Pub Date : 2023-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2023.2187967
B. Crisp
ABSTRACT Stitching refers to a range of textile crafts which involve use of needles, such as sewing, knitting, crochet, tapestry, embroidery or quilting to create clothing, homewares or other objects. Mostly undertaken by women, there have long been stitchers for whom this activity is inherently a spiritual activity. The rhythmic pattern of the work is said to enable mindful practice or a space to meditate on other concerns or contemplation on religious or spiritual texts, and the connections enabled through stitching may be significant. Stitching has traditionally been a way in which women could mould their identities while helping one another or making charitable donations. At the same time, stitching can aid processes of mourning, remembering and resistance. However, there are many women for whom stitching is the antithesis of an activity which they would denote as being spiritual, especially those for whom stitching is a task or chore they are required to undertake. Stitching has become associated with exploitative practices, including poor pay and poor working conditions. In contrast to those who stitch by choice and can exercise agency over what and when they create, those who stitch for a living are subject to timelines and restrictions on what they create, and hence are less likely to experience stitching as a spiritual activity. This paper contributes to the spirituality literature by demonstrating why a generalised delineation of actions per se, as spiritual or not, is problematic.
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Pub Date : 2023-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2023.2187966
Annalisa Burello
ABSTRACT The aim of this article is to illustrate through an empirical case how art in a secular age can function as a spiritual-but-non-religious (SBNR) environment for both artists and art followers. It examines contemporary performance artist Marina Abramović as an example of a post-modern spiritual figure, rooted in the artworld. Her relevance for a secular age is as a contemporary artist who has developed her own brand of art-based spirituality with no theological nor religious content whatsoever. Although nonreligious, she does not conform to a materialistic worldview. She holds many so-called ‘New Age’ beliefs which place her among the growing SBNR demographic. She has developed her own ‘spiritual’ method to teach people beyond the ‘elitist’ artworld, and has created the immaterial Marina Abramović Institute (MAI) to carry on her legacy. Arguably, therefore, she has effectively transformed herself into a ‘spiritual’ teacher. Drawing on Denita Benyshek’s construct of artist-shaman, scientific explanations about the relieving of pain, and Victor Turner’s concept of spontaneous communitas, the article concludes that Abramović is a nonreligious spiritual charismatic figure who is generating countercultural communitas through her performances, her institute and her teachings, providing an empirical demonstration that art can indeed function as a spiritual but not religious context.
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Pub Date : 2023-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2023.2187962
Arthur Holder
responses when integrating spirituality and religion into our social work practice. A key concern often raised when considering the inclusion of religion and spirituality in social work is that of individual bias and how the biases and beliefs of individual students, lecturers or practitioners will be ‘pushed upon’ students/clients/service-users/colleagues. The strong focus on critical reflective/reflexive practice, encouraging one to identify and challenge biases and to be open and inclusive of other approaches to religion and spirituality as outlined in this text, responds directly to these concerns. As does the significant emphasis on social justice and ethical practice. The dedicated attention to and inclusion of First Nations’ knowledge helps to address issues of cultural competence and anti-discrimination and is particularly relevant for practice in the Australian context (and other colonised countries). Such critical practice was addressed directly and practically in this text as Gardner states, ‘I am starting here with First Nations’ knowledges partly to affirm this equality of place and to seek to redress the balance of these so often being seen as an “add on” rather than a fundamentally important way of seeing the world’ (p. 46). These are notable accomplishments of the text, making a valuable contribution to the social work knowledge base. A critique of Gardner’s critical spiritual practice is that it seems to be a critical approach to practice that allows for the exploration of religion and spirituality and how it impacts clients and practitioners through processes such as critical reflexivity rather than an inclusion of religious or spiritual ways of knowing, being and doing, in their own right. This is perhaps reflective of the concerns held by the discipline regarding the integration of religion and spirituality and, as such, lays another crucial stepping-stone on the path to social work’s inclusion of religion and spirituality in practice. This text helps move the reader along this path to inclusion and provides real-world processes and practices one can immediately begin to use in one’s own practice. Knowing the importance that religion and spirituality hold for many of those we work with, as social workers, it is imperative that we are versed in an appropriate and ethical way to respond, and Gardner’s text provides one pathway to this end.
