Christian Paths to Health and Wellness

by Peter Walters, John Byl

God created people to be well in body, mind, and spirit—a unified and healthy whole. Christian Paths to Health and Wellness, Third Edition, helps undergraduate students explore key topics that affect their health and well-being and apply what they learn to their daily lives.

This updated text examines wellness from a holistic perspective, delving into how students can thrive in body, mind, and spirit. Students will learn how to All of this material is based on current research and is delivered through a faith-based perspective that will help students apply aspects of behavior modification as they learn how to take charge of the health of their bodies, minds, and spirits.

Written by highly respected Christian academics, the text includes chapter objectives, a glossary that defines key terms from each chapter, and easy-to-read charts that highlight specific information. This latest edition also features a new web study guide that makes Christian Paths to Health and Wellness a particularly valuable and unique resource. For each chapter in the text, the web study guide supplies readers with (The web study guide is included with all new print books and some ebooks. For ebook formats that don’t provide access, the web study guide is available separately.)

Christian Paths to Health and Wellness offers instructors free access to online ancillaries, including an instructor guide, a presentation package, and a test package.

“This text,” says coauthor Peter Walters, “is a book about accepting our God-given roles and capacities. Then empowered by the Spirit of God, we can make healthy choices regarding our mind, body, and soul. The end result is what ancients called ‘the good life,’ current academics call ‘human flourishing,’ and what scriptures call ‘shalom’.”

“Personal wellness is often achieved through mental and physical discipline,” adds coauthor John Byl. “However, it is also important to open yourself to the power of God through the Holy Spirit. It is written in Bible that ‘the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control’ (Galatians 5:22–23). Ideas related to the fruit of the Spirit have been woven through the text, and a couple of chapters offer brief vignettes on a particular fruit of the Spirit, which demonstrates how the Spirit heals and makes one well.”

Christian Paths to Health and Wellness, Third Edition, will equip students with the knowledge and tools they need to adopt healthy lifestyles in all aspects of their lives. And that lifestyle will be pleasing to God and help them live out their purpose.

Genres: Nonfiction

264 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2007

Reviews

[Sherri · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a textbook for college level students. There was correlating scripture to relate to different aspects of wellness (exercise, body image, dieting, aerobic, strength training, etc.) So if you need to learn the basics and the academia behind exercising this was good. Otherwise just a reference tool.

[Tifani Newton]

You don’t want to know what I think of this book (ok, probably well written, but I am just a student forced to read this book)

[Chase Pheifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well researched and an important book for Christians to read, as it provides a biblical (as well as scientifically researched) basis for our physical and emotional health in many different areas. I had to read this for a core class in my last semester of college, but I am grateful for what I read in this book. It was not a waste of my time.

I read chapters 1-9 (out of 10 total chapters and a conclusion).

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty informative and motivational and covers various wellness aspects with practical tips provided. Not the best or most definitive out there. Good as a one-time or two-time light read for a quick, short intro of the topics.

One thing I dislike is how much it copy-pastes the Bible like some side argument instead of truly dealing with whole passages of what the Bible is saying. Verses are treated as an additive to the argument instead of the arguments being a byproduct of the the truth of the Word.

I would also appreciate a discussion of to what degree is wellness in its entirety proportionate to our Christian walk on earth. To what extent is it important and not as ultimately important?

With all these said, I highly appreciate how this book seeks to discuss wellness and connect its importance to ourselves as Christians and God’s created beings, a topic rarely brought up in Christian communities or circles. Especially when we are seeing the roles and effects wellness plays into individuals and society as a whole - issues of depression, obesity, mortality rate, sleep, health, and more.

[Erika becker]

Great wellness textbook with a Christian outlook. Nice to view your body in a Godly perspective and why we should take care of it. This book explains the impact of different factors on our bodies and what we should do to live a healthy lifestyle so that our bodies will last. Good read.

[Paige Pagnotta]

This is for my Health & Wellness summer college class. I really like it so far, it's not boring at all (: I'm excited to read more of it.