This document reviews the concept of spirituality as a positive youth development construct. It defines spirituality broadly as relationships, beliefs, and finding meaning and purpose in life. The document discusses theories of spiritual development and how spirituality relates to positive youth outcomes. It examines factors that influence adolescent spirituality, such as family, peers, and culture. Research on how spirituality impacts adolescent development is also reviewed. Finally, ways to promote adolescent spirituality are discussed.
National Trends in Prayer Use as a Coping Mechanism for Health Concerns: Chan...Jonathan Dunnemann
This study analyzed national trends in the use of prayer as a coping mechanism for health concerns using data from the 2002 and 2007 National Health Interview Survey. The following key points were found:
1) The percentage of U.S. adults who reported using prayer for their own health in the past 12 months increased significantly from 43% in 2002 to 49% in 2007.
2) Across both time periods, individuals reporting dental pain in the past 12 months were more likely to use prayer to cope compared to those without pain.
3) Other factors consistently associated with greater prayer use across both years included being female, African American, experiencing psychological distress or functional limitations.
4) After adjusting for various demographic and health
This study explores adolescent religious commitment using qualitative data
from a religiously diverse (Jewish, Christian, Muslim) sample of 80 adolescents.
A new construct, anchors of religious commitment, grounded in interview data, is
proposed to describe what adolescents commit to as a part of their religious
identity.
Parents, grandparents, and siblings were reported to have positively influenced African American adults' religious commitment and values, on average. However, mothers were reported to have the greatest positive influence on these outcomes. The influences of family members differed based on the generation and gender of the family member. Religious commitment and values were differentially associated with family members depending on these factors. The study aimed to explore how family members influence African American adults' perceptions of the importance of religion in their lives, their religious and spiritual identities, and their views on religious socialization of children.
This document proposes a relational framework for studying religiosity and spirituality in African Americans. It argues that religion and spirituality are relational phenomena that shape social relationships. The framework examines how religion and spirituality influence relationships through mechanisms like socialization, affect, cognition and behavior. It reviews research on how religiosity promotes well-being, prosocial attitudes in youth, and mitigates risky behaviors. The framework suggests future quantitative and qualitative research should study these factors across development and examine their role in relationships.
This document summarizes previous research on the concept of sense of community. It begins by reviewing six studies that explored elements like neighboring, length of residency, home ownership, and satisfaction in relation to sense of community. It then critiques the limitations of these studies, such as a lack of a unified theoretical framework. The document proposes a new definition of sense of community consisting of four elements: membership, influence, integration and fulfillment of needs, and shared emotional connection. It discusses each element in more detail and how they contribute to developing a sense of community.
1. The study examined how materialism and gratitude predict academic functioning, life satisfaction, absorption, social integration, envy, and depression in adolescents.
2. It found that gratitude uniquely predicts higher GPA, life satisfaction, social integration, and absorption, as well as lower envy and depression, after controlling for materialism. Materialism uniquely predicts lower GPA as well as higher envy and life satisfaction after controlling for gratitude.
3. Gratitude generally has a stronger relationship to these outcomes than materialism. The results suggest gratitude promotes well-being in youth while materialism undermines aspects of well-being.
The document examines differences in models of agency between college-educated (BA) and less educated (HS) European Americans. Through three studies, the authors found that:
1) BA participants and their preferred cultural products (rock lyrics) emphasized expressing uniqueness, controlling environments, and influencing others, whereas HS participants and their preferred products (country lyrics) emphasized maintaining integrity, adjusting selves, and resisting influence.
2) When given choices, BA participants liked chosen objects more, but choice did not affect HS participants' preferences, reflecting their different agency models.
3) The findings suggest BA and HS models of agency qualitatively differ, though there is overlap between their worlds.
National Trends in Prayer Use as a Coping Mechanism for Health Concerns: Chan...Jonathan Dunnemann
This study analyzed national trends in the use of prayer as a coping mechanism for health concerns using data from the 2002 and 2007 National Health Interview Survey. The following key points were found:
1) The percentage of U.S. adults who reported using prayer for their own health in the past 12 months increased significantly from 43% in 2002 to 49% in 2007.
2) Across both time periods, individuals reporting dental pain in the past 12 months were more likely to use prayer to cope compared to those without pain.
3) Other factors consistently associated with greater prayer use across both years included being female, African American, experiencing psychological distress or functional limitations.
4) After adjusting for various demographic and health
This study explores adolescent religious commitment using qualitative data
from a religiously diverse (Jewish, Christian, Muslim) sample of 80 adolescents.
A new construct, anchors of religious commitment, grounded in interview data, is
proposed to describe what adolescents commit to as a part of their religious
identity.
Parents, grandparents, and siblings were reported to have positively influenced African American adults' religious commitment and values, on average. However, mothers were reported to have the greatest positive influence on these outcomes. The influences of family members differed based on the generation and gender of the family member. Religious commitment and values were differentially associated with family members depending on these factors. The study aimed to explore how family members influence African American adults' perceptions of the importance of religion in their lives, their religious and spiritual identities, and their views on religious socialization of children.
This document proposes a relational framework for studying religiosity and spirituality in African Americans. It argues that religion and spirituality are relational phenomena that shape social relationships. The framework examines how religion and spirituality influence relationships through mechanisms like socialization, affect, cognition and behavior. It reviews research on how religiosity promotes well-being, prosocial attitudes in youth, and mitigates risky behaviors. The framework suggests future quantitative and qualitative research should study these factors across development and examine their role in relationships.
This document summarizes previous research on the concept of sense of community. It begins by reviewing six studies that explored elements like neighboring, length of residency, home ownership, and satisfaction in relation to sense of community. It then critiques the limitations of these studies, such as a lack of a unified theoretical framework. The document proposes a new definition of sense of community consisting of four elements: membership, influence, integration and fulfillment of needs, and shared emotional connection. It discusses each element in more detail and how they contribute to developing a sense of community.
1. The study examined how materialism and gratitude predict academic functioning, life satisfaction, absorption, social integration, envy, and depression in adolescents.
2. It found that gratitude uniquely predicts higher GPA, life satisfaction, social integration, and absorption, as well as lower envy and depression, after controlling for materialism. Materialism uniquely predicts lower GPA as well as higher envy and life satisfaction after controlling for gratitude.
3. Gratitude generally has a stronger relationship to these outcomes than materialism. The results suggest gratitude promotes well-being in youth while materialism undermines aspects of well-being.
The document examines differences in models of agency between college-educated (BA) and less educated (HS) European Americans. Through three studies, the authors found that:
1) BA participants and their preferred cultural products (rock lyrics) emphasized expressing uniqueness, controlling environments, and influencing others, whereas HS participants and their preferred products (country lyrics) emphasized maintaining integrity, adjusting selves, and resisting influence.
2) When given choices, BA participants liked chosen objects more, but choice did not affect HS participants' preferences, reflecting their different agency models.
3) The findings suggest BA and HS models of agency qualitatively differ, though there is overlap between their worlds.
Strengths Building, Resilience, and the Bible: A Story-Based Curriculum for A...Jonathan Dunnemann
This document proposes a story-based curriculum called Global Resilience Oral Workshops (GROW) to build resilience in adolescents around the world. It draws from positive psychology principles like character strengths and teaches problem-solving skills through Bible stories, which are available in over 750 languages. The curriculum aims to lower depression and increase well-being in adolescents, most of whom live in developing countries and prefer oral learning. It incorporates both spiritual and secular resilience strategies and can be adapted across cultures. The proposed implementation is to first pilot it with Brazilian adolescents and train community leaders to disseminate it through an audio-recorded "train the trainer" model.
This study sought to understand the personal spiritual lives and experiences of young people ages 15-20 in Asia who were born into Adventist homes. The respondents shared their experiences with spirituality, including worship services, family worship, personal devotions, and their feelings about God. Results showed that older teenagers had a more mature understanding of spirituality than younger teenagers. The study also found that young females tended to be more spiritual than young males, and that young people responded positively to variety and personal participation in church and home worship services.
The religious landscape of America is becoming more diverse, with three key trends:
1) White Christians now account for less than half of the population, declining from over 80% in the 1970s.
2) Non-Christian religions are growing, though still small at less than 10% combined.
3) America's youngest religious groups are non-Christian, with over 30% of Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists under 30, compared to under 15% of white Christian groups.
This document introduces the topic that will be explored in the book - why African Americans pray so often compared to white Americans. It describes two observations the authors had that shaped this question - African American athletes frequently thank God after successes, while this is less common among white athletes. It also describes African Americans often responding "I'm blessed" when asked how they are, whereas white Americans do not as often.
The document then describes an interview with an African American job applicant, Sharon, who described praying in the bathroom before the interview. This led the authors to question if black Christians pray more often than white Christians. It introduces the goal of the book, which is to understand the distinct way African Americans approach and think about Christianity compared
Trelawney Jean Grenfell-Muir has extensive education and experience in conflict studies, religion, and peacebuilding. She holds a Ph.D. in Conflict Studies & Religion from Boston University, where her dissertation examined grassroots peacebuilding methods of clergy in Northern Ireland. She has taught courses on cross-cultural conflict and served as an adjunct professor at UMass Boston. Grenfell-Muir has researched and published on religion and conflict in Northern Ireland, Lebanon, and Syria, interviewing clergy and political/religious leaders. Her work focuses on the role of local religious leaders in ameliorating inter-communal conflict.
This document provides an introduction to a chapter that will be included in an upcoming book about the therapeutic uses of rap music. The chapter discusses T. Tomás Alvarez's work using Rap Therapy in Oakland, California to engage at-risk youth of color in therapeutic services. It outlines the mental health and social challenges faced by many young men of color, high rates of violence in Oakland, and barriers to traditional mental health treatment. The chapter then describes Alvarez's development of a community-based model of Rap Therapy to provide culturally responsive services for urban youth.
This document discusses both the positive and negative effects of religion. Among the positive effects, it notes that religion can promote social harmony through shared beliefs and rituals. It also provides moral values and social change. Religion reduces fears of death and the unknown, and gives people positive goals and a sense of belonging. However, the document also discusses some negative effects, such as religion affirming social hierarchies and causing discrimination. It has also triggered conflicts and wars. Some argue religion can be used as an economic tool to exploit people and impede scientific success. Overall, the document presents a balanced view of both the benefits and drawbacks of religion.
The document provides an overview of the historical origins and basic beliefs of several major world religions, including:
- Abrahamic religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam trace their origins back to the prophet Abraham. They believe in one God and share scriptures like the Torah and Bible.
- Hinduism is one of the oldest religions originating over 4,000 years ago in India. It is a collection of traditions rather than a single religion and teaches goals of Dharma, Artha, Karma and Moksha. Core texts are the Vedas.
- Buddhism arose in India in the 5th century BC by Siddhartha Gautama and focuses on ending suffering through enlight
Narcissism impairs ethical judgment even among the highly religiousLex Pit
though high levels of narcissism can impair ethical judgment regardless of one's religious orientation or orthodox beliefs, narcissism is more harmful in those who might be expected to be more ethical, according to a Baylor University study published online in the Journal of Business Ethics.
"Devout people who are narcissistic and exercise poor ethical judgment would be committing acts that are, according to their own internalized value system, blatantly hypocritical," said Marjorie J. Cooper, Ph.D., study author and professor of marketing at Baylor's Hankamer School of Business. "Narcissism is sufficiently intrusive and powerful that it entices people into behaving in ways inimical to their most deeply-held beliefs."
