Religions

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Open AccessArticle

Cold War Transgressions: Christian Realism, Conservative Socialism, and the Longer 1960s

by Mark Thomas Edwards

Religions 2015, 6(1), 266-285; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010266 - 20 Mar 2015

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 7270

This essay examines the convergence of the Protestant left and traditionalist right during the 1950s. Reinhold Niebuhr and the World Council of Churches challenged Cold War liberalism from within. As they did, they anticipated and even applauded the anti-liberalism of early Cold War [...] Read more.

This essay examines the convergence of the Protestant left and traditionalist right during the 1950s. Reinhold Niebuhr and the World Council of Churches challenged Cold War liberalism from within. As they did, they anticipated and even applauded the anti-liberalism of early Cold War conservatives. While exploring intellectual precursors of the New Left, this essay forefronts one forgotten byproduct of the political realignments following World War II: The transgressive politics of “conservative socialism.” Furthermore, this work contributes to growing awareness of ecumenical Christian impact within American life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion, Politics, and America’s Liberal-Conservative Divide Reconsidered)

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Open AccessArticle

Whither Shall We Go? The Past and Present of Black Churches and the Public Sphere

by Kendra H. Barber

Religions 2015, 6(1), 245-265; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010245 - 18 Mar 2015

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 10057

Abstract

In this paper, I analyze the contemporary role of the Black Church in the public sphere. Some argue that despite the historical role of the Black Church in addressing racial inequality, it should not be involved in the public sphere, as there should [...] Read more.

In this paper, I analyze the contemporary role of the Black Church in the public sphere. Some argue that despite the historical role of the Black Church in addressing racial inequality, it should not be involved in the public sphere, as there should be a clear separation between church and state. I argue that black churches are filling a gap created by the self-help ideology of a neo-liberal era where addressing the outcomes of contemporary racial inequality is left to private sector organizations, such as churches, rather than the federal government. I assert that the Black Church should remain engaged in the public sphere for two reasons: first, black churches are operating in the absence of state welfare rather than as an alternative to it and second, black churches are among the few institutions providing race-specific remedies that have been abandoned in a colorblind era. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Race-Ethnicity and American Religion: Solidarities and Separations)

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Open AccessArticle

The Physics of Augustine: The Matter of Time, Change and an Unchanging God

by Thomas Nordlund

Religions 2015, 6(1), 221-244; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010221 - 17 Mar 2015

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 9077

Abstract

Scientific questions posed by St. Augustine, early father of the Christian church, are presented as a part of a proposed undergraduate course for religion and philosophy students. Augustine regularly seasons his religious, philosophical and moral investigations with analysis focused on the physical nature [...] Read more.

Scientific questions posed by St. Augustine, early father of the Christian church, are presented as a part of a proposed undergraduate course for religion and philosophy students. Augustine regularly seasons his religious, philosophical and moral investigations with analysis focused on the physical nature of the universe and how it can be quantified: “And yet, O Lord, we do perceive intervals of time, and we compare them with each other, and we say that some are longer and others are shorter” (Confessions, Book 11). The physical analysis is sometimes extended, pressing the attention and grasp of the unsuspecting student of religion or philosophy. Though Augustine emphasizes that true knowledge comes from faith and revelation, his physical inquiries imply that he values such analysis as a way toward truth. In contrast, Master of Divinity programs, which train the majority of Western Christian ministers, require little science experience and usually no physics. Serious investigation of Augustine’s physical explorations reveal an alternative way of understanding scripture, especially Jesus’ sayings: could the master engineer who created the universe sometimes be speaking in straightforward scientific terms? Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teaching Augustine)

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Open AccessArticle

Augustine’s De Musica in the 21st Century Music Classroom

by John MacInnis

Religions 2015, 6(1), 211-220; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010211 - 12 Mar 2015

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 11253

Abstract

Augustine’s De musica is all that remains of his ambitious plan to write a cycle of works describing each of the liberal arts in terms of Christian faith and is actually unfinished; whereas the six books extant today primarily examine rhythm, Augustine intended [...] Read more.

