"A timely book for busy people... offers biblical hope and spiritual health to those who fin... more "A timely book for busy people... offers biblical hope and spiritual health to those who find themselves seeking greater stillness amidst the hysteria of contemporary life."--Pete Grieg (12/28/2016) "A real gift, combining theology and psychology to show how a distinctively Christian mindfulness can help us become better disciples of Jesus Christ."--The Right Revd Dr Graham Tomlin (12/28/2016) "You will not find a more thorough analysis of the many issues that this subject brings up."--Dr Kate Middleton (12/28/2016)
This chapter brings together insights from the practice of rehabilitation medicine, positive psyc... more This chapter brings together insights from the practice of rehabilitation medicine, positive psychology, and Christian theology to identify a set of principles that could inform a virtuous higher education institution whose overall aim is the cultivation of wisdom for the whole of life, including its ending. These principles focus on the development of a clear sense of personal and social identity; positive self-worth and humility; attentiveness to the social and natural environment; the ability to balance different life areas appropriately; openness to “the other”; compassion; resilience; and the integration of different forms and areas of knowledge. The chapter argues that developments in the field of positive psychology offer a potentially rich resource of evidence-based practices that can be used to embed these principles in a learning community.
International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, Jul 1, 2013
ABSTRACT Religiosity and spirituality have been found to be negatively associated with a range of... more ABSTRACT Religiosity and spirituality have been found to be negatively associated with a range of addictions. It has been suggested that religious/spiritual well-being might play an important role in the development, course, and recovery from addictive disorders. A sample of addiction in-patients (N = 389) was assessed using the Multidimensional Inventory for Religious/Spiritual Well-Being (MI-RSWB) and compared with a matched group of nonaddicted community controls (N = 389). RSWB was found to be substantially lower in people with substance use disorders compared to the normal sample. Discriminate functional analysis showed that Experiences of Sense and Meaning, General Religiosity, and Forgiveness were the dimensions of RSWB that strongly distinguished the groups. Within the group of people with substance use disorders, RSWB was strongly positively associated with the personality dimensions of Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Openness as well as Sense of Coherence and positive Coping styles. The study suggests that therapeutic intervention programs focusing on building a positive and meaningful personal framework, akin to that of a religious/spiritual orientation, may contribute to positive outcomes in addiction treatment.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report a pilot study that evaluated an innovative pract... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report a pilot study that evaluated an innovative practice in a faith community context designed to help older people live well at the end of life and prepare for death. Design/methodology/approach – A simple audit of the intervention using a contemporaneous journal kept by the author, and a follow up questionnaire completed by participants. Findings – Rich findings on the process are reported. These indicate a high degree of engagement by participants, the establishment of a high degree of group intimacy and trust, a high level of articulation of wisdom, the emergence of significant anxiety in some isolated cases, and the use made of tea and cake to manage the transition between the existentially demanding nature of the discussions and normal life. The outcome indicated very high levels of appreciation and increased confidence in relation to issues of death and dying. Practical implications – The findings of the pilot have been used to inform training of clergy in the principles of working in this area (e.g. in ways of managing group dynamics and anxiety, pacing, tuning in to archetypes and the natural symbols that people use to talk about death and dying, self-care and supervision of the programme leader/facilitator). Originality/value – The paper adds to knowledge in terms of an in depth description of processes at work in a group of older people working on spiritual and practical issues in relation to death, and offers ideas for supporting older people in this process, some of which are specific to the Christian tradition, and some of which are more widely applicable to people of all faiths and none. It gives a specific worked example of what “spiritual care” in this area might look like.
"A timely book for busy people... offers biblical hope and spiritual health to those who fin... more "A timely book for busy people... offers biblical hope and spiritual health to those who find themselves seeking greater stillness amidst the hysteria of contemporary life."--Pete Grieg (12/28/2016) "A real gift, combining theology and psychology to show how a distinctively Christian mindfulness can help us become better disciples of Jesus Christ."--The Right Revd Dr Graham Tomlin (12/28/2016) "You will not find a more thorough analysis of the many issues that this subject brings up."--Dr Kate Middleton (12/28/2016)
This chapter brings together insights from the practice of rehabilitation medicine, positive psyc... more This chapter brings together insights from the practice of rehabilitation medicine, positive psychology, and Christian theology to identify a set of principles that could inform a virtuous higher education institution whose overall aim is the cultivation of wisdom for the whole of life, including its ending. These principles focus on the development of a clear sense of personal and social identity; positive self-worth and humility; attentiveness to the social and natural environment; the ability to balance different life areas appropriately; openness to “the other”; compassion; resilience; and the integration of different forms and areas of knowledge. The chapter argues that developments in the field of positive psychology offer a potentially rich resource of evidence-based practices that can be used to embed these principles in a learning community.
International Journal for the Psychology of Religion, Jul 1, 2013
ABSTRACT Religiosity and spirituality have been found to be negatively associated with a range of... more ABSTRACT Religiosity and spirituality have been found to be negatively associated with a range of addictions. It has been suggested that religious/spiritual well-being might play an important role in the development, course, and recovery from addictive disorders. A sample of addiction in-patients (N = 389) was assessed using the Multidimensional Inventory for Religious/Spiritual Well-Being (MI-RSWB) and compared with a matched group of nonaddicted community controls (N = 389). RSWB was found to be substantially lower in people with substance use disorders compared to the normal sample. Discriminate functional analysis showed that Experiences of Sense and Meaning, General Religiosity, and Forgiveness were the dimensions of RSWB that strongly distinguished the groups. Within the group of people with substance use disorders, RSWB was strongly positively associated with the personality dimensions of Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, and Openness as well as Sense of Coherence and positive Coping styles. The study suggests that therapeutic intervention programs focusing on building a positive and meaningful personal framework, akin to that of a religious/spiritual orientation, may contribute to positive outcomes in addiction treatment.
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report a pilot study that evaluated an innovative pract... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report a pilot study that evaluated an innovative practice in a faith community context designed to help older people live well at the end of life and prepare for death. Design/methodology/approach – A simple audit of the intervention using a contemporaneous journal kept by the author, and a follow up questionnaire completed by participants. Findings – Rich findings on the process are reported. These indicate a high degree of engagement by participants, the establishment of a high degree of group intimacy and trust, a high level of articulation of wisdom, the emergence of significant anxiety in some isolated cases, and the use made of tea and cake to manage the transition between the existentially demanding nature of the discussions and normal life. The outcome indicated very high levels of appreciation and increased confidence in relation to issues of death and dying. Practical implications – The findings of the pilot have been used to inform training of clergy in the principles of working in this area (e.g. in ways of managing group dynamics and anxiety, pacing, tuning in to archetypes and the natural symbols that people use to talk about death and dying, self-care and supervision of the programme leader/facilitator). Originality/value – The paper adds to knowledge in terms of an in depth description of processes at work in a group of older people working on spiritual and practical issues in relation to death, and offers ideas for supporting older people in this process, some of which are specific to the Christian tradition, and some of which are more widely applicable to people of all faiths and none. It gives a specific worked example of what “spiritual care” in this area might look like.
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