The study identified three groups- skeptics, nominal Christians, and devout Christians. Skeptics largely reject foundational Christian teachings. Nominal Christians are moderate in their intrinsic religious orientation as well as in their orthodox beliefs. Devout Christians are high in intrinsic religious orientation and orthodoxy, which indicates that they fully internalize Christian beliefs and values.
"We found that nominal and devout Christians show better ethical judgment than the skeptics overall, but especially those whose narcissistic tendencies are at the low end of the spectrum," said Chris Pullig, Ph.D., chair of the department of marketing and associate professor of marketing at Baylor. "However, that undergoes a notable alteration as levels of narcissism rise for subjects within each cluster."
"Both the nominal and devout groups show degrees of poor ethical judgment equal to that of the skeptics when accompanied by higher degrees of narcissism, a finding that suggests a dramatic transformation for both nominals and the devouts when ethical judgment is clouded by narcissistic tendencies," he said.
For the skeptics, the range of scores for ethical judgment from low to high lacks the range that is found for the nominals and devouts. Increased narcissism among skeptics does not result in significantly worse ethical judgment.
"However, the same cannot be said for the nominals or the devouts," Cooper said. "For both of these groups as narcissism increases so does the tendency to demonstrate worse ethical judgment. Thus, a higher level of narcissism is more likely to be associated with unethical judgment among nominal Christians and devout Christians than skeptics."
Religion as a repository of nigeria national communication policy israel udom...Alexander Decker
This document discusses how religion serves as a source for communication policies in Nigeria. It examines two dominant religions in Nigeria - Islam and Christianity. Some key points:
1) Religious actions, statements by religious leaders, and beliefs from holy books have influenced the behavior and regulation of mass communication in Nigeria.
2) While the Nigerian constitution provides the ultimate source of communication policy, the lack of a formal national policy leaves room for religious influences.
3) Examples of religious influences on policy include the first printing press established by the Presbyterian Church and restrictions on media coverage of religious events to avoid conflicts between faiths.
Youth, religiosity and substance abuse a nigerian private university experienceAlexander Decker
This document summarizes a study on the relationship between religiosity, spirituality and substance abuse among youth in Nigeria. The study was conducted at a private university and involved interviews with 20 students with substance abuse issues, 9 parents of students with issues, and 10 university administrators. The results showed that religion influenced what substances students used, with Muslims less likely to drink alcohol. Religiosity and spirituality were found to act as a deterrent to substance abuse for some time for students who were deeply religious. However, lack of spirituality alone did not prevent involvement. Participants preferred interventions that combined counseling with religious and traditional elements like prayer, fasting and exorcism. The recommendations included religious bodies providing more youth programs and collaborating
The Phenomenology of 'Solved' Reincarnation Stories Among Druze in Israel: Pr...JohnChavez47
This cultural case study examines the phenomenon of "Notq" or remembering past lives among Druze in Israel. Specifically, it focuses on "solved" stories where the person identifies their past incarnation. Through in-depth interviews with 23 Israeli Druze adults who experienced Notq, the study finds that Notq provides psychological resources that shape a symbolic identity reflecting Druze cultural values. It also finds that Notq is experienced naturally throughout one's life and allows the transition from a private self to a representative of Druze culture. The discussion considers Notq as a cultural concept that provides unique psychological and social functions for the Druze community.
1. The document discusses the author's personal statement and goals for pursuing a bachelor's degree in psychology with a concentration in criminal justice. The author discusses human flaws and how they relate to important issues scientists are facing today such as overpopulation, climate change, pollution, and more.
2. The author then discusses their desire to guide and educate individuals on how psychology can help them understand human behavior and how it impacts life on a grand scale. The author hopes to accomplish this by pursuing graduate studies in ecological psychology and earning a certification in ecopsychology.
3. The summary concludes by stating the author's resume, which outlines their relevant experience, education, skills, and affiliations to support their goal of becoming
The role of symbolic capacity in the origin of religion. deacon, terreance 2009Hada Luna
1) The document discusses the role of symbolic capacity in the origins of religion from an evolutionary perspective. It explores how the evolution of symbolic abilities may have resulted in cognitive and emotional predispositions that help explain characteristics of religion.
2) Specifically, it argues symbolic capacity led to a predisposition for narrative understanding, a sense that the world has hidden meanings, and higher-order emotional experiences seen as spiritual.
3) The document also reviews different evolutionary approaches to explaining religious phenomena and their limitations in fully characterizing religion and the role of symbolic thought.
Whither Shall We Go? The Past and Present of Black Churches and the Public Sp...Jonathan Dunnemann
This document summarizes the debate among scholars about the role of Black churches in addressing racial inequality. Some key points:
1) Early scholars viewed Black churches as primarily "accommodating" of racial inequality by not challenging segregation. More recent scholars argue they were also "resistant" by organizing protests.
2) This created an oversimplified binary that doesn't capture the complexity - Black churches have elements of both and their role has changed over time based on the social context.
3) Today, some argue Black churches fill a gap by addressing racial issues since the government has taken a colorblind approach. Others oppose their political involvement due to separation of church and state.
Review Paper – Power Point PresentationFerglapanter
This paper examines the negative effects of religiosity on aggression, education, and intelligence in the United States. It reviews research showing religiosity is correlated with increased aggression due to violent passages in religious texts. Studies also demonstrate religiosity is negatively correlated with education and intelligence, as more religious individuals are less open to knowledge. Polls reveal only 39% of Americans believe in evolution, and belief decreases with increased religious attendance. The research aims to show how religiosity hinders progress in factors contributing to America's development as a modern society.
This document summarizes research on gender differences in religiosity. It finds that across many societies, women are more religiously affiliated, believe more strongly in religious concepts like God and the afterlife, and participate more in religious activities like church attendance. Sociological explanations for this focus on gender socialization, with female socialization emphasizing passivity and conflict resolution in ways that align with traditional religious roles and beliefs. However, some research also finds physiological factors like risk-taking tendencies may play a role in gender differences in religiosity. The document also notes trends toward more egalitarian gender roles and beliefs within some religious groups and movements.
Protective Factors Determine Resilience in Madurese Ethnic Adolescentinventionjournals
: living in the center of drug circulation and use is the highest factor possibly influencing that adolescents in madura are easily involved in drug use. Some factors to protect adolescents from getting involved in drug abuse are needed. Based on this phenomenon, this research aims at analyzing the influence of protective factors determining resilience of Madurese ethnic adolescents living in the environment of high-risk drug abuse. Parents‟ role, emotion control, religiosity, and self esteem of Madurese ethnic called „Ajina aba‟ as the mediator variable are the protective factors that would be tested for their influences toward resilience. The research subjects were obtained through purposive sampling with 356 adolescents of Madurese ethnic living in the area of high-risk areas of drug abuse, born and living in Madura, with parents of native Madurese. SEM was used for analyzing the data. The result of this study suggested that there is no direct influence of parents‟ role toward resilence, but parents‟ role has positive influence toward resilience when the mediator variable is the self esteem of Madurese ethnic. There is positive influence of emotion regulation toward resilence. Other result showed that there is negative influence of religiosity toward resilience when directly associated. However, religiosity has positive influence when the self esteem of Madurese ethnic is used as mediator variable. In addition, the self esteem of Madurese ethnic was proven to be mediator variable and has positive influence toward resilience. This result implies that parents‟ role, emotion regulation, religiosity, and self esteem of Madurese ethnic are protective factors that can be used as guide in designing program to prevent drug abuse by Madurese ethnic adolescents
This document provides an overview of spiritual development in children and youth. It discusses definitions of spirituality, perspectives on spiritual development, and Fowler's stages of faith development. Spirituality deals with how people approach life's unknowns and relate to what is sacred. While difficult to define, it involves finding meaning and connecting to oneself, others, nature, or a higher power. Spiritual development is influenced by factors like relationships, critical thinking, and independence from authority.
Strengths Building, Resilience, and the Bible: A Story-Based Curriculum for A...Jonathan Dunnemann
This document proposes a story-based curriculum called Global Resilience Oral Workshops (GROW) to build resilience in adolescents around the world. It draws from positive psychology principles like character strengths and teaches problem-solving skills through Bible stories, which are available in over 750 languages. The curriculum aims to lower depression and increase well-being in adolescents, most of whom live in developing countries and prefer oral learning. It incorporates both spiritual and secular resilience strategies and can be adapted across cultures. The proposed implementation is to first pilot it with Brazilian adolescents and train community leaders to disseminate it through an audio-recorded "train the trainer" model.
This study sought to understand the personal spiritual lives and experiences of young people ages 15-20 in Asia who were born into Adventist homes. The respondents shared their experiences with spirituality, including worship services, family worship, personal devotions, and their feelings about God. Results showed that older teenagers had a more mature understanding of spirituality than younger teenagers. The study also found that young females tended to be more spiritual than young males, and that young people responded positively to variety and personal participation in church and home worship services.
The religious landscape of America is becoming more diverse, with three key trends:
1) White Christians now account for less than half of the population, declining from over 80% in the 1970s.
2) Non-Christian religions are growing, though still small at less than 10% combined.
3) America's youngest religious groups are non-Christian, with over 30% of Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists under 30, compared to under 15% of white Christian groups.
This document introduces the topic that will be explored in the book - why African Americans pray so often compared to white Americans. It describes two observations the authors had that shaped this question - African American athletes frequently thank God after successes, while this is less common among white athletes. It also describes African Americans often responding "I'm blessed" when asked how they are, whereas white Americans do not as often.
The document then describes an interview with an African American job applicant, Sharon, who described praying in the bathroom before the interview. This led the authors to question if black Christians pray more often than white Christians. It introduces the goal of the book, which is to understand the distinct way African Americans approach and think about Christianity compared
Trelawney Jean Grenfell-Muir has extensive education and experience in conflict studies, religion, and peacebuilding. She holds a Ph.D. in Conflict Studies & Religion from Boston University, where her dissertation examined grassroots peacebuilding methods of clergy in Northern Ireland. She has taught courses on cross-cultural conflict and served as an adjunct professor at UMass Boston. Grenfell-Muir has researched and published on religion and conflict in Northern Ireland, Lebanon, and Syria, interviewing clergy and political/religious leaders. Her work focuses on the role of local religious leaders in ameliorating inter-communal conflict.
This document provides an introduction to a chapter that will be included in an upcoming book about the therapeutic uses of rap music. The chapter discusses T. Tomás Alvarez's work using Rap Therapy in Oakland, California to engage at-risk youth of color in therapeutic services. It outlines the mental health and social challenges faced by many young men of color, high rates of violence in Oakland, and barriers to traditional mental health treatment. The chapter then describes Alvarez's development of a community-based model of Rap Therapy to provide culturally responsive services for urban youth.
This document discusses both the positive and negative effects of religion. Among the positive effects, it notes that religion can promote social harmony through shared beliefs and rituals. It also provides moral values and social change. Religion reduces fears of death and the unknown, and gives people positive goals and a sense of belonging. However, the document also discusses some negative effects, such as religion affirming social hierarchies and causing discrimination. It has also triggered conflicts and wars. Some argue religion can be used as an economic tool to exploit people and impede scientific success. Overall, the document presents a balanced view of both the benefits and drawbacks of religion.