Augustine’s De musica is all that remains of his ambitious plan to write a cycle of works describing each of the liberal arts in terms of Christian faith and is actually unfinished; whereas the six books extant today primarily examine rhythm, Augustine intended to write about melody also. The sixth book of De musica was better known in late Antiquity and the Middle Ages than the first five, and it takes up philosophical questions of aesthetics related to the proportionate ordering discernable throughout creation. After a brief introduction summarizing De musica’s content and its importance in subsequent Christian writings, my presentation outlines and explains how I have used this document in my own music classes. For example, my students learn that a vital notion in Augustine’s writings, and in Neoplatonism more broadly, is the spiritual benefit of academic study. That is, through study of music, one gains insight into the created order, but, more importantly, one’s soul is strengthened and trained to perceive higher realities of the cosmos such as the ordering of the planetary spheres and the progression of celestial hierarchies, which span the spiritual distance from God to humanity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teaching Augustine)

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Open AccessArticle

Naming the Mystery: An Augustinian Ideal

by Allan Fitzgerald

Religions 2015, 6(1), 204-210; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010204 - 12 Mar 2015

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4719

Abstract

This article, by noticing Augustine’s constant questioning, shows that he often talks about not knowing and about his need for God’s help to know more. It is therefore better to see how he identifies the mystery than to focus on his answers, because [...] Read more.

This article, by noticing Augustine’s constant questioning, shows that he often talks about not knowing and about his need for God’s help to know more. It is therefore better to see how he identifies the mystery than to focus on his answers, because he too recognizes his limits. His intellectual prowess can be seen more clearly when he “names the mystery” than by thinking that he has solved it. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teaching Augustine)

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Open AccessArticle

Elvis’ Gospel Music: Between the Secular and the Spiritual?

by Mark Duffett

Religions 2015, 6(1), 182-203; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010182 - 9 Mar 2015

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 9530

Abstract

Do fans sanctify their heroes? In the past, I have argued that Elvis fandom is not a neo-religious practice but that attention to a modified version of Durkheim’s theory of religion can, nevertheless, help to explain it as a form of social interaction. [...] Read more.

Do fans sanctify their heroes? In the past, I have argued that Elvis fandom is not a neo-religious practice but that attention to a modified version of Durkheim’s theory of religion can, nevertheless, help to explain it as a form of social interaction. I take that argument further here, first by revealing the ethical and analytical advantages of neo-Durkheimian theory, then by pitting this theory against three aspects of Elvis’ sincere engagement with gospel music. Elvis Presley won three Grammy awards for his gospel albums and was the musician who did most to bring the gospel quartet tradition to the mainstream. His eclectic personal ties to spirituality and religion have become a focus of debate within his fan culture. They offer a set of discursive resources through which to explain the emotional impact and social influence of his music. If star musicians are positioned as centres of attention, what happens when they use their privileged position in the spotlight to offer a “spiritual” message? Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Music and Spirituality)

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Open AccessCommentary

Fully Human and Fully Divine: The Birth of Christ and the Role of Mary

by Ann Milliken Pederson, Gretchen Spars-McKee, Elisa Berndt, Morgan DePerno and Emily Wehde

Religions 2015, 6(1), 172-181; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010172 - 6 Mar 2015

Viewed by 13024

Abstract

The task given to us for this article was to offer theological responses to, “Can modern biology interpret the mystery of the birth of Christ?” by Giuseppe Benagiano and Bruno Dallapiccola. We are female Protestant theologians and respond to the issues from this [...] Read more.

The task given to us for this article was to offer theological responses to, “Can modern biology interpret the mystery of the birth of Christ?” by Giuseppe Benagiano and Bruno Dallapiccola. We are female Protestant theologians and respond to the issues from this perspective. The Christian confession of the virgin birth of Jesus (stated within the Apostles and Nicene creeds) is a statement of faith that God became incarnate through the power of the Holy Spirit in the flesh of the human Jesus and, likewise, that God continues to become incarnate in our flesh and in the messy details of our lives. The mystery and miracle of the birth of Jesus has much more to do with the incarnation of God in human flesh and in God’s spirit at work in and with Mary, than to do with Mary’s gynecological or parthenogenical mechanisms. The language of mechanism and miracle, in the ways used by the authors, can reduce the mystery and power of the incarnation. Consequently, we would like to offer a theological interpretation of the birth of Jesus and the role of Mary that expresses the mystery and grace of God’s incarnation not only in human nature, but also in all of nature. Our world is God’s home. We cannot comprehend all the ramifications of what is happening in the sciences and technologies of reproduction and development. However, what we do know is that we cannot stop asking questions, seeking answers, and remaining open to being both critical of, and appreciative of, what the sciences are teaching us about being human and creatures of God. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Body and Religion)

