Abstract

Spirituality and religions have always been important interlocutors for medicine and healing practices. However, there are many different ways of understanding and interpreting the relationship among religion, medicine and spirituality, and the same applies to the contribution that religions and spirituality can make in terms of treating and promoting individual and collective health and wellbeing. Starting with an analysis of the relationship between religion and medicine, we reflect on a possible role of spirituality for health and wellbeing and on the notion of self-care and spiritual care, and consider the contribution religion and spirituality can bring to the interpretation of body and embodiment.