That has a much broader and greater impact."
Attendees also will hear speeches from religiously affiliated volunteer organizations like FaithWorks, Faith in Action and Habitat for Humanity.
"This constituency represents a potential army of volunteers who could be mobilized to provide support and care for those in need," Koenig said. "Volunteers from churches can play a valuable role in providing services-rides to doctors, care in the home-which is how it used to be until the last 300 years."
In the past, the government has been challenged in court for giving funds to religious organizations. The conference will explore laws that could thwart such legal action.
Robert Brooks, secretary of health for the state of Florida, will speak on the issue. "Florida is years ahead of us in dealing with the elderly," said Koenig. "What they are doing right now is what we hope to be doing nationally, if not internationally."
Although those who advocate linking religion and elderly care insist their views are based on scientific research, not everyone supports the government's funding of such initiatives.
"That would not be a wise investment," said Frank Sloan, a Duke economics professor. "Because personally I might be religious, that does not mean that my care should be delivered from religious institutions. [For that], research would need to be much more demonstrative. I think we are far from that."
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