Scholarly Foundations

Abstract: The article presents a discussion on well-being at work in helping professions. The Well-being at Work projects at the University of Notre Dame range from studying the wellbeing of rural health care providers, clergy, and their families, to teachers, and humanitarian workers. We are trying to understand the wellbeing of these real and amazing people. We believe that when work is good that it will produce real goodness of many kinds, including high levels of wellbeing among those who perform the work. Focused on the wellbeing of clergy and their families, the Flourishing in Ministry project examines what motivates pastors and priests to be engaged in ministry—and what disrupts them from experiencing wellbeing in their work. Flourishing keeps them going, sustains them through difficult times, and motivates their continued commitment to their work. They will tell you about the privilege of helping others, the glorious experiences of making a positive difference, and how much more they receive from their work than they ever give to it. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-54117-007

Abstract: Pastoral work can be stressful, tough, demanding, sometimes misunderstood, and often underappreciated and underpaid. Ministers devote themselves to caring for their congregations, often at the expense of caring for themselves. Studies consistently show that physical health among clergy is significantly worse than among adults who are not in ministry. Flourishing in Ministry offers clergy and those who support them practical advice for not just surviving this grueling profession, but thriving in it. Matt Bloom, director of the Flourishing in Ministry project, shares groundbreaking research from more than a decade of study. Flourishing in Ministry project draws on more than five thousand surveys and three hundred in-depth interviews with clergy across denominations, ages, races, genders, and years of practice in ministry. It distills this deep research into easily understandable stages of flourishing that can be practiced at any stage in ministry or ministry formation. http://doi.org/10.5040/9798881821791

Abstract

Objective: This systematic review aims to critically examine the existing literature that has reported on the links between aspects of religiosity, spirituality and disordered eating, psychopathology and body image concerns.

Method: A systematic search of online databases (PsycINFO, Medline, Embase and Web of Science) was conducted in December 2014. A search protocol was designed to identify relevant articles that quantitatively explored the relationship between various aspects of religiosity and/or spirituality and disordered eating, psychopathology and/or body image concerns in non-clinical samples of women and men.

Results: Twenty-two studies were identified to have matched the inclusion criteria. Overall, the main findings to emerge were that strong and internalised religious beliefs coupled with having a secure and satisfying relationship with God were associated with lower levels of disordered eating, psychopathology and body image concern. Conversely, a superficial faith coupled with a doubtful and anxious relationship with God were associated with greater levels of disordered eating, psychopathology and body image concern.

Discussion: While the studies reviewed have a number of evident limitations in design and methodology, there is sufficient evidence to make this avenue of enquiry worth pursuing. It is hoped that the direction provided by this review will lead to further investigation into the protective benefits of religiosity and spirituality in the development of a clinical eating disorder. Thus a stronger evidence base can then be utilised in developing community awareness and programs which reduce the risk.

Keywords: Body Image; Disordered Eating; Eating Disorder; Religion; Religiosity; Spirituality.

Abstract: The current study examined the link between living a calling and career commitment, work meaning, and job satisfaction with a diverse group of working adults at 3 time points over a 6-month period. Using structural equation modeling, 3 models were tested that hypothesized that living a calling would predict career commitment, work meaning, and job satisfaction over time. However, counter to hypotheses, living a calling was best positioned as an outcome of each of these variables. Specifically, living a calling at Time 2 and Time 3 was significantly predicted by career commitment, work meaning, and job satisfaction at Time 1 and Time 2, respectively. Time 2 living a calling did predict Time 3 work career commitment and work meaning, but these effects were small. Results suggest that over time, individuals who feel committed to their career, derive more meaning from their work, and are more satisfied with their jobs are more likely to feel they are living a calling. Practical implications are discussed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25181588/

Abstract: Using an interdisciplinary, empirical perspective, the study explored Orthodox Christians’ perceptions of self-love and its relationship to love of neighbour, love of God and self-sacrifice. Three scales with good reliability were designed and used with 153 Orthodox Christian adults. The main results obtained are as follows: Orthodox Christians have positive perceptions of self-love – they do not see it as a passion or sin as it is described in Christian ascetic literature; they appreciate the importance and benefits of self-love when they perceive it as a separate reality from the love of neighbour and the love of God; some of them have negative or unclear perceptions on the relationship between self-love, love of neighbour and love of God. In this last respect the empirical results of the study contradict important philosophical and theological views. In the study, less than one-quarter of the Orthodox Christians scored high in practising healthy self-love and agreed that self-love can coexist with self-sacrifice in a certain dose or balance. The clinical and pastoral implications of the findings are discussed, and practical suggestions for intervention are proposed.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-024-01165-4

