An overview of the different approaches that are being made to the topic of faith, religion, belief and community wellbeing

1. SWK1046
Faith, spirituality and community
Tim Curtis, The University of
Northampton
January 2015
Extracts are taken directly from existing presentations as an illustration of the types of presentations the leading
academics are making on this topic. Authors work remains their own.

2. RELIGION AT THE HEART OF
SOCIOLOGY
Durkheim

3. The new secularism?
• Freud, Future of an Illusion, 1927
• The religions of humanity, too, must be
classified as mass-delusions of this kind.
• Religion would thus be the universal
obsessional neurosis of humanity

4. Emile DURKHEIM’S FINDINGS
• Some categories of people (men, Christians, the
unmarried, seniors) had higher rates of suicide
than others (women, Jews, the married, the
young and middle-aged)
 Married adults half as likely as unmarried adults
to commit suicide
 Jews less likely to commit suicide than Christians

5. • Social solidarity: Degree to which group member share beliefs
and values, and intensity and frequency of interaction
• Demonstrated variation in social solidarity in different groups:
 Those weakly integrated into social groups are more likely to
commit suicide
 As level of social solidarity increases, suicide rate declines
 But beyond a certain point, rate begins to rise again*
DURKHEIM’S THEORY
OF SUICIDE

6. • Three types of suicide:
1. Anomic suicide: Occurs in low social solidarity settings, where
norms governing behaviour are vaguely defined
2. Egoistic suicide: Results from lack of integration of individual
into society because of weak social ties to others
3. Altruistic suicide: Occurs in high social solidarity contexts,
where norms tightly govern behaviour [soldiers in combat]
DURKHEIM’S TYPOLOGY OF
SUICIDE

7. KOENIG: HANDBOOK OF RELIGION
AND HEALTH
Dr. Harold G. Koenig is co-director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology,
and Health at Duke University Medical Center,
www3.nd.edu/~coping/assets/presentations/Koenig.ppt Accessed 19/01/15

8. Church Attendance and Suicide Rates
Martin WT (1984). Religiosity and United States suicide rates. J Clinical Psychology 40:1166-1169
White Males Black Males White Females Black Females
Church Attendance
Suicide
Rate
Correlation=-.85, p<.0001

9. 0
0.1-4.9
5.0-7.4
7.5-9.9
10
5.0%
5.0%
22.7%
27.3%
40.1%
Self-Rated Religious Coping
The Most Important Factor
Large Extent or More
Moderate to Large Extent
None
Small to Moderate

10. Time to Remission by Intrinsic Religiosity
0 10 20 30 40 50
Weeks of Followup
0
20
40
60
80
100
ProbabilityofNon-Remission
%
Low Religiosity
Medium Religiosity
High Religiosity
(N=87 patients with major or minor depression by Diagnostic Interview Schedule)
American Journal of Psychiatry 1998; 155:536-542

11. Mortality From Heart Disease and Religious Orthodoxy
(based on 10,059 civil servants and municipal employees)
Kaplan-Meier life table curves (adapted fromGoldbourt et a l 1993. Cardiology 82:100-121)
Follow-up time, years
Survivalprobability
Most Orthodox
Non-Believers
Differences remain significant after
controlling for blood pressure,
diabetes, cholesterol, smoking,
weight, and baseline heart disease

12. Six-Month Mortality After Open Heart Surgery
Citation: Psychosomatic Medicine 1995; 57:5-15
0
5
10
15
20
25
%Dead
(2 of 72)
(7 of 86) (2 of 25)
(10 of 49)
(232 patients at Dartmouth Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire)
Hi Religion
Hi Soc Support
Hi Religion
Lo Soc Support
Lo Religion
Hi Soc Support
Lo Religion
Lo Soc Support
Hi Religion
Hi Soc Support

13. Religion and Physical Health Research Summary
Handbook of Religion and Health (Oxford University Press, 2001)
• Better immune/endocrine function (5 of 5)
• Lower mortality from cancer (5 of 7)
• Lower blood pressure (14 of 23)
• Less heart disease (7 of 11)
• Less stroke (1 of 1)
• Lower cholesterol (3 of 3)
• Less cigarette smoking (23 of 25)
• More likely to exercise (3 of 5)
• Lower mortality (11 of 14) (1995-2000)
• Clergy mortality (12 of 13)
(summary of research in year 2000 or before)
Many new studies since 2000

14. HEALTHCARE
Prof. Wilf McSherry. Professor in Dignity of Care for Older People. Centre
for Practice and Service Improvement, Staffordshire University

15. • 41% respondents from NHS hospitals
• All health sectors included
• 25.4% Staff nurses
• 0nly 0.3% HCA/HCSW
• 0.9% students
• All main specialities/branches of nursing represented
• Age range - < 20 years - > 60 years represented largest age groups 40 – 59
years 74% of all respondents
• Males 12% and females 88%
• 92.1% identified themselves as White and 4.3% of respondents classified
themselves against National Census Criteria – 3.1% not stated
www.spiritualityandhealthcare.co.uk/shared/cms/file.asp?e=44&i=67 Accessed 19/01/15

16. Defining spirituality
“A quality that goes beyond religious affiliation, that
strives for inspirations, reverence, awe, meaning and
purpose even in those who do not believe in any
good(god). The spiritual dimension tries to be in
harmony with the universe, strives for answers about
the infinite, and comes into focus when the person
faces emotional stress, physical illness or death.”
Murray & Zentner (1989 p 259)
Murray RB & Zentner JP (1989) Nursing Concepts for Health
Promotion. Prentice Hall, London

