Spiritual History Research Articles

History and functions of underground spiritual mosques in Kazakhstan (in written and archaeological sources)

The article is devoted to the history and functions of underground spiritual mosques in Kazakhstan. The sources are the works of medieval travelers, chroniclers and Turkish, Russian scientists, domestic and foreign researchers, as well as archival documents written about Shakpak Ata, Ulken Kyluet, Shildekhan, Kumshik Ata, Imam Markozy, Beket Ata and other underground mosques. The study analyzes the records and archaeological data on underground mosques built and functioning in the 9th - 20th centuries on the Kazakh land. To determine the object of research, methods of comparison, forecasting, analysis were used, aimed at disclosing the content of historical data and formulated facts. The scientific results of the article will supplement our historical knowledge and reveal the religious and spiritual history of our people to the younger generation. It can also be used to develop religious and spiritual tourism in the country.

Science and Spiritualism in an Irish Context

Abstract William Fletcher Barrett (1844–1925) has long been recognised for his key role in the foundation of the Society for Psychical Research in 1882, but this came after years of working as a physicist and psychical researcher between Ireland and Britain, conducting mesmeric experiments, maintaining correspondence, and sharing research ideas at forums like the British Association for the Advancement of Science. This article re-evaluates Barrett’s career by focusing on his networks, projects, and organisations in Ireland. These acted as bridges connecting his work as a teacher of physics with his work as a psychical researcher and investigator of spiritualism. In doing so, this article also contributes to the history of spiritualism in Ireland by demonstrating the rich connections which existed between scientists, intellectuals, and amateur investigators in the area of spiritualism and psychical research.

An Innovative Approach for Integrating Mandatory, Longitudinal Spirituality Training Into the Medical School Curriculum.

Most Americans indicate they are religious and/or spiritual and wish to have their beliefs taken into account when engaging with health care providers, yet gaps in medical education and health care practice remain. To underscore the importance of spirituality as a significant social determinant of health, a team at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York developed mandatory spirituality and health training for students integrated into all 4 years of the undergraduate medical education curriculum. From 2014 to 2020, a small group of faculty took an innovative approach, launching the initiative and expanding the team by engaging interprofessional faculty and staff from across the institution. The team used an iterative process to integrate 4 distinct modules into 4 existing courses, spanning the 4 years of medical school. The majority of students found that the spirituality and health curriculum was valuable to training and professional development. They appreciated the importance of patients' spiritual needs, valued learning about the role chaplains play in patient care and how to initiate a consult, and indicated they intended to integrate spiritual history taking in their patient care. With respect to process, 3 key factors-establishing an interprofessional team, working through an iterative process, and integrating the curriculum into existing courses-were critical to designing and implementing the modules. The team aims to expand and improve the curriculum by linking learning to specific standardized competencies as well as developing more specific performance assessments to demonstrate achievement of competencies. Professional development efforts will be enhanced so faculty can better model and reinforce the integration of spirituality into health care practices and expand the curriculum on spirituality and health into graduate medical education.

Religiosity and spirituality in psychiatry residency programs: why, what, and how to teach?

Objective:To propose a core curriculum for religiosity and spirituality (R/S) in clinical practice for psychiatry residency programs based on the available evidence.Methods:After performing a review of studies on the implementation of R/S curricula and identifying the most commonly taught topics and teaching methods, an R/S curriculum was developed based on the most prevalent strategies, as well as recommendations from psychiatric associations, resulting in a fairly comprehensive R/S curriculum that is simple enough to be easily implemented, even where there is a shortage of time and of faculty expertise.Results:The curriculum is a twelve-hour course (six 2-hour sessions). The topics include: concepts and evidence regarding R/S and mental health relationships, taking a spiritual history/case formulation, historical aspects and research, main local R/S traditions, differential diagnosis between spiritual experiences and mental disorders, and R/S integration in the approach to treatment. The teaching methods include: classes, group discussions, studying guidelines, taking spiritual histories, panels, field visits, case presentations, and clinical supervision. The evaluation of residents includes: taking a spiritual history and formulating an R/S case. The program evaluation includes: quantitative and qualitative written feedback.Conclusions:A brief and feasible core R/S curriculum for psychiatry residency programs is proposed; further investigation of the impact of this educational intervention is needed.

