Faith Perspectives Research Articles

The Struggles of Victims of Sexual Abuse Who Seek Pastoral Care

The main focus of this research was on sexually abused individuals’ experiences and their perceptions of the benefits and shortcomings of pastoral care, including their experiences of raising faith-related issues in psychotherapy. Our interest was upon sexual abuse that occurred outside religious congregations, that is, that was not perpetrated by a minister or a representative of the Church. Interviews were conducted with seven women and one man, and transcripts were analyzed according to inductive thematic analysis. The informants described their struggle to get help, their difficulty in raising the topic of sexual abuse in pastoral care, their need to be recognized, their feelings of ambiguity, and their sometimes contradictory needs. They described their struggles with faith, their need to express their doubts, and their wish not to be rushed toward forgiveness. It was important to the informants that pastoral caregivers be aware of their therapeutic limits and be willing to refer them to another helper if necessary. They also described feeling misunderstood from a faith perspective in psychotherapy and wished psychotherapists would gain a deeper understanding about the faith implications of sexual abuse.

Climate Change Education in the Southeastern U.S. Through Public Dialogue: Not Just Preaching to the Choir

ABSTRACT Climate change education in the southeastern United States can be challenging. Due to economic factors, as well as the conservative political and faith perspectives typical of the region, high proportions (40%) of the population are not engaged, not convinced, or doubt Earth's climate is changing or that climate change has anthropogenic causes. Finding ways to bring such people into the climate change conversation is a crucial first step. This paper describes a public dialogue approach that brings together scientists with heterogeneous groups of faith, leisure/outdoor, educator, and agriculture communities to promote perspective sharing in an open and safe environment. It also describes the research we conducted on participants' experiences. Participants' postdialogue responses showed that they rated their learning about policies that might address climate change more strongly than their learning about climate science or the impacts of climate change. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of postdialogue evaluations found that three factors explained 63% of the variability in the data and represented substantively distinct components of participants' experiences: (1) feeling respected, (2) learning about climate science and policy content, and (3) learning about faith-based and other new and different perspectives about the issue. Qualitative findings supported quantitative results, suggesting that respondents felt comfortable speaking freely about their views on climate change, politics, and religion and that they valued engaging with diverse groups to have an open discussion about climate change. The dialogue approach has potential to depolarize climate change discourse through relationship building so that diverse communities can engage in productive and civil conversations expressing multiple perspectives.

Catholic education: from and for faith

Catholic education arises from the deep structures and earliest traditions of Christian faith. Its commitments throughout the centuries have been to educate both from and for faith. It educates from a faith perspective by drawing upon the universal values of Catholicism to provide a distinctive philosophy, perhaps even more so a spirituality, for its curriculum, purpose and ethos. It educates for faith by proposing Christian faith in ways that all students, regardless of their traditions, can learn from it for their lives. These symbiotic purposes face new challenges in our ‘secular age’ (Taylor, 2007. A Secular Age. Harvard University Press). However, by drawing upon its deepest faith-based convictions, Catholic education can continue to educate effectively from and for faith, and is all the more needed ‘for the life of the world’ (John 6:51).

Religious motivation for mitigating human-forced climate change

Purpose – Religious organizations are among the non-government groups in the USA that are addressing climate change phenomena from their various faith perspectives and, despite the differences in their traditions and practices, are collaborating with one another to achieve their mutual goal – the establishment of policies that will mitigate the real and anticipated perils scientists are forecasting. If sufficiently motivated by their faith, informed by climate science, and politically astute, these groups may be reliable allies for climate change decision-makers to tap as they strive to achieve their mutual goal. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Focusing on the Coalition on Environment and Jewish Life, the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change, and Interfaith Power and Light, the author explores the diverse religious faith-based motivations underpinning their efforts, the extent to which they remain cognizant of the latest climate science, the structures through which t...

