Our research showing Christianity improves wellbeing!

We have started a new series about research supporting improved wellbeing with Christianity! Last week we discussed peer-reviewed scientific studies. Today let us continue the conversation of the benefits of scripture by exploring specific studies our foundation has performed. 

Teleios’ data extends the information on Christianity and wellbeing found in the medical literature and might help you with your own life and Christian walk. Please consider the following results from Teleios:

• General good wellbeing – Both college students and adult Christians note high ratings for wellbeing. However, our data are more specific to evangelicals¹ whereas the medical literature would include social Christians as well.

• Evangelicals – This group has better wellbeing than social Christians² or Christians Seekers³.

• Evangelical and saved by grace - College students who self-describe as evangelical, but also saved by grace, profess better wellbeing than evangelicals alone. 

• Evangelical, saved by grace and adherent - Evangelicals who indicate they are saved by grace, and adhere to their Christian faith (i.e., practice the 5 tools to maturity: prayer, praise, fellowship, Bible study and teaching others [Acts 2:42-47]) have even better wellbeing. In one of our college surveys, not a single student who was characterized by being evangelical, saved by grace and adherent, suffered poor wellbeing.

• Practicing the faith – In separate research, Teleios demonstrated those who practice the Christian faith according to Acts 2:42-47, as noted above, enjoy better wellbeing than those who do not.

• Just a little helps - Even the practice of one to two of the measures in Acts provides better wellbeing

• More is better - Further, the more a person adheres to the five tools to maturity, the better generally is their wellbeing.

• Looking outward - Those learning and teaching the Bible directly (verse by verse), and those serving in their church or community also possess enhanced wellbeing.

• Eternal security - Those who are confident in their salvation also note better wellbeing.

So how can we summarize the exciting information we have learned the past two weeks? Christians generally have better wellbeing. Further, those who identify as evangelicals, especially if they also indicate they are saved by grace, confident in their salvation and practice the Christian faith, possess even better wellbeing! Wow, great information for our lives. 

We have such a wonderful God who cares and loves us and has given us such wise literature to help us navigate our time on earth. Join us again next week as we continue to investigate scientifically based findings from Teleios.

¹Evangelical Christian = An individual saved by grace having been forgiven their sins through faith in Christ 

²Social Christian = An individual who identifies mostly with Christian culture or society while not being overly religious
³Christian Seeker = An individual seeking to know the truth about Christianity

For questions or to view more of our research…

Email     teleiosresearch@outlook.com

Website http://teleiosresearch.com/

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch 

Twitter  https://twitter.com/TeleiosResearch 

Wow, Christianity actually helps wellbeing!

Welcome back to my blog. Thank you for taking the time to read it. 

We are starting a new series on the exciting research findings from Teleios! Last week we discussed the reasons for our passion at Teleios to explore the veracity of scripture. Today let us set off on a journey to discover the actual scientific data about how the Bible helps us. It is amazing!

Our first topic is perhaps the most vital: that Bible-based Christianity generally improves wellbeing. These data come from two main sources. 

• Teleios - We have found through surveys and prospective studies that Christianity actually helps wellbeing both generally and for specific health measures. We will discuss these findings next week.

• The medical literature – Peer-reviewed scientific studies support improved wellbeing with Christianity! As we began our research at Teleios this was a surprise to us. We found many studies indicating wellbeing was improved by the practice of religion. Importantly, almost all these medical studies were performed in historically Christian countries. This indicates that most all the patients in the studies would have been either social or believing Christians. Many of these studies can be seen in our published papers available on our website. Otherwise, you can conduct your own search of the medical literature at Pubmed.

So let’s examine the medical literature. The findings are impressive and have shown that wellbeing is improved with religion in:

• Demographics - All age groups (10 years and older), both genders, and African-American as well as Caucasian races.  

• Broad wellbeing effect - Specific wellbeing related measures such as: sense of purpose, satisfaction, hope, stronger social relationships, and ability to forgive. 

• Social measures - Vital areas of life such as the family, career, a sense of community and socialization. 

• Physical health – Healthy and patient populations.  Specific diseases include: glaucoma, rheumatoid arthritis, various cancers, chronic pain, fatigue, diabetes, diabetic eye disease, congestive heart failure, and HIV.