The Struggle for Memory: The Khachkar Field of Julfa and Other Armenian Sacred Spaces in Azerbaijan

Abstract During the last century, the Armenian Church and nation have lost most of their sacred spaces. One of the most peculiar cases is the history and afterlife of the khachkars (crossstones) of Julfa. The cemetery of Julfa was known for its endless unique khachkars and other monuments, constituting an exceptional sacred space in terms of spirituality and art history. The area was systematically and entirely destroyed by Azerbaijan in 2005. In the 2010s, Armenians reacted to the destruction by reviving the memory of Julfan khachkars by erecting their replicas to various locations in Armenia and other countries. As khachkars are supposed to be unique and unrepeatable, this struggle for memory requires an interpretative analysis. The problematics became urgent after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war when hundreds of Armenian monasteries, churches and sacred monuments were left under the control of Azerbaijan. There is no reason to assume that their fate in the long run will be any better than the hundreds of already demolished Armenian churches and monasteries in Azerbaijan.

Training General Practitioners and Medical Assistants Within the Framework of HoPES3, a Holistic Care Program for Elderly Patients to Integrate Spiritual Needs, Social Activity, and Self-Care into Disease Management in Primary Care.

BackgroundThis study presents a concept for training general practitioners (GPs) in taking a spiritual history. In the same workshop, medical assistants (MAs) were trained in counselling elderly, chronically ill patients on social activities and home remedies. After the training, GPs and MAs will apply the acquired skills in their practices within the scope of the HoPES3 intervention study, which aims at raising patients’ self-efficacy.MethodsSixteen GPs and 18 MAs were trained in a 5-hour workshop and completed an evaluation questionnaire.ResultsAll participants reported great satisfaction. In particular, 85% of GPs (n=11) affirmed increased capacity to address patients’ spiritual needs. About 88% (n=15) of MAs were satisfied with the training, yet expressed difficulties in integrating theoretical knowledge into daily professional routine.DiscussionWhile the evaluation of the workshop is promising, the results of the randomized-controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of the complete HoPES3 intervention have to be awaited.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this is the first interdisciplinary, holistic care training in primary care in Germany. It fosters GPs’ and MAs’ competency in providing a proactive support in spirituality, social activities, and home remedies to their patients. If the concept proves to be effective, it could be integrated into existing care models and curriculums and provide clear guidance on how to consider elderly patients’ spiritual needs and strengthen their self-efficacy in primary care settings.

Historical Views of Spiritism and Mediumship in Spain, 1880-1930

Little is known by non-Spanish speakers about the history of Spiritism and psychical research in Spain. Standard English-language sources such as Frank Podmore’s Modern Spiritualism (1902) and Arthur Conan Doyle’s The History of Spiritualism (1926) do not cover developments in that country.1 There is a useful historical outline of the topic in philosopher and educator Mario Méndez Bejarano’s Historia de la Filosofía en España Hasta el Siglo XX (n.d., Chapter 17, Part 14). Much of relevance can be found in the new historiography about the subject in Spain which, like that in some other countries, has grown in recent decades.2 Other recent studies have included psychical research as well. Particularly useful are the essays compiled by Annette Mülberger (2016) in Los Límites de la Ciencia: Espiritismo, Hipnotismo y el Estudio de los Fenómenos Paranormales (1850–1930), and articles about such topics as the attitudes and approaches of specific investigators (Vilaplana Traviera & Mülberger, 2003), turning tables (González de Pablo, 2006), and prominent clairvoyance studies (Mülberger & Balltondre, 2013). Andrea Graus, the author of the book reviewed here, has also made various significant contributions.
 Graus, a historian at the Centre Alexandre Koyré, has published various articles about mediumistic investigations, and the ideas of Spanish physicians (e.g., Graus, 2015, 2016). This work has been expanded in the book reviewed here, Ciencia y Espiritismo en España, 1880–1930 (see Figure 1).

Teaching spirituality to medical students: a systematic review

Purpose Though it has become increasingly clear that religion and spirituality are important aspects of whole patient care, little is known about how this topic is taught to medical students. This systematic review examined the structure of courses teaching spirituality to medical students and assessed their impact on reported student outcomes. Methods In October 2020, the authors conducted a systematic review of the literature from 1926 to 2020 to identify published articles describing medical school spirituality curricula. Included studies were English-language articles that described spirituality courses predominantly designed for medical students, specified a curricular structure, and evaluated outcomes of the course. The authors used the Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument (MERSQI) to assess the quality of the included studies and summarized course structures, curricular content, and study outcomes. Results Nineteen publications of the 1889 reviewed met the inclusion criteria. These studies were of moderate quality (mean MERSQI = 9.9). The majority of curricula were taught in United States medical schools. Courses were evenly split between mandatory versus elective classes, with mandatory courses having a shorter duration and higher total student participation. Most studies with clear student outcome evaluation had a pre- and post-test design. Common themes throughout the curricula included teaching how to take a spiritual history, delineating differences between spirituality and religion, and experience shadowing chaplains interacting with patients. Conclusions This broad systematic review of the literature revealed a small but growing number of studies describing specific course structure and curricula for teaching spirituality at the medical student level. For the most concise approach, one short, mandatory didactic session followed by application with standardized or hospital patients can be an effective method of introducing students to the importance of spirituality. Important topics to address include the differences between religion and spirituality, recognizing spiritual distress, how to take a spiritual history, and the relevance of spirituality to student well-being. Measured student outcomes should encompass behavioral changes during patient care in addition to changes in knowledge and attitudes. Suggested methods of evaluation include reflective writing and adding a standardized patient case in which the patient is in spiritual distress in an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE).

The Contribution of Ss. Cyril and Methodius to Culture and Religion

The Byzantine mission of saint brothers Cyril and Methodius had a major impact on the spiritual history of Great Moravia. In the centuries that followed, their works paved the way for the political and historical development of the Slavic nations, mainly in South-East and East Europe. The mission, which reached Great Moravia in 863, had several dimensions. The most important were evangelism and the cultural and civilizational dimensions. Translations of the Gospel and liturgical texts into Old Church Slavonic intensified the religious life of our ancestors and laid the foundations of literature and culture for almost the entire Slavic world. From this point of view, research should be focused on the role and reflection of this historical and cultural heritage in the ecclesiastical and spiritual, national and cultural life of the Slavic nations. The aim of this article is to assess the significance of Christian and Byzantine cultural values in terms of the collective Slavic identity. The Cyrillo-Methodian idea manifests itself in the history of the Slavic world as a complex but solid foundation, capable of renewing the sleeping or inhibited energy and values in the areas of faith, culture, literature, arts, education, upbringing, as well as national consciousness.

El Tercer Abecedario Espiritual y los Ejercicios Espirituales de san Ignacio Observaciones comunes

This article analyzes the common theological and spiritual places of two works and processes that were relevant in 16th century in Spain: Third Spiritual Alphabet (1527) by Francisco de Osuna and the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Both represent two seemingly opposite central schools in the history of spirituality: the Franciscan Mysticism and the Ignatian Spirituality. However, and through intertextual analysis, after offering a descriptive framework of the context, we study a series of relevant confluences for Theology and Spirituality: 1) The immediate Experience of God; 2) The recollection or non-fragmentation of the understanding in the transformative process in God; 3) Light or Lucidity as a gift of spiritual discernment and adherence to Christ, visible through the gift of tears.

Social Work with Environmental Migrants: Exploring the Scope for Spiritually Sensitive Practice.

This article reports a survey of social workers' (N = 1,204) views on the scope for spiritually sensitive practice with environmental migrants. Results indicated some variations in models, assessment methods, techniques, and intervention goals. Social workers from North America and South America, females, Christians, and Hindus working with environmentally forced migrants, and with higher scores on personal spirituality measures, favored the strengths perspective and model of salutogenesis, spiritual life maps, and spiritual competencies open dialogue as assessment methods; meditation and mindfulness as congruous techniques; and intervention goals as comprehensibility-manageability-meaningfulness and positive coping. Social workers from the Asia-Pacific and African regions, males, Muslims, and Buddhists working with environmental emergency and environmentally induced economic migrants, and with lower personal spirituality scores, preferred the biopsychosocial model and transpersonal spectrum models, spiritual genograms and spiritual history assessment; techniques such as guided visualization, journal keeping, physical disciplines, and active imagination; and goals of interventions such as happiness and forgiveness.

Cho Ji-hoon’s study of Korean history―the path to establishing national spiritual history―

Cho Ji-hoon’s study of Korean history―the path to establishing national spiritual history―

Physicians’ Attitude towards Patients’ Spirituality at a Tertiary-Care Health Facility in Southern Nigeria

Background: It has been shown that patients would like to discuss their spiritual beliefs with their physicians and that they have spiritual needs which are often under addressed by health care professionals. Whereas, addressing those needs in clinical practice is a component of the holistic care that every patient deserves, the attitude of physicians towards addressing them has not been ascertained in our environment.
 Objectives: To explore physicians' attitude and self-reported behavior towards patients’ spirituality in clinical practice at a tertiary health facility in Southern Nigeria.
 Methods: In this cross-sectional survey carried out between August and November 2020, a semi-structured and self-administered questionnaire was completed by the participating physicians which were of various ranks and working in various departments of the hospital. Their attitude towards their patients’ spirituality in clinical practice and self-reported behavior were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0.
 Results: A total of 200 physicians participated in the study, 90% of them were residents of various cadres, two-third (n=122; 61%) had less than 10 years work experience. Majority of respondents (n=163; 81.5%) considered it appropriate to make inquiries about their patients’ spirituality and less than half of them (n=98; 49%) were aware that there is a religious leader in the hospital who offers pastoral care. Half of the respondents (n=104; 52%) reported they rarely take spirituality history of patients, 18 (9%) often pray with the patient while 100 (50%) rarely refer patients for pastoral care. Insufficient time was the most frequent barrier to discussing spiritual issues with patients. However, only 5 (2.5%) respondents were able to name 3 common tools a health worker can use to assess patients’ spiritual needs.
 Conclusion: Physicians enquiry into patients’ spirituality was inconsistent, and there were gaps between their attitudes to discussing these issues with their patients and its practice. Incorporating spiritual care courses into physicians’ training is recommended to overcome the barriers to both patient and physician spiritual inquiry.

Animal-derived medications: cultural considerations and available alternatives.

Cultural competency is a cornerstone of patient-centered health care. Religious doctrines may define appropriate consumption or use of certain animals and forbid use of others. Many medications contain ingredients that are animal-derived; these medications may be unacceptable to individual patients within the context of their religious beliefs and lifestyle choices. Knowledge of animal-derived medications as a component of cultural competency can facilitate a dialogue that shifts focus from the group to the individual, away from cultural competency toward cultural humility, and away from a paternalistic provider/patient dynamic toward one of partnership. To explore how animal-derived drug components may impact medication selection and acceptability from the perspective of patients, physicians, and religious leaders as evidenced by studies that explore the question via survey or questionnaire. A secondary objective is to usethe context of animal-derived drug products as a component of cultural competency to build a framework supporting the development of cultural humility. A systematic search was performed in the PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, and ProQuest databases using combinations of the following terms: "medication selection," "medication," "adherence," "pharmaceutical preparations," "religion and medicine," "religion," "animal," "dietary," "porcine," and "bovine." Studies that reported using surveys or questionnaires to examine patient, physician, or religious leader perspective on animal-derived medications published in English between 1990 and 2020 were included. Review articles, opinion pieces, case reports, surveys of persons other than patients, religious leaders, or physicians, and studies published in languages other than English were excluded. Three authors independently reviewed articles to extract information pertaining to perspectives on animal-based medication ingredients. Eight studies meeting the described criteria were found that queried beliefs or knowledge of patients, religious leaders, or physicians regarding medications and medical products of biologic origin. Those studies are described in full in this review. Knowledge of animal-derived ingredients may help open conversations with patients around spiritual history and cultural competency, particularly for those patients belonging to religious sects with doctrines that define appropriate use of human- or animal-derived products. Further formal study is needed to explore more fully the extent to which religious beliefs may impact selection of animal- or human-derived medications. Guidelines developed from this knowledge may aid in identifying individual patients with whom the discussion may be particularly relevant. More studies are needed to quantify and qualify beliefs regarding animal-derived medication constituents.

Spiritual Care Training for Palliative Care Fellows (QI726)

1.Describe a systematic approach to Spiritual Care (SC) Training for Palliative Care (PC) Physician Fellows.2.Describe the Integration of the Systematic Approach to Spiritual Care (SC) Training into the Palliative Care (PC) Fellowship. Despite evidence and guidelines identifying it as a core dimension of Palliative Care (PC), Spiritual Care (SC) may be the least developed dimension of PC for physicians. The authors developed a SC curriculum for PC fellows to improve their training in spiritual dimensions of care. The goal of the rotation was to 1) gain understanding of PC fellows’ SC experiences and clinical skills over time and 2) identify curricular elements with the most impact on PC fellows. PC Fellowship at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) located in Chicago. This was required, longitudinal nine-month SC curriculum based on literature review, prior experience from both the Palliative and Spiritual Care Teams, and a needs assessment of PC Fellows. The curriculum began and ended with three six-hour days of focused work and met bi-weekly for an hour a total of fourteen times during the academic year. The curriculum included five topics (introduction to SC, conducting a spiritual history, spirituality in self-care and patient care, spiritual-existential distress, and miracle literacy). Fellows participated in interactive didactic sessions, small group discussions, clinical with chaplains, interfaith site visits, synchronized virtual sessions, and experiential and reflective activities. Fellows completed pre and post surveys using a competency scale (Leeuwen et al., 2009), Likert-rated statements, and narrative responses via an exit interview. Fellows reported an increase in perceived competence taking a spiritual history, comfort in working with hospital chaplains, comfort engaging in SC issues with patients and their families, including addressing miracles, and addressing spiritual-existential distress with patients/surrogates. This pilot rotation demonstrated the effectiveness of a required longitudinal SC curriculum as part of a PC fellowship. We believe that this approach can help provide fellows with the tools, skills, and support they need to approach generalist-level spiritual care with their patients and their families.

Kontinuität und Diskontinuität pentekostaler Spiritualität

The pentecostal movement is a fairly young phenomenon in the history of christian spirituality. On the one hand the spiritual approach is picking up older conceptions of instantaneous God experiences, on the other hand Pentecostalism is educing new forms and expressions. The main focus is rooting in a strong missionary tendency and is convinced that god is willing to revelate himself to men in visible signs.

Ethics Document Offers Guidance on Religious/Spiritual Issues in Care

Ethics Document Offers Guidance on Religious/Spiritual Issues in Care

Narrative Inheritance

Narrative Inheritance

Developing a package for the provision of spiritual services in healthcare centres in Iran

ABSTRACT Spirituality has a significant role in the individuals' physical and mental health, nevertheless health care professionals neglect these needs. This study was aimed at developing a package for the provision of spiritual services in healthcare centers. The study was conducted in two sections. In the review section, the papers related to the topic were selected among accredited scientific sites. In the qualitative section, the data were collected through Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) and individual interviews, and was analyzed using content analysis. The package was designed at two levels: basic and specialized. At basic services, teaching spiritual life style and at the level of specialized services, evaluation and spiritual history, spiritual counselling, and care and spiritual support were envisaged. For implementation of spiritual interventions, an “Implementation Steering Committee” is suggested to be established while the main stakeholders in the healthcare system and experts from the seminary are in attendance.

Mystical <i>Ars Amand: </i>Considerations Based on the Texts of Meditation Literature of the 17th and 18th Centuries

The present article discusses the literary, linguistic, cultural, and spiritual qualities of unknown or forgotten monuments of ancient Polish literature. It also constitutes an attempt to prove the universalism of the art of the word. The analysis of messages of meditative and mystical literature of the 17th and 18th centuries provides a basis for this study. Most of the quoted records remain anonymous. However, it can be said with certainty that their authors were both women and men. It is worth noting that the quoted texts from meditative and mystical literature were composed in different spiritual traditions, including both the Carmelite and Benedictine spirituality. In particular, the author's research interests focused on how the writers of ancient mystical and meditative literature presented the art of love, both in terms of spiritual love (the relationship between God and man) and universal love that involves every dimension of the world we live in (the relationship between men themselves and between man and the world). A historical and literary analysis, which seems an indispensable tool for research on ancient Polish literature, has been applied to the study. The history of spirituality and old culture serves as a background for literary reflections. The literary and artistic quality of the quoted texts can be detected in numerous cultural references, literary references, a rich diversity of symbolism (the symbolism of the heart, symbolic images presenting intimacy between two people in love), diverse forms of expression (a dialogic structure of texts, an intimate inner monologue), an artistic depiction (the role of imagination). The conducted analysis has allowed the author to demonstrate the universality and timelessness of ideological and cultural messages of Polish mystical and meditative literature. Furthermore, it has been proven that the art of the word presented in the records is rooted neither in one national tradition nor in one language nor one culture. Although the texts date back to a remote period, they still present the universal beauty of the art of thought and the art of the word.