Pub Date : 2020-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2020.1728869
J. Swinton
ABSTRACT This article revisits the speech made by John Swinton at the inauguration of the British Association for the Study of Spirituality (BASS) in January 2010. It argues that some of the difficulties in defining spirituality can be clarified and addressed if we think of spirituality not simply in definitional terms, but in relation to how we use it in practice. It provides a critique of the ways in which ideas about spirituality are constructed, and offers some thoughts as to how we might move away from the search for definitions towards a focus on the impact that spirituality has on the humanness of our practices, including its peace-making potential within fragmented societies.
{"title":"BASS ten years on: A personal reflection","authors":"J. Swinton","doi":"10.1080/20440243.2020.1728869","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20440243.2020.1728869","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This article revisits the speech made by John Swinton at the inauguration of the British Association for the Study of Spirituality (BASS) in January 2010. It argues that some of the difficulties in defining spirituality can be clarified and addressed if we think of spirituality not simply in definitional terms, but in relation to how we use it in practice. It provides a critique of the ways in which ideas about spirituality are constructed, and offers some thoughts as to how we might move away from the search for definitions towards a focus on the impact that spirituality has on the humanness of our practices, including its peace-making potential within fragmented societies.","PeriodicalId":42985,"journal":{"name":"Journal for the Study of Spirituality","volume":"10 1","pages":"14 - 6"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2020-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/20440243.2020.1728869","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43848335","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 : 2020-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2020.1726054
F. Gardner
ABSTRACT As an experienced social worker, but a new academic in the late 1990s, I was surprised how uncomfortable students felt naming how their Christian background influenced their interest in social work. Spirituality/religion was minimally expressed in the curriculum and there was little literature or related research, particularly in Australia. Here, I draw on my experience to reflect how this has changed, and the implications for social work practice and education. Within social work and the broader community, there has been a significant increase in literature and research related to spirituality/religion. However, despite religious tensions expressed in war, various abusive practices, and debates about religious freedom, social work education still provides little training for students about these issues. But we may be on the cusp of change. Research demonstrates that some clients value including spirituality in their lives, and in social work practice. Social workers are recognising that clients and communities for whom this is important need their support, including advocacy for their right to spiritual/religious expression. We need to affirm both the challenges and opportunities of including spirituality/religion in social work. Ways forward include being more explicit about spirituality/religion, modelling how to engage with this, and integrating spirituality/religion into a curriculum underpinned by critically reflective approaches. These, combined with intersectionality and critical cultural consciousness, can lead to social work practice that not only integrates this aspect of people's lives but is inclusive, holistic, respectful of the complexity of people's lives and adheres to principles of social justice.
{"title":"Social work and spirituality: Reflecting on the last 20 years","authors":"F. Gardner","doi":"10.1080/20440243.2020.1726054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20440243.2020.1726054","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT As an experienced social worker, but a new academic in the late 1990s, I was surprised how uncomfortable students felt naming how their Christian background influenced their interest in social work. Spirituality/religion was minimally expressed in the curriculum and there was little literature or related research, particularly in Australia. Here, I draw on my experience to reflect how this has changed, and the implications for social work practice and education. Within social work and the broader community, there has been a significant increase in literature and research related to spirituality/religion. However, despite religious tensions expressed in war, various abusive practices, and debates about religious freedom, social work education still provides little training for students about these issues. But we may be on the cusp of change. Research demonstrates that some clients value including spirituality in their lives, and in social work practice. Social workers are recognising that clients and communities for whom this is important need their support, including advocacy for their right to spiritual/religious expression. We need to affirm both the challenges and opportunities of including spirituality/religion in social work. Ways forward include being more explicit about spirituality/religion, modelling how to engage with this, and integrating spirituality/religion into a curriculum underpinned by critically reflective approaches. These, combined with intersectionality and critical cultural consciousness, can lead to social work practice that not only integrates this aspect of people's lives but is inclusive, holistic, respectful of the complexity of people's lives and adheres to principles of social justice.","PeriodicalId":42985,"journal":{"name":"Journal for the Study of Spirituality","volume":"10 1","pages":"72 - 83"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2020-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/20440243.2020.1726054","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43275982","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 : 2020-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2020.1726055
E. Tisdell
ABSTRACT This article explores the notion of transformative pilgrimage learning and what it might mean to deal with the Big Questions of life – such as who we are and what we are doing on the planet – in light of experiences of Love and Death. It examines the question at the heart of transformative learning theory – ‘What form transforms?’ – particularly in relation to spiritual experience. It summarizes the findings of a longitudinal research study on how spirituality and culture informed the learning of a multicultural group of North American adult educators teaching for social justice. It also discusses what the researcher learned from research participants, particularly about pilgrimage and the notion of wisdom, as well as from her own experiences of two pilgrimage journeys. It concludes by examining what the research findings and the learning from pilgrimage experiences might suggest for living life as pilgrimage.