The document provides an overview of the historical origins and basic beliefs of several major world religions, including:
- Abrahamic religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam trace their origins back to the prophet Abraham. They believe in one God and share scriptures like the Torah and Bible.
- Hinduism is one of the oldest religions originating over 4,000 years ago in India. It is a collection of traditions rather than a single religion and teaches goals of Dharma, Artha, Karma and Moksha. Core texts are the Vedas.
- Buddhism arose in India in the 5th century BC by Siddhartha Gautama and focuses on ending suffering through enlight
Narcissism impairs ethical judgment even among the highly religiousLex Pit
though high levels of narcissism can impair ethical judgment regardless of one's religious orientation or orthodox beliefs, narcissism is more harmful in those who might be expected to be more ethical, according to a Baylor University study published online in the Journal of Business Ethics.
"Devout people who are narcissistic and exercise poor ethical judgment would be committing acts that are, according to their own internalized value system, blatantly hypocritical," said Marjorie J. Cooper, Ph.D., study author and professor of marketing at Baylor's Hankamer School of Business. "Narcissism is sufficiently intrusive and powerful that it entices people into behaving in ways inimical to their most deeply-held beliefs."
The study identified three groups- skeptics, nominal Christians, and devout Christians. Skeptics largely reject foundational Christian teachings. Nominal Christians are moderate in their intrinsic religious orientation as well as in their orthodox beliefs. Devout Christians are high in intrinsic religious orientation and orthodoxy, which indicates that they fully internalize Christian beliefs and values.
"We found that nominal and devout Christians show better ethical judgment than the skeptics overall, but especially those whose narcissistic tendencies are at the low end of the spectrum," said Chris Pullig, Ph.D., chair of the department of marketing and associate professor of marketing at Baylor. "However, that undergoes a notable alteration as levels of narcissism rise for subjects within each cluster."
"Both the nominal and devout groups show degrees of poor ethical judgment equal to that of the skeptics when accompanied by higher degrees of narcissism, a finding that suggests a dramatic transformation for both nominals and the devouts when ethical judgment is clouded by narcissistic tendencies," he said.
For the skeptics, the range of scores for ethical judgment from low to high lacks the range that is found for the nominals and devouts. Increased narcissism among skeptics does not result in significantly worse ethical judgment.
"However, the same cannot be said for the nominals or the devouts," Cooper said. "For both of these groups as narcissism increases so does the tendency to demonstrate worse ethical judgment. Thus, a higher level of narcissism is more likely to be associated with unethical judgment among nominal Christians and devout Christians than skeptics."
Religion as a repository of nigeria national communication policy israel udom...Alexander Decker
This document discusses how religion serves as a source for communication policies in Nigeria. It examines two dominant religions in Nigeria - Islam and Christianity. Some key points:
1) Religious actions, statements by religious leaders, and beliefs from holy books have influenced the behavior and regulation of mass communication in Nigeria.
2) While the Nigerian constitution provides the ultimate source of communication policy, the lack of a formal national policy leaves room for religious influences.
3) Examples of religious influences on policy include the first printing press established by the Presbyterian Church and restrictions on media coverage of religious events to avoid conflicts between faiths.
Youth, religiosity and substance abuse a nigerian private university experienceAlexander Decker
This document summarizes a study on the relationship between religiosity, spirituality and substance abuse among youth in Nigeria. The study was conducted at a private university and involved interviews with 20 students with substance abuse issues, 9 parents of students with issues, and 10 university administrators. The results showed that religion influenced what substances students used, with Muslims less likely to drink alcohol. Religiosity and spirituality were found to act as a deterrent to substance abuse for some time for students who were deeply religious. However, lack of spirituality alone did not prevent involvement. Participants preferred interventions that combined counseling with religious and traditional elements like prayer, fasting and exorcism. The recommendations included religious bodies providing more youth programs and collaborating
The Phenomenology of 'Solved' Reincarnation Stories Among Druze in Israel: Pr...JohnChavez47
This cultural case study examines the phenomenon of "Notq" or remembering past lives among Druze in Israel. Specifically, it focuses on "solved" stories where the person identifies their past incarnation. Through in-depth interviews with 23 Israeli Druze adults who experienced Notq, the study finds that Notq provides psychological resources that shape a symbolic identity reflecting Druze cultural values. It also finds that Notq is experienced naturally throughout one's life and allows the transition from a private self to a representative of Druze culture. The discussion considers Notq as a cultural concept that provides unique psychological and social functions for the Druze community.
1. The document discusses the author's personal statement and goals for pursuing a bachelor's degree in psychology with a concentration in criminal justice. The author discusses human flaws and how they relate to important issues scientists are facing today such as overpopulation, climate change, pollution, and more.
2. The author then discusses their desire to guide and educate individuals on how psychology can help them understand human behavior and how it impacts life on a grand scale. The author hopes to accomplish this by pursuing graduate studies in ecological psychology and earning a certification in ecopsychology.
3. The summary concludes by stating the author's resume, which outlines their relevant experience, education, skills, and affiliations to support their goal of becoming
The role of symbolic capacity in the origin of religion. deacon, terreance 2009Hada Luna
1) The document discusses the role of symbolic capacity in the origins of religion from an evolutionary perspective. It explores how the evolution of symbolic abilities may have resulted in cognitive and emotional predispositions that help explain characteristics of religion.
2) Specifically, it argues symbolic capacity led to a predisposition for narrative understanding, a sense that the world has hidden meanings, and higher-order emotional experiences seen as spiritual.
3) The document also reviews different evolutionary approaches to explaining religious phenomena and their limitations in fully characterizing religion and the role of symbolic thought.
Whither Shall We Go? The Past and Present of Black Churches and the Public Sp...Jonathan Dunnemann
This document summarizes the debate among scholars about the role of Black churches in addressing racial inequality. Some key points:
1) Early scholars viewed Black churches as primarily "accommodating" of racial inequality by not challenging segregation. More recent scholars argue they were also "resistant" by organizing protests.
2) This created an oversimplified binary that doesn't capture the complexity - Black churches have elements of both and their role has changed over time based on the social context.
3) Today, some argue Black churches fill a gap by addressing racial issues since the government has taken a colorblind approach. Others oppose their political involvement due to separation of church and state.
Review Paper – Power Point PresentationFerglapanter
This paper examines the negative effects of religiosity on aggression, education, and intelligence in the United States. It reviews research showing religiosity is correlated with increased aggression due to violent passages in religious texts. Studies also demonstrate religiosity is negatively correlated with education and intelligence, as more religious individuals are less open to knowledge. Polls reveal only 39% of Americans believe in evolution, and belief decreases with increased religious attendance. The research aims to show how religiosity hinders progress in factors contributing to America's development as a modern society.
This document summarizes research on gender differences in religiosity. It finds that across many societies, women are more religiously affiliated, believe more strongly in religious concepts like God and the afterlife, and participate more in religious activities like church attendance. Sociological explanations for this focus on gender socialization, with female socialization emphasizing passivity and conflict resolution in ways that align with traditional religious roles and beliefs. However, some research also finds physiological factors like risk-taking tendencies may play a role in gender differences in religiosity. The document also notes trends toward more egalitarian gender roles and beliefs within some religious groups and movements.
Protective Factors Determine Resilience in Madurese Ethnic Adolescentinventionjournals
: living in the center of drug circulation and use is the highest factor possibly influencing that adolescents in madura are easily involved in drug use. Some factors to protect adolescents from getting involved in drug abuse are needed. Based on this phenomenon, this research aims at analyzing the influence of protective factors determining resilience of Madurese ethnic adolescents living in the environment of high-risk drug abuse. Parents‟ role, emotion control, religiosity, and self esteem of Madurese ethnic called „Ajina aba‟ as the mediator variable are the protective factors that would be tested for their influences toward resilience. The research subjects were obtained through purposive sampling with 356 adolescents of Madurese ethnic living in the area of high-risk areas of drug abuse, born and living in Madura, with parents of native Madurese. SEM was used for analyzing the data. The result of this study suggested that there is no direct influence of parents‟ role toward resilence, but parents‟ role has positive influence toward resilience when the mediator variable is the self esteem of Madurese ethnic. There is positive influence of emotion regulation toward resilence. Other result showed that there is negative influence of religiosity toward resilience when directly associated. However, religiosity has positive influence when the self esteem of Madurese ethnic is used as mediator variable. In addition, the self esteem of Madurese ethnic was proven to be mediator variable and has positive influence toward resilience. This result implies that parents‟ role, emotion regulation, religiosity, and self esteem of Madurese ethnic are protective factors that can be used as guide in designing program to prevent drug abuse by Madurese ethnic adolescents
This document provides an overview of spiritual development in children and youth. It discusses definitions of spirituality, perspectives on spiritual development, and Fowler's stages of faith development. Spirituality deals with how people approach life's unknowns and relate to what is sacred. While difficult to define, it involves finding meaning and connecting to oneself, others, nature, or a higher power. Spiritual development is influenced by factors like relationships, critical thinking, and independence from authority.
This phenomenological study explores how eight students from different worldviews understand and describe spirituality. The students represented Agnosticism, Atheism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Muslim, Protestantism, and Roman Catholicism. Data was collected through photo elicitation where students took photos to represent spirituality, and semi-structured interviews to discuss the photos and their understanding of spirituality. The study aims to develop a description of spirituality based on these diverse student experiences and perspectives.
Religiotherapy: A Panacea for Incorporating Religion and Spirituality in Coun...iosrjce
For majority of individuals, religion and spirituality are very important issues and guides all of their
decisions throughout their lives. However, most counselling psychologists find it difficult to provide counselling
to clients who comes with issues they consider religiously and spiritually unethical. Such issues often require
integration of religious and psychological resources as part of the counselling process. Due to the ethical issues
and challenges facing counsellors with respect to their religion and spirituality and that of clients’, a proactive
approach is what is needed at this time. Therefore, religiotherapy stands out to bridge the gap that has overtime
created a lot of incredible heartache to all concerned in the counselling profession. Religiotherapy integrates
client’s faith and psychology to assist the genuinely motivated client(s) willing and ready to resolve their
worries. The skills and conditions for the practice of religiotherapy were examined in this article. The article
also demonstrates how researches and intervention programmes that incorporates religious resources and
psychological techniques in therapy to assist individual(s) serves as theoretical and empirical evidence on the
effectiveness of religiotherapy. Religiotherapy make the counselling process meaningful, flexible and respectful
of diverse spiritual cum religious backgrounds of clients.
This document discusses spiritual development in childhood and adolescence. It notes growing interest in spirituality among the public and scholars. There is concern that religious beliefs are not taking root strongly in young people. The document outlines different perspectives on defining and conceptualizing spiritual development. It reviews relevant research traditions including psychoanalytic theories, stage theories, and developmental systems theories. Key assumptions highlighted include that spiritual development is a universal human process, multidimensional in nature, an ongoing process that interacts with social contexts, and a life-shaping force for individuals.
1. The document discusses key concepts related to belief systems, worldviews, religion, and spirituality. It aims to differentiate these concepts and have students examine their own beliefs.
2. Students are asked to list things they believe in, describe a religious item or ritual from their own faith, and interview family members about their religious beliefs and practices.
3. The document defines terms like theism, monotheism, polytheism, atheism, agnosticism, monism, religion, spirituality, and theology; and distinguishes between a spiritual person and a religious person.