Abstract: Although much is known about the frequency of the spiritual activities of pastoral workers, less is known related to how important specific spiritual and existential practices are to pastoral workers personally or existentially. This part of the German Pastoral Ministry Study analyzed (1) which forms of spiritual activities were regarded as important, (2) how the perceived importance of religious practices related to frequency of engagement in spiritual practices, and (3) how these practices contributed to the life satisfaction of ordained priests and of non-ordained pastoral workers. Participants included 1826 Catholic pastoral workers, composed of 65% priests and 35% (non-ordained) pastoral assistants and parish expert workers. Prosocial-Humanistic practices scored highest in importance, followed by Gratitude/Awe, Existentialistic practices, and Religious practices; specific forms of Spiritual Mind-Body practices were not relevant. Differences in the frequency and ascribed importance of spiritual practices between ordained and non-ordained pastoral workers were identified, as well as a surprising lack of connection between religious practices and their proclaimed importance, particularly of Prosocial-Humanistic and Gratitude/Awe practices. These findings may stimulate further research into the underlying causes of these differences between priests and other pastoral workers and between the frequency and importance of spiritual practices in all groups, which in the researchers’ opinion indicate challenging inconsistencies with regard to the ideals of religious vocations. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-016-0746-9

Abstract: Holding great therapeutic potential, the Psalms are infused with hope; simultaneously Christian meditation integrates the benefits of mindfulness within a deeply relational context. In the present study, a novel meditative Psalms intervention was investigated for its hypothesised positive effects on hope, flow and wellbeing, as proposed via three factors (meditative practice, poetic devices and hopeful content) with one overarching model—Broaden and Build Hypothesis (BBH). Via convenience and snowball sampling from a dispersed Christian population, participants entered a randomised controlled trial (RCT) with allocation to a control or seven-day intervention group, the latter receiving daily instructions for lectio divina (LD) meditation on the Psalm reading. In contrast to control (N = 32), significant improvements were elicited in the intervention group (N = 29) for hope and wellbeing, with subscale analysis highlighting improvements in perspective, relationships, personal values and emotions. For the intervention group only, significantly elevated levels of flow were noted between day 1 and day 7, with non-significant changes for all other days. Whilst numerous limitations and future directions were noted, the results suggest a potential role for Psalms meditation as a culturally sensitive and personally relevant holistic hope intervention.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-022-01040-0

Abstract: Clergy play significant leadership, educational, and caregiving roles in society. However, burnout is a concern for the clergy profession, those they serve, and their families. Effects include decreased ministry effectiveness, lower sense of personal accomplishment in their role, and negative impacts on quality of family life and relationships. Given these risks, knowledge of the nature of Christian clergy’s current resilience and well-being in Canada may provide valuable intelligence to mitigate these challenges. In summary, the purpose of this research was to describe and analyze the status of clergy resilience and well-being in Canada, together with offering focused insights. Resilience and well-being surveys used by the co-authors with educators and nurses were adapted for use in this study. This instrument was developed to gain insight into baseline patterns of resilience and well-being and included questions across seven sections: (1) demographic information. (2) health status, (3) professional quality of life, (4) Cantril Well-Being Scale, (5) Ego-Resiliency Scale, (6) Grit Scale, and (7) open-ended questions. The findings provided valuable insights into clergy well-being and resilience that can benefit individual clerics, educational institutions, denominations, and congregations. The participants’ current resilience and well-being included high levels of resiliency, moderate grit, and satisfaction with health and wellness. Other significant findings included the impact of congregational flourishing and age. This study found that clergy well-being and resilience was doing well despite the increased adversity of the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications of this study are that clerics may need unique supports based on their age and also whether they serve in a congregation they perceive as flourishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-022-01023-1

