THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY AND HEALTH: AN EXPLORATION OF THE VIEWS OF CHRISTIAN STUDENTS IN GHANA. (Published)
Spirituality and health have overtime been very influential to humans and in the life of every student; good health is an essential aspect in order to have a successful academic life. Being healthy is not anymore about absence of diseases or illness. It requires being in a state of complete physical, psychological, spiritual and social well-being. The article aims at examining the various views that Christian students hold concerning spirituality and health and to find out the effects that both (spirituality and health) have on the lives of students. The research was conducted among Christian students in the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, using questionnaires and interviews to seek views of students on the impact of the relationship between spirituality and health. From the findings, most of the respondents expressed a strong desire to find meaning in their lives and well-being. It was, however, observed that some students were reluctant to patronize clinical treatment when needed as a result of their staunch spirituality. Also, the paper identifies some Christian beliefs and practices which respondents considered as elements that promote good health as well as other spiritual practices that have adversely affected students’ health. It is, therefore, suggested that, for the wellbeing of students to be achieved, there should always be a balance between the two approaches, and resort to any of them when appropriate.
Keywords: Christian Spirituality, Health, Relationship, Student’ Well-being and Exploration