Ironically, spiritual and religious considerations were foundational in U.S. higher education historically. It was not until the late nineteenth century it began to shift to a fragmental one with a devaluing of liberal arts education (Lindholm, J. ,2014). Not only the education was operated with a business-like model but also the positivistic culture of academe conditions faculty and students to separate personal values from disciplinary content, coupled with associated notions that the spiritual dimension of experience is an illegitimate focus for serious scholarly inquiry. This represents another, often powerful, source of tension for the spirituality in this environment. Indeed, so-called dominator conceptualizations of spiritual and religious beliefs , structures, and relationships have also been used to rationalize behavioral atrocities and to justify chronic injustice and misery. Associated fears lead some to presume that those who would choose to focus on spiritual or religious dimensions of student and faculty life are motivated by a desire to “convert” others to their own beliefs and practices or to eradicate from the academy those who they feel don’t have the “correct” orientations and values (Lindholm, J. ,2014, P4). However, this culture change in academia cannot stop people from pursuing the meaning and purpose of their existence on this planet. Most of us, in some part of our life, have been seeking healing and reconciliation with self and others. This
In today’s research, there is a showing of a swift change in religious silhouette (Hackett, Connor, Stonawski, & Skirbekk, 2015). Hackett, Connor, Stonawski, and Skirbekk (2015) reported by 2050 there will be a drop in Christian’s faith, and Judaism will no longer be the greatest non-Christian religious conviction. Muslims will outnumber individuals who consider themselves as a Christian religion. Magaldi-Dopman (2014) says, multicultural training enables discovery of self and brings awareness to one’s biases when discussing issues of spiritual, religious, and nonreligious issues with their clients (p. 195). And counseling professionals are conscious of death, that all living souls pass away, as well as their clients.’
In The Sacred Quest, University of Notre Dame professor Lawrence Cunningham attempts the search for a coherent definition of religion. While he doesn’t strive for a one-sentence interpretation of what indicates a real, organized religion, he arrives on several elements and functions to give meaning to his definition. To Cunningham, there are five elements that make up a religion: belief, feeling, action, individual and community aspects, and values. Cunningham argues that these five elements exists in order to explain what could not otherwise be explained, enable people to sustain hope in the face of difficult experiences, and provide ways of thinking that provide goals and respond to “great problems” in life (158). All of these aspects work
From the beginning of human existence, religion and spirituality have played immense, critical roles in the lives of people and the functionings of our society. In our world today, the conflict in religious forces combined with the conflict in spiritual forces depict both our confusion and our yearning to connect with divine forces and influence the people around us for good. Organized Religion and spirituality both provide their own unique, important influences and opportunities to individuals and our society. Each have their own set of benefits and detriments and analyzing these are growingly essential to our world because people choose to participate in one or the other or both and
There are some text books that you read and you know, will not only become part of your library, but will definitely become part of your life and this is one of them. Mark R. McMinn uses his book, Psychology, Theology and Spirituality in Christian Counseling to integrate the use of spirituality in Christian counseling in a way that a counselor can use them in a counseling session effectively. McMinn makes the use of various spiritual techniques like prayer, reading the Word and confession and incorporates them in ways that make spirituality work alongside theory in a cohesive matter.
Religion and spirituality reach into the depths of the human psyche and strongly influence a nation’s way of life.
Yes. I am baptized Greek Catholic. I have accepted my wife’s traditions because it is almost identical to my upbringing. I don’t have the time to participate in a scheduled religious community locally, due to my career in the Military.
Do you believe in a higher power? How about a God? How do you feel about the word religion? I am here to tell you about my own personal experiences and beliefs related to religion. Religion is a way of living and having something to believe in. If you don’t believe in anything, how do you have hope for the future? Weather you believe in one god or many gods, or even if you believe in evolution. I have learned that it doesn’t matter where or how you grow up, that each human being will believe what they want to. I was raised in a Christian back ground, but grew up with my own beliefs and thoughts. I felt that since evolution was so strongly researched and I knew more about that than I did the bible, that
Psychology and religion are two fields of inquiry that are intimately related despite not initially seeming so. Humans have been engaging in religious thought for as long as we know, and possibly since we were first capable of thought. Likewise, psychology is a deceptively old field; although psychology as so named is a recent invention, philosophers have been asking the same questions the modern field does for centuries. Furthermore, both psychology and religion seek to address similar questions. The fields of psychology and religion are more than mere ships that pass in the night; they are unlikely allies in the grand scheme of meaning.