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Open AccessArticle

Hermeneutic Neurophenomenology in the Science-Religion Dialogue: Analysis of States of Consciousness in the Zohar

by Brian L. Lancaster

Religions 2015, 6(1), 146-171; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010146 - 6 Mar 2015

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 9481

Abstract

Many mystical texts convey insights into the nature of mind that have the potential to assist in the framing of scientific models in psychology and neuroscience. In many cases, however, the insights are concealed within complex, codified symbolic systems, meaning that the reader [...] Read more.

Many mystical texts convey insights into the nature of mind that have the potential to assist in the framing of scientific models in psychology and neuroscience. In many cases, however, the insights are concealed within complex, codified symbolic systems, meaning that the reader must engage with the hermeneutic employed by the texts’ authors in order to access the insights. Combining such a hermeneutic approach with that of neurophenomenology can enrich the input from mysticism to science. I exemplify this hermeneutic neurophenomenology through an analysis of states of mystical consciousness as portrayed in the classic of Jewish mysticism, the Zohar. Three distinct mystical states are identified, each of which is understood as being dominated by a specific dimension of consciousness. The normal state of consciousness is dominated by the narrative construction of self. The first mystical state arises as this narrative is attenuated, allowing the intentionality of perception and emotion to become the dominating dimension. The second mystical state comes to the fore as the mystic increasingly identifies with an associational propensity at the core of memory processing. The final mystical state conveys the essential feature of consciousness—phenomenality—with little, if any, intentional content. I explore how the Zohar’s insights into these states can combine with neurocognitive data and thereby enrich our understanding of consciousness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Science and Religion: Buddhist and Hindu Perspectives)

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Open AccessEssay

Augustine and Autobiography: Confessions as a Roadmap for Self-Reflection

by Mark S. M. Scott

Religions 2015, 6(1), 139-145; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010139 - 5 Mar 2015

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6821

Abstract

In this article, I explore a pedagogical strategy for teaching Augustine’s Confessions to undergraduate students, which involves a final essay assignment. In the assignment, students compose their own “confessions” at the end of the term that employs Augustine’s Confessions as a roadmap for [...] Read more.

In this article, I explore a pedagogical strategy for teaching Augustine’s Confessions to undergraduate students, which involves a final essay assignment. In the assignment, students compose their own “confessions” at the end of the term that employs Augustine’s Confessions as a roadmap for rigorous self-reflection. Like Augustine, they must employ a creative literary frame, without duplicating his rhetorical technique of framing his autobiography as a prayer to God. Moreover, they must reflect on the salient questions, key people, pivotal moments that have shaped them, and analyze their shifts in worldviews. The assignment aims to demystify Augustine and to reinforce the evolving nature of the self as it moves through time and absorbs new ideas and experiences, as well as helping students begin to formulate a coherent and constructive life narrative. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teaching Augustine)

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Open AccessArticle

Reconstructing Sikh Spirituality in Recovery from Alcohol Addiction

by Asesha Morjaria-Keval and Harshad Keval

Religions 2015, 6(1), 122-138; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010122 - 4 Mar 2015

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 10954

Abstract

This paper situates Sikh identity, spirituality, and recovery from alcohol addiction within a nexus of complex social, psychological, and cultural factors. The way in which affected people in Sikh communities in Britain are able to locate and utilize unofficial recovery trajectories, often successfully [...] Read more.