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Pub Date : 2023-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2023.2189213
O. Robinson, Maria Cristina Vasile
ABSTRACT Despite recent gains in the understanding of dreams and their meaning, the topic of dreams in relation to spirituality has remained largely unexplored. This study investigates the perceived relationship between dreams and the spiritual life in a multi-national sample. It explores the proposition that dreams contain spiritual messages or realisations, and/or whether experiences of apparently paranormal phenomena in dreams inform a spiritual worldview. A sample of 118 people took part in an online survey in which they responded to closed-ended and open-ended questions about dreams, learning, personal development and spirituality. Ninety-eight out of 118 participants (83%) reported having dreams that informed their spiritual life in some way. Thematic analysis revealed four themes within the domain of dreams and spirituality: 1. Bringing the unconscious into the conscious for healing and insight; 2. Accessing spiritual knowledge via intuition and feeling; 3. Spiritual Messages via encounters with other beings in dreams; and 4. Spiritual messages as precognitive information about upcoming events. The findings have implications for an understanding of the formative role of dreams in the spiritual life. Limitations and future implications of this study are also discussed.
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Pub Date : 2023-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2023.2187965
Ina Grasmane
ABSTRACT Spirituality is a broad and multidimensional concept, while spiritual intelligence (SI) is an important prerequisite for the psychological health and social functioning of the individual. This article theoretically frames a psycho-pedagogical intervention (PPI) program for the development of SI in primary school students (age 7–10) in Latvia, describing the conceptual and procedural principles of the program. According to the literature, PPI is considered the most efficient form of instruction that, integrated into the learning process, may facilitate the rapid development of children in various fields. The article introduces the concept of SI and substantiates the theoretical model of SI in children. It discusses the types and functions of intervention programs; the main conditions for elaborating PPI; and reflects on the content, structure, and methods of a program applied to develop SI. The procedural dimensions of the PPI and the preparation of teachers to implement a given program are described. It is hoped that this study and its continuation may inspire the integration of the PPI into educational systems in other countries.
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Pub Date : 2023-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2023.2198842
L. Ross, W. Mcsherry
In the Western Hemisphere, we have just passed the Spring Equinox, so we have more daylight now than night as we move towards summertime. This transition is reflected in nature with its wonderful array of colour, sounds and activity. Spring is the season of new birth and beginnings, the time of evolution and change. In many religions and worldviews, Spring is associated with a time of hope and optimism. Hope and optimism are certainly welcome as many countries experience the effects of wars, natural disasters, the impact of climate change and financial hardship due to the fuel crisis and dreadful economic situation. Conversely, we have witnessed the compassionate response of so many people giving generously to support the relief efforts to help alleviate the impact and suffering caused by these devastating situations. On a recent visit to Cambridge I (WMc) noticed a small crowd had gathered at the corner of a street; they were all staring and studying something in a window. Being of the curious type I wondered what the commotion and attraction was and wandered over to look. To my amazement they were looking at what could be described as a golden disc with what appeared to be a grasshopper on the top. I later learned that this was the ‘Corpus Clock’, a significant landmark and attraction for tourists to the city. There is a good introduction provided on Corpus Christi College website which states ‘It was invented, designed and given to Corpus Christi College by Dr John C Taylor OBE FREng (m1959), who worked with local engineering company Huxley Bertram in constructing the Clock’. What does the Corpus Clock have to do with time and the study of spirituality? The passage of time is inextricably linked to spiritualty and our own mortality. The Corpus Clock has no chimes or bells, and just as we move from winter into spring often silently without fuss or punctuation, so we pass through the seasons of our lives. Each of us has a finite amount of time and the impact of time results in transition as we move through life and, if we are fortunate, experience the ageing process with its resultant holistic change. The juxtaposition is that, while we change with the effects of time, spirituality remains a constant in time, enduring and for some reflecting the changing trends, philosophies, worldviews, and challenges of that time.
