Spiritual Exemplars Research Articles

Living transcendence: A phenomenological study of spiritual exemplars.

Living transcendence: A phenomenological study of spiritual exemplars.

Correction to: Book Review: Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age—Ed. Christopher Patrick Miller, Michael Reading, and Jeffery D. Long Lanham, MD: Lexington Books 2020

Correction to: Book Review: Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age—Ed. Christopher Patrick Miller, Michael Reading, and Jeffery D. Long Lanham, MD: Lexington Books 2020

Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age. Edited by Christopher Patrick Miller, Michael Reading, and Jeffery D. Long. Landham, MD: Lexington Books, 2020

Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age. Edited by Christopher Patrick Miller, Michael Reading, and Jeffery D. Long. Landham, MD: Lexington Books, 2020

Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age. Edited by Christopher Patrick Miller, Michael Reading, and Jeffery D. Long. Landham, MD: Lexington Books, 2020

Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age. Edited by Christopher Patrick Miller, Michael Reading, and Jeffery D. Long. Landham, MD: Lexington Books, 2020

Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age. Edited by Christopher Patrick Miller, Michael Reading, and Jeffery D. Long. Landham, MD: Lexington Books, 2020

Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age. Edited by Christopher Patrick Miller, Michael Reading, and Jeffery D. Long. Landham, MD: Lexington Books, 2020

A Continuing Search for Light in our Shared Times of Darkness: Introduction and Response to a Special Review Section on Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age

A Continuing Search for Light in our Shared Times of Darkness: Introduction and Response to a Special Review Section on Beacons of Dharma: Spiritual Exemplars for the Modern Age

Interreligious Heroes: Role Models and Spiritual Exemplars for Interfaith Practice ed. by Alon Goshen-Gottstein

Reviewed by: Interreligious Heroes: Role Models and Spiritual Exemplars for Interfaith Practice ed. by Alon Goshen-Gottstein Christoffer H. Grundmann Interreligious Heroes: Role Models and Spiritual Exemplars for Interfaith Practice. Edited by Alon Goshen-Gottstein. Interreligious Reflections Series. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2021. Pp. 442. $49.00, cloth; $39.00, paper. This book is a collection of essays published on the occasion of the seventieth birthday of Israeli Orthodox Rabbi David Rosen, hailed by the volume’s editor as “Judaism’s first and only interreligious ambassador” (p. 401). Gifted with remarkable personality traits—including being hospitable, able to build genuine trust, and able to communicate well across religious divides—Rosen gained an international reputation while heading the Anti-Defamation League’s Jerusalem office of interreligious relations from 1985 to 2001 and, subsequently, becoming director of interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee while simultaneously serving as “honorary advisor on matters of interfaith” to the Chief Rabbinate (p. 387). The forty-three essays are bookended by the editor’s introduction, which explains the origin of the project and its design and structure, and his conclusion, which highlights insights gained from the articles, [End Page 616] followed by the endnotes and brief remarks about the contributors, all of whom are “friends of David” (p. 2). Goshen-Gottstein also contributed a piece about the Dalai Lama. This is a very personal volume, not just regarding acquaintanceship but also regarding the very content of the pieces, because authors were asked to write about “a figure who inspire[d]” their own “interfaith work”(p. 3) Thus, the book reads almost as a “Who’s Who” of interreligious dialogue past and present at “the high end of the interfaith arena” (p. 379), as the numerous high-profile authors and senior religious dignitaries (cardinals, rabbis, ulama presidents, acharyas, swamis, archbishops) indicate, many of whom are also members of the Jerusalem-based Elijah Interfaith Institute. Averaging eight pages in length (except for a longer piece written by the honoree’s spouse Sharon), the contributions come with a portrait of the person or persons presented, save for the one about “The Anonymous Hero” by William Vendley of the World Conference of Religions for Peace. The fact that Christian, especially Roman Catholic, contributors predominate is owed to the longstanding engagement of Rosen with the Vatican, causing someone to dub him “the pope’s rabbi” (p. 387), a quip not unjustified because the honoree was once considered to become Israel’s first ambassador to the Vatican state. What makes reading this book so exiting is to see how almost all writers testify with affection to their personal role models for involvement in interreligious/interfaith dialogue and practice, some taking their inspiration from individuals outside of their own faith tradition. A Muslim writes about a Christian (A. Abadi about Hans Küng); Jews write about a Palestinian Muslim (Rabbi M. Melchior about Sheikh Abdulla Nimer Darwish) and about a Hindu (Rabbi D. Sperber about Swami Dayananda Saraswati); and Christians write about a Buddhist (S. B. King about Thich Nhat Hanh) and a Muslim (Archbishop R. Williams about Akbar Ahmed). What is also interesting to note is that, in nearly all presentations, the specificity of each religious tradition of the authors remains discernible. This diversity makes for a very rich, colorful florilegium and fitting tribute to yet another “interreligious hero.” It is also a captivating showcase of why and how one should engage in interreligious dialogue. It motivates joining with “faithful presence” (p. 250) in “the dance of dialogue” (pp. 238 and 25 ff.), the rhythm of which is set by honest, authentic encounters of people firmly rooted in their faith tradition who desire to communicate judiciously with others of the “family of believers” (p. 220) about the Unfathomable—once one realizes the limitations of any human comprehension of the truly Ultimate and [End Page 617] recognizes responsibility for joining hands in fostering global peace and care of the environment. Christoffer H. Grundmann Tūbingen, Germany Copyright © 2022 Journal of Ecumenical Studies

Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary: Case Studies of Spiritual Exemplars

The constellation of social influences on the development of exemplary spiritual youth includes caregivers, spiritual mentors, and peers, but existing research inadequately captures the cultural and religious meanings of these social influences from the perspectives of young people. From a holistic perspective, this study seeks to understand how youth spiritual exemplars incorporate social influences in their own spiritual developmental trajectories and toward a humanistic psychology. Drawing on three narrative-based case studies of spiritual exemplars identified through a culturally embedded nomination process, this study provides illustrative person-centered examples of how youth recognized for being spiritual draw on social influences and excavate cultural and religious beliefs and values as part of their religious and spiritual development. We found that diverse youth’s narratives prominently featured multiple social influences and reflection about them that revealed the reciprocal manner in which religious, spiritual, and cultural beliefs and social relationships influence each other. We conclude by discussing implications for considering the complexity of diverse meanings of social influences for youth.

Self-transformation and Spiritual Exemplars

This paper focuses on the process of self-transformation through which a person comes to embody the ideal of her religion’s vision of the divine, as far as that ideal is expressible in a human life. The paper is concerned with the self as the subject of religious commitments, traits, religious aspirations and religiously inspired ideals. The self-transformative journey that people are invited to undertake poses a number of philosophical and practical difficulties; the paper explores some of these difficulties, concentrating on those that arise in connection with the notion of potential future selves. This paper suggests that imaginative reflection upon exemplary individuals provides one way through these difficulties, for these individuals can show us what it looks like when someone achieves, or draws close to, the ideal.

Beautiful Bodhisattvas: The Aesthetics of Spiritual Exemplarity

The world’s spiritual traditions incorporate a variety of types of exemplar, persons who exemplify a life of aspiration to, or attainment of, spiritual goods. Within Buddhism, the range of exemplars includes monastics, bodhisattvas, the Zen masters and the Buddha himself. Spiritual exemplars are typically described as having a distinctive form of bodily beauty, closely related to their ethical and spiritual qualities, that manifests as a form of radiance, luminosity or charisma. Drawing on recent work on beauty, virtue and the body in the Buddhist tradition, I propose an aesthetics of spiritual exemplarity, arguing that certain spiritual traditions – including Buddhism – are distinctive by virtue of their capacity to generate new forms of experiences of embodied moral beauty.

Varieties of social experience: The religious cultural context of diverse spiritual exemplars.