Learning from Tuskegee

I write this following a visit to the National Center for Bioethics in Research and Healthcare and the School of Nursing at Tuskegee University, Alabama, United States. At this time, we are also preparing for the launch of our new International Care Ethics (ICE) Observatory at the University of Surrey, in collaboration with the Ethox Foundation. The ICE Observatory will replace the International Centre for Nursing Ethics (ICNE). The history of Tuskegee University is intertwined with the history of slavery and the emancipation of African Americans. The first principal of the then school at Tuskegee, Booker T. Washington, was born into slavery and witnessed the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. His autobiography details the life of a man, without bitterness, utterly committed to the transformative potential of education to improve the conditions of marginalised groups and the need for service to local communities. For one movie perspective on this period of American history, readers should see the recent film 12 Years a Slave, which shows the dehumanising impact of slavery and the complexity, cruelty and perversity of master/slave relationships in the southern states of the United States. The establishment of the National Center for Bioethics at Tuskegee University in 1999 followed another exploitative historical episode, this time relating to research ethics in the 20th century. The centre was supported by Executive Order, following an apology to research participants, from US President Bill Clinton in response to the exposure of the US Public Health Service (USPHS) Syphilis Study at Tuskegee. The study ran from 1932 to 1972. In all, 399 Black African Americans who were infected with syphilis were recruited into the USPHS study, designed to study the natural progression of syphilis, without being told the true nature of the study or that treatment was available following the discovery of antibiotics in the 1940s. Conversations with Tuskegee University staff and students, and subsequent reading, confirmed the importance of interdisciplinary bioethical perspectives. The scope of the discussion of bioethics was wide-ranging with reference to historical, sociological, economic and faith perspectives and relating to race, class, gender, age and sexual orientation, particularly as related to health and flourishing. A definition of this broader approach to bioethics is proposed by Tuskegee bioethicist and professor, Stephen Olufemi Sodeke, as follows:

HIV/AIDS activism, framing and identity formation in Mozambique's Equipas de Vida

This article ethnographically explores faith-based mobilization around HIV and AIDS in Mozambique. It explains mobilization strategies and their outcomes in the case of the community-based HIV response teams of the Anglican Church in the Diocese of Niassa in Northern Mozambique. Engaging constructivist perspectives from social movement theory, especially those focusing on framing processes and collective identities, this article illustrates how such perspectives can be used in the study of African settings and shows the complexity of motivations behind volunteerism. While church leaders stress biblical frames and community agency to motivate involvement, this article argues that these frames compete against dependency and diverging attitudes within culture at large towards volunteerism. The primary theological frame that church leaders use to mobilize the HIV-response teams focuses on compassion and facilitates the participation of volunteers from other faith perspectives.

NOVEMBER 2013 PLACEMENT ADS

NOVEMBER 2013 PLACEMENT ADS

HIV/AIDS activism, framing and identity formation in Mozambique's Equipas de Vida

This article ethnographically explores faith-based mobilization around HIV and AIDS in Mozambique. It explains mobilization strategies and their outcomes in the case of the community-based HIV response teams of the Anglican Church in the Diocese of Niassa in Northern Mozambique. Engaging constructivist perspectives from social movement theory, especially those focusing on framing processes and collective identities, this article illustrates how such perspectives can be used in the study of African settings and shows the complexity of motivations behind volunteerism. While church leaders stress biblical frames and community agency to motivate involvement, this article argues that these frames compete against dependency and diverging attitudes within culture at large towards volunteerism. The primary theological frame that church leaders use to mobilize the HIV-response teams focuses on compassion and facilitates the participation of volunteers from other faith perspectives.

A Faith Dimension on the Landscape of Teachers: Muslim Teachers on Recruitment, Retention and Career Advancement

A significant area of teacher education is the increasing focus in many countries on how faith and schooling should best be understood. Yet, understanding faith perspectives in the lives and careers of teachers appears to be an under-researched area. To this end, the experiences of professional Muslim teachers in state primary schools in England were explored using semi-structured in-depth life history interviews. This paper focuses on their views regarding the recruitment, retention and career advancement of Muslim teachers in particular, as part of Black and minority ethnic teachers in Britain. Findings reveal a positive picture and their representation at various levels of the hierarchy in the profession has increased. The study, therefore, draws attention for further research on successful teachers from various faith communities.

Preparing for God Knows What: The Importance of Gender-sensitive Mentoring for Female Students on Christian Campuses

Integrating prior research focused on gender climate and expectations in Christian higher education, this article describes mentoring models and strategies sensitive to dual family and career goals frequently expressed by female students. Discussion includes a review of literature relevant to women's mentoring on Christian campuses, exploration of ways different gender-sensitive mentoring models and strategies can be effectively implemented, and recommendations for more intentional integration of faith and gender perspectives in mentoring relationships. Vignettes based on actual student experiences are used to illustrate relevant issues and mentoring concepts. Gender-sensitive mentoring is especially important on Christian campuses since females comprise the majority of student populations and may receive contradictory messages regarding the relative importance of professional and personal priorities due to conflicting scripturally-based perspectives on faith and gender. The paper offers mentoring resources relevant to Christian gender ideologies, expectations, and related areas of student well-being, and ideas that may assist faculty and staff members involved in mentoring to engage in discussions of faith and gender with female students.

The practice experience of evangelical Christian occupational therapists

Occupational therapists who are religious are more likely to address spirituality in practice; however, little is known regarding the practice experience of therapists who hold particular faith perspectives. To examine the practice experience of evangelical Christian occupational therapists in the context of professional emphasis on spirituality as a largely secular domain of practice. . A qualitative, interpretivist approach was used for this study. Seven evangelical Christian occupational therapists were engaged in in-depth interviews; verbatim transcripts were thematically coded. Christianity was viewed as a practice resource through the use of private prayer and Christian values to support compassionate practice. Evangelical Christian occupational therapists navigated the tensions of working in a secular healthcare system through awareness of work environment and client cues, restrained expression of faith, as well as the experience of increased scrutiny for potential boundary violations. Evangelical Christian therapists may struggle with secular interpretations of spirituality in practice. Yet they may also display heightened awareness concerning potential boundary violations.

The Accra ConfessionAn example of the ecclesiological implications of public theology

The report of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) in Ghana in 2004 with the title The Accra Confession: Covenanting for Justice, has resonated within the Reformed churches worldwide. In this document, WARC, as an alliance of faith communities, reacts to the devastating effects of economic globalisation. It offers a faith perspective on a phenomenon, the negative consequences of which all people, but especially those in the global South, are experiencing. Following an extensive summary of the document, this article will reflect upon some ecclesiological implications and problems related to being a church that intends to speak out on social and public issues. In order to better understand the way Reformed churches tend to go public, a comparison will be made between the Accra document and a recent document issued by the Roman Catholic Church that also deals with public issues.

Translating Neuroethics: Reflections from Muslim Ethics

Muslim ethics is cautiously engaging developments in neuroscience. In their encounters with developments in neuroscience such as brain death and functional magnetic resonance imaging procedures, Muslim ethicists might be on the cusp of spirited debates. Science and religion perform different kinds of work and ought not to be conflated. Cultural translation is central to negotiating the complex life worlds of religious communities, Muslims included. Cultural translation involves lived encounters with modernity and its byproduct, modern science. Serious ethical debate requires more than just a mere instrumental encounter with science. A robust Muslim approach to neuroethics might require an emulsion of religion and neuroscience, thought and body, and body and soul. Yet one must anticipate that Muslim debates in neuroethics will be inflected with Muslim values, symbols and the discrete faith perspectives of this tradition with meanings that are specific to people who share this worldview and their concerns.

Kirpans, Law, and Religious Symbols in Schools

SATVINDER SINGH JUSS (PhD, Cantab; Barrister-at-Law of Gray’s Inn; Human Rights Fellow, Harvard Law School) is professor of law at Dickson Poon Law School, Kings College London, and is director for the Center for Transnational Law. His articles have appeared in Cambridge Law Journal, Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, Harvard Human Rights Journal, Modern Law Review, Brigham Young University Law Review, Journal of Church & State, International Journal of Refugee Law, Journal of Conflict and Security Law, Statute Law Review, and Human Rights Quarterly. Special interests include religion, refugees and immigration, and human rights. This is a modified version of a paper presented by the author at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury at a Roundtable on Human Rights, Human Dignity and Faith, at Lambeth Palace on January 13, 2012. This event brought together a high level group of academics from the field of human rights, ethics, and theology, and senior personnel from international development and human rights organizations to reflect on the current global context of human rights discourse. The roundtable discussion was aimed at exploring the historic connections and current tensions between the human rights discourse and some cultural and faith perspectives. See also http:// blogs.unicef.org.uk/authentic_voices/archive/2012/01/17/human-rights-andfaith-roundtable-at-lambeth-palace.aspx.

There's Room for All of Us: Discerning Your Role in the Integration Movement

There are many creative ways to combine psychology with religious and spiritual beliefs, as shown in recent writings on the interface between Christianity and psychology (Johnson, 2010; Stevenson, Eck, & Hill, 2007). To help Christians with interests in psychology begin to discern where they might best fit within this larger integration movement, this brief article raises several practical questions. The questions focus on five areas: bases for truth claims, personal strengths and weaknesses, desired amount of uniformity in faith perspectives, wounds or negative past experiences, and sources of motivation and passion. These questions are presented in a personal style with the aim of encouraging self-reflection. By considering questions such as these, along with factors such as personality traits and seasons of life, Christians who are unsure of their place in the world of psychology may begin to identify areas where they could make distinctive and meaningful contributions.

Monotheistic Faith Perspectives on Brain Death, DNR, Patient Autonomy and Health Care Costs

Monotheistic Faith Perspectives on Brain Death, DNR, Patient Autonomy and Health Care Costs

Canada and Pure Land, a New Field and Buddha-Land: Womanists and Buddhists Reading Together