1. The document discusses key concepts related to belief systems, worldviews, religion, and spirituality. It aims to differentiate these concepts and have students examine their own beliefs.
2. Students are asked to list things they believe in, describe a religious item or ritual from their own faith, and interview family members about their religious beliefs and practices.
3. The document defines terms like theism, monotheism, polytheism, atheism, agnosticism, monism, religion, spirituality, and theology; and distinguishes between a spiritual person and a religious person.
RELIGION, RELIGIOSITY AND SPIRITUALITY IN THE BIOPSYCHOSOCIAL MODEL OF HEALTH...Masa Nakata
This document summarizes research on the relationship between religiosity, spirituality, and health outcomes in older adults. It finds that religiosity and religious coping increase with age, and are linked to better mental health outcomes like well-being and lower depression. Studies also associate religiosity with better physical health and lower mortality. However, the exact nature of the relationship is complex, with open questions around causality and possible psychological or social factors that may mediate the effects.
The Four Domains Model: Connecting Spirituality, Health and Well-BeingJonathan Dunnemann
The document discusses a model of spiritual health and well-being called the Four Domains Model. It proposes that spiritual health is a fundamental dimension of overall health and well-being. The model describes spiritual health as being reflected in the quality of relationships people have in four domains: 1) Personal domain - relating to oneself, 2) Communal domain - relating to others through interpersonal relationships, 3) Environmental domain - connecting with nature, 4) Transcendental domain - relating to something beyond the human level like God or a higher power. The model was developed based on qualitative research and aims to embrace people of all worldviews, both religious and non-religious.
Children’s Spiritual Lives: The Development of a Children’s Spirituality MeasureJonathan Dunnemann
Previous researchers who have studied children’s spirituality have often used narrow measures that do not account for the rich spiritual experiences of children within a multi-faith context.
In the current study, we describe the initial stages of development of a children’s spirituality measure, in which items were derived from children’s spiritual narratives. An exploratory factor analysis of the items revealed three main factors, including Comfort (Factor 1), Omnipresence (Factor 2), and Duality (Factor 3).
INTRO TO WORLD RELIGION WEEK 1 Quarter 3.pptxFelger Tilos
This document discusses key concepts related to religion, belief systems, worldviews, and spirituality. It defines religion as an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship gods. Spirituality is defined as relating to the human spirit or soul, and can exist independently of religion. The document explores various perspectives on the origins and purposes of religion. It also distinguishes theology, philosophy of religion, and spirituality as related but distinct concepts in the study of religion. Examples are provided to illustrate how social environments and upbringings can influence individuals' religious worldviews and development.
Evaluating religious education in nigerian catholic schoolsAlexander Decker
This document discusses evaluating religious education in Nigerian Catholic schools. It outlines several objectives of religious education according to previous authors, including helping students understand their existence, cultivating strong moral character, and preparing them for useful living and higher education. The document also examines how religious education aims to develop students' faith, morality, and spiritual values according to the national education policy and other scholars. Overall, the document analyzes the goals and intended influence of religious education on students' social and personal development.
This document discusses the relationship between ethics and religion. It explores different perspectives on whether ethics requires religion or if they are separate concepts. Some key points made include:
- Ethics examines questions of how humans should behave and what is right/wrong, while religion provides meaning and belief in supernatural powers. Though related, they are not identical.
- Many religions see morality as derived from divine commands from God. However, ethics can also be explored through sacred texts and religious authorities without direct revelation.
- While religion may encourage ethical behavior through teachings and community, one does not need to be religious to live ethically. Secular philosophies also explore morality.
- Different views are presented with some arguing ethics depends
Here I am sharing some point and information related to Spirituality and Religion and how it's helping in our life, peace, evolving, and how its going to change our life in good way in coming years. As Spirituality and religion are two concepts that are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings.
https://spiritualawakeningtalk.com/808-spiritual-meaning/
Abstract-- Education in itself means all round Development of personality whether it is social,
moral, emotional, physical, mental and spiritual also. But since time immemorial spiritual
development was ignored in comparison to other dimensions of development in contemporary
education. This is not the case of religious education where main emphasis is laid on
spiritualism. In today’s modern world of globalization, spiritual development is the need of the
hour because of competition, educated unemployed etc that leads youths towards anxiety,
frustration, depression etc which leads them towards committing suicide sometime. At that time
it may be realized that there is something failure in the system mechanism etc of contemporary
education which leads youths towards committing such types of heinous acts. As Glenn Cupit
notes, “spirituality is generally ignored in human development texts and never treated as an
essential component of development,” while Kimball, Mannes, and Hackel point out there is a
vacuum in this “important and understudied domain of human development.” Aostre Johnson
Roehlkepartain, King, Wagener, and Benson (2006). The objectives of the study are: to explore
the idea of spiritualism as the main dimension of all Round Development of Personality; to
highlight the constraints and barriers of present educational system that restricts spiritualism in
education and to study the educational implications of spiritualism so that system of education
lay emphasis on all round development of personality. As quoted by Mohan Das Karam Chand
Gandhi, ‘Education means all round of personality’.
This document discusses holistic health care and spiritual self-presence. It addresses three questions: 1) What makes a person and life spiritual? 2) What is the scope of health care? 3) What makes care "spiritual"? Regarding the first question, it discusses how a strictly medical model is inadequate and how spirituality refers to living as a whole person. For the second question, it discusses how health, whole, and holy share an etymological root, suggesting health care should focus on "holy wholeness". The third question is addressed by arguing spiritual care has more to do with how carers act with self-presence than the subject matter of care.
The document provides an introduction to world religions. It discusses the objectives of understanding key concepts like religion, faith, and worldviews. It also presents the preamble of the United Religions Initiative which aims to promote cooperation between religions and end religiously motivated violence. The document defines important terms and discusses the five elements of religion as well as the relationships between religion, philosophy, and spirituality.
This document discusses different conceptions of spiritual capital. It begins by explaining the concept of 4Capital Theory and how spiritual capital fits within this framework. It then examines three ways spiritual capital can be conceived:
1) SC1 - Resources like materials, intellectual works, and relationships that have the potential to serve and spread spiritual purposes/values when viewed and used in certain ways.
2) SC2 - Foundational life experiences that develop a conviction in beauty, truth, goodness, and love as the heart of existence. Examples given include stories from Thomas Berry and Tony De Mello.
3) SC3 - The "self-presence of authenticity," an inherent and foundational form of being present to oneself
The document discusses the relationship between psychology and spirituality. It notes that both fields focus on human interiority and development. While spirituality has a long history, psychology emerged more recently in the late 19th century. The document explores different perspectives on how the fields relate, from being partners to rivals, and how they can have mutually critical correlations to better understand human experience. It also summarizes some key theories in psychology like Freudian, Jungian, and object relations theories and how they have informed understandings of spirituality.
This document provides an overview of an online course on spirituality from the Touro Institute. It discusses how spirituality is a multidimensional concept that is important to health and well-being. The course aims to define spirituality, discuss theories and stages of spiritual development, and explain the connection between spirituality and healing. It also outlines the learning objectives for participants to understand the physical, psychological and spiritual dimensions and how spirituality relates to theories, definitions, elements, development stages and health.
Similar to Spirituality as a Positive Youth Development Construct: A Conceptual Review (20)
"The rise of black power had a profound effect upon the appearance of black theology. When Carmichael and other radical black activists separated themselves from King's absolute commitment to nonviolence by proclaiming black power, white Christians especially members of the clergy, called upon their black brothers and sisters in the gospel to denounce black power as unChristian. To the surprise of white Christians, the National Committee of Negro Churchmen (NNC); later to become NCBC) refused to follow their advice and instead wrote a "Black Power Statement" that was published in the New York Time, July 31, 1966.
This document provides a guide to sacred spaces in Boston, including 13 specific sites. It begins with an introduction explaining the methodology for selecting sites and provides an overview of the types of sacred spaces that can be found in Boston. The document is then divided into individual sections for each sacred site, with details on location, transportation, history, architecture, and visitor information. Sites include churches, meeting houses, cemeteries and cultural centers representing various faiths.
This document provides a guide to sacred spaces in New York City, focusing on Manhattan and Brooklyn. It includes descriptions of 14 sacred sites, including the Islamic Cultural Center of New York, Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, Central Synagogue, and St. Peter's Church. The introduction discusses the process for selecting less traveled sites and those with interesting histories of social justice and interfaith outreach. Individual site descriptions provide addresses, transportation details, histories, architectural details, and notes for visitors. The goal is to highlight the diversity of sacred spaces in the city.
The Theology of Spirituality: It's Growing Importance Amid the Transformation...Jonathan Dunnemann
Abstract: This article raises issues surrounding the theology of spirituality as a relatively new theological focus. It argues that, faced with a changing world and numerous new (or perceived as new) phenomena, the theology of spirituality, as a scholarly area examining spiritual experience, is becoming a branch of
theological research of increasing importance. The first part of this article focuses on the ever-growing areas of interest found within the theology of spirituality, a growth stemming from the core of the field itself (agere sequitur esse). The second part emphasizes the newer areas of interest within the theology
of spirituality. These new horizons arise from the pluralism of theology itself and the criteria used in differentiating theological disciplines, such as ethno-geographic, doctrinal, and ascetic-practical concerns. In particular, amid a fast-changing world in which information and mutual contact have become incredibly accessible, the interpenetration of cultures and traditions can not only be of great value but also carry the dangers of a chaotic eclecticism. As this accessibility becomes ever easier and more pervasive, contemporary human beings can thus become confused, not only about their worldviews but also concerning their spiritual and religious beliefs. Thus, research into the theology of spirituality is becoming increasingly more important.
Using an interdisciplinary approach and a phenomenological, hermeneutic, mystagogical methodology, this paper explores how children describe the deep fruits of meditation in their lives. Seventy children, aged 7 to 11, from four Irish primary schools were interviewed; all had engaged in meditation as a whole-school practice for at least two-years beforehand. The study sought to elicit from children their experience, if any, of the transcendent in meditation. It concludes that children can and do enjoy deep states of consciousness and that meditation has the capacity to nourish the innate spirituality of the child. It highlights the importance of personal spiritual experience for children and supports the introduction of meditation in primary schools.
ASSESSMENT OF CHARACTER STRENGTHS AMONG YOUTH: THE VALUES IN ACTION INVENTORY...Jonathan Dunnemann
Raising virtuous children is an ultimate goal not only of all parents and educators but also of all societies. Across different eras and cultures, identifying character strengths (virtues) and cultivating them in children and youth have been among the chief interests of philosophers, theologians, and educators. With a few exceptions, these topics have been neglected by psychologists. However, the emerging field of positive psychology specifically emphasizes
building the good life by identifying individual strengths of character and fostering them (Seligman, 2002). Character strengths are now receiving attention by psychologists interested in positive youth development.
Jon Dunnemann presented on cultivating purpose in youth. Key points included that purpose provides direction and meaning, is shaped by factors like gender and family, and leads to benefits like happiness and resilience. Purpose involves deciding what matters, nurturing one's best qualities, and making a difference. Future directions may introduce youth to examples of purpose from history that advance noble causes today.
