HOW TO STUDY RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY & HEALTH

1. 13 Sep 2013 Rels 120: Religion, Spirituality & Health HOW TO STUDY RELIGION, SPIRITUALITY & HEALTH

2. You will NOT become religious through this course You will NOT be expected to take on the beliefs or practices of any religious tradition You will NOT compare one religion to another in order to assess which is more believable or holds the most truth academic approach to the study of religions

3. We will aim for BALANCE: • Between an INSIDER perspective • What is it like to be a member of this religious tradition? How is this religion practised by people of faith within it? • And an OUTSIDER perspective • How can we accurately describe and understand this religious tradition? academic approach to the study of religions

4. We will aim for EMPATHY: We will try to see things from the perspective of the person of faith We will study the religious and spiritual perspectives with respect for its beliefs and practices We will seek insight into the religious person’s experiences without bias We will identify the values in the tradition academic approach to the study of religions

5. We will take a COMPARATIVE approach: We will observe similar dimensions across many traditions We will be alert for cultural, geographical, and ethnic differences We will seek to understand the modern influences of globalization, secularization and multiculturalism on religious traditions academic approach to the study of religions

6. Within the Health Care Professions, spirituality has been recognized as a significant component of well-being • the contexts of intersection & focussed research are most prominent within: • Palliative care • Integrative medicine • Mental health rels 120 Spirituality & health

7. rels 120 Recommended resources Cancer & palliative care – Montreal: Spirituality and Health: Developing a shared vocabularyB.M. Mount, W. Lawlor, E.J. Cassell • McGill Programs in Integrated Whole Person Care Working Group, http://www.mcgill.ca/files/wholepersoncare/SHVocabulary.pdf

8. Inspiring Hope: Recognising the importance of spirituality in a whole person approach to mental health, http://www.abdn.ac.uk/cshad/documents/spirituality.pdf “The human spirit is the essential life force that undergirds, motivates and vitalises human existence.” (Swinton, 2001) “The word Spirit is derived from the Latin spiritus meaning breath. An analogy would be human respiration, by which oxygen is taken in to sustain and maintain the existence of the person. The spirit provides a similar sustaining and maintaining role on a more ontological level” (Swinton, 2001) rels 120 Mental health

9. Spirituality –“It can refer to the essence of human beings as unique individuals ‘What makes me, me and you, you?’ So it is the power, energy and hopefulness in a person. It is life at its best, growth and creativity, freedom and love. It is what is deepest in us – what gives us direction, motivation. It is what enables a person to survive bad times, to be strong, to overcome difficulties, to become themselves.” (Bradford Document on Spiritual Well-Being – Policy and Practice, 2001) rels 120 http://www.abdn.ac.uk/cshad/documents/spirituality.pdf

10. “Spirituality is about what we do with the fire inside of us, about how we channel our eros. And how we do channel it, with disciplines and habits we choose to live by, will either lead to a greater integration or disintegration within our bodies, minds, and souls, and to a greater integration or disintegration in the way we are related to God [the supernatural, the divine], the Other, and the cosmic world” (Rolheiser, 1998) rels 120 http://www.abdn.ac.uk/cshad/documents/spirituality.pdf

11. By spiritual well-being we mean . . . Spiritual well-being is not so much . . . as a process of . . . Feeling at ease with the essential self happens when . . . People have a sense of their own dignity when . . . If people have an awareness of themselves as valuable . . . People are at ease with the world around them when . . . rels 120 What is spiritual well-being?

12. Meaning and Purpose What are some things that give you a sense of purpose? Do you have a specific aim that is important to you at the moment? Do you believe in any kind of existence after this life? Security and hope What are your sources of strength and hope? Who do you turn to when you need help? In what ways do they help? What inner resources do you draw upon? Where do you go for comfort and support? Who or what do you depend on when things go wrong? http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/pdf/A_guide_to_the_assessment_of_spiritual_concerns_in_mental_healthcare.pdf (excerpts) rels 120 Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK

13. Inspiring Hope: Recognising the importance of spirituality in a whole person approach to mental health. The National Institute for Mental Health in England, 2003, http://www.abdn.ac.uk/cshad/documents/spirituality.pdf Spirituality and Health: Developing a shared vocabulary. B.M. Mount, W. Lawlor, E.J. Cassell, for McGill Programs in Integrated Whole Person Care Working Group, http://www.mcgill.ca/files/wholepersoncare/SHVocabulary.pdf John Swinton (2001) A Space to Listen: Meeting the Spiritual Needs of People with Learning Disabilities. London: Mental Health Foundation. Spirituality in Mental Health Care: Rediscovering a Forgotten Dimension. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Swinton, J. and Pattison, S. ‘Come All Ye Faithful.’ Health Service Journal, 20th December 2001. rels 120 Selected Resources on Religion, Spirituality & Health

14. Individual spiritual assessment- PRACTICE • The goal of this assignment is to assist you in exploring spiritual aspects of meaning, purpose and hope. • For example, F.I.C.A.is one individual spiritual assessment tool used in healthcare settings; • Answer the questions posed and then identify what you think are the most and least useful aspects of spirituality the tool addresses. By “useful” I mean this: As you think about your own past or present experiences of spirituality, which aspects of this assessment tool do you find most engaging? Which elements of it relate or appeal to your spiritual understandings or experiences? GUIDELINES FOR PORTFOLIO ITEMS

15. Here’s our practise Spiritual Assessment Tool FICA Spiritual History Tool Christina M. Puchalski; GWish http://www.gwish.org Spiritual Self-Assessment

16. F – Faith and Belief Do I have a spiritual belief that helps me cope with stress? With illness? What gives my life meaning? I – Importance Is this belief important to me? Does it influence how I think about my health and illness? Does it influence my healthcare decisions? C – Community Do I belong to a spiritual community (church, temple, mosque or other group)? Am I happy there? Do I need to do more with the community? Do I need to search for another community? If I don't have a community, would it help me if I found one? A – Address in Care What should be my action plan? What changes do I need to make? Are there spiritual practices I want to develop? Would it help for me to see a chaplain, spiritual director, or pastoral counselor? rels 120 - appleby

17. Do I have a belief that helps me cope with stress? • What gives my life meaning? • Do I have a sense of purpose in my life? • Do I belong to a community of persons that share my sense of purpose and meaning? • Who do I turn to when I am feeling stressed, or discouraged? • Who do I turn to when I want to celebrate an event or accomplishment? rels 120 - appleby Some things to think about

18. Chapter 1: outline & study guide, click here • http://www.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780199738434/ • Resources for Chapter 1 • http://www.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780199738434/student/chapter1/ • Resources for Chapter 4: Hinduism • http://www.oup.com/us/companion.websites/9780199738434/student/chapter4/ Study tools for each chapter

19. rels 120 - appleby • Sign up for EITHER a Country Report OR a Religious Community in Canada Report • Work alone OR with a partner • Maximum group size is 3 people working together • Sign up today