Faith-based Approach Research Articles

Religious savior-centered psychotherapy for depression: a focus on women’s well-being

ABSTRACT This study explores the effectiveness of Religious Savior-Centered Psychotherapy (RSCP) in treating depression in religious women. RSCP is a therapeutic approach that integrates Islamic teachings, particularly the concept of a Savior, with cognitive and behavioral strategies to address mental health challenges. Unlike traditional therapy models, RSCP emphasizes spiritual healing by fostering a strong connection to faith and a hopeful outlook for the future. The study aims to assess RSCP’s impact on depression in women by aligning with Islamic teachings and emphasizing positive future expectations. A pretest-posttest design with a two-month follow-up was employed to evaluate the effects of RSCP. The study included 70 women aged 18–60 from five counseling clinics in Tehran, all diagnosed with mild to moderate depression, and having expressed a belief in a Savior. MANCOVA was used to analyze the data, ensuring assumptions of normality and homogeneity of variances were met. MANCOVA results indicated a significant linear correlation between the treatment and depression levels (p < .05), with a large effect size (partial η2 = .61 for posttest and .54 for follow-up). Initial findings suggest RSCP’s potential benefit on mental well-being. RSCP has the potential to be integrated into existing mental health frameworks as a culturally sensitive option, particularly for Muslim women seeking faith-based approaches to mental health care. Future research with larger samples, randomized controlled trials, and longitudinal studies is needed to explore the effectiveness of this new positive psychotherapy approach.

Participants' Perspectives on Diabetes Self-Management Programming at Church: Faith-Placed Versus Faith-Based Approach.

The purpose of the study was to explore Hispanic adults' experiences participating in the Building a Healthy Temple diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) cluster randomized trial and collect their insights on intervention approach, delivery, content, impact, and suggested improvements for future DSMES programs delivered at church. Focus groups were conducted with participants from both intervention arms, that is, faith-based (FB) group and faith-placed group. Participating churches were predominantly Hispanic and located in San Antonio, Texas. Focus groups were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Inductive content analysis was performed with the assistance of NVivo software to code and categorize emerging themes. A total of 138 adult participants took part in the current study. Participants in both groups highly valued the church setting for its convenient location and support system and reported positive changes in diabetes-related beliefs, knowledge, skills, behaviors, and health outcomes. FB participants appreciated the incorporation of spiritual teachings and facilitation by lay leaders, which created a sense of empowerment and improved outlook on living with diabetes. Church holds promise as a setting for DSMES program delivery in Hispanic communities. Church-based DSMES programs using a FB approach may further facilitate program adoption and sustainability.

Mosques and Public Health Promotion: A Scoping Review of Faith-Driven Health Interventions.

Religious institutions play a crucial role in health promotion and hold significant influence in the public health field. The aim of this review is to examine outcomes of health-promoting interventions involving the use of mosques as the intervention venue, its role in promoting health behavior change, and the role of theory in each intervention. A scoping review was conducted across 17 databases for relevant publications published up to and including August 2023 that involved the use of mosques as the intervention venue. Fourteen articles met inclusion criteria and were reviewed. The studies featured a wide range of interventions. However, only eight of these studies integrated theoretical frameworks into their approaches, indicating a need for more structured guidance in this field. These theoretical frameworks included Participatory Action Research (PAR), the theory of planned behavior, behavior-change constructs, the patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) framework, and prolonged exposure techniques within Islamic principles. The review identified three main health-focused intervention categories: mental health, prevention, and communication, each providing valuable insights into initiatives within Muslim communities. This review underscores the significance of inclusive and culturally sensitive health interventions, emphasizing the effectiveness of faith-based approaches in improving health outcomes, promoting positive health behaviors, and addressing communication and cultural barriers. The reviews findings stress the need for further research that incorporates theoretical frameworks and tailored interventions to meet the specific cultural needs of these communities, ultimately contributing to enhanced well-being within them.