This paper situates Sikh identity, spirituality, and recovery from alcohol addiction within a nexus of complex social, psychological, and cultural factors. The way in which affected people in Sikh communities in Britain are able to locate and utilize unofficial recovery trajectories, often successfully alleviating suffering, presents both academic research and service provision with potential puzzles. While Sikh communities have been long settled in the UK, there is still a dearth of extensive, multi-method, and analytically rich research investigating the role of spirituality and Sikh identity. We present existing models of recovery process and locate them against an individual psychological and sociological backdrop, so that through the use of spirituality, recovery along this route is interpreted as having both otherworldly as well as materially grounded formations. It is this duality, we argue, that is prominent socially, culturally, and psychologically as important in the recovery from addiction. The multi-factorial nature of this mechanism of change raises important questions for not only addiction recovery, but also notions of continuity and change in Sikh identity. We aim to contribute to this growing body of work in order to re-situate the role of spirituality and identity in alcohol addiction recovery. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion & Addiction)

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Open AccessConference Report

Augustine, Addiction and Lent: A Pedagogic Exercise

by Maria Poggi Johnson

Religions 2015, 6(1), 113-121; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010113 - 25 Feb 2015

Viewed by 4717

Abstract

The article describes a series of pedagogic exercises developed to help students in a General Education course at a Jesuit university to engage fruitfully with Augustine’s Confessions in a way that will facilitate and deepen their understanding of a classic text of the [...] Read more.

The article describes a series of pedagogic exercises developed to help students in a General Education course at a Jesuit university to engage fruitfully with Augustine’s Confessions in a way that will facilitate and deepen their understanding of a classic text of the Western tradition and, at the same time, promote their personal formation in keeping with the goals of Ignatian pedagogy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teaching Augustine)

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Open AccessArticle

Teaching Augustine’s Confessions in the Context of Mercer’s Great Books Program

by Bryan J. Whitfield

Religions 2015, 6(1), 107-112; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010107 - 16 Feb 2015

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 5399

Abstract

Students in Mercer University’s Great Books program read Augustine’s Confessions in the third semester of a seven-semester sequence. Their previous reading of Greek and Roman epics and philosophical treatises as well as Biblical material equips them with a solid foundation for reading and [...] Read more.

Students in Mercer University’s Great Books program read Augustine’s Confessions in the third semester of a seven-semester sequence. Their previous reading of Greek and Roman epics and philosophical treatises as well as Biblical material equips them with a solid foundation for reading and discussing Augustine. This essay reflects on that preparation and models ways that instructors can use opening discussion questions related to those earlier readings to guide students into substantive reflection on the Confessions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teaching Augustine)

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Open AccessArticle

Meaning-Making, Religiousness and Spirituality in Religiously Founded Substance Misuse Services—A Qualitative Study of Staff and Patients’ Experiences

by Torgeir Sørensen, Lars Lien, Anne Landheim and Lars J. Danbolt

Religions 2015, 6(1), 92-106; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010092 - 2 Feb 2015

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 7877

Abstract

The Norwegian health authorities buy one third of their addiction treatment from private institutions run by organizations and trusts. Several of these are founded on religious values. The aim of the study was to investigate such value-based treatment and the patients’ experiences of [...] Read more.

The Norwegian health authorities buy one third of their addiction treatment from private institutions run by organizations and trusts. Several of these are founded on religious values. The aim of the study was to investigate such value-based treatment and the patients’ experiences of spirituality and religiousness as factors of meaning-making in rehabilitation. The study was performed in an explorative qualitative design. Data were collected through focus-group interviews among therapists and in-patients at a religiously founded substance misuse service institution. The analysis was carried out by content analysis through systematic text-condensation. Through different activities and a basic attitude founded on religious values, the selected institution and the therapists facilitated a treatment framework which included a spiritual dimension and religious activity. The patients appreciated their free choice regarding treatment approaches, which helped them to make meaning of life in various collective and individual settings. Rituals and sacred spaces gave peace of mind and confidence in a situation that up to now had been chaotic and difficult. Sermons and wording in rituals contributed to themes of reflection and helped patients to revise attitudes and how other people were met. Private confessions functioned for several patients as turning point experiences influencing patients’ relations to themselves and their surroundings. Spirituality and religious activity contributed to meaning-making among patients with substance use disorder and had significance for their rehabilitation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrating Religion and Spirituality into Clinical Practice)

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Open AccessArticle

Augustine’s Introduction to Political Philosophy: Teaching De Libero Arbitrio, Book I

by Daniel E. Burns

Religions 2015, 6(1), 82-91; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010082 - 30 Jan 2015

Viewed by 6392

Abstract

Book I of Augustine’s work On Free Choice (De Libero Arbitrio) offers a helpful introduction to some of the most important themes of political philosophy. The paper makes a case for teaching this text in introductory courses on political thought, theology [...] Read more.

