RELIGIOUS THEMES IN MEDICAL JOURNALS

The dialogue between medicine and religion has been expected to intens ify. To test the degree of interaction empirically, the contents of fo ur clinical medical journals for the years 1981 to 1991 were examined for reference to religious themes. Religion was important in 13 of 17, 345 articles. Reasons proposed for this relative neglect are hostility , lack of interest, inadequate empirical studies, and the substitution of ethics and humanities as surrogates for religion. Scholars of reli gion are encouraged to submit relevant material to medical journals.