Religion has shown very few negative effects on wellbeing. Most commonly these have been related to the limited expression of one's faith to either internal or external religious activities alone or to those who have an adversarial relationship with God. The latter type of person might be one who does not understand grace as a means to salvation, instead working to try to satisfy God.

Indeed, it is striking to see that so many researchers have found, through scientific studies, the benefit of religion on wellbeing in Christian countries. These data are extensive and consistent enough that perhaps no other proof is needed from a scientific standpoint. We have a great God who has benefited us with salvation through Christ by grace and provided scripture that through the power of the Holy Spirit we can live useful and joyful lives. 

Join us again next week as we look at evidence from Teleios’ efforts demonstrating Christianity can improve wellbeing.

For questions or to view more of our research…

Email     teleiosresearch@outlook.com

Website http://teleiosresearch.com/

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch 

Twitter  https://twitter.com/TeleiosResearch 

What drives us at Teleios?

Welcome back to my blog. Thank you for taking time to read it. 

We will soon start new series about exciting research findings from Teleios! However, before we begin this vital series I want to review briefly what pushes us at Teleios to explore the veracity of scripture.

My wonderful wife, Jeanette, and I have had the privilege over many years to teach the scriptures to college-age students and young adults. Interestingly, what we observed during these studies motivated us to demonstrate the exciting practical value of scripture. Below, I summarize our observations from these fun studies. I will discuss the research findings supporting many of the statements in subsequent blogs.

Our observations, in general!

• Young Christians almost always say they believe in the truth of scripture (yay!)
• Upon further discussion, they need to know more (we all do and therefore, we study the Bible!)
• Consequently, they usually base their decision-making upon precepts learned in: church or college groups, social Christian settings, or from their church denomination
• Accordingly, they lack confidence in the direct knowledge of God's word
• They then do not test God’s word in their lives resulting in a failure to build confidence in His precepts
• Further, they suffer with a nagging doubt, that if they really faced a crisis, their scriptural knowledge could not supply an answer. This crisis appears usually in two forms: 
• An emotional crisis with themselves or a friend
• A conversation with a non-believer about the Gospel.
• Consequently, the temptation exists, because of their insecurities about scripture, to avoid confronting internal or external spiritual conflicts and to simply survive within the social church setting
• And of course, there is the minority (16-20%) that want to do what they want to do, regardless of God’s Word!

It is like a security guard at the local shopping mall who might enjoy the comfortable job among the nice orderly shoppers. However, he knows deep inside he should learn how to fight in case a crisis ever occurred at the mall, such as armed robbers or an Islamic Jihadist attack. But he doesn’t, knowing that he could run away if a crisis ever came. Consequently, he has no opportunity to ever gain confidence in fighting techniques or his own abilities.

So, it is with many Christians in what I call the ‘cycle of failure’ (please see figure below). They enjoy the social Christian setting and do not learn God's word. Therefore, they really never gain confidence in their biblical knowledge. Accordingly, they never test themselves and obtain a deep confidence in the Bible’s value for daily life. 

The figure describes the ‘Cycle of Failure’ of those who do not learn or test God’s word, not building the confidence to act based on its precepts. Consequently, they never knowing its full power. 

God has granted us a sure and quality Bible text upon which we can base not only our great salvation but the guidance for our lives! The Bible tells us to test God‘s Word to build confidence (Romans 12:2; Greek word ‘dokimazo’) and utilize its power to live our lives with surety and maturity (Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 5:14).

Therefore, the name of our foundation is Teleios…

Original Word: τέλειος, α, ον
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: teleios
Phonetic Spelling: (tel'-i-os)
Definition: having reached its end, complete, perfect
Usage: perfect, (a) complete in all its parts, (b) full grown, of full age, (c) specially of the completeness of Christian character

Let us help you reach your spiritual maturity!

Thanks for reading my blog.  Please join us as we explore in the next few weeks the compelling findings from Teleios’ research that demonstrates the overwhelming power of the Bible to salvation and living a fruitful life.

For questions or to view more of our research…

Email     teleiosresearch@outlook.com

Website http://teleiosresearch.com/

Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram  https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch 

Twitter  https://twitter.com/TeleiosResearch