About Us

Emory University's Religion and Public Health Collaborative (RPHC) is an interdisciplinary collaboration between Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Candler School of Theology, and the Department of Religion. The RPHC is newly affiliated with the Center for Ethics. Our goal is to develop innovative and transformative theories and practices in religion and public health that can be shared locally, nationally, and globally. The RPHC comprises faculty from across the university who provide distinctive intellectual leadership to

  • Explore the relationship between religion and public health in interdisciplinary scholarship, teaching, and service
  • Develop academic programs that promote understanding of the impact of world religions on the health of populations
  • Generate opportunities for research and practice with community partners that will help shape a broader view of religion and public health
  • Engage students in the fields of theology, religion, and public health in interdisciplinary scholarship and practice.

Recent projects of the Religion and Public Health Collaborative include:

  • Understanding the potential of religion and faith communities to improve population health by promoting safe water in rural communities
  • Addressing areas of disagreement between religion and public health on issues such as contraception, to promote safe practices in a context of respect
  • Adapting meditation techniques for middle school children to counter the culture of bullying
  • Understanding the role of religion in contraceptive decisions about Latinas
  • Exploring the place of religion in public health ethics

The Religion and Public Health Collaborative engages scholars, practitioners, and students in world religions and public health with each other in the seminar room, the lecture hall, and community settings, confronting the multidimensional perspectives and practices of religion and health in the pursuit of public well-being. The RPHC is a foundational sub-initiative of the Religions and the Human Spirit Initiative, part of Emory's Strategic Plan to "Confronting the Human Condition and the Human Experience".