在西半球,我们刚刚度过春分,所以随着夏季的临近,我们现在的白天比晚上多。这种转变以其美妙的色彩、声音和活动方式反映在自然界中。春天是新生和开始的季节,是进化和变化的季节。在许多宗教和世界观中,春天与希望和乐观的时刻联系在一起。希望和乐观肯定是受欢迎的,因为许多国家都经历了战争、自然灾害、气候变化的影响以及燃料危机和可怕的经济形势造成的财政困难。相反,我们看到了如此多的人慷慨解囊,支持救援工作,以帮助减轻这些毁灭性局势造成的影响和痛苦。在最近访问剑桥时,我(WMc)注意到一小群人聚集在街角;他们都盯着窗户里的东西看。作为一个好奇的人,我想知道这是什么样的骚动和吸引力,于是走过去看了看。令我惊讶的是,他们看到了一个可以被描述为金色圆盘的东西,上面似乎有一只蚱蜢。后来我才知道,这就是“尸钟”,是这座城市的一个重要地标和景点。科珀斯克里斯蒂学院网站上有一个很好的介绍,上面写着“它是由John C Taylor OBE FREng博士(m1959)发明、设计并赠送给科珀斯克里斯蒂大学的,他与当地工程公司Huxley Bertram合作建造了时钟”。尸钟与时间和精神研究有什么关系?时间的流逝与精神和我们自身的死亡密不可分。尸钟没有编钟,就像我们从冬天进入春天一样,我们常常默默地度过生命中的各个季节,没有任何大惊小怪或标点符号。我们每个人都有有限的时间,时间的影响会导致我们在生活中的转变,如果幸运的话,还会经历衰老过程及其带来的整体变化。并列的是,虽然我们随着时间的影响而变化,但精神在时间中仍然是不变的,经久不衰,对一些人来说,它反映了当时不断变化的趋势、哲学、世界观和挑战。
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Pub Date : 2023-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2023.2187964
D. Rousseau
draws us more deeply into communion with God. Here I am reminded of Martin Buber’s insight that all ‘I-thou’ encounters are grounded in our relationship to the Absolute Thou. I also appreciated very much the insightful way in which Kinghorn and Hauerwas relate gentleness to Jesus, L’Arche, and Swinton himself. I especially appreciated this reflection from the authors: ‘John Swinton’s focus on the particularity of human lived experience is ... deeply formative and instructive for us. One cannot be gentle in general; one is always gentle with someone, in a particular time and place’ (p. 275, original emphasis). Those of us who have been privileged to be the ‘someone’ in the gentle presence of John Swinton, know exactly what is meant here. The last chapter in this section, and therefore in this volume, takes us back to the theme Doug Gay pursued quite early in the book – viz. worship. Volpe notes that while peace is not an overt theme in Swinton’s writing – it certainly is not prominent in the way that themes such as a humanised life, friendship, vulnerability, belonging, discipleship, and worship are – the way that John lives, works, and writes is profoundly irenic. I suspect that John is very pleased with her insight that Jesus – the one who embodied, facilitated, and preached peace – is the spiritual source for all those committed to peace in personal, communal, and international relations.