{"title":"Re-searching spirituality and culture: Transformative pilgrimage learning and living answers into Big Questions","authors":"E. Tisdell","doi":"10.1080/20440243.2020.1726055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20440243.2020.1726055","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This article explores the notion of transformative pilgrimage learning and what it might mean to deal with the Big Questions of life – such as who we are and what we are doing on the planet – in light of experiences of Love and Death. It examines the question at the heart of transformative learning theory – ‘What form transforms?’ – particularly in relation to spiritual experience. It summarizes the findings of a longitudinal research study on how spirituality and culture informed the learning of a multicultural group of North American adult educators teaching for social justice. It also discusses what the researcher learned from research participants, particularly about pilgrimage and the notion of wisdom, as well as from her own experiences of two pilgrimage journeys. It concludes by examining what the research findings and the learning from pilgrimage experiences might suggest for living life as pilgrimage.","PeriodicalId":42985,"journal":{"name":"Journal for the Study of Spirituality","volume":"10 1","pages":"84 - 94"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2020-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/20440243.2020.1726055","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46609255","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 : 2020-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2020.1726056
Rosemarie Anderson
ABSTRACT Over the last two decades, an important contribution from the field of transpersonal psychology to research is the development of transformative research methods by Rosemarie Anderson and the late William Braud. These methods invite researchers studying spiritual topics to bring their full humanity and personal creativity to the fore in the conduct of research, and to enact research as a journey of personal and cultural transformation. This article overviews the historical development of transformative research methods and details the unique characteristics and risks implicit in the methods. In closing, I encourage researchers in mainstream human science research and newly emerging fields, such as spiritual and contemplative studies, peace studies, and transformative leadership, to review their own understanding of research on spiritual topics in their unique fields.
{"title":"Transformative research methods: Research to nourish the spirit","authors":"Rosemarie Anderson","doi":"10.1080/20440243.2020.1726056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20440243.2020.1726056","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Over the last two decades, an important contribution from the field of transpersonal psychology to research is the development of transformative research methods by Rosemarie Anderson and the late William Braud. These methods invite researchers studying spiritual topics to bring their full humanity and personal creativity to the fore in the conduct of research, and to enact research as a journey of personal and cultural transformation. This article overviews the historical development of transformative research methods and details the unique characteristics and risks implicit in the methods. In closing, I encourage researchers in mainstream human science research and newly emerging fields, such as spiritual and contemplative studies, peace studies, and transformative leadership, to review their own understanding of research on spiritual topics in their unique fields.","PeriodicalId":42985,"journal":{"name":"Journal for the Study of Spirituality","volume":"10 1","pages":"103 - 95"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2020-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/20440243.2020.1726056","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42459031","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 : 2020-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2020.1726053
W. Mcsherry, L. Ross, Josephine Attard, R. van Leeuwen, T. Giske, Tormod Kleiven, A. Boughey
ABSTRACT In recent years, preparing nurses and midwives to feel competent and confident in providing spiritual care has become the subject of international research. There is an emerging body of evidence affirming the importance of spirituality in promoting the health and wellbeing of individuals. Despite this growing recognition, there are still inconsistencies in the way that undergraduate students in nursing and midwifery are taught and prepared to assess and address this dimension of the person, and fundamentally how these concepts are integrated within programmes of education. This article charts the evolution of a European programme of research, spanning a decade, exploring undergraduate nurses’ and midwives’ perception of spirituality and perceived competence in providing spiritual care. The research culminated in an educational research study that led to the co-production and development of best practice standards for spiritual care education and the launch of a network to sustain and advance this neglected area of nursing and midwifery practice.
