Abstract

The purpose of this study is to see whether involvement in religion is associated with loneliness and health. A theoretical model is developed to explain how the potentially beneficial effects of religiousness arise. The following core hypotheses are embedded in this conceptual scheme: people who attend worship services more often are more likely to receive informal spiritual support from fellow church members ; spiritual support from coreligionists encourages people to adopt the virtue of humility; people who are more humble are more likely to receive emotional support from significant others; individuals who receive more emotional support will feel less lonely; and people who feel less lonely tend to enjoy better health. Data from a recent nationwide survey provide support for each of these hypotheses.