Faith-based approach in the control of substance abuse: interventional perspective of Hisbah in Northern Nigeria

Faith-based approach in the control of substance abuse: interventional perspective of Hisbah in Northern Nigeria

Nexus between Faith and Therapeutic Interventions in the Rehabilitation of Offenders: A Case Study of the Muslim Minority Community in South Africa

Throughout history, religion has been known to play an important role in regulating behaviour contributing to social order. It provides a moral foundation based on religious values and norms that prescribe and proscribe behaviour. Despite such a role, religion has been subjected to secular forms of social control through enacted rules for appropriate behaviour in society. Deviations from such rules are subject to prosecution and, in many instances, incarceration in correctional centres. In an attempt to rehabilitate the offender, both faith-based and secular therapeutic programmes are important aspects of rehabilitation. While this article briefly addresses secular intervention programmes, it focuses on how faith-based approaches can support and collaborate with other helping professions in promoting prosocial behaviour of offenders. The study draws on the experiences of other minority Muslims communities in the northern hemisphere, who have engaged with faith-based programmes in correctional centres. The case of the South Africa Muslim chaplaincy is presented to examine its nature, scope, and programmes offered to offenders in South African correctional centres. The study concludes that there is a space for faith-based approaches to be interfaced with and integrated in therapeutic programmes.

Democracy as Secular Theodicy

Scholars across political philosophy, theology, economics, sociology, sociobiology, and history presently acknowledge that theistic and secular religions are similar in form and function. This essay goes further by establishing that all religions are congruent and otherwise complementary rather than being merely similar. All religions, regardless of their basis, are institutionalized behavioral responses to the “evil” represented by the scarcity of economic resources. All religions serve to unify populations for defense, cooperation, and production and proffer apologias for evil’s persistence in the presence of presumptively omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent sovereigns (gods, kings, elected officials, etc.). All religions comprise a mix of metaphysical constructs and all religious “truths” are pragmatic in the sense of reflecting “what works,” to what end it works, and for whom it works. Leibnizian theodicy, an aspect of theology and precursor of radical utilitarianism and welfare economics, argues that creating “the best of all possible worlds” entails divine trade-offs that purportedly minimize evil. Today’s political economics and philosophy similarly entail faith-based approaches to creating “the greatest good for the greatest number,” often implying the backing of divine wisdom. The upshot is the panoply of man-made evils, often intentional, that are characteristic of illiberal democratic majorities and theocratic states.

Establishing Inclusion for SEN in Faith-based Schools in Thailand: A Case Study

In Thailand, research on inclusion program predominantly focused on inclusion programs in government-run schools. The need to understand specific inclusion of students with special needs (SEN) within faith-based settings cannot be neglected. This study addresses this gap by investigating the processes by which diverse faith-based schools in Thailand foster the inclusion of students with special needs. Through in-depth interviews with nine participants and observations from two faith-based schools, a case study was employed, incorporating within-case and cross-case analysis. Findings reveal that faith-based schools established inclusion models aligned to the schools’ mission statements and values. Inclusive practices were open communication, parental involvement, teachers’ collaboration, and specific inclusion strategies such as accommodation and modification, as well as celebrating diversity and inclusion. Barriers to inclusion include lack of knowledge, skills, and training in inclusion. Further research on the long-term influence of faith-based schools’ values on inclusion practices and the quality of life of SEN can enhance global understanding of faith-based approaches to inclusivity.

Reasonable accommodations and security agendas in multicultural societies: Secular and faith-based approaches to citizenship education in Canada, France and England

In liberal democracies citizenship education is a form of secular worldviews education that focuses on politics and promotes human rights as universal principles. Canada, a bilingual federal state with connections to both Britain and France, illustrates both a liberal nationalist approach, comparable to Britain, in the Anglophone provinces, and radically secularist policies, comparable to France, in the province of Quebec. In a context of global migration and demographic diversity, Canada was a notable pioneer in developing educational responses to its state policies of multiculturalism and human rights. Canadian scholars Charles Taylor and Will Kymlicka developed theories of recognition and reasonable accommodation that accepted religion as both a marker of identity and a set of principles to inform behaviour and decisions. However, national security agendas have also driven education policy in Canada and Europe in response to terrorism motivated by ideological interpretations of religion. Security concerns curtail freedom of religious expression in secularist traditions but also in liberal traditions that recognise the salience of religion. The article argues that education for cosmopolitan citizenship challenges security agendas based on promoting nationalism and that recognition and reasonable accommodation are more likely to promote social cohesion and preserve traditions of democracy and human rights.

What is engagement?