Book I of Augustine’s work On Free Choice (De Libero Arbitrio) offers a helpful introduction to some of the most important themes of political philosophy. The paper makes a case for teaching this text in introductory courses on political thought, theology of social life, and similar topics, alongside or even in place of the more usually assigned excerpts from City of God. The text is written as a dialogue in which Augustine seeks to introduce a student of his to reflection on the ways in which our moral outlook is profoundly shaped by our political citizenship. It invites all of us, whether Christian or non-Christian citizens, to enter into the dialogue ourselves as Augustine’s students and so to reflect on the moral significance of our own citizenship. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Teaching Augustine)

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Open AccessArticle

Recovery Spirituality

by Ernest Kurtz and William L. White

Religions 2015, 6(1), 58-81; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010058 - 27 Jan 2015

Cited by 35 | Viewed by 13129

Abstract

There is growing interest in Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) and other secular, spiritual, and religious frameworks of long-term addiction recovery. The present paper explores the varieties of spiritual experience within A.A., with particular reference to the growth of a wing of recovery spirituality promoted [...] Read more.

There is growing interest in Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) and other secular, spiritual, and religious frameworks of long-term addiction recovery. The present paper explores the varieties of spiritual experience within A.A., with particular reference to the growth of a wing of recovery spirituality promoted within A.A. It is suggested that the essence of secular spirituality is reflected in the experience of beyond (horizontal and vertical transcendence) and between (connection and mutuality) and in six facets of spirituality (Release, Gratitude, Humility, Tolerance, Forgiveness, and a Sense of Being-at-home) shared across religious, spiritual, and secular pathways of addiction recovery. The growing varieties of A.A. spirituality (spanning the “Christianizers” and “Seculizers”) reflect A.A.’s adaptation to the larger diversification of religious experience and the growing secularization of spirituality across the cultural contexts within which A.A. is nested. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion & Addiction)

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Open AccessArticle

The Concept of Periphery in Pope Francis’ Discourse: A Religious Alternative to Globalization?

by Pasquale Ferrara

Religions 2015, 6(1), 42-57; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010042 - 16 Jan 2015

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 12436

Abstract

Since the beginning of his mandate, Pope Francis has used the concept of periphery as a metaphor of social marginality. However, the notion of periphery also seems to target the asymmetries generated by the liberal version of globalization. Pope Francis’ narrative has to [...] Read more.

Since the beginning of his mandate, Pope Francis has used the concept of periphery as a metaphor of social marginality. However, the notion of periphery also seems to target the asymmetries generated by the liberal version of globalization. Pope Francis’ narrative has to be read in the broader context of the relation between religions and globalization. That interaction is usually conceptualized in terms of religions capitalizing on global “vectors”, such as new information and communication technologies, processes of political and institutional integration, shared cultural patterns, transnational phenomena and organizations. An alternative way to analyze the role of religions consists in considering them as agencies defending the perspective of a universal community, putting into question the national political boundaries and contesting the existing global order. Understood in those terms, the concept of periphery reveals to be a powerful rhetoric device, insofar as it suggests that it is possible to get a wider perspective of the current state of the world looking form the edge rather than from the center. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion & Globalization)

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Open AccessEditorial

Acknowledgement to Reviewers of Religions in 2014

by Religions Editorial Office

Religions 2015, 6(1), 40-41; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010040 - 9 Jan 2015

Viewed by 3602

Abstract

The editors of Religions would like to express their sincere gratitude to the following reviewers for assessing manuscripts in 2014:[...] Full article

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Open AccessArticle

The Transnationalization of the Akan Religion: Religion and Identity among the U.S. African American Community

by Pauline Guedj

Religions 2015, 6(1), 24-39; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010024 - 8 Jan 2015

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 12711

Abstract

In 1965, Gus Dinizulu, an African American percussionist, traveled to Ghana with the dance company he was leading. There, he took the trip as an opportunity to explore his African roots and met Nana Oparebea, the Ghanaian chief-priestess of the Akonedi Shrine, one [...] Read more.