17. Spirituality and nursing
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Uncertain Agree Strongly
Agree

18. Spirituality and quality of care
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Uncertain Agree Strongly
Agree

19. Showing kindness
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Uncertain Agree Strongly
Agree

20. Forgiveness
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Uncertain Agree Strongly
Agree

21. Place of worship
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Uncertain Agree Strongly
Agree

22. Faith in God or Supreme being
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Uncertain Agree Strongly
Agree

23. Finding meaning
DisagreeStrongly
Disagree
Uncertain Agree Strongly
Agree

24. Time, support and reassurance
DisagreeStrongly
Disagree
Uncertain Agree Strongly
Agree

25. Hope
Disagree Uncertain AgreeStrongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree

26. Listening and exploring
Disagree Uncertain AgreeStrongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree

27. Privacy, dignity and religious...
Disagree AgreeUncertainStrongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree

28. Atheists and agnostics
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Uncertain Agree Strongly
Agree

29. Type of spiritual need
The need for : No %
3 meaning and purpose 3276 81.9
love and harmonious relationships 2820 70.3
forgiveness 2604 65.1
1 a source of hope and strength 3661 95.1
trust 2885 72.1
2 expression of personal beliefs/values 3558 88.9
3 spiritual practices, expressions of concept of
God or deity
3277 81.9
creativity 1983 49.6

30. COMMUNITY COHESION
Co-opting religion or Faith in Public?
www3.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/web/viewdoc.asp?id=50768 Accessed 19/01/15

31. Professor Ted Cantle CBE,
Executive Chair, iCoCo

32. Community Cohesion
Emerged after 2001 riots in Northern towns
White and Asian groups found to be living in
‘parallel lives’ with no contact between them
Fear and ignorance, little mutual respect and
understanding: Far Right demonised
minorities
Differences underpinned by inequalities

33. Community Cohesion
Programme developed to -
Promote the value of diversity
Create a sense of belonging for all
Tackle inequalities
Break down barriers by ‘promoting interaction
in neighbourhoods, schools and in
workplaces’

34. Community Cohesion - policy
• Works across political spectrum, apart from
extremes!
• A critique of multiculturalism?
• Embraces equalities, more nuanced perhaps
• Emphasises responsibilities and
commonalities – may be interpreted as
‘integration’
• Advancement of citizenship, tests,
ceremonies, days, curriculum - and language

35. Community Cohesion – current issues
Prevent agenda
• Recent change in Government approach
• Select Committee report
• Conservative approach

36. Community Cohesion – current issues
The Muslim communities
…… the government continues to approach Muslims as
though their religion defines them. It rarely speaks to
them as tenants, parents, students or workers; it does
not dwell on problems that they share with everyone
else; it does not convene high profile task forces to
look at how to improve their daily lives. It summons
them as Muslims, talks to them as Muslims and refers
to them as Muslims - as though they could not
possibly be understood as anything else.
Gary Younge. The Guardian 30th March 2009

37. Community Cohesion – current issues
White w/c ‘connecting communities’
• Are disengaged and disaffected
• Do have real needs and grievances too
• But are not one community
• And a danger of stigmatising them
• Similarities with ‘Prevent’?
• Far Right support is not all working class….

38. Community Cohesion – future issues
Faith – ‘in the public square’
• Religious dress and symbols
• Institutional support – eg schools
• Privileged access
• As a contributor to governance

39. Community Cohesion – future issues
Faith – diaspora communities
• Mutual support now tenable
• Inherent challenge to national identity –
growth of geo-political movement
• And part of inevitable process of globalisation
and interdependence
• New forms of citizenship and identity

40. FORCE, FIRE AND FAITH
Public Safety
Helen Boardman, personal communication 11/12/14

41. How do we fit together - Force, Fire & Faith
The Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives
Communities are involved so they can make a difference to individual
and community-wide problems.
1. Liaison point between Force, Fire and Faith
2. Develop crime prevention activity in
communities
3. Develop and evaluate best practice
4. Identify local and national funds
5. Commission services (Kite-mark)
6. Help raise standards (Quality assurance)
7. Raising profile of contributions to social
action (Audit, conferences and
publications)
8. Forge constructive partnerships
9. Advisory council
OFBCI

42. How do we fit together - Force, Fire & Faith
• Round Table Discussion 1 – Improving Force, Fire and Faith Collaboration
• Purpose
• To explore ways in which we can improve the collaboration between Force, Fire and Faith
organisations to reduce crime and increase community safety.
• To discuss the “volunteering products” that have been presented and to identify and discuss
potential opportunities for greater collaboration.
• What to do
• Share with each other how you might relay the messages you have heard in your communities.
• Discuss how collaboration between Force, Fire and Faith could be improved so that you are more
likely to act “in concert” with one another to solve community problems.
• Move on to think about the challenges facing faith communities in relation to individuals and
groups engaging with Force and Fire Service. Decide which of these are the most important.
• Write your suggested improvements and your challenges on separate post-its and place them on
the flip-chart sheets provided.
• Feedback to the whole room your top 3 suggested improvements and 1 major challenge that
needs to be overcome
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43. Questions posed
• What is the purpose of life? Happiness or
Love?
• How does society become different if the
purpose is happiness or love?
• (How) Does ‘religion/spirituality’ affect
community wellbeing?
• Can we do without religion?
• Are religious people being ‘co-opted’?
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