This text explores the nuances of choice and consequence through the philosophical lenses of Pascal and Sartre. It contrasts Pascal?s transcendental faith-based approach with Sartre?s terrestrial decision-making, emphasizing the inherent paradox of engagement beginning before choice. It argues that authentic choice demands embracing the unknown and its extreme consequences, rejecting the spectator?s role for active participation. The text also examines the intellectual?s duality, caught between bourgeois origins and subaltern solidarity, and the antinomy of integrating science and revolution. It concludes with reflections on the intellectual?s role in revolutionary movements, highlighting the necessity of continuous critical engagement and the interplay of truth and error.

Developing a Biblical Solution Model for Mitigating Phishing Risks Among Internet Banking Users in Nigeria: The Initial Investigation.

Purpose: This study aims to develop a comprehensive biblical solution model for mitigating phishing risks among Internet banking (IB) users in Nigeria by integrating trust in God, belief in God, and righteous behavior within the local context. Design/Methodology/Approach: A cross-sectional survey employing stratified sampling will gather data from a diverse sample of IB users. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) will be utilized to analyze relationships among constructs, including belief in God, belief in oneself, wisdom, understanding, consequences, defenselessness, trust in God, behaving righteously, and becoming righteous. Findings: The study introduces a novel biblical-based solution model, highlighting the significant influence of belief in God, belief in oneself, wisdom, and understanding on righteous behavior. Trust in God moderates the relationship between behaving righteously and becoming righteous, emphasizing the transformative power of faith in cybersecurity. Research Limitations/Implications: Limitations include the potential for response bias in self-reported data and the need for further validation of the proposed model. Implications revolve around the practical application of a faith-based approach to cybersecurity in the banking sector. Practical Implications: Banking institutions should consider incorporating the biblical solution model into their cybersecurity strategies, fostering trust and righteous behavior among IB users. This approach has the potential to enhance security and confidence in online banking. Originality/Value: This study pioneers the integration of biblical principles and glocalization into cybersecurity strategies, offering a unique perspective on phishing risk mitigation. It contributes to the literature on cybersecurity and provides practical insights for the Nigerian banking industry. Recommendations: We recommend that banking institutions in Nigeria explore the implementation of the proposed biblical solution model to bolster their cybersecurity efforts. Further empirical research is needed to validate and fine-tune the model, adapting it to diverse cultural contexts and enhancing its effectiveness in combating phishing threats.

Experience of Adults with Substance Use, Mental Health, and Homelessness Issues: A Combined 12-Step Faith-Based Program and Complementary Therapeutic Recreation Interventions

There is a significant association between substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health (MH) issues for adults experiencing homelessness. Therapeutic Recreation (TR) is utilized as a treatment intervention for many populations including individuals experiencing SUD and MH issues through the use of recreation and leisure to address various physical, cognitive, emotional, social, and spiritual needs, as well as improve quality of life and well-being. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the experience of 12 adults with SUD, MH, and homelessness issues engaging in a variety of evidence-based practice (EBP) TR led activities involving complementary integrative health (CIH), adventure teambuilding, and creative arts combined with a 12-step faith-based recovery meeting. Twelve sessions took place for 2 hours, twice a week over 6 weeks at a residential treatment Christian mission. The thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes: 1) building a caring community, 2) finding a new enjoyable way out of addiction, and 3) calm healing through creative complementary spiritual activities. These findings indicate that combining various forms of EBP TR activities with peer support 12-step faith-based meeting added value to the recovery process. This case study adds to the current literature on how the combining EBP TR with a 12-step faith-based approach might aide in the healing process for adults with MH, SUD, and homelessness problems.

Using a participatory approach to encourage uptake of breast, colorectal, and cervical cancer screening for Scottish Muslim women: a pilot qualitative study

BackgroundMuslim women use cancer screening less often than the general female population, which puts them at risk of delayed detection. We used an asset-based approach to co-design a faith-based intervention to increase uptake of breast, colorectal, and cervical screening in Scottish Muslim women. MethodsIn this pilot qualitative study, we recruited Muslim women (n=28) of Asian and Arab ethnicity, aged 25–74 years, through snowball sampling from community organisations in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Ten of these women participated in four online workshops in February, 2021, with the aim to codesign the intervention, underpinned by the socio-ecological model and the behaviour change wheel. The final intervention included health education delivered by doctors, testimonials by Muslim women sharing experiences of cancer or screening, and the perspective on cancer screening from a female religious scholar. The intervention was delivered to two groups of eight and ten Muslim women respectively, in March 2021. A week later, the 18 women participated in two focus groups to qualitatively evaluate the intervention. Analyses were conducted thematically. FindingsThemes included barriers to screening, acceptability of content and delivery, attitudinal change, and intervention improvement. Participants believed that lack of awareness was an important barrier to screening. They found the intervention informative. They particularly liked the combination of multiple components, including spirituality, culture, and health education. They valued the faith-based element and highlighted how Islam could facilitate overcoming cultural barriers including social stigma, embarrassment, and modesty, although this could vary with different levels of religiosity. Participants also emphasised that faith-based approaches in isolation would not be enough. They appreciated input of trusted sources such as doctors and religious scholars and were especially drawn to personal narratives. Participants expressed preference for face-to-face delivery and advised using translators to overcome language barriers. InterpretationBarriers to screening are complex. Using faith as an asset, integrated with the socio-ecological model and behaviour change wheel, resulted in a holistic intervention tackling multiple barriers, which appealed to participants. Collaborating with communities and faith leaders can help to develop culturally sensitive interventions that harness positive aspects of faith for better health outcomes. Intervention effectiveness needs more robust investigation, which we are undertaking in a feasibility study with 200 Muslim women in northeast England and Scotland. FundingScottish Inequalities Fund, the Scottish Government.

Ethics of ‘Translational’ Acts in Islamic Feminist Writings: An Analysis of Selected Academic Contributions

This article explores translation as a process and an act in the field of Islamic Feminism. It focuses on the interplay between translator's visibility and ethics in translational activities by Islamic Feminist writers, who mainly produce their work in English, when they cite the Qur’an and prophetic traditions and build their arguments upon this activity. Drawing on a select corpus of influential texts in the field, the article argues that translation in this faith-based approach to feminism is inevitable, and examines the ways in which this non-Arabic transnational feminist narrative contributes to changing, or at least opening spaces for, the discussion on Muslim women's issues and conditions.

The REBOOT First Responders Program: Insights of U.S. Graduates.

The REBOOT First Responders program offers spiritual care for occupational stress. Although prior work suggests benefits to the program, no research has considered attendees' experiences in an open-ended way. The aim of this study was to document first responders' thoughts about the effectiveness, evaluation, and effects of the course in their own words. Interviews with 36 graduates living in the U.S. indicated favorable perceptions of the course. Reasons for success included the program's tangible benefits, community atmosphere, and faith-based approach (RQ1). Strengths involved helping first responders realize they are not alone and educating them about trauma; recommended upgrades involved customizing to specific occupations and offering ongoing support (RQ2). Effects included more self-acceptance, enhanced spirituality, better relationships, a more constructive view of trauma, and greater optimism about the future (RQ3). These results have implications for improving spiritual care for first responders.

Physician Resilience and the Little Way

Many triggers for shame that lead to physician burnout occur during patient care or the medical learning environment. Many resilience programs are available to medical students and physicians, yet incorporate non-faith principles. The Little Way as developed by St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus would be a most effective way to incorporate spirituality into our daily duties. This article will explain the need for physician resilience and virtue ethics within our profession. Then, the article will describe the Little Way and apply its principles to healthcare to implement a faith-based approach to physician resilience.

Religious schools: a transparent right to discriminate?

ABSTRACT Discrimination laws have long contained exceptions for otherwise unlawful discriminatory conduct. An increasing site of tension has been the exceptions granted to religious schools. These schools maintain that they should be able to adopt an approach to education which reflects the faith-based ethos of the school community. However, there are concerns that some faith-based approaches can cause harm to, and exclude, LGBTIQ+ staff and students. An approach that has been under active consideration in Australia is to allow some discrimination by religious schools so long as they give public notice of their policy of doing so. This ‘notice provision’ exists in several state and territory discrimination laws, and has been considered in recent law reform inquiries across the country. In this paper, we challenge the underlying idea that prior notice justifies discriminatory conduct. We argue that such an approach sits uncomfortably with the conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of discrimination law, and that transparency is an insufficient reason to permit discrimination. Notice provisions appear to evade, rather than answer, the question of how to balance competing human rights to religious freedom and equality. As such, we argue that discrimination by religious schools cannot be justified on the basis of notice.