African American spirituality provides a rich lens into the heart and soul of the black church experience, often overlooked in the Christian spiritual formation literature. By addressing this lacuna, this essay focuses on three primary shaping qualities o f history: the effects of slavery, the Civil Rights Movement under Dr. Martin Luther King’s leadership, and the emergence of the Black Church. Lour spiritual practices that influence African American spirituality highlight the historical and cultural context of being “forged in the fiery furnace,” including worship, preaching and Scripture, the community of faith and prayer, and community outreach. The essay concludes by recognizing four areas o f the lived experiences of African Americans from which the global church can glean: (1) persevering in pain and suffering, (2) turning to God for strength, (3) experiencing a living and passionate faith, and (4) affirming God’s intention for freedom and justice to be afforded to every individual.
Historical criticism attempts to read texts in their original situations, informed by literary and cultural conventions reconstructed from comparable texts and artifacts. African American interpretation extends this approach to questions about race and social location for the ancient text, its reception
history, and its modern readers. It arose as a corrective and alternative to white supremacist use of the Bible in moral and political arguments regarding race, civil rights, and social justice. Accordingly, African American interpretation has combined the
insights of abolitionists and activists with academic tools to demonstrate how biblical interpretation can function as an instrument of oppression, obfuscation, or opportunity. Of course, most of these developments have occurred in the larger framework of American Christianity. Yet, its analyses reach
beyond that specific setting, touching on the connections between the Bible and race in public discourse generally, whether in government, academia, or popular culture.
Appropriating Universality: The Coltranes and 1960s SpiritualityJonathan Dunnemann
The role of the Black Protestant Church has figured prominently in scholarly discussions of African American music culture, and to some extent its importance has been explored with respect to jazz. However, with the exception of the Nation of Islam, the influence of Eastern religious practices among black Americans has not been significantly researched nor have adequate connections been made between these spiritual pursuits and the musical innovations they inspired. Nevertheless, since the mid-’60s, black American artists have explored Yoga, Hinduism, various sects of Buddhism, Ahmadiya Islam, and Bahá’í. The
aesthetic impact of these pursuits has been multi-dimensional and far-reaching. In their study of Asian philosophy and religion, jazz musicians have been exposed to the sounds and musical processes they have discovered in the cultures from which these traditions have emerged. One can hear this influence in musical borrowings, such as the use of traditional instrumentation, the reworking of melodic material from folk and classical genres, and the incorporation of indigenous
improvisational and compositional techniques. Though less audible, Eastern spiritual traditions have also exerted a more abstract philosophical influence that has shaped jazz aesthetics, inspiring jazz musicians to dissolve formal and stylistic boundaries and produce works of great originality. Contextualizing the spiritual explorations of John and Alice Coltrane within American religious culture and liberation movements of the 1960s, this essay explores the way that
their eclectic appropriation of Eastern spiritual concepts and their commitment to spiritual universality not only inspired musical innovation, but also provided a counter-hegemonic, political, and cultural critique.
Who Is Jesus Christ for Us Today?
To say that Jesus Christ is the truth of the Christian story calls for further examination. It is one thing to assert that the New Testament describes Jesus as the Oppressed One who came to liberate the poor and the weak (Chap. 4); but it is quite another to ask, Who is Jesus Christ for us today? If twentieth-century Christians are to speak the truth for their sociohistorical situation, they cannot merely repeat the story of what Jesus did and said in Palestine, as if it were selfinterpreting for us today. Truth is more than the retelling of the biblical story. Truth is the divine happening that invades our contemporary situation, revealing the meaning of the past for the present so that we
are made new creatures for the future. It is therefore our commitment to the divine truth, as witnessed to in the biblical story, that requires us to investigate the connection between Jesus' words and deeds in firstcentury Palestine and our existence today. This is the crux of the christological issue that no Christian theology can avoid.
The pivotal role of religion and spirituality in the lives of African Americans marks this ethnoracial group as a particularly important target for attention in research on the psychology and sociology of religion. In this chapter we endeavor to achieve three ends: First, we briefly review literature on meanings of religiosity and spirituality among African Americans. Second, we review the literature on the link between religiosity, spirituality, and health among African Americans. Finally, we examine findings regarding the pathways by which religion and spirituality may achieve its ends.
Transformative Pedagogy, Black Theology and Participative forms of PraxisJonathan Dunnemann
This document discusses transformative pedagogy, Black theology, and participative praxis. It outlines how the author seeks to combine transformative modes of pedagogy from Paulo Freire with the liberative themes of Black theology. It summarizes key contributions from Freire, Black religious educators like Grant Shockley and Olivia Pearl Stokes, and discusses the author's own participative approach to Black theological scholarship using experiential learning exercises. The overall goal is conscientization and formation of lay people and ministers through this interactive theological education approach.
Development of a Program for the Empowerment of Black Single Mother Families ...Jonathan Dunnemann
This project developed and implemented an 8-session coping skills seminar for single mothers in the Antelope Valley Seventh-day Adventist Church. A questionnaire was used to determine topics of interest. The seminar covered finance, education, parenting, communication, and physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual self-care. Evaluation found the seminar improved participants' skills in these areas and positively impacted their well-being and the local church.
Black Males, Social Imagery, and the Disruption of Pathological IdentitiesJonathan Dunnemann
Throughout the history of the U.S., racialized groups have often had their experiences profoundly shaped by social imagery in ways that have created tremendous hardships in the quest for
self-actualization and a healthy sense of self.
The purpose of this article is to shed light on the manner in which Black males have been one of the primary victims of negative social imagery and how the remnants of these constructions continue to have contemporary influences, ....
The document summarizes the 50th anniversary celebration of the Black Student Union at Holy Cross. It discusses the impact of the first 19 black students who enrolled in 1968, including Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and Pulitzer Prize winner Edward P. Jones. It highlights the continued commitment of Holy Cross to admitting students who will lead and create positive change. The president expresses hope for the new year based on interactions with current students who are standing up against bias and building an inclusive community.
The document is a summary of the 2019 World Development Report, which focuses on the changing nature of work. Some key points:
1) Work is changing dramatically due to new technologies that are automating many jobs while also creating new types of work.
2) Firms are also changing as a small number of "superstar" firms grow rapidly in many industries due to network effects and economies of scale.
3) Governments need to invest more in building human capital through education, skills training, health care in order to help populations adapt to the changing nature of work and allow countries to benefit from new technologies.
The Enchantment and Shadows_ Unveiling the Mysteries of Magic and Black Magic...Phoenix O
This manual will guide you through basic skills and tasks to help you get started with various aspects of Magic. Each section is designed to be easy to follow, with step-by-step instructions.
A Free eBook ~ Valuable LIFE Lessons to Learn ( 5 Sets of Presentations)...OH TEIK BIN
A free eBook comprising 5 sets of PowerPoint presentations of meaningful stories /Inspirational pieces that teach important Dhamma/Life lessons. For reflection and practice to develop the mind to grow in love, compassion and wisdom. The texts are in English and Chinese.
My other free eBooks can be obtained from the following Links:
https://www.slideshare.net/ohteikbin/presentations
https://www.slideshare.net/ohteikbin/documents
Heartfulness Magazine - June 2024 (Volume 9, Issue 6)heartfulness
Dear readers,
This month we continue with more inspiring talks from the Global Spirituality Mahotsav that was held from March 14 to 17, 2024, at Kanha Shanti Vanam.
We hear from Daaji on lifestyle and yoga in honor of International Day of Yoga, June 21, 2024. We also hear from Professor Bhavani Rao, Dean at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, on spirituality in action, the Venerable BhikkuSanghasena on how to be an ambassador for compassion, Dr. Tony Nader on the Maharishi Effect, Swami Mukundananda on the crossroads of modernization, Tejinder Kaur Basra on the purpose of work, the Venerable GesheDorjiDamdul on the psychology of peace, the Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, on how we are all related, and world-renowned violinist KumareshRajagopalan on the uplifting mysteries of music.
Dr. Prasad Veluthanar shares an Ayurvedic perspective on treating autism, Dr. IchakAdizes helps us navigate disagreements at work, Sravan Banda celebrates World Environment Day by sharing some tips on land restoration, and Sara Bubber tells our children another inspiring story and challenges them with some fun facts and riddles.
Happy reading,
The editors
A375 Example Taste the taste of the Lord, the taste of the Lord The taste of...franktsao4
It seems that current missionary work requires spending a lot of money, preparing a lot of materials, and traveling to far away places, so that it feels like missionary work. But what was the result they brought back? It's just a lot of photos of activities, fun eating, drinking and some playing games. And then we have to do the same thing next year, never ending. The church once mentioned that a certain missionary would go to the field where she used to work before the end of his life. It seemed that if she had not gone, no one would be willing to go. The reason why these missionary work is so difficult is that no one obeys God’s words, and the Bible is not the main content during missionary work, because in the eyes of those who do not obey God’s words, the Bible is just words and cannot be connected with life, so Reading out God's words is boring because it doesn't have any life experience, so it cannot be connected with human life. I will give a few examples in the hope that this situation can be changed. A375
The Hope of Salvation - Jude 1:24-25 - MessageCole Hartman
Jude gives us hope at the end of a dark letter. In a dark world like today, we need the light of Christ to shine brighter and brighter. Jude shows us where to fix our focus so we can be filled with God's goodness and glory. Join us to explore this incredible passage.
2nd issue of Volume 15. A magazine in urdu language mainly based on spiritual treatment and learning. Many topics on ISLAM, SUFISM, SOCIAL PROBLEMS, SELF HELP, PSYCHOLOGY, HEALTH, SPIRITUAL TREATMENT, Ruqya etc.A very useful magazine for everyone.
The Vulnerabilities of Individuals Born Under Swati Nakshatra.pdfAstroAnuradha
Individuals born under Swati Nakshatra often exhibit a strong sense of independence and adaptability, yet they may also face vulnerabilities such as indecisiveness and a tendency to be easily swayed by external influences. Their quest for balance and harmony can sometimes lead to inner conflict and a lack of assertiveness. To know more visit: astroanuradha.com
Chandra Dev: Unveiling the Mystery of the Moon GodExotic India
Shining brightly in the sky, some days more than others, the Moon in popular culture is a symbol of love, romance, and beauty. The ancient Hindu texts, however, mention the Moon as an intriguing and powerful being, worshiped by sages as Chandra.
Protector & Destroyer: Agni Dev (The Hindu God of Fire)Exotic India
So let us turn the pages of ancient Indian literature and get to know more about Agni, the mighty purifier of all things, worshipped in Indian culture as a God since the Vedic time.
The Book of Samuel is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books in the Old Testament. The book is part of the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books that constitute a theological history of the Israelites and that aim to explain God's law for Israel under the guidance of the prophets.
Trusting God's Providence | Verse: Romans 8: 28-31JL de Belen
Trusting God's Providence.
Providence - God’s active preservation and care over His creation. God is both the Creator and the Sustainer of all things Heb. 1:2-3; Col. 1:17
-God keep His promises.
-God’s general providence is toward all creation
- All things were made through Him
God’s special providence is toward His children.
We may suffer now, but joy can and will come
God can see what we cannot see
Sanatan Vastu | Experience Great Living | Vastu ExpertSanatan Vastu
Santan Vastu Provides Vedic astrology courses & Vastu remedies, If you are searching Vastu for home, Vastu for kitchen, Vastu for house, Vastu for Office & Factory. Best Vastu in Bahadurgarh. Best Vastu in Delhi NCR
2. 2 The Scientific World Journal
people in Africa participate in military activities to look for
changes for their countries.