Abstract: Clergy play significant leadership, educational, and caregiving roles in society. However, burnout is a concern for the clergy profession, those they serve, and their families. Effects include decreased ministry effectiveness, lower sense of personal accomplishment in their role, and negative impacts on quality of family life and relationships. Given these risks, knowledge of the nature of Christian clergy’s current resilience and well-being in Canada may provide valuable intelligence to mitigate these challenges. In summary, the purpose of this research was to describe and analyze the status of clergy resilience and well-being in Canada, together with offering focused insights. Resilience and well-being surveys used by the co-authors with educators and nurses were adapted for use in this study. This instrument was developed to gain insight into baseline patterns of resilience and well-being and included questions across seven sections: (1) demographic information. (2) health status, (3) professional quality of life, (4) Cantril Well-Being Scale, (5) Ego-Resiliency Scale, (6) Grit Scale, and (7) open-ended questions. The findings provided valuable insights into clergy well-being and resilience that can benefit individual clerics, educational institutions, denominations, and congregations. The participants’ current resilience and well-being included high levels of resiliency, moderate grit, and satisfaction with health and wellness. Other significant findings included the impact of congregational flourishing and age. This study found that clergy well-being and resilience was doing well despite the increased adversity of the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications of this study are that clerics may need unique supports based on their age and also whether they serve in a congregation they perceive as flourishing. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/392738404_The_Individual_Domain_of_Christian_Flourishing_Conceptual_Foundations_and_Measurement_Template

Abstract: Cross-cultural workers are vulnerable to a number of stressors and traumatic events while on assignment. However, environmental factors, agency support, family life, instances of sexual harassment, and overall resilience in adverse circumstances may be experienced differently by men and women. This study examined the role of gender in resilience for international cross-cultural workers serving as missionaries. An adapted Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory, 2nd edition (DRRI-2) and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) were used to collect data from 268 cross-cultural workers. Females reported statistically significantly greater difficulty living in the cross-cultural environment, less perceived support from their team and agency, a greater number of negative family events, and a lower level of overall resilience than males. Males reported significantly higher levels of concern about life and family disruptions. Gender-specific counseling implications and suggestions for future research into the impact of gender on cross-cultural work are highlighted. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-97507-002

Abstract: Religion and spirituality are difficult to define and elusive to capture by standard scientific methods. Despite these challenges, the researchers aim to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on the psychology of religion by investigating the religious experience of Catholic novices and their spiritual well-being. Using the Spiritual Health and Life-Orientation Measure (SHALOM) developed by John Fisher, objective data was gathered from selected individuals going through religious formation. The aim was to determine the spiritual well-being of Catholic religious novices and its implication to their sociality. The results show that there was a significant difference in the quality of relationships of each novice with themselves, other people, the environment and God. Thus, there is dissonance between the ideals of the persons in the novitiate and their lived experience.

https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11070371

Abstract: Biblical lament provides a vital way of maintaining a healthy relationship with God when one’s life experience does not match up with one’s beliefs. Not to lament in such a situation is to deny authenticity. And, as the psychological theories of authenticity indicate, this leads to a person having reduced self-esteem and a lower sense of personal well-being. In this study, women (and a few men) from a poor community in Cape Town, South Africa, were invited to study some psalms of lament and then to compose their own laments. A validated measure of authenticity (the Authenticity Index) was administered to them before and after the lament exercise, as well as Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale and two measures of personal well-being (the Affect Balance Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale). It became apparent that the opportunity to express themselves using the form of biblical lament led to a greater sense of authenticity for participants. Their responses on the other scales also indicated that they found the opportunity to lament led to an enhanced sense of self-esteem and well-being. This suggests that those committed to facilitating psychological healing for those who have suffered trauma will do well to provide space for pain-bearers to lament following the biblical pattern.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-020-00928-z

Abstract: This study examines associations between dimensions of religiosity/spirituality (R/S) and anxiety symptoms in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mothers’ positive ways of thinking and romantic relationship satisfaction were examined as mediators of associations. The extent to which child ASD symptom severity and maternal broad autism phenotype (BAP) behaviors predicted interactions with religious community members was also examined. Seventy-three Christian mothers of a child with ASD completed online surveys. Higher levels of spirituality were associated with viewing their child with ASD as providing a positive contribution to the family. These positive views were, in turn, associated with less anxiety symptoms. Mothers of children with more severe ASD symptoms also reported greater negative interactions with members of their congregation.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04165-z