In 1965, Gus Dinizulu, an African American percussionist, traveled to Ghana with the dance company he was leading. There, he took the trip as an opportunity to explore his African roots and met Nana Oparebea, the Ghanaian chief-priestess of the Akonedi Shrine, one of the most famous shrine houses north of Accra. At the Akonedi Shrine, Nana Oparebea performed for Dinizulu a divination, during which she explained that his enslaved ancestors were parts of the Akan people of Ghana and gave him the mission to search for other African Americans who, like him, were of Ghanaian ancestries. She also offered him a set of altars, containing the spiritual forces of the deities revered in the Akonedi Shrine and asked him to import in the United States what was then labelled the Akan religion. Based on research led both in Ghana and in the United States, the aim of this paper will be to describe the process of diffusion, importation, transnationalization and indigenization of the Akan religion between West Africa and the East Coast of the United States. Focusing on ethnographic data, we will argue that this process can only be understood if it is placed in the context of African American identity formations. Therefore, we will show how in the context of globalization, religion and identity constructions are walking hand-in-hand, creating new discourses on hybridity and authenticity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion & Globalization)

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Open AccessArticle

Does the Spiritual Well-Being of Chronic Hemodialysis Patients Differ from that of Pre-dialysis Chronic Kidney Disease Patients?

by Areewan Cheawchanwattana, Darunee Chunlertrith, Warapond Saisunantararom and Nutjaree Pratheepawanit Johns

Religions 2015, 6(1), 14-23; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010014 - 29 Dec 2014

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 7087

Abstract

Spiritual well-being is viewed as an essential component of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in the modernized biopsychosocial-spiritual model of health. Understanding spiritual well-being should lead to better treatment plans from the patients’ point of view, and improved patient adherence. There are numerous [...] Read more.

Spiritual well-being is viewed as an essential component of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in the modernized biopsychosocial-spiritual model of health. Understanding spiritual well-being should lead to better treatment plans from the patients’ point of view, and improved patient adherence. There are numerous studies of traditional HRQOL, physical, mental, and social well-being; however, studies of spiritual well-being in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are limited. Thus, this study compared spiritual well-being of chronic hemodialysis patients and pre-dialysis CKD patients. A total of 31 chronic hemodialysis and 63 pre-dialysis CKD patients were asked for consent and then interviewed for spiritual well-being using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Spiritual Well-Being (FACIT-Sp). Analysis of covariance was applied to compare FACIT-Sp scores between pre-dialysis CKD and chronic hemodialysis groups that were adjusted by patient characteristics. The FACIT-Sp scores of pre-dialysis CKD patients were non-significantly greater than those of chronic hemodialysis patients after adjustment for gender, age, and marital status. However, all FACIT-Sp scores of males were significantly lower than those of females [FACIT Meaning −1.59 (p = 0.024), FACIT Peace −2.37 (p = 0.004), FACIT Faith −2.87 (p = 0.001), FACIT Total Score −6.83 (p = 0.001)]. The spiritual well-being did not significantly differ by stages of chronic kidney disease; however, patient gender was associated with spiritual well-being instead. To improve spiritual well-being, researchers should consider patient gender as a significant factor. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrating Religion and Spirituality into Clinical Practice)

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Open AccessArticle

A Latter-day Saint Approach to Addiction: Aetiology, Consequences and Treatment in a Theological Context

by James D. Holt

Religions 2015, 6(1), 1-13; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel6010001 - 24 Dec 2014

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 6600

Abstract

This article explores the theological underpinning of the nature, aetiology and treatment of addictions within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first section outlines the “plan of salvation” and how this provides the theological framework for the source and solution [...] Read more.

This article explores the theological underpinning of the nature, aetiology and treatment of addictions within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first section outlines the “plan of salvation” and how this provides the theological framework for the source and solution to addictions. The final section explores addiction against this background in terms of its aetiology, types, consequences and treatment in a Latter-day Saint context. In so doing it builds on the recognition by the Church in recent years that addiction is a problem in the lives of some of its members and that treatment programs coherent with its teachings and beliefs are necessary. The article concludes by suggesting that while addiction may be more openly discussed within a Latter-day Saint context there is a need to keep this dialogue moving forward. This article does not examine Latter-day Saint teaching within the wider context of psychotherapy and other definitions of addiction; rather it explores the place of addiction as understood within the theological and ecclesiological context of Mormonism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion & Addiction)

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