Unfortunately, despite the importance of spirituality in
adolescent development, a review of the literature showed
that less than 1% of the literature on children and adolescents
had examined issues on spirituality and religiosity [6].
As commented by King and Boyatzis [5], “adolescents’
spirituality and religion have been relatively neglected in
the developmental sciences” (p. 2). In addition, there is
a huge research gap in the study of spirituality in the
clinical literature [7]. Against this background, this paper
attempts to review the concept of spirituality in adolescence.
Besides definitions and theories, antecedents of adolescent
spirituality and its effects on developmental outcomes are
presented. Finally, ways to promote adolescent spirituality
are presented.
2. Definition of Spirituality
Various definitions of spirituality have been put forward by
different researchers. Based on qualitative analyses of various
definitions of religiousness and conceptions of spirituality,
Scott reported that the conceptions were distributed over
nine content areas, with no category containing most of
the definitions [8, 9]. These content areas include (1) con-
nectedness or relationship, (2) processes contributing to a
higher level of connectedness, (3) reactions to sacred or
secular things, (4) beliefs or thoughts, (5) traditional institu-
tional structures, (6) pleasurable existence, (7) beliefs in the
sacred or higher being, (8) personal transcendence, and (9)
existential issues and concerns. Markow and Klenke pointed
out that there were more than 70 definitions of spirituality at
work [10].
Perhaps the first clarification that should be made is
the distinction between spirituality and religion. Pargament
[11] argued that religion is “the search for significance
in ways related to the sacred” whereas spirituality is “the
search for the sacred” (pp. 11-12). Worthington et al. [12]
defined religion as “adherence to a belief system and practices
associated with a tradition in which there is agreement about
what is believed and practiced” whereas spirituality as “a
more general feeling of closeness and connectedness to the
sacred. What one views as sacred is often a socially influenced
perception of either (a) a divine being or object or (b)
sense of ultimate reality or truth” (p. 205). With reference
to this conception, while religion is related to institutional
beliefs and the sacred, the divine and institutional religion
is not necessarily related to the definition of spirituality.
According to Worthington et al., there are four types of
spirituality, with the first one more related to religion:
religious spirituality (closeness and connection to the sacred
defined by religion), humanistic spirituality (closeness and
connection to mankind), nature spirituality (closeness and
connection to nature), and cosmos spirituality (closeness and
connection to the whole of creation) [12]. In the project
on the role of spirituality in higher education at the Higher
Education Research Institute at the UCLA, Austin and his
associates [3] distinguished spiritual attributes and religious
attributes. While spiritual attributes include spiritual quest
(answers to life’s questions), ecumenical worldview (tran-
scendence of ethnocentrism and egocentrism), ethics of care
(compassion), charitable involvement (services to others),
and equanimity (inner peace), religious attributes include
religious commitment (degree of identification with the
religion), engagement (behavioral aspect of religion), con-
servatism (identification with orthodox beliefs), skepticism
(questions raised on the beliefs), and struggle (unsettlement
about religion).
Broad as well as narrow definitions of spirituality exist
in the literature. An example of a broad definition was put
forward by Myers et al., [13] who defined spirituality as “per-
sonal and private beliefs that transcend the material aspects
of life and give a deep sense of wholeness, connectedness,
and openness to the infinite” (p. 265). According to this
conception, spirituality includes (a) belief in a power beyond
oneself, (b) behavior in relation to the infinite such as prayer,
(c) meaning and purpose of life, (d) hope and optimism, (e)
love and compassion, (f) moral and ethical guidelines (g)
transcendental experience. Another broad definition can be
seen in Lewis who conceived spirituality as the life affirmed in
a relationship with God, self, community, and environment
which leads to the nurturance and celebration of wholeness
[14]. Within this context, spiritual needs include meaning,
purpose and hope, transcendence circumstances, integrity
and worthiness, religious participation, loving and serving
others, cultivating thankfulness, forgiving and being for-
given, and preparation for death and dying. On the other
hand, there are relatively narrower definitions of spirituality
such as focus on existential or transcendental questions,
belongingness to involvement of cardinal values underlying
every aspect of life, and self-reflective behavior. For example,
Worthington et al. [12] conceived spirituality as “general
feeling of closeness and connectedness to the sacred” (p.
205).
An integration of the literature shows that several
elements are commonly employed in the definition of
spirituality. These include meaning and purpose of life,
meaning of and reactions to limits of life such as death and
dying, search for the sacred or infinite, including religiosity,
hope and hopelessness, forgiveness, and restoration of health
[15]. Lau pointed out that three key elements of spirituality
had been identified in the literature [16]. The first element
is horizontal as well as vertical relationships in human
existence [17]. While horizontal relationships are related to
oneself, others, and nature, vertical relationship involves a
transcendental relationship with a higher being. The second
element is beliefs and values which are integral to answers to
spiritual questions such as life and death. The third element
is the meaning of life. In this paper, a broader conception of
spirituality (i.e., horizontal and vertical relationships, beliefs,
meaning of life) is adopted.
3. Assessment of Spirituality
Two broad strategies are commonly used to assess the con-
struct of spirituality: quantitative approach and qualitative
3. The Scientific World Journal 3
approach. To maximize the strengths and minimize the
limitations of both approaches, researchers commonly use
both approaches to assess spirituality. In the quantitative
approach, either single items or scales are used to assess spir-
ituality. For example, researchers have used single items to
assess a respondent’s ranking of the importance of things in
life, such as wealth, family, health, friends, social status, and
peace of mind. Also commonly, researchers use a few items
to assess religiosity and religious involvement. Obviously,
both single-item measure and multiple-item measures are
problematic because their reliability and validity are usually
not examined. To overcome such problems, psychological
scales have been developed to measure the construct of
spirituality. Some examples include the Spiritual WellBeing
Scale, Purpose in Life Questionnaire, Templer’s Death Anx-
iety Scale, Enright Forgiveness Inventory, and Herth Hope
Index. Unfortunately, there are few validated measures of
spirituality for Chinese adolescents [15, 18]. Furthermore,
few researchers use advanced statistical techniques such as
structural equation modeling to assess spirituality.
Qualitative methods (such as open-ended questions,
drawing, verbal commentary techniques, and case studies)
are also employed to examine spirituality, particularly in
the clinical settings. The common features of qualitative
research include naturalistic inquiry, inductive analysis,
holistic perspective, qualitative data, personal contact and
insight, dynamic system, unique case orientation, empathetic
neutrality, and design flexibility. For example, children have
been invited to draw pictures about their attitudes towards
death and dying. While qualitative study can capture the
perspectives of the informants and is a more naturalistic
form of research, it is often criticized as biased and polluted
by ideological preoccupations. As such, ways to enhance the
credibility of data collection, analyses, and interpretations are
important issues to be considered.
4. Theories of Spirituality
There are three categories of theories of spirituality. The
first category of theories focuses on the nature of spirituality
in relation to different aspects of human development. For
example, there are theories suggesting that spirituality is
part of quality of life. In the model of psychological well-
being proposed by Ryff and Singer [19], meaning, purpose,
growth, and self-actualization are basic components of well-
being, and psychological well-being includes self-acceptance,
environmental mastery, positive relations with others, pur-
pose in life, personal growth, and autonomy. In the Wellness
Model proposed by Adams et al., emotional centeredness,
intellectual stimulation, physical resilience, psychological
optimism, social connectedness, and spiritual life purpose
are basic dimensions [20].
The second group of theories concerns the nature of
spiritual development. In Erikson’s theory of psychosocial
development [21], the major task of an adolescent is to
develop an identity, with ego identity versus role confusion
as the basic psychosocial crisis. In Marcia’s framework, crisis
and commitment are two basic dimensions of identity,
particularly in religious or spiritual identity [22]. In the
spiritual development model proposed by Fowler [23], there
are six stages of faith development, with Stage 3 and
Stage 4 most relevant to spiritual development of ado-
lescents. In Stage 3, faith development takes the form of
“synthetic-conventional” faith which is characterized by
conformity with little reflection on one’s religious beliefs.
This stage is quite typical in the Chinese culture. In Stage
4, “individuative-reflective” faith is characterized by personal
struggle and choice. It is argued that the existence of personal
struggle and choice are important elements of mature
spirituality.
In the faith development model suggested by Genia [24],
five stages were proposed. Following the stages of Egocentric
Faith (Stage 1) and Dogmatic Faith (Stage 2), the third stage
is Transitional Faith where adolescents can critically examine
their spirituality which is prompted by adolescents’ gradual
maturation in cognitive ability and interpersonal perspective
taking. If the transition in Stage 3 is successful, adolescents
will progress to Stage 4 (Reconstructed Internalized Faith)
and Stage 5 (Transcendent Faith) where transcendent faith is
characterized by flexible system of faith, universal principles,
and permeable psychospiritual boundaries.
The third group of theories is on the relationship between
spirituality and positive youth development. In the model
proposed by Benson [25], there are 40 developmental assets
in adolescent development, where life meaning and positive
beliefs are important internal assets that influence adolescent
development. Dowling et al. proposed a model in which
spirituality was hypothesized to influence thriving with
religiosity as a mediating factor [26]. In a review of 77
positive youth development programs in the United States,
Catalano et al. concluded that positive youth development
constructs are intrinsic to the successful programs, with
spirituality as one of the constructs identified which is
defined as the development of purpose and meaning in life,
hope, or beliefs in a higher power [27]. There are many recent
publications highlighting the relationship between positive
youth development and spirituality [28–30].
5. Antecedents of Adolescent Spirituality
Benson and Roehlkepartain [4] concluded three processes
intrinsic to adolescent spirituality. The first process is aware-
ness or awakening which contributes to the development
of spiritual identity, meaning, and purpose. The second
process is interconnecting or belonging which involves
seeking or experiencing relationships with others, including
divine beings. The final process is a way of life where a
person expresses one’s spiritual identity through different
activities and relationships. This model further proposed
that these three processes shaping adolescent developmental
outcomes are related to other dimensions of development
which are influenced by context (e.g., family, peers, and
neighborhood), culture (e.g., media), and metanarratives
(e.g., stories). Besides ecological models, there are other
accounts on the factors influencing adolescent spirituality.
For the channeling hypothesis, it is stated that children
4. 4 The Scientific World Journal
are “channeled” into different social groups based on the
religious expectations of the parents [31]. The spiritual
modeling perspective based on the social learning premise
indicates that adolescents model their religious behavior of
their parents [32]. The role of significant others in shaping
adolescent spirituality is also highlighted by Fry who explic-
itly stated that “it is through supportive and sharing rela-
tionships within a trusting and accepting atmosphere that
the adolescent gains the courage to explore what experiences
make sense or providing meaning even in the face of doubts”
(p. 98), thus emphasizing the role of intimate relations in the
development of adolescent purpose in life [33].
There are research findings showing that family and peers
exert influence on the spiritual development in adolescents.
In a longitudinal study based on individuals, parents, peers,
schools, and community, Regnerus et al. found that while
parents and friends strongly influenced religious behavior
of adolescents, county level influences were weak [32]. In
their study of parent and peer relationships and relational
spirituality in adolescents and young adults, Desrosiers
et al. [34] showed that parents and peers, particularly
maternal communication and paternal affection, facilitated
the development of relational spirituality.