In this slide, I will be talking about personal spirituality and defining the terms of the religious practice. The definition of personal spirituality is “A sense of connection forms a central defining characteristic of spirituality - connection to something greater than oneself, which includes an emotional experience of religious awe and reverence. Equally importantly, spirituality relates to matters of sanity and of psychological health.” (Timeforchange.org, 2017) During these slides we will be discussing about personal spirituality, give examples of the inner energy and desires which gives your personal meaning and identity. In the conclusion we will be restating the key ideas of personal spirituality.
To the Puritans, religious freedom was a black and white matter, and the freedom from King George’s persecution provided them with solace. Conversely, the modern intertwining of various cultural backgrounds drives new religious practices, denominations, and cults to proliferate throughout America. Despite the understood right of religious freedom, many claim abjection to society because of their particular affiliation. Recently, in an article from the USI newspaper, an anonymous student writer complained about the status of religious clubs on campus. She stated that as an atheist, she felt “oppressed,” because Christian denominations composed ninety percent of the university’s religious clubs. What she failed to mention—perhaps due to ignorance—was that as long as a counselor provided approval, any pair of complying students possesses the ability to found a religious club on campus. With that being said, Miss Anonymous Writer’s “oppression” resulted from her own actions—or lack thereof. Neglecting to step proactively toward personal liberation affects modern society more than “oppression” has in any matter. In brief, many spiritual devotees who strive for religious liberty, are instead consumed by paranoia of oppression and judgment; while, only personal acceptance and spiritual growth produce true religious
Throughout this semester we focused on numerous different religious practices and traditions. Focusing now on these new religious ideals and practices has provided many different suggestions towards spirituality: “”Spirituality” is personal, unique, self-validating, authentic, and authoritative, whereas “religion” is institutional, bureaucratic, social, inflexible hierarchical, and authoritarian” (Anderson and Young 295). Many of these new practices involve women, healing methods, and alternative divine figures. Overall, it is a common theme from many of these spiritual practices to not have a set textual religious book such as a Bible or Torah. In addition, they do not look up to a spiritual figure, or have set rituals or practices: “New Age
The multilayered concepts of spirituality and religion have common characteristics, and are frequently used simultaneously. Furthermore, religion is expressed as a structured belief system that encompasses established moral standards and beliefs about God in the religious population. Additionally, spirituality is outlined as an internal set of values with a sense of meaning and connection to something beyond oneself. I believe spiritual and religious beliefs are traits of culture, and are shaped by one’s family of origin and other environmental influences. For many clients, spiritual and religious matters are fundamental to their worldviews. Spiritual and religious beliefs frequently outline the way in which clients believe, feel, and
In my thesis essay, I will be discussing the overall religion of what is typically traditional to be called religion. Religion which is commonly known as the belief in the supernatural naturally produces a influence of the making of society throughout what is known as history. Commonly as we know it from day to day many people of different cultures, races are largely structured by religion. Religion affects more than culture it effects law and politics as well as education and behavioral norms.
The sociological gaze links individual experiences to the social settings we occupy. I wish to review the sociological gaze that is my religious identity, and how that has shaped my experiences, choices, expectations, attitudes and world views. Although most of my life followed mainstream religious inclinations, my deep desire for answers along with questioning the status quo, led me to break away from traditional religions to find spirituality. This change in religious direction altered my outlook, actions and connections in life. I will take you through this journey, reflecting on how my life and identity have morphed from church to spiritual being, bringing sociological viewpoints along the way.
William James, a famous philosopher, doctor, journalist (what wasn’t this guy?), was fascinated by the human psyche. James thrived as a professor, giving countless lectures in Scotland based upon religion’s nature and how science could be applied to religious studies. As one does, James then comprised his lectures into a very thick book entitled The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature. I had the privilege of reading this book over the course of this semester. Though at times I found this book pretentious and purposefully incomprehensible, by the end of it I truly gained some philosophical insight that allowed me to explore one of my favorite, if not my absolute favorite, topic of discussion: religion. But it did not just focus broadly on religion; it delved into how a human’s actions, behaviors, and feelings can all somehow be