From cultural developmental and relational developmental systems perspectives, the current study employed an exemplar research design along with qualitative content analysis to gain deeper understanding of how adolescents perceived the social influences on their religious and spiritual development (RSD) among religiously and culturally diverse youth. The sample included interviews of 28 highly spiritual youth aged 12-21years (M=17.73years) from six countries and eight different religious traditions. Analysis revealed that 96% of participants reported multiple relational influences on their RSD and that these persons impacted their religiousness and spirituality through various processes such as teaching and encouragement. Portions of the narrative are presented to reveal how the meaning and influence of these interactions are informed by cultural and religious tradition. The narratives testify to the multifaceted nature of spiritual development and how it is embedded within religious, social, and cultural contexts. Statement of contribution Already known Existing research suggests that adolescent relationships are critical in shaping the religious and spiritual attitudes and practices that youth demonstrate (for reviews, see King & Boyatzis, 2015, Social and Emotional Issues; Mahoney, 2010, Journal of Marriage and Family, 72, 805; Roehlkepartain etal., 2006, The handbook of spiritual development in childhood and adolescence). Parents and peers are significant in shaping adolescents' involvement and beliefs in a religious system (i.e., Denton, 2012, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 5, 42; Desrosiers etal., 2011, Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 3, 39; French etal., 2011, Journal of Youth Adolescence, 40, 1623). Other studies have noted the importance of faith communities, mentors, or religious educators (see Schwartz etal., 2006, The handbook of spiritual development in childhood and adolescence; Vaidyanathan, 2011, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 50, 366). However, how these relationships exert influence, on what types of youth, and in what circumstances or cultures is not clear. Current contribution Findings demonstrate that a variety of typical individuals influence spiritual development among highly spiritual youth. Although these influential individuals might fall into common categories (e.g., family, friends, pastors, teachers), their influences are experienced through various processes such as role modeling, teaching, and offering support. These influences take on different meaning in different religious and cultural contexts.

Combining Indian and Western Spiritual Psychology: Applications to Health and Social Renewal

We introduce the topic of Indian/US collaboration in studying religion and spirituality (R/S), providing both historical and philosophical context. A fully in-depth and comprehensive study of R/S will require taking into account three potential types and sources of knowledge: (1) theoretically and intellectually oriented knowledge as exemplified by William James; (2) empirically oriented knowledge as exemplified by Gordon Allport; and (3) experience- and realization-derived knowledge based on reports from eminent spiritual figures. We sketch the distinct but mutually informative challenges of clinical and epistemic integration. We suggest several topics for future collaboration, arguing that the most comprehensive study of R/S will require combining the western attention to empirical knowledge with the Indian psychology movement’s attention to realization-derived knowledge. Suggested topics include processes of learning from spiritual exemplars and teachers; health effects from engagement in Hindu or other Indian religious practice; psychological and health effects of specific spiritual practices; the importance and influence of the focus used in meditation; the effects of japam, Ramnam, or similar repeated short prayers; how diverse spiritual practices affect mindfulness; and the nature and means of fostering skills for living in a religiously plural society.

Spiritual Exemplars: An Introduction

This essay introduces the special issue, provides criteria for evaluating spiritual exemplars, presents a case study to illustrate how spiritual exemplars can extend our knowledge of spiritual development, and makes important distinctions between types of exemplars and between positive and pathological spirituality.

Savonarolan Witnesses: The Nuns of San Jacopo and the Piagnone Movement in Sixteenth-Century Florence

The unpublished necrology kept by the Observant Dominican nuns of San Jacopo in Florence warrants closer study for its unexpected relation to the Savonarolan movement. Begun in 1508, ten years after Savonarola’s execution, this register narrated powerful stories focused on illness and dying, casting suffering nuns who made a “good death” as spiritual exemplars of the Savonarolan movement. This article argues that the necrology took on the politicized task of sustaining the prophet’s cult at San Jacopo and forming new nuns in the Savonarolan tradition during years of suppression by church and state officials. In response to heated internecine controversies, the San Marco friars responsible for the nuns’ supervision promoted traditional, gendered values when praising the dead, ascribing to nuns only a limited role in religious renewal. The new archival evidence presented here strengthens the case for the preacher’s continued influence in Florentine religious life until the end of the sixteenth century, and shows how the San Marco friars disciplined their female followers as they struggled to define and control the Savonarolan legacy.

