Research on the relation between religion and health has tended to foc
us on group identity and specific religious behaviors that are directl
y linked to improved health. This paper proposes a new model, which in
corporates religious beliefs into a system of cognition (illusions and
meaning for events) and psycho-neuroimmunologic functioning. It is hy
pothesized that cognition within religious belief systems may be assoc
iated with bodily changes in the immune system and lead to particular
health outcomes. The discussion highlights the need for psychological
process models to study the way life events are interpreted in the con
text of religious beliefs. Limitations and challenges of such a global
model are identified and several directions for future research are d
iscussed.