Canada and Pure Land, a New Field and Buddha-Land:Womanists and Buddhists Reading Together Jennifer Leath Religion, in theory and in praxis, is often a journey through and to territories known and unknown. Sometimes the paths of particular traditions seem to avoid intersection at all costs. Thus, it is no small accomplishment that Womanists and scholars and practitioners of Buddhism, who typically reflect very different demographic groups, have been in dialogue about Buddhist texts. I participated in two dialogues, in 2009 and 2011, which brought together scholars and practitioners of Buddhism and of Womanism, as well as scholars of Black religion more broadly, to read Buddhist texts from our individual and collective scholarly and faith perspectives. These dialogues addressed several challenges facing Womanist scholarship and praxis. The three discussed in this essay are (1) the Christian parameters that continue to constrain much contemporary Womanist discourse, (2) the ways that Womanism negotiates orthopraxy, and (3) the unique ways that Womanist scholarship and practice pursue liberation amid various postmodern conditions. Ultimately, the content and methodology of the Womanist-Buddhist dialogues inspire new ways to approach and mediate among these challenges. Throughout the dialogues, it became increasingly clear that the traditions of Womanism and Buddhism are similar insofar as they trouble the category of religion, while they contribute to the study of religion. I will begin with a brief exegesis that exemplifies one way of reading and weaving Womanism and Buddhism. Next, I will expound upon the three challenges mentioned above. Finally, I will raise some questions and concerns that must inform the ongoing development of Womanist-Buddhist dialogue. In the process, I will invite Womanist and Buddhist scholars to refashion our concepts of journey and destination. Canada and Pure Land: Journeys Toward Freedom According to Alice Walker's definition, among other things, a Womanist is: "Traditionally capable, as in: 'Mama, I'm walking to Canada and I'm taking you and a bunch of other slaves with me.' Reply: 'It wouldn't be the first time.'"1 This is important [End Page 57] because it underscores the three-dimensional nature of Womanism: (1) it is rooted in convictions (i.e., faith), not least of which is a commitment to liberation; (2) it is confirmed through praxis (i.e., walking to Canada—and taking others); and (3) it is something about which one may write (i.e., scholarship). It is also important because it establishes the significance of distinct and intersecting "movements": through space, place, time, and social position. Walking to Canada refers to movement from the Southern slave territories of the United States to the Northern free territories of Canada (i.e., movement through space, from one place to another). "Walking to Canada" is both ideological and pragmatic; it reinterprets the antebellum objective of migrating toward freedom for various postbellum times and conditions (i.e., movement through time). It is an ongoing journey from slavery to freedom (i.e., movement from one social position to another). Walker asserts that although our "Canada" may change, the quest for freedom, for oneself and one's community, remains the objective for Womanists and Womanism. In order to draw the reader's attention to Canada and to journeys toward freedom, Walker presents a dialogue between a child and mother. This exchange clearly establishes the identity of the first speaker, who indicates her plan to head to Canada, and to bring her "Mama" and other slaves with her, as a Womanist—a mother's child with womanish behaviors. However, her womanish/Womanist identity depends upon "Mama's" reply: "It wouldn't be the first time." In other words, the child's identity as a Womanist is fully realized in the process of dialogue. Although certain expressions of the relationship between land and freedom are unique to Womanism, the relationship between land and individual and collective freedom is not, of course, a Womanist invention. During one of the Womanist-Buddhist dialogues in which I participated, we discussed this relationship as we read The Sūtra of Contemplation on the Buddha of Immeasurable Life, from the Pure Land tradition of Mahāyāna Buddhism. In this sutra, Ajātasatru imprisons his father, King Bimbisāra, whose power and...

Monotheistic Faith Perspectives on Brain Death, DNR, Patient Autonomy and Health Care Costs

This is the summary of the symposium proceedings held at Hofstra University focusing on Abrahamic faith teachings regarding Brain Death, Do Not Resuscitate, Patient Autonomy and the Escalating Health Care Costs. http://dx.doi.org/10.5915/43-3-8982 Video

Dementia care: spiritual and faith perspectives

Care home residents may use religiosity and spirituality as a coping resource through illness and disability. David Jolley and neil Moreland explain how they affect quality of life and how attending to it can enhance care.

Towards a Religious View of Tourism: Negotiating Faith Perspectives on Tourism

In recent years there has been a growth of academic literature related to the intersections between religion and tourism. While much of this research has taken place from an industry and academic perspective, little has been written on how leaders of particular religious faiths critique and evaluate secular understandings of religiously informed and motivated travel from a theological standpoint. The purpose of this article is to address this paucity of research by broadly examining how religious leaders and groups view tourism as a social phenomenon. Rather than this article being based on case-based primary research that highlights and critiques the specific views of tourism of particular religious traditions, this article offers a reflection on how scholars interested in investigating the views of tourism of religious leaders and groups can begin to answer the question, "how would one study how religious leaders view tourism?" Five research themes are suggested to understand religious views of tourism, including religious perspectives on appropriate leisure, religious views of hospitality, gendered religious spatial practices, religious views of the human body, and religious attitudes towards the arts. The article concludes with a call to tourism scholars to take religious views of tourism more seriously in any discussion related to religion and tourism.