Learning from Spiritual Models and Meditation: A Randomized Evaluation of a College Course

Effects of two meditation and mindfulness-based spiritual interventions were ex- amined in college undergraduates (N = 44). Compared to a control group, both interventions decreased negative religious coping (d =− 0.80, p < .01) and images of God as mainly controlling (d =− .73, p < .01). One intervention provided more training in tools for learn- ing from community and tradition-based spiritual exemplars. It produced gains in famous or traditional spiritual exemplars' perceived influence (d =+ .81, p < .05) and availabil- ity (d =+ .66, p < .10), in self-efficacy for learning from spiritual exemplars (d =+ .92, p < .05), and in nonmaterialistic aspirations (d =+ 0.65, p < .05).

Encyclopedia of religious and spiritual development

SAGE Reference is proud to announce the Encyclopedia of Religious and Spiritual Development. This Encyclopedia covers the topic of spiritual development as it occurs and is experienced within the first two decades of life. Spiritual development is an important part of human development that has links to identity development, moral development and civic engagement. Entries refer to links between spiritual and religious development and the contributions that they make to positive personal and social development in youth. The Encyclopedia presents the connections that exist between domains of human development in general and spiritual development in particular. It includes religious traditions and spiritual exemplars, spiritual texts, places and concepts and organizations with missions having to do with spirituality. A logical starting point for the interested student, it serves as a gateway to lengthier articles and more in-depth research. Key features and benefits include: - short entries in accessible terminology are written by specialists that include leading international theorists and thinkers from a wide range of disciplines and professions, providing broad, multidisciplinary scope; - looks at spirituality in the broadest sense and encompasses religion as just one path toward spiritual development; - the Encyclopedia includes community-based programs that focus on enhancing spiritual development and on the links between spiritual development and positive personal and social development in youth; - reference lists for each entry enable readers to gain further information related to the topic; - the advisory board consists of academics from multiple disciplines whose work focuses on spiritual development, theologians, university librarians and leaders of organizations recognized for their work in promoting the healthy, positive development of youth.

Morality, religion, spirituality—the value of saintliness

This article discusses William James's notion, propounded in his Varieties of Religious Experience (1902), that authentic religious experience should be evidenced in mature moral functioning—“the value of saintliness”. Support for this and his other ideas relevant to the intersection of morality and religion was adduced from a review of current research, which examined the following topics: the faith commitments of actual moral exemplars; the religious reasoning of people in handling moral problems; the personality profiles ascribed to moral, religious and spiritual exemplars; the asymmetrical relationships evidenced across the moral, religious and spiritual domains; and the different dimensions evident in people's typologies of these domains. This analysis led to the conclusion that James has made a significant contribution to the psychology of moral development by arguing for the importance of religious experience in moral functioning.

The Perceived Personality of Moral Exemplars

Contemporary moral psychology and education overemphasise rationality and neglect moral virtues and personality that must be part of a comprehensive understanding of moral functioning. The purpose of this study was to delineate the perceived personality characteristics of moral exemplars using the template of the Five-Factor Model which represents the fundamental dimensions of personality, and to compare that trait description with those for related types of exemplars. Participants were 120 adults from across the lifespan (17-91 years) who provided free-listing descriptions of moral, religious and spiritual exemplars, which were then analysed in terms of the five personality factors. Results revealed meaningful differences in personality attributions across types of exemplars, and indicated that traits reflecting the Conscientiousness and Agreeableness factors were particularly salient for the moral exemplar. Discussion focuses on the value of a re-examination of moral character and virtue, and the need to integrate moral cognition and personality within a realistic model of moral functioning and education.