Abstract: Contemplative practices have likely been used for self-awareness, concentration, creativity, and well-being since the dawn of time. While practices such as yoga and Buddhist meditation have been extensively studied in recent decades, Christian contemplative practices have received less attention in empirical research. This study aims to investigate the effects of centering prayer, a Christian contemplative practice, on mental health and well-being. The research focuses on college students enrolled in a religious studies course that incorporates centering prayer into the curriculum. It is a pilot study because it is the first to explore centering prayer in an undergraduate setting. Using a comparison group from another religious studies course, the study examines whether practicing centering prayer regularly for seven weeks can lead to changes in anxiety, stress, depression, mindfulness, satisfaction with life, hope, and compassion as assessed by multiple questionnaires. Additionally, the study explores whether religiosity influences the impact of centering prayer on these variables. Participants were recruited through their course enrollment, and data was collected through online surveys administered at three time points during the study. Multivariate analyses of covariance indicated trends suggesting that centering prayer may contribute to decreased anxiety and increased hope and compassion. However, no significant changes in these outcomes were observed (p > .05). The study highlights the potential therapeutic benefits of centering prayer and the need for further research on Christian contemplative practices.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-023-01103-w

Abstract: The Latin American immigrant population in Spain is growing year after year. The aim of this study is to describe how religious coping mechanisms, religiosity, acculturation and social support act in the prediction of happiness within the group of Latin American immigrants with Christian beliefs in Spain. Previous studies indicate that religious practice can be a factor that favors the perception of well-being and happiness in people. It is considered that the existence of close sources of support act as a key resource in facing stressful situations. A questionnaire consisting of 36 items was administered to a sample made up of 206 subjects of different Latin American nationalities who were going through a migration process. It was observed that religiosity, social support, religious coping mechanisms and gender were related to the perception of happiness. The results underline the importance of considering religiosity and social support together while intervening to improve the perception of happiness of Latin American immigrants in Spain.

https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13020122

Abstract: This study is designed to test the hypothesis that events like the Holly Bough service held in Liverpool Cathedral on the fourth Sunday of Advent that attracts a wide range of participants, including regular churchgoers and occasional (sometimes annual) visitors, contribute significantly to the psychological health and well-being of these participants. At the Holly Bough service held in 2019, a total of 383 participants (139 men, 229 women and 15 individuals who preferred anonymity) completed a recognised measure of psychological health and well-being (the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire) whilst they were waiting for the service to begin and again during a 5-min organ improvisation just before the close of the service. The data demonstrated a significantly higher score on the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire at time 2 than at time 1, suggesting that the experience of the service functioned as an agent of psychological health and well-being.

Contribution: Situated within the science of cathedral studies, this paper confirms by means of a repeated-measure study that cathedrals promote psychological health; 383 participants at a Christmas service completed the same well-being measure before and after the service, with a significant increase in scores at time two.

https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v76i3.6250

Abstract: Internal working models informed by early attachment experiences play a pivotal role in the development of attachment relationships throughout life (Bowlby, 1969). While attachment has been examined in several domains, including familial and romantic relationships (e.g., Hazan & Shaver, 1987), more recent work has investigated the usefulness of conceptualizing God as an attachment figure (e.g., Granqvist, 1998; Kirkpatrick, 2005). Church family, defined as those individuals with whom a fellow believer attends church, has not been examined within a specific attachment context. The primary purpose of these two studies was to investigate the possible extension of attachment theory to include the Christian believer’s attachment to their church family. A secondary purpose was to determine what relationship, if any, exists among attachment to church family, attachment to God and well-being. In the first study, 117 individuals from local Protestant churches completed self-report measures of attachment to God and church family as well as spiritual and psychological well-being. In the second study, 185 participants from local Baptist churches completed questionnaire packages that included measures of attachment and emotional well-being. Results offered preliminary support for the usefulness of conceptualizing church family as an attachment process. Further research, examining the differences between general social support and attachment processes, is needed.

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-21618-006

Abstract: From a Christian theological perspective, intimacy with God is an important element of the Christian life. However, while other aspects of relationship with God have been examined in the psychology of religion, intimacy with God has not been the focus of study. In this project, we offer a conceptualization of intimacy with God as a construct, which integrates theological perspectives with literature on human intimacy processes. Both are needed in the development of an Intimacy with God measure. We then establish and confirm its factor structure, and evaluate its construct validity in online samples of Christians who indicated they experienced suffering. In addition, we demonstrