Spiritual Perspective Research Articles

PRAYER AND VIGILANCE: A BIBLICAL AND PHILOKALIAN APPROACH TO THE RENEWAL AND PROTECTION OF THE NOUS

This article examines the biblical and Philokalian approach to renewing and protecting the nous or intellect (Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 2:17), proposing that prayer and nepsis (vigilance) are essential strategies for mitigating the influence of logismoi and passions. Analysis reveals that these practices are vital in cultivating authentic Christian spirituality. The Philokalia invites a reevaluation of spiritual perspectives, offering a novel framework that integrates an investigative tool, therapeutic technique, and theoretical insights into the human mind. This study highlights how these ancient practices can be adapted to modern psychotherapeutic interventions, providing a transformative approach to revitalizing our nous faculties. The findings underscore the relevance of the Philokalia in contemporary spiritual and psychological contexts, introducing innovative methods for addressing spiritual and emotional challenges in today's world. This article aims to bridge ancient spiritual wisdom with contemporary therapeutic practices, offering new insights and practical applications for enhancing mental and spiritual well-being.

Reframing death: life-affirming messages from the dead through the lens of Spiritualism and tarot

ABSTRACT Death in Western modernity is predominantly experienced as challenging and destabilising, bringing uncertainty, loss, and pain. However, from some contemporary spiritual perspectives, death represents not just an ending, but also facilitates new ways of experiencing our embodied being. Based on participatory fieldwork in the UK, this paper explores constructions and encounters with death through the formal religious lens of Spiritualism and the more informal and personalised practices of tarot. Reflecting practitioners’ belief in the agency of spirit in earthly lived experience I resist simple dichotomies of life and death by taking seriously a place for spirit. Using three empirical examples I explore how such a lens allows alternative geographies and therapeutic relationships to emerge, framing experiences of death as both endings and new beginnings, opening up new possibilities in the space left behind. Drawing on this potential, the paper encourages creative exploration of alternative narratives around death, spirit, and place.

Exploring Religious Practice in Crisis: A non-Western tension-centred approach to meaningful work

This study develops a religious practice(s) approach to explore the tensional nature and process of meaningful work. We first problematize existing workplace spirituality approaches to management and organization studies (MOS) generally and meaningful work specifically. Our focus is the individual-organizational and positive-critical divides and overlooked tensions and in-betweenness within these divides. We propose a religious practice(s) approach as an alternative lens to address this in-betweenness, drawing on the theory and practices of Buddhist emptiness to theorize meaningful work as a tensional process unfolding at the intersection between the gaining and losing of meaningfulness. We explore this tensional in-betweenness empirically through 51 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with Buddhist practitioners on their lived experiences of meaningful work during the Covid-19 pandemic. Our findings reveal two realization processes that manifest the tensional in-betweenness of meaningful work during the Covid-19 pandemic, and which entrap and emancipate individuals in their pursuit of meaningful work. Our contribution is threefold. First, we develop a religious practice(s) approach to MOS by addressing the existing divides in workplace spirituality perspectives and the resulting overlooked tensions inherent in experiencing meaningful work. In doing so, we also extend the existing understanding of ‘tension’ in meaningful work, which has predominantly been treated as self-evidential and not yet fully integrated into the theorization of meaningful work. Third, we move away from the over-reliance on Western-centred theories through contextualized theory-building. This, we hope, will develop non-Western theorization in MOS and in turn prompt a more enriched, multidimensional understanding of meaningful work.

Childhood Vaccination Decisions during the Pandemic: Tradition, Generational Influence, and Spiritual Perspectives

Background: Vaccination is an attempt to form active immunity in an individual. Vaccination is carried out as a preventive measure against infection, both in adults and children. This study aims to determine the effect of parental attitudes, generational influenced, and spiritual contexts on children's vaccination decisions, in this case, the COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional online survey method, with parents who have children aged 6–11 and willing to take part in this study as respondents. Data collection was carried out from November 2022 to April 2023. There were 66 participants who met the criteria, and then an analysis was carried out using the Structural Equation Model (SEM) method, which was processed using Partial Least squares (PLS). Results: According to research findings, parents' points of view play an important role in deciding whether to vaccinate their child or not. Up to 58% of respondents said they support vaccinating their children, in this case with the COVID-19 vaccination. Conclussion: Parental attitudes of vaccination in children in this research is strongly influenced by parents' views, so the right approach is needed for parents for the successful implementation of vaccination in children. Other influential factors are spiritual context and generational influence from family regarding COVID-19.

Mediation of the influence of mindfulness on academic buoyancy by academic hope: A two‐wave longitudinal study

AbstractEducational activities are significant in that they have an important place in the life of the individual and support mental health. In this study, the relationship between mindfulness and academic buoyancy and the mediating role of academic hope were examined in a longitudinal research study. Data were collected from 287 Turkish university students who participated in the study at 4‐month intervals. An autoregressive analysis of the cross‐lagged panel model for a half‐longitudinal design was used to test the role of academic hope as a mediator in the relationship between mindfulness and academic buoyancy. The results revealed the direct effect of mindfulness on academic hope and academic buoyancy. In addition, academic hope was found to have a mediating effect on the relationship between mindfulness and academic buoyancy. It was, therefore, concluded that improving mindfulness practices may benefit people from both an academic and spiritual perspective.

Psychometric evaluation of the spiritual perspective scale for adolescents and young adults with cancer

ObjectiveTo evaluate the reliability and validity of the spiritual perspective scale (SPS) for adolescents and young adults with cancer. MethodsThe study was conducted with 277 adolescents and young adults with cancer aged 10–24 years who were recruited from Taiwan and Korea. The reliability of the SPS was assessed using Cronbach's α. Its factor structure was determined by exploratory factor analysis. Known-group validity was tested by comparing resilience scores between two groups and between countries using t test. ResultsCronbach's α values for the SPS was 0.94, and item–total correlation values ranged from 0.53 to 0.84. Factor analysis generated two factors (spiritual behaviors and spiritual beliefs) that explained 78.02% of the total variance, with factor loadings ranging from 0.51 to 0.94. Participants with lower resilience had significantly lower spirituality scores compared to those with higher resilience (t ​= ​3.13, P ​= ​0.002). The SPS scores were not significantly different between participants in Taiwan and Korea (t ​= ​1.09, P ​= ​0.276). However, the spiritual beliefs subscale scores did show a significant difference between these groups (t ​= ​2.74, P ​= ​0.007). ConclusionsThe spiritual perspective scale is a valid and reliable tool for measuring the spirituality of adolescents and young adults with cancer in Taiwan and Korea. The SPS showed sensitivity in detecting variations in spiritual beliefs between adolescents and young adults with cancer in Taiwan and Korea.

Narrating Diasporic Religion and Postsecular Identity in Tahar Ben Jelloun’s A Palace in the Old Village

Inspired by Western secular literary tradition, many diasporic writers in the Maghreb in general and in Morocco in particular did not include religious or spiritual themes in their literary works, as compared to the valorized ones of race, class and gender. Much of Maghrebian fiction, primarily written by immigrant writers of Islamic background who adopt secular perspectives that are often critical of Islam, has depicted religion, especially Islam, in negative terms. Tahar Ben Jelloun is one of those writers who are criticized for being self-orientalizing authors who ‘prostitute’ their works to their Western audience. But, Tahar Ben Jelloun is misunderstood by the majority of his readers. In this article, using postsecularism and secular spirituality as analytical tools, I will explore the postsecular identity and diasporic religion in Tahar Ben Jelloun’s A Palace in the Old Village. Reading the novel from a postsecular perspective and more specifically from a secular spiritual perspective, I will show that Tahar Ben Jelloun is neither self-orientalizing Islam nor celebrating French secularism. Instead, he is upholding postsecular values and diasporic consciousness by negotiating instances of extremism and communalism that mark the failures of both organized religion and Eurocentric secularism. Indeed, Ben Jelloun presents Islam as faith, as a spiritual practice; a diasporic religiosity which is not associated with any political doctrine or organization.

Assessment within the Context of Positive Psychology: Examples from Ahmet Yesevi and Haci Bektas-i Veli

The aim of this study is to elucidate the concepts associated with positive psychology found in the thoughts of Ahmet Yesevi and Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli. The research utilized the document analysis technique. According to the findings obtained at the conclusion of the study, it is evident that concepts such as patience, encouragement, gratitude, optimism, social interest, and perseverance are associated with the thoughts of Ahmet Yesevi investigated in the research. Additionally, it is observed that the concepts of optimism and perseverance are also linked to the thoughts of Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli examined in the research. Consequently, it is determined that the thoughts of both Ahmet Yesevi and Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli encompass concepts that can be correlated with positive psychology within the scope of this research. This underscores the presence of themes promoting positive psychological attributes within the philosophical and spiritual perspectives of these influential figures.

Multicultural relation between religious communities in Indonesia

Indonesia is a nation with different religious affiliations and this diversity has substantial implications for inter-religious relations. The multi-religious context presented challenges in the form of potential horizontal conflicts. Therefore, this study aims to analyse the significance of cultivating an attitude of openness and engaging in constructive dialogue among different faiths to address the challenges effectively. Traditions in Minahasa show various important values for religious moderation, which have the potential to contribute ideas to issues of relations between communities. This article is a qualitative descriptive analysis method. Several references such as articles, books and other related sources are the backbone to construct the ideas and insights of this work. The results show that the multicultural reality accompanied by fundamentalist attitudes has an impact on interreligious relations. This can be prevented and reduced with the concept of dialogue from the values and philosophy of si tou timou tumou tou and torang samua basudara.Contribution: This article serves as a valuable contribution to the religious discourse within the Indonesian community, particularly by incorporating the rich local values derived from Minahasa. It adds depth to the ongoing religious dialogue, fostering a nuanced understanding that embraces the diverse cultural and spiritual perspectives present in Indonesia.

Fratelli Tutti e a defesa da vida

This article addresses Pope Francis' encyclical letter “Fratelli Tutti”, published in 2020, in light of the integral defense of life, and highlights fraternity as a counterpoint to individualism prevalent in contemporary society. Fraternity is not only understood at the level of personal relationships, but also in its political dimension and in accordance with the principle of solidarity, according to the Social Doctrine of the Church. This is the Christian perspective of defending life in all its forms, from birth to death, giving priority to the poor and excluded and combating the throwaway culture. Based on the inspiration of concrete reality, the experience of the Ka’apor indigenous people and the Word of God with the parable of the Good Samaritan, the article develops reflections on the mission of the Church and offers proposals for action within the horizon of integral ecology, with political, economic, educational and spiritual perspectives.

Surah Al-Fatihah as a Spiritual Therapy Method to Overcome Stress

This research elaborates on the influence of the Al-Fatihah letter as a spiritual therapy method for dealing with stress based on a literature review. Surah Al-Fatihah, which consists of seven verses, has content that is believed to be able to provide calm and peace for its readers. This study explored how the elements in Surah Al-Fatihah can function as medicine for stress from a psychological and spiritual perspective. Literature analysis shows that Surah Al-Fatihah has several key elements that have the potential to reduce stress: praise to Allah, the Most Gracious and Most Merciful, acknowledgment of Allah's power, and a request for help and guidance. This reesults showed that praise and recognition helps reduce anxiety and provides a sense of security, while asking for help creates feelings of support and guidance in facing life's challenges. Anxiety reduction can be achieved through repeated reading of Surah Al-Fatihah which has a meditative effect, as well as through confidence and faith which provides a sense of calm and security. Social support from religious practices in the community also plays an important role in stress management. In conclusion, Surah Al-Fatihah has great potential as an effective spiritual therapy method for reducing stress. These findings indicate the need for further research through empirical.

Values of local wisdom in Rambu Solo’ from the perspective of Pentecostal spirituality and character education

The ceremony of Rambu Solo’, a traditional Torajan funeral ritual, is often met with scepticism by Christians, particularly within the Pentecostal community, due to perceived spiritistic elements conflicting with Christian doctrines. Despite this, the deep-rooted cultural significance of Rambu Solo’ persists among the Torajan people, including Pentecostals. This necessitates exploring aspects of the ceremony that align with Pentecostal values of spirituality and character education. Therefore, studies are needed that show the dimensions of spirituality and character education that Pentecostal believers can accept. The research method used in this article was qualitative ethnography, and the analysis used was the theological triad in Steven Jack Land’s Pentecostal spirituality, namely orthodoxy, orthopathy and orthopraxy. Findings revealed a divergence between Rambu Solo’s orthodoxy and Christian tenets. Nonetheless, aspects of orthopathy and orthopraxy within the Rambu Solo’ ceremony align with Pentecostal spirituality, mainly through its emphasis on character education.Contribution: Using triad theology in assessing local culture in Indonesia provides a more comprehensive meaning of cultural values for constructing spirituality and character education.

Pengaruh Misi Abad XVII terhadap Perspektif Misi CM di Madagaskar

The focus of this study explores the influence of the Church's mission perspective on the Congregatio Missionis (CM) mission perspective in Madagascar in 1648. The mission of the Church in the context of that time had a negative meaning. The motivation for the proclamation of faith overlapped with the political motivation of Western imperialism. The process of colonization of countries in the Asian, American and African continents is difficult to separate from the influence of Christianity in them. The mission of the Church coupled with the practice of colonization and Western imperialism influenced the perspective of mission and spirituality of the congregation at that time. Every congregation has a constitution and basis for its ministry. This foundation has a distinctive charismatic character. The signs of the times and the pressing needs of the Church affect the spirituality and charismatic character of a congregation. This study wants to examine the extent to which the missionary state of the Church at that time affected the charism of the Congregatio Missionis (CM). The method used in this study is the qualitative-comparative method. The letter of St. Vincent to the Congregatio Missionis missionaries in Madagascar in 1648 is analyzed and assessed in the perspective of the mission of the Church in the XVII century. The study found that the mission perspective of the XVII century emphasized the spread of the faith, the conversion of unbelievers, the expansion of the reign of God, and the establishment of new churches. In particular, the study found that the mission perspectives of the XVII century Church were similar to those of the Congregatio Missionis (CM) in Madagascar based on St. Vincent's letter to his missionaries. If traced further, the seeds of the Church's current mission perspective and the principle of inculturation in the understanding of mission according to St. Vincent are also found.

‘Good Work’ and Alternative Food Initiatives: A Workplace Spirituality Perspective

AbstractThis paper explores ‘good work’ as purpose‐driven organizing for positive social impact in the case of alternative food initiatives (AFIs). AFIs accommodate alternative ways of food production and consumption that tackle the world's pressing sustainability challenges. Considering the centrality of workers’ motives, beliefs for generating/sustaining alternative and spiritual work/organizational contexts, this study bridges the knowledge on AFIs and workplace spirituality (WS) through the individual‐level perspective. The paper explores AFI members’ workplace motives and experiences to understand how these individuals make sense of their work, and to draw insights on what ‘good work’ entails in this organizational realm. Data were collected via a two‐phase study from a total of 28 members of organizations based in Glasgow, Scotland. The results show that AFI members’ work drivers include spiritual (as other‐regarding) motives and that the perceived value of their work is in contributing to the welfare of others through a workspace of belonging, freedom and care. The findings suggest that a WS perspective can help in understanding how AFI members approach their work to create (greater) good. Drawing on the lessons from the case analysis within the AFI context, this paper highlights the relevance of WS for repurposing work and organizing.

An Eco Spiritual Perspective of Mamang Dai’s Selected Works

An Eco Spiritual Perspective of Mamang Dai’s Selected Works

The Crucial Role of Islamic Religious Education in Shaping Children's Character: Psychological and Spiritual Review

The significance of Islamic religious education in shaping children's character is paramount in contemporary society. This study aims to explore the transformative impact of Islamic education on children's moral and spiritual development, utilizing a comprehensive analysis that integrates psychological and spiritual perspectives. A mixed-method approach combining literature review and empirical research elucidates how Islamic education fosters moral reasoning, empathy, and self-regulation among children while nurturing a profound spiritual connection and inner transformation. Here are the steps: 1) Literature Review: Start by compiling a comprehensive literature review about the importance of Islamic religious education in forming children's character. Please focus on the psychological theories that support this argument and their relationship to aspects of spirituality. 2) Empirical Research: conducting empirical research to support the claim. Use appropriate research methods such as surveys, interviews, or observations to collect relevant data from respondents from various backgrounds and ages. The findings underscore the holistic nature of Islamic education in equipping children with the ethical fortitude, emotional resilience, and spiritual consciousness necessary to navigate life's challenges with integrity and purpose. Our research findings demonstrate how Islamic education fosters moral reasoning, empathy, and self-regulation among children while nurturing a deep sense of spiritual connection and inner transformation. By integrating psychological insights with spiritual teachings, Islamic education offers a holistic approach to character development, equipping children with the ethical fortitude, emotional resilience, and spiritual consciousness necessary to navigate life's challenges with integrity and purpose.

"God is going to help me get through this": spirituality perspectives from Hispanic adolescent and young adult cancer survivors.

Describe spirituality's role in a sample of Hispanic adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. This phenomenology-informed convergent parallel mixed-methods study aimed to explore participants' lived experiences with hope during cancer treatments and cancer survivorship. A purposive sample of Hispanic AYAs who completed cancer treatments 2-5years ago were virtually recruited for participation. Participants completed virtual semi-structured interviews about their experiences with hope during cancer treatments and cancer survivorship and prepared narratives about their experiences. Thematic analyses were iteratively performed across the data set to identify final themes. Ten Hispanic AYA cancer survivors (mean age 30.2, SD = 4.5) years participated in this pilot study. Seven participants (70%) were female, and three participants (30%) were male. Six participants (60%) experienced non-hematologic malignancies, and four participants (40%) experienced hematologic malignancies. Eight (80%) participants' language preference was Spanish, while two (20%) participants' language preference was English. The theme spirituality and subthemes living by faith, god as a resource, and spiritual gratitude were identified as concepts participants linked to their conceptualization of hope during cancer treatment and survivorship. Hope and spirituality may be conceptually linked to coping behaviors among Hispanic AYA cancer survivors. Hope through faith may be a learned spiritual value in Hispanic AYAs and might play a role in their spiritual and cognitive development. Further research is needed to explore the potentially protective value of hope and spirituality for the Hispanic AYA population.

Psychospiritual care: a concept analysis

Psychospiritual care has taken many forms and approaches. In the clinical setting, the meaning, variations, and inconsistencies in the delivery of psychospiritual and its related terms persist. The purpose of the study is to identify the meaning and attributes of psychospiritual care and enhance collaborative practice by presenting a concept analysis. This review used Walker and Avant's eight-step approach to concept analysis. Psychospiritual is a broad, dynamic, and unique concept that integrates psychological and spiritual methods. In this analysis, the defining attributes of psychospiritual care are intuitive self-awareness, therapeutic use of psychological and spiritual perspective, and cultivation of psychological and spiritual environment. Providing psychospiritual care promotes positive consequences, such as therapeutic effects for patients and promoting psychospiritual awareness among psychospiritual interventionists. A comprehensive definition of psychospiritual care has been developed. The findings contribute to science by creating a platform for developing practice standards, research, and theory. Implementing psychospiritual care may improve overall occupational health and well-being, thereby improving patient care delivery.

Contemporary perspective of spirituality and religiosity in head and neck cancer

Head and neck cancer (HNC) poses significant challenges, not only in terms of physical health but also in psychosocial and spiritual dimensions. Religiosity and spirituality have emerged as crucial factors in the coping mechanisms of individuals diagnosed with cancer, including HNC. Addressing the spiritual needs, which comprehend existential concerns across various domains, represents a pivotal aspect of cancer care. Purvey of such care has been allied with better psychological and spiritual adaptation, along with reduced utilization of aggressive end-of-life interventions. Research underscores the profound influence of spirituality and religiosity on quality of life (QoL) among HNC patients, emphasizing the imperative of addressing to spiritual needs within the framework of holistic care. Additionally, neglecting the spiritual dimensions may favour suboptimal treatment outcomes and compromised patient adherence. Amidst obstacles such as insufficient training and apprehensions surrounding religious influence, collaborative initiatives involving variety of resources offer a potential avenue for strengthening spiritual support for patients with HNC. In essence, recognizing and addressing patients' spiritual needs constitute integral components of comprehensive care in HNC, nurturing resilience and promoting well-being within the adversities of illness.

From micro-rituals to macro-impacts: mapping eco-ethics via religious/spiritual teachings into higher education

ABSTRACT In the 21st century, discussions on the environment actively intersect with religious discourse, purposefully incorporating religious texts and spiritual perspectives to propose effective solutions for addressing the pressing global environmental crisis. Within this context, this study employs a narrative analysis approach, conducting fifteen semi-structured interviews with students pursuing undergraduate course in science, aged 18–21 years, representing diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. The primary aim is to understand how traditional values embedded in micro-level activities and rituals, drawn from their culturally and religiously diverse backgrounds, significantly contribute to the formation of distinctive household-based value systems that integrated within education can bring about attitudinal changes by developing sensitivity toward the environment. These narratives offer valuable insights into a nuanced understanding of the crucial role that religious/spiritual teachings can play in shaping robust eco-ethics essential for nurturing a sustainable future. The research underscores the interplay of cultural, religious, and ethical dimensions in shaping individual perspectives and actions toward the environment.