Catholic Education: Reclaiming the Prophetic in an Age of Neoliberalism

The prevailing current context of neoliberalism has often been viewed as curtailing the prophetic expression of the Catholic identity of Catholic educational institutions (CEIs). This article proposes that only by reclaiming their prophetic identity can CEIs flourish authentically in the neoliberal era. A faith-based approach to addressing the challenges of neoliberalism is presented, drawing upon the principles of prophetic imagination described by Brueggemann. The neoliberal concept of strategic planning is presented using four nuanced characteristics of a Catholic strategic planning process to express the CEI’s prophetic nature.

Adjudication and Treatment of Narcotic Drug Offenders in Ghana

Narcotic drug trafficking is a criminal and punishable offence in every country the world over. The use of certain narcotic drugs, on the other hand (especially marijuana), has been legalised in some countries, but under strict regulations. Like other countries, and as a signatory to the United Nations Conventions on narcotic drugs, Ghana has implemented severe punitive sanctions for narcotic drug-related offences to deter people from engaging in this crime. This paper assesses in detail the legal regime dealing with the adjudication and treatment of narcotic drug offenders in Ghana. It reveals that narcotic-related offences carry severe sentences including fines, imprisonment, or both fine and imprisonment. However, as narcotic drug use is currently deemed a public health issue, offenders may be sentenced to treatment facilities rather than imprisonment. Such treatment may be received in either a public or a private facility, and involves a combination of evidence-based and faith-based approaches.

Exploring a faith-based approach to puberty education in Tanzania.

Many adolescents in Tanzania do not receive timely and comprehensive puberty education. This study explored faith-based organizations a site for puberty education. Two puberty books, each developed through participatory research with Tanzanian adolescents and stakeholders, were promoted to 177 Christian denomination churches in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania to understand the factors that faith leaders considered in their decision to purchase puberty books, or share information about the intervention to their peers and congregants. Data collection included routine monitoring via weekly reports and ethnographic observation. Data were analyzed using the Ecological Framework for Health Promotion to capture how individual, interpersonal, and institutional factors influenced leaders' decisions to purchase or promote puberty books. At the individual level, leaders cited their personal experiences in their support for the intervention, but leaders' time and confidence in their ability to effectively promote books to others were barriers to participation. Interpersonally, the diffusion of information between church leaders, particularly when information came from well-known or respected leaders, emerged as an important factor in leaders' willingness to promote books. At the institutional level, leaders' decisions were impacted by resources, institutional culture, and institutional hierarchy. Importantly, twelve churches in the sample purchased books. Limited financial resources and the need to receive approval from denominational leaders were discussed by leaders as barriers to purchasing books. Despite research showing high religiosity in Tanzania, the role of religious institutions in providing puberty education has remained unexplored. Our results inform future research and practice by providing an articulation of the socioecological factors that played a role in faith leaders' decisions related to puberty education interventions in Tanzania.

Workplace spirituality: The fifth gospel for the modern workplace?

In this article, the argument is developed that workplace spirituality can be used within practical theology to understand developments within the workplace. This can enable the church to give effective guidance to the congregation on finding meaning and purpose within the workplace. The value of workplace spirituality for both practical theology (as science) and the church (as organisation) will be debated in this article. In this study, it is accepted that workplace spirituality is not the same as religion even though the two concepts are not disjoint. This study first attends to workplace spirituality and then to the role of practical theology in workplace spirituality. Based on the discussion of the difference between religion and spirituality, and what spirituality is, including the dimensions of spirituality, the working definition used in this study is that workplace spirituality engenders spiritual growth and development of employees which creates purpose, meaning, and community within the organisational context. In the part on practical theology, it is argued that practical theology has three domains, namely the church, society, and academia (or science). The study presents the perspective that the workplace is a study focus for practical theology. The practice of workplace spirituality should be studied in practical theology thereafter practical theology can develop a faith-based approach to spirituality. This can be useful to understand the construct and practice of faith-based workplace spirituality without the one faith tradition dominating over the other.