{"title":"Preparing undergraduate nurses and midwives for spiritual care: Some developments in European education over the last decade","authors":"W. Mcsherry, L. Ross, Josephine Attard, R. van Leeuwen, T. Giske, Tormod Kleiven, A. Boughey","doi":"10.1080/20440243.2020.1726053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20440243.2020.1726053","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT In recent years, preparing nurses and midwives to feel competent and confident in providing spiritual care has become the subject of international research. There is an emerging body of evidence affirming the importance of spirituality in promoting the health and wellbeing of individuals. Despite this growing recognition, there are still inconsistencies in the way that undergraduate students in nursing and midwifery are taught and prepared to assess and address this dimension of the person, and fundamentally how these concepts are integrated within programmes of education. This article charts the evolution of a European programme of research, spanning a decade, exploring undergraduate nurses’ and midwives’ perception of spirituality and perceived competence in providing spiritual care. The research culminated in an educational research study that led to the co-production and development of best practice standards for spiritual care education and the launch of a network to sustain and advance this neglected area of nursing and midwifery practice.","PeriodicalId":42985,"journal":{"name":"Journal for the Study of Spirituality","volume":"10 1","pages":"55 - 71"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2020-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/20440243.2020.1726053","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48574526","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 : 2020-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2020.1726045
O. Robinson
ABSTRACT The MODI model is a dialectical way of comprehending the complementary relationship between science and spirituality. The model is founded on the notion that science and spirituality are domains of enquiry that both exemplify the values of modernity: open and embodied enquiry; the questioning of authority; and empowerment of the individual. The model captures the difference between science and spirituality by way of seven conceptual polarities: outer-inner; impersonal-personal; thinking-feeling; empirical-transcendental; mechanistic-purposive; verbal-ineffable; and explanation-contemplation. At the point where these dialectics overlap, the MODI model proposes an ‘interface space’ where science and spirituality overlap and combine. I further suggest that these seven polarities capture aspects of a fundamental ‘head-heart’ duality in human knowing, which is represented in a range of existing theories across philosophical, psychological and neurological levels. The model has predictive power and can help frame the growing interaction between science and spirituality that is a central feature of the contemporary world.
{"title":"A dialectical approach to understanding the relationship between science and spirituality: The MODI model","authors":"O. Robinson","doi":"10.1080/20440243.2020.1726045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20440243.2020.1726045","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The MODI model is a dialectical way of comprehending the complementary relationship between science and spirituality. The model is founded on the notion that science and spirituality are domains of enquiry that both exemplify the values of modernity: open and embodied enquiry; the questioning of authority; and empowerment of the individual. The model captures the difference between science and spirituality by way of seven conceptual polarities: outer-inner; impersonal-personal; thinking-feeling; empirical-transcendental; mechanistic-purposive; verbal-ineffable; and explanation-contemplation. At the point where these dialectics overlap, the MODI model proposes an ‘interface space’ where science and spirituality overlap and combine. I further suggest that these seven polarities capture aspects of a fundamental ‘head-heart’ duality in human knowing, which is represented in a range of existing theories across philosophical, psychological and neurological levels. The model has predictive power and can help frame the growing interaction between science and spirituality that is a central feature of the contemporary world.","PeriodicalId":42985,"journal":{"name":"Journal for the Study of Spirituality","volume":"10 1","pages":"15 - 28"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2020-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/20440243.2020.1726045","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45000983","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 : 2020-01-02DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2020.1726048
L. Kao, J. Peteet, Christopher C. H. Cook
ABSTRACT In many contexts, emotional ailments have been considered problems of religious or spiritual origin. Historically, religious groups were often the primary providers of mental health care. This changed over time with advances in medicine and Freud’s writings framing religion/spirituality (R/S) as a sign of neurosis. In the early- to mid-twentieth century, mental health and R/S were often viewed by Western clinicians and patients as separate and antithetical. Recent decades have been marked by another shift in thought, with increased interest in the overlap between mental health and R/S, and recognition that R/S may in fact serve protective and healing roles in the face of emotional suffering. There has been a concomitant increase in research investigating the connections between R/S and mental health, along with increased development and application of clinical interventions addressing the two in combination. In this narrative review, we summarize the history of how mental health and R/S have been viewed as relating to one another, recent research evidence on the effects of R/S on mental health, and clinical implications of these findings. We conclude with a discussion of ongoing challenges and opportunities in the study and application of how mental health and R/S affect one another.
