"This book offers a better understanding of the varieties of religiously based approaches to healing and alternative models of healing and health found in black communities in the United States. Contributors address the communal aspects of faith and health and explore the contexts in which individuals make choices about their health, the roles institutions play in shaping these decisions, and the practices individuals engage in when seeking better health or coping with the health they have. By paying attention to the role of faith and spirit, the book offers a fuller sense of the varieties of ways black health and healthcare are perceived and addressed. "--BOOK JACKET.