With specific focus on the Chinese culture, Shek [18]
reviewed ecological factors that influence the development
of meaning in life among Chinese adolescents. Regarding the
sociodemographic correlates of meaning in life in Chinese
adolescents, it was found that gender, age, and economic dis-
advantage were related to adolescent life meaning, although
the effect sizes were small. For example, regarding gender
differences, there are research findings showing that male
adolescents displayed a higher level of life purpose than did
female adolescents, although such gender differences are not
consistent across studies [18]. Within the family context,
two types of family experiences that may shape the meaning
of life in adolescents are dyadic family processes (e.g.,
parent-child relationship and marital quality of the parents)
and systemic family attributes (e.g., family functioning and
communication patterns). Shek [18] reported that there were
several cross-sectional studies showing that the quality of
parenting was positively related to adolescent meaning of
life indexed by the Chinese Purpose in Life Questionnaire.
Besides, in a series of studies examining the relationship
between family processes and adolescent development, pos-
itive parenting attributes (such as parental support and
involvement) were related to existential well-being in several
samples. There are longitudinal research findings showing
that parenting characteristics and parent-adolescent conflict
were related to adolescent life meaning. Finally, research
evidence also supporting that family functioning is related
to adolescent meaning in life, both cross-sectional and over
time.
6. Spirituality and Adolescent
Developmental Outcomes
Regarding the relationship between spirituality and quality
of life, there are four possibilities. First, spirituality is a cause
of quality of life. Second, spirituality is a concomitant of
quality of life. Third, spirituality is a consequence of quality
of life. Finally, spirituality and quality of life are moderated
and/or mediated by other factors. While studies have been
conducted to examine the first two possibilities, research on
the latter two possibilities is almost nonexistent [15, 18].
There are theoretical accounts suggesting that spirituality
is an antecedent of quality of life (i.e., first possibility). In
the theory of logotherapy proposed by Frankl [35], it is
asserted that when there is existential vacuum (i.e., loss of
meaning in life), mental problems come in to fill the vacuum.
Frankl’s conceptualization about human nature is based on
the premise of “will to meaning”. When a person fails to find
meaning in life and a state of vacuum of perceived meaning
in personal existence (i.e., existential vacuum) is present,
he or she is confronted by “existential frustration”, which
is characterized by the feeling of boredom [36]. Although
the occurrence of existential vacuum does not necessarily
lead to noogenic neuroses, it was contended that existential
vacuum is an etiological factor of psychopathology. Based on
the above reasoning, it could be assumed that purpose in life
is causally related to adolescent developmental outcomes. In
a review of the relationships among meaning in life and well-
being, psychopathology, and spirituality, research shows that
people experiencing greater life meaning report greater well-
being, less psychopathology, and more positive experience of
spirituality [37]. Emmons also argued that religion provides
goals and value system contributes to life meaning which
would eventually shape different aspects of a person’s life
[38].
In the area of adolescent spirituality, despite their
findings that spiritual attributes were related to global and
life domains, Sawatzky et al. [39] commented that there are
few studies on spirituality and quality of life in adolescents
and the mechanisms underlying the relationship remain
relatively unknown. They remarked that “few studies have
examined the relevance of spirituality in adolescents with
respect to their quality of life (QOL), despite empirical liter-
ature suggesting that religion and spirituality are important
to adolescents” (p. 6).
Rew and Wong reviewed the association between religios-
ity/spirituality and adolescent health attitude and behavior
[40]. The review showed that although roughly half of
the studies indicated that religiosity/spirituality had positive
effect on adolescent health attitude and behavior, there were
theoretical and methodological limitations of the studies. In
a review of research on adolescent religiosity and mental
health, Wong et al. [41] found that most studies showed
a positive relationship between religiosity/spirituality and
adolescent mental health. Cotton et al. reviewed religios-
ity/spirituality and health outcomes [42]. They differentiated
distal domains (service attendance, frequency of prayers
and meditation, self-rated religiosity) and proximal domains
(meaning and peace, religious coping, church support) and
reviewed the related studies on adolescent developmen-
tal outcomes. While studies showed negative relationship
between religiosity/spirituality and adolescent health risk,
positive relationships between religiosity/spirituality and
physical/mental health were reported.
5. The Scientific World Journal 5
Reviews showed that spiritual well-being is positively
related to health outcomes, although there are possible
confounding effects in the reported relationships [43].
Regarding the relationship between spirituality and physical
health, Powell et al. tested nine hypotheses with reference
to mediated models (evaluation of the impact of religion
or spirituality on health, regardless of whether or not such
a relationship was mediated by established risk/protective
factors) and independent models (evaluated religion or spir-
ituality as an independent protective factor after controlling
other effects) and concluded that church/service attendance
protects healthy people against death [44]. Meanwhile, the
authors also pointed out the need for more methodologically
sound studies in the field.
The role of spiritual intervention has also received
increasing attention in the literature. On one hand, patients
expect helping professionals to address their spiritual needs
[43]. On the other hand, different professional bodies give
more attention to spiritual care. For example, the National
Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care regarded
spiritual, religious, and existential aspects of care as a
domain of quality palliative care requiring spiritual care
(Domain 5). In addition, the White House Office of Faith-
Based and Community Initiatives was established in the
Bush administration. Theoretically, Lent argued that it is
important to understand spiritual variables such as meaning
in life so that client growth and rehabilitation can be
promoted [45].
Under the assumption that spirituality influences health
outcomes, spiritual intervention with the aims of treatment
or restoration and improvement of quality of life has been
developed. In a meta-analysis of 51 samples from 46 studies
examining psychotherapies in which religious or spiritual
(R/S) beliefs are incorporated, Worthington et al. [12] drew
several conclusions. First, compared with patients receiving
secular psychotherapies, patients receiving R/S psychothera-
pies had better improvement in psychological and spiritual
outcomes. Second, in contexts where spiritual outcomes
are important, psychotherapies with R/S are a treatment
of choice. Third, practitioners could consider offering psy-
chotherapies with R/S to highly religious or spiritual patients.
With specific reference to the Chinese culture, there are
research findings showing that purpose in life was neg-
atively associated with psychological symptoms, including
general psychological problems, trait anxiety, depression,
and hopelessness. Furthermore, participants with differ-
ent existential statuses also displayed different levels of
psychological symptoms. There are also longitudinal data
showing the adverse relationship between purpose in life
and psychological symptoms over time. Besides psychiatric
symptoms, meaning in life was found to be related to
positive mental health measures [15, 18]. Shek et al. [46] also
reported that the spirituality subscale score of the Chinese
Positive Youth Development Scale was positively associated
with other positive youth development constructs, including
bonding, resilience, social competence, emotional compe-
tence, cognitive competence, behavioral competence, moral
competence, self-determination, self-efficacy, beliefs in the
future, clear and positive identity, recognition for positive
behavior, prosocial involvement, and prosocial norms. These
findings are generally consistent with the views of Ryff
and Singer [19] that sense of meaning and sense of self-
realization are two key components of positive mental
health, where meaning in life provides the necessary inner
resources to fuel optimal functioning. There are also research
findings showing that meaning in life was related to prosocial
behavior and antisocial behavior while negatively associated
with problem behavior.
Consistent with this notion, there are research findings
suggesting that meaning in life is an important factor in
helping adolescents to face adversity. Shek [47] showed that
adolescents with stronger endorsement of positive Chinese
beliefs (or weaker endorsement of negative Chinese beliefs)
about adversity generally had better psychological well-
being and school adjustment and less problem behavior.
Although adolescents’ degree of agreement with Chinese
cultural beliefs about adversity was generally associated with
adolescent adjustment, this relationship was stronger in
adolescents with economic disadvantage than in adolescents
without economic disadvantage. Nevertheless, while this
study is pioneer in Hong Kong, replication of the findings
is necessary in view of the worsening of income disparity and
inequality in Hong Kong.
7. Promotion of Spirituality in Adolescents
Given the importance of spirituality, there are several ways
to promote adolescent spirituality. The first strategy is
to understand different forms of religions and spirituality
via different media, including print and nonprint media.
Enhanced understanding is important as far as religious
and spiritual beliefs are concerned. However, understanding
alone is not enough. Active reflection and experience are
important processes in the development of spirituality. “Why
do we exist? Where are we going? Is there any life after death?
What should we do when we are still conscious?” These are
important spiritual questions demanding conscious reflec-
tion. Besides gaining more experience and having personal
reflections, joining religious groups, church activities, and
spiritually related gatherings provide a good opportunity
to develop spirituality. Bruce and Cockreham proposed
different ways of promoting spirituality in adolescent girls
via group work approach [48]. Besides, as significant-others
surrounding adolescents (such as parents, teachers, and
peers) have important influence on adolescent spirituality,
how to shape adolescent spirituality through such significant
personal relationships could be considered.
Finally, curricular-based programs can be utilized to
promote spirituality in adolescents. For example, Hui and
Ho [49] evaluated a forgiveness training program via
quantitative and qualitative methods. Although there was
no significant improvement in self-esteem and hope among
the participants based on the pretest and posttest scores,
participants showed better conception of forgiveness and
had a positive attitude to using forgiveness. They concluded
that it was “viable to promote forgiveness as a classroom
guidance program” (p. 477). In the Project P.A.T.H.S. which
6. 6 The Scientific World Journal
attempts to promote holistic development in Chinese ado-
lescents, units on spirituality are included in the Secondary
1 to Secondary 3 curricula [50–52]. Finally, in the course
entitled “Tomorrow’s Leaders” developed in The Hong Kong
Polytechnic University, the following elements pertinent to
the construct of spirituality are included: definition and basic
concepts of spirituality, theories of spirituality, antecedents
of spirituality, spirituality and adolescent developmental
outcomes, spirituality and leadership, and ways to promote
spiritual leadership.
8. Existing Research Gaps and Future
Research Directions
King and Boyatzis [5] described that adolescence is “an age
period of intense ideological hunger, a striving for meaning
and purpose, and desire for relationships and connected-
ness” (p. 2). Given its importance, what are the research
directions as far as the study of adolescent spirituality
is concerned? Conceptually speaking, although literature
shows that ecological factors at the individual, interpersonal,
and family contexts are related to adolescent spirituality,
there are several conceptual gaps. First, although there
are views suggesting that spirituality influences adolescent
developmental outcomes, how developmental outcomes may
influence the development of purpose in life is far from
clear (i.e., bidirectional relationships between purpose in life
and developmental outcomes). Obviously, accumulation of
research findings in this area would help to enrich Frankl’s
idea on the role of existential vacuum in human behavior.
Second, based on the ecological model, further studies
should be conducted to examine how individual factors (e.g.,
religiosity and values), family factors (e.g., global parenting
versus specific parenting practice, behavioral control, and
psychological control), and social factors (e.g., endorsement
of Chinese superstitious beliefs) are related to adolescent
spirituality. This research direction is consistent with the
argument of Fry [33] that “whether adolescents’ life meaning
and wisdom will grow and unfold from being relatively
straightforward to being mature and complex will depend
invariably on the presence or absence of a number of
other intervening and moderating influences and contextual
factors” (p. 93). It would be theoretically interesting to look
at the relationships among life meaning, character building
and religiousness, and subjective well-being.
Third, although the present paper highlights the impor-
tance of family processes in adolescents’ purpose in life,
further work is needed to examine how specific family
processes and related experiences are related to purpose in
life among adolescents. For example, it would be interesting
to study how purpose in life of the parents is related to
that of their adolescent children. It is important to examine
the achievement of life meaning through love in close
relationships.