{"title":"Spirituality and mental health","authors":"L. Kao, J. Peteet, Christopher C. H. Cook","doi":"10.1080/20440243.2020.1726048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20440243.2020.1726048","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT In many contexts, emotional ailments have been considered problems of religious or spiritual origin. Historically, religious groups were often the primary providers of mental health care. This changed over time with advances in medicine and Freud’s writings framing religion/spirituality (R/S) as a sign of neurosis. In the early- to mid-twentieth century, mental health and R/S were often viewed by Western clinicians and patients as separate and antithetical. Recent decades have been marked by another shift in thought, with increased interest in the overlap between mental health and R/S, and recognition that R/S may in fact serve protective and healing roles in the face of emotional suffering. There has been a concomitant increase in research investigating the connections between R/S and mental health, along with increased development and application of clinical interventions addressing the two in combination. In this narrative review, we summarize the history of how mental health and R/S have been viewed as relating to one another, recent research evidence on the effects of R/S on mental health, and clinical implications of these findings. We conclude with a discussion of ongoing challenges and opportunities in the study and application of how mental health and R/S affect one another.","PeriodicalId":42985,"journal":{"name":"Journal for the Study of Spirituality","volume":"10 1","pages":"42 - 54"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2020-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/20440243.2020.1726048","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"59998842","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 : 2019-07-03DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2019.1658261
Simon Peng-Keller
ABSTRACT In the current discussion of spirituality in healthcare, the historical and cultural backgrounds of spiritual terminology and practices are often neglected. Avoiding the standard narratives, which tend to be based on a single concept of spirituality, the present paper provides an overview of the genealogies of the term ‘spirituality’, paying particular attention to the concept’s heterogeneity and history of bifurcation. The historical reconstruction outlines the complex travels of spirituality in delineating the etymological legacies of early and mediaeval Christianity, late-mediaeval and early modern mysticism, romanticism and, finally, of the amalgamations of all these things in the twentieth century. Tracing the development of the terminology in this way will elucidate the historical roots of the current ambiguities of spirituality. Over time, spirituality has crossed different cultural spaces and has been invested with new meanings. The final sections concern the presence of the various pasts of spirituality and the ongoing travelling of this term in the world of healthcare. It will be argued that ‘spirituality’ shares its ambiguous character with the concept of ‘health’. As health-related spirituality is inevitably imbued with value and connected with healthcare politics and law, the task of clarifying this ‘travelling concept’ will remain as important as it is interminable. Research in the field of health-related spirituality must free itself from the illusion of universally valid concepts with stable meanings. An improved understanding of the many pasts of spirituality can make a valuable contribution to the perception and understanding of the fluid, emergent and sometimes contradictory phenomena associated with the concept.
{"title":"Genealogies of spirituality: An historical analysis of a travelling term","authors":"Simon Peng-Keller","doi":"10.1080/20440243.2019.1658261","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20440243.2019.1658261","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT In the current discussion of spirituality in healthcare, the historical and cultural backgrounds of spiritual terminology and practices are often neglected. Avoiding the standard narratives, which tend to be based on a single concept of spirituality, the present paper provides an overview of the genealogies of the term ‘spirituality’, paying particular attention to the concept’s heterogeneity and history of bifurcation. The historical reconstruction outlines the complex travels of spirituality in delineating the etymological legacies of early and mediaeval Christianity, late-mediaeval and early modern mysticism, romanticism and, finally, of the amalgamations of all these things in the twentieth century. Tracing the development of the terminology in this way will elucidate the historical roots of the current ambiguities of spirituality. Over time, spirituality has crossed different cultural spaces and has been invested with new meanings. The final sections concern the presence of the various pasts of spirituality and the ongoing travelling of this term in the world of healthcare. It will be argued that ‘spirituality’ shares its ambiguous character with the concept of ‘health’. As health-related spirituality is inevitably imbued with value and connected with healthcare politics and law, the task of clarifying this ‘travelling concept’ will remain as important as it is interminable. Research in the field of health-related spirituality must free itself from the illusion of universally valid concepts with stable meanings. An improved understanding of the many pasts of spirituality can make a valuable contribution to the perception and understanding of the fluid, emergent and sometimes contradictory phenomena associated with the concept.","PeriodicalId":42985,"journal":{"name":"Journal for the Study of Spirituality","volume":"9 1","pages":"86 - 98"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2019-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/20440243.2019.1658261","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47913108","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 : 2019-07-03DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2019.1658266
K. Hills, J. Clapton, P. Dorsett
ABSTRACT People with severe (nonverbal) autism are considerably under-researched and misunderstood. This is despite the number of diagnoses growing at epidemic proportions. Approximately 30% of people with autism are placed on the severe end of the spectrum, demonstrating social communication issues and severe speech deficits. This paper provides a reflection concerning the findings of a research study that explored the spirituality of people with barriers to traditional religious exposure, through the context of people with nonverbal autism. Spirituality and autism is a relatively new discipline, with scant information available pertaining to those with severe autism. Yet the humanness of this group, underpinned by the theological premise that values all people as carriers of the Imago Dei, is worthy of consideration. The traditional mystical disciplines of silence and solitude as enhancing spiritual awareness are explored alongside the life context that accompanies severe autism. Heightened sensitivity to sensory input typical of the condition is thought to be relevant to more subjective perceptions such as atmospheric changes and spiritual aptitude. Research data relaying unusual spiritual perception and experiences were confirmed by a number of works authored by people with nonverbal autism. This suggests the possibility that the life context of this population can be seen as conducive to spiritual aptitude rather than as a neurological deficit.
