Spring/Summer 2021, Issue 4, p. 2
[Online 6 Jul. 2021, Article A026]
[PDF]

Editors’ Introduction: Spring/Summer 2021 Issue #4

Welcome to the fourth issue of the Public Health, Religion and Spirituality Bulletin (PHRS Bulletin), published by the Public Health Religion and Spirituality Network (PHRS Network).

This issue is short but sweet. It begins with an interview with Ellen Idler, Director of the Religion and Public Health Collaborative at Emory University, where she is also Professor in the Departments of Sociology and Epidemiology. She describes what led her into the field of religion/spirituality and public health, and how Emory became a nationwide leader in this field, offering more coursework and programs than perhaps any other university in North America. Next is an article authored by early career professional Christina Gebel, who describes how she has brought together her passion for public health and her religious identity. This issue closes with our updated resource article highlighting new empirical work, upcoming conferences, recent conference proceedings, and COVID-19 related resources.

The last time we released an issue in November 2020, the world was well into the COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty was abundant. Happily, through heroically accelerated yet effective vaccine development and dissemination, and many other public health preventative measures, the United States is thankfully in a different position than we were only 8 months ago. Much of the country is cautiously reopening and attuning itself to a ‘new normal’ – yet we are aware that internationally, many challenges remain, including shortages of vaccines in many countries. We hope that our readers everywhere are healthy and as safe as possible, and that all of us working together – faith-based organizations, health professionals, and the general public everywhere – can soon bring widespread safe reopening to large and small communities everywhere.

We wish to close by thanking you for being a crucial part of the PHRS network. These bulletins would not be possible without you! As 2021 continues on, we urge all our readers to enjoy the northern hemisphere summer months and, if able to do so, to receive their vaccinations or find trusted and evidence-based resources to learn more if desired.

Sincerely,
Angela and Doug

Angela Monahan, MPH
angela_monahan@berkeley.edu
angela.grace.monahan@gmail.com
Assistant Editor

Doug Oman, PhD
dougoman@berkeley.edu
Coeditor