Finally, although there are research findings in the area of
human development examining the influence of spirituality
on developmental outcomes in different stages of life span,
Ellison and Lee [53] stated that spiritual struggles, including
troubled relationships with God, negative interaction in
religious settings, and chronic religious doubting, were
related to psychological distress. The possible “dark side” of
adolescent spirituality should be considered.
References
[1] G. Gallup and R. Bezilla, The Religious Life of Young Americans:
A Compendium of Surveys on the Spiritual Beliefs and Practices
of Teenagers and Young Adults, G. H. Gallup International
Institute, Princeton, NJ, USA, 1992.
[2] R. W. Bibby, The Boomer Factor: What Canada’s Most Famous
Generation is Leaving Behind, Bastian Books, Toronto, Canada,
2006.
[3] A. W. Astin, H. S. Astin, J. A. Lindholm, A. Bryant, K. Szelenyi,
and S. Calderone, The Spiritual Life of College Students: A
National Study of College Students’ Search for Meaning and
Purpose, Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA, Los
Angeles, Calif, USA, 2005.
[4] P. L. Benson and E. C. Roehlkepartain, “Spiritual devel-
opment: a missing priority in youth development,” New
Directions for Youth Development, vol. 2008, no. 118, pp. 13–
28, 2008.
[5] P. E. King and C. J. Boyatzis, “Exploring adolescent spiritual
and religious development: current and future theoretical and
empirical perspectives,” Applied Developmental Science, vol. 8,
no. 1, pp. 2–6, 2004.
[6] P. L. Benson, E. C. Roehlkepartain, and S. P. Rude, “Spiritual
development in childhood and adolescence: toward a field of
inquiry,” Applied Developmental Science, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 205–
213, 2003.
[7] P. T. P. Wong and P. S. Fry, Eds., The Human Quest for Meaning:
A Handbook of Psychological Research and Clinical Applications,
Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ, USA, 1998.
[8] A. B. Scott, “Categorizing definitions of religion and spir-
ituality in the psychological literature: a content analytic
approach,” Unpublished manuscript.
[9] P. C. Hill, K. I. Pargamnet, R. W. Hood Jr. et al., “Conceptual-
izing religion and spirituality: points of commonality, points
of departure,” Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, vol.
30, no. 1, pp. 51–77, 2000.
[10] F. Markow and K. Klenke, “The effects of personal meaning
and calling on organizational commitment: an empirical
investigation of spiritual leadership,” International Journal of
Organizational Analysis, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 8–27, 2005.
[11] K. I. Pargament, “The psychology of religion and spirituality?
Yes and no,” International Journal for the Psychology of Religion,
vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 3–16, 1999.
[12] E. L. Worthington, J. N. Hook, D. E. Davis, and M. A.
McDaniel, “Religion and spirituality,” Journal of Clinical
Psychology, vol. 67, pp. 204–214, 2011.
[13] J. E. Myers, T. J. Sweeney, and J. M. Witmer, “The wheel
of wellness counseling for wellness: a holistic model for
treatment planning,” Journal of Counseling and Development,
vol. 78, no. 3, pp. 251–265, 2000.
[14] M. M. Lewis, “Spirituality, counseling, and elderly: an
introduction to the spiritual life review,” Journal of Adult
Development, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 231–240, 2001.
[15] D. T. L. Shek, “The spirituality of Chinese people,” in Oxford
Handbook of Chinese Psychology, M. H. Bond, Ed., pp. 343–
366, Oxford University Press, New York, NY, USA, 2010.
7. The Scientific World Journal 7
[16] P. S. Y. Lau, “Spirituality as a positive youth development
construct: conceptual bases and implications for curriculum
development,” International Journal of Adolescent Medicine
and Health, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 363–370, 2006.
[17] V. B. Carson, Spiritual Dimensions of Nursing Practice, WB
Saunders, Philadelphia, Pa, USA, 1989.
[18] D. T. L. Shek, “Life meaning and purpose in life among
Chinese adolescents: what can we learn from Chinese studies
in Hong Kong?” in The Human Quest for Meaning: Theories,
Research, and Applications, P. T. P. Wong, Ed., Routledge,
London, UK, 2012.
[19] C. D. Ryff and B. Singer, “The contours of positive human
health,” Psychological Inquiry, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 1–28, 1998.
[20] T. B. Adams, J. R. Bezner, M. E. Drabbs, R. J. Zambarano, and
M. A. Steinhardt, “Conceptualization and measurement of the
spiritual and psychological dimensions of wellness in a college
population,” Journal of American College Health, vol. 48, no. 4,
pp. 165–173, 2000.
[21] E. H. Erikson, Identity, Youth, and Crisis, Norton, New York,
NY, USA, 1968.
[22] J. E. Marcia, “Identity in adolescence,” in Handbook of
Adolescent Psychology, J. Adelson, Ed., pp. 159–187, John Wiley
& Sons, New York, NY, USA, 1980.
[23] J. W. Fowler, Stages of Faith, Harper and Row, New York, NY,
USA, 1981.
[24] V. Genia, “Interreligious encounter group: a psychospiritual
experience for faith development,” Counseling and Values, vol.
35, no. 1, pp. 39–51, 1990.
[25] P. L. Benson, All Kids Are Our Kids: What Communities Must
Do to Raise Caring and Responsible Children and Adolescents,
Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, Calif, USA, 1997.
[26] E. M. Dowling, S. Gestsdottir, P. M. Anderson, A. von Eye,
J. Almerigi, and R.M. Lerner, “Structural relations among
spirituality, religiosity, and thriving in adolescence,” Applied
Developmental Science, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 7–16, 2004.
[27] R.F. Catalano, M.L. Berglund, J.A.M. Ryan, H.S. Lonczak, and
J.D. Hawkins, “Positive Youth Development in the United
States: Research Findings on Evaluations of Positive Youth
Development Programs,” 2002, http://www.aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/
PositiveYouthDev99/.
[28] E. C. Roehlkepartain, P. E. King, L. Wagener, and P. L. Benson,
Eds., The Handbook of Spiritual Development in Childhood and
Adolescence, Sage, Thousand Oaks, Calif, USA, 2006.
[29] R. M. Lerner, R. W. Roeser, and E. Phelps, Positive Youth
Development and Spirituality, Templeton Press, Philadelphia,
Pa, USA, 2008.
[30] A. E. A. Warren, R. M. Lerner, and E. Phelps, Thriving and
Spirituality among Youth: Research Perspectives and Future
Possibilities, John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY, USA, 2011.
[31] T. F. Martin, J. M. White, and D. Perlman, “Religious
socialization: a test of the channeling hypothesis of parental
influence on adolescent faith maturity,” Journal of Adolescent
Research, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 169–187, 2003.
[32] M. D. Regnerus, C. Smith, and B. Smith, “Social context in the
development of adolescent religiosity,” Applied Developmental
Science, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 27–38, 2004.
[33] P. S. Fry, “The development of personal meaning and
wisdom in adolescence: a reexamination of moderating and
consolidating factors and influences,” in The Human Quest for
Meaning: A Handbook of Psychological Research and Clinical
Applications, P. T. P. Wong and P. S. Fry, Eds., pp. 91–110,
Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ, USA, 1998.
[34] A. Desrosiers, B. S. Kelley, and L. Miller, “Parent and peer
relationships and relational spirituality in adolescents and
young adults,” Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, vol. 3,
no. 1, pp. 39–54, 2011.
[35] V. E. Frankl, Psychotherapy and Existentialism: Selected Papers
on Logotherapy, Simons and Schuster, New York, NY, USA,
1967.
[36] J. C. Crumbaugh, “Cross-validation of purpose-in-life test
based on Frankl’s concepts,” Journal of Individual Psychology,
vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 74–81, 1968.
[37] P. T. P. Wong, Ed., The Human Quest for Meaning: Theories,
Research, and Applications, Routledge, London, UK, 2012.
[38] R. A. Emmons, “Striving for the sacred: personal goals, life
meaning, and religion,” Journal of Social Issues, vol. 61, no. 4,
pp. 731–745, 2005.
[39] R. Sawatzky, A. Gadermann, and B. Pesut, “An investigation of
the relationships between spirituality, health status and quality
of life in adolescents,” Applied Research in Quality of Life, vol.
4, no. 1, pp. 5–22, 2009.
[40] L. Rew and Y. J. Wong, “A systematic review of associations
among religiosity/spirituality and adolescent health attitudes
and behaviors,” Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 38, no. 4, pp.
433–442, 2006.
[41] Y. J. Wong, L. Rew, and K. D. Slaikeu, “A systematic review
of recent research on adolescent religiosity/spirituality and
mental health,” Issues in Mental Health Nursing, vol. 27, no.
2, pp. 161–183, 2006.
[42] S. Cotton, K. Zebracki, S. L. Rosenthal, J. Tsevat, and D.
Drotar, “Religion/spirituality and adolescent health outcomes:
a review,” Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 38, no. 4, pp. 472–
480, 2006.
[43] S. Sinclair, J. Pereira, and S. Raffin, “A thematic review of
the spirituality literature within palliative care,” Journal of
Palliative Medicine, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 464–479, 2006.
[44] L. H. Powell, L. Shahabi, and C. E. Thoresen, “Religion and
spirituality: linkages to physical health,” American Psychologist,
vol. 58, no. 1, pp. 36–52, 2003.
[45] R. W. Lent, “Toward a unifying theoretical and practical per-
spective on well-being and psychosocial adjustment,” Journal
of Counseling Psychology, vol. 51, no. 4, pp. 482–509, 2004.
[46] D. T. L. Shek, A. M. H. Siu, and T. Y. Lee, “The Chinese
positive youth development scale: a validation study,” Research
on Social Work Practice, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 380–391, 2007.
[47] D. T. L. Shek, “Chinese cultural beliefs about adversity: its
relationship to psychological well-being, school adjustment
and problem behaviour in Hong Kong adolescents with and
without economic disadvantage,” Childhood, vol. 11, no. 1, pp.
63–80, 2004.
[48] M. A. Bruce and D. Cockreham, “Enhancing the spiritual
development of adolescent girls,” Professional School Counsel-
ing, vol. 7, no. 5, pp. 334–342, 2004.
[49] E. K. P. Hui and D. K. Y. Ho, “Forgiveness in the context
of developmental guidance: implementation and evaluation,”
British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, vol. 32, no. 4, pp.
477–492, 2004.
[50] D. T. L. Shek and R. C. F. Sun, “Effectiveness of the Tier 1
Program of Project P.A.T.H.S.: findings based on three years
of program implementation,” TheScientificWorldJournal, vol.
10, pp. 1509–1519, 2010.
[51] D. T. L. Shek and C. M. S. Ma, “Impact of the Project
P.A.T.H.S. in the junior secondary school years: individual
growth curve analyses,” TheScientificWorldJournal, vol. 11, pp.
253–266, 2011.
8. 8 The Scientific World Journal
[52] D. T. L. Shek and L. Yu, “Prevention of adolescent problem
behavior: longitudinal impact of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in
Hong Kong,” TheScientificWorldJournal, vol. 11, pp. 546–567,
2011.
[53] C. G. Ellison and J. W. Lee, “Spiritual struggles and psycholog-
ical distress: is there a dark side of religion?” Social Indicators
Research, vol. 98, no. 3, pp. 501–517, 2010.