{"title":"Spirituality, silence and solitude: A reflective interpretation regarding mystery and people with nonverbal autism","authors":"K. Hills, J. Clapton, P. Dorsett","doi":"10.1080/20440243.2019.1658266","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20440243.2019.1658266","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT People with severe (nonverbal) autism are considerably under-researched and misunderstood. This is despite the number of diagnoses growing at epidemic proportions. Approximately 30% of people with autism are placed on the severe end of the spectrum, demonstrating social communication issues and severe speech deficits. This paper provides a reflection concerning the findings of a research study that explored the spirituality of people with barriers to traditional religious exposure, through the context of people with nonverbal autism. Spirituality and autism is a relatively new discipline, with scant information available pertaining to those with severe autism. Yet the humanness of this group, underpinned by the theological premise that values all people as carriers of the Imago Dei, is worthy of consideration. The traditional mystical disciplines of silence and solitude as enhancing spiritual awareness are explored alongside the life context that accompanies severe autism. Heightened sensitivity to sensory input typical of the condition is thought to be relevant to more subjective perceptions such as atmospheric changes and spiritual aptitude. Research data relaying unusual spiritual perception and experiences were confirmed by a number of works authored by people with nonverbal autism. This suggests the possibility that the life context of this population can be seen as conducive to spiritual aptitude rather than as a neurological deficit.","PeriodicalId":42985,"journal":{"name":"Journal for the Study of Spirituality","volume":"9 1","pages":"138 - 151"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2019-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/20440243.2019.1658266","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47327053","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 : 2019-07-03DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2019.1658263
Jacques Cherblanc, Marie-Anne Risdon
ABSTRACT The ‘spiritual care and guidance and community involvement service’ in Quebec has existed since 2001. It replaced pastoral animation in schools and is intended to promote the spiritual development and community involvement of all students, whether or not they are affiliated with a religion. This article presents the historical background that led to the development of this service; as well as the professional concerns of its stakeholders. The concerns raised are based on awareness of great diversity among those who provide this service, both in their training and in their understanding of the meanings of the terms that define their work. Presently working toward the professionalization that they deem essential to their very survival, they are using professional strategies that do not reflect their reality and abilities. This article seeks to demonstrate the relevance of changing perspectives so that this profession is not limited only to community involvement, but instead adopts an interactionist point of view, focused on the spiritual aspect of the role.
{"title":"‘Spiritual life’ as the heart of the professionalization process of spiritual and community animators in Quebec, Canada","authors":"Jacques Cherblanc, Marie-Anne Risdon","doi":"10.1080/20440243.2019.1658263","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20440243.2019.1658263","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The ‘spiritual care and guidance and community involvement service’ in Quebec has existed since 2001. It replaced pastoral animation in schools and is intended to promote the spiritual development and community involvement of all students, whether or not they are affiliated with a religion. This article presents the historical background that led to the development of this service; as well as the professional concerns of its stakeholders. The concerns raised are based on awareness of great diversity among those who provide this service, both in their training and in their understanding of the meanings of the terms that define their work. Presently working toward the professionalization that they deem essential to their very survival, they are using professional strategies that do not reflect their reality and abilities. This article seeks to demonstrate the relevance of changing perspectives so that this profession is not limited only to community involvement, but instead adopts an interactionist point of view, focused on the spiritual aspect of the role.","PeriodicalId":42985,"journal":{"name":"Journal for the Study of Spirituality","volume":"9 1","pages":"110 - 124"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2019-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/20440243.2019.1658263","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49530727","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}
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