Religion And Health

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BY JAMES J. WALSH, M.D., Ph.D., Sc.D. etc. MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF FORDHAM UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF SOCIOLOGY, PROFESSOR OF PHYSIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY, CATHEDRAL COLLEGE LECTURER ON PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY, MARYWOOD COLLEGE, SCRANTON, PA., MT. ST. MARY'S, PLAINFIELD, N.J. BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 1920 Copyright, 1920 , By Little, Brown, and Company. All rights reserved Published October, 1920 Norwood Press Set up and electrotyped by J. S. Cushing Co., Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. To HIS EMINENCE JAMES CARDINAL GIBBONS AN EXEMPLAR OF RELIGION AND HEALTH FOR OUR GENERATION
Ordinarily the most satisfactory definition of a word can be obtained from its etymology. Unfortunately in the matter of religion there is a very old-time division of opinion as to the derivation of the word which makes etymology of less definite significance than usual. Cicero suggested that religio came from relegere , to go through or over again in reading, speech or thought, as prayers and religious observances generally are repeated. On the other hand St. Augustine and Lactantius insisted on deriving religio from the Latin verb religare , which means to bind again, to bind back, to bind fast. The word obligation has an analogous origin and illustrates the meaning of religion as if its form from etymology should have been religation.
It is this latter derivation that has been most commonly accepted in the modern time. A man may recognize the existence of God and yet not feel any particular obligations toward Him, but if he binds himself anew to the deity whom he recognizes, by trying to make his life accord with the divine will as he views it, then he practices religion. James Martineau said, By religion I understand the belief and worship of Supreme Mind and Will, directing the universe and holding moral relations with human life.