{"title":"Science of life after death","authors":"D. Rousseau","doi":"10.1080/20440243.2023.2187964","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20440243.2023.2187964","url":null,"abstract":"draws us more deeply into communion with God. Here I am reminded of Martin Buber’s insight that all ‘I-thou’ encounters are grounded in our relationship to the Absolute Thou. I also appreciated very much the insightful way in which Kinghorn and Hauerwas relate gentleness to Jesus, L’Arche, and Swinton himself. I especially appreciated this reflection from the authors: ‘John Swinton’s focus on the particularity of human lived experience is ... deeply formative and instructive for us. One cannot be gentle in general; one is always gentle with someone, in a particular time and place’ (p. 275, original emphasis). Those of us who have been privileged to be the ‘someone’ in the gentle presence of John Swinton, know exactly what is meant here. The last chapter in this section, and therefore in this volume, takes us back to the theme Doug Gay pursued quite early in the book – viz. worship. Volpe notes that while peace is not an overt theme in Swinton’s writing – it certainly is not prominent in the way that themes such as a humanised life, friendship, vulnerability, belonging, discipleship, and worship are – the way that John lives, works, and writes is profoundly irenic. I suspect that John is very pleased with her insight that Jesus – the one who embodied, facilitated, and preached peace – is the spiritual source for all those committed to peace in personal, communal, and international relations.","PeriodicalId":42985,"journal":{"name":"Journal for the Study of Spirituality","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46101296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2023.2187968
K. Mumby
ABSTRACT Little is known about the spirituality of people with logopenic aphasia (language-led dementia), including assessment and support. This article presents a single case study from a case series of ten people with various aphasia-types and different religious backgrounds who were recruited after discharge from speech and language therapy (SLT). Based on work with ‘Mr Grey’, it illustrates the use of the ‘WELLHEAD Toolkit’ for assessing and supporting spiritual health. A group of people with aphasia and diverse backgrounds co-produced the resources and steered the research. The Toolkit provides communication support and structure for eliciting interviews about ‘meaning and purpose’ in life. It enables religiously neutral non-judgmental listening and facilitates reflection using Picture and Word Resources, incorporating self-scores, an agreed summary, and goal-setting. Sessions were videoed along with a feedback interview. Participants’ reflections, measures, and verification were integral to the findings from the case series. Findings were analysed via systematic interpretive thematic analysis, verified by an independent researcher. Key themes in Mr Grey’s case are presented in narrative form to respect his own words, interpreted and verified for meaning, within his search for synthesis of his fragmented story. His story-telling brought him catharsis concerning relationships, religious beliefs and sense of self, whilst helping him to frame future goals. Follow-up confirmed the value of enabling chaplaincy referral as a result of the interviews. This helped him towards resolving historical grief before further language deterioration. Limitations and potential future applications of the WELLHEAD Toolkit are discussed.
{"title":"Supporting spiritual health in dementia using the WELLHEAD Toolkit: A ‘story-tale’ from a person with logopenic aphasia","authors":"K. Mumby","doi":"10.1080/20440243.2023.2187968","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20440243.2023.2187968","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Little is known about the spirituality of people with logopenic aphasia (language-led dementia), including assessment and support. This article presents a single case study from a case series of ten people with various aphasia-types and different religious backgrounds who were recruited after discharge from speech and language therapy (SLT). Based on work with ‘Mr Grey’, it illustrates the use of the ‘WELLHEAD Toolkit’ for assessing and supporting spiritual health. A group of people with aphasia and diverse backgrounds co-produced the resources and steered the research. The Toolkit provides communication support and structure for eliciting interviews about ‘meaning and purpose’ in life. It enables religiously neutral non-judgmental listening and facilitates reflection using Picture and Word Resources, incorporating self-scores, an agreed summary, and goal-setting. Sessions were videoed along with a feedback interview. Participants’ reflections, measures, and verification were integral to the findings from the case series. Findings were analysed via systematic interpretive thematic analysis, verified by an independent researcher. Key themes in Mr Grey’s case are presented in narrative form to respect his own words, interpreted and verified for meaning, within his search for synthesis of his fragmented story. His story-telling brought him catharsis concerning relationships, religious beliefs and sense of self, whilst helping him to frame future goals. Follow-up confirmed the value of enabling chaplaincy referral as a result of the interviews. This helped him towards resolving historical grief before further language deterioration. Limitations and potential future applications of the WELLHEAD Toolkit are discussed.","PeriodicalId":42985,"journal":{"name":"Journal for the Study of Spirituality","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44242880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2023.2187963
Neil F. Pembroke
{"title":"Discipleship and friends: Investigations in disability, dementia, and mental health","authors":"Neil F. Pembroke","doi":"10.1080/20440243.2023.2187963","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20440243.2023.2187963","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":42985,"journal":{"name":"Journal for the Study of Spirituality","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44304437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2023.2187961
A. Carrington
{"title":"Embedding spirituality and religion in social work practice: A socially just approach","authors":"A. Carrington","doi":"10.1080/20440243.2023.2187961","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20440243.2023.2187961","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":42985,"journal":{"name":"Journal for the Study of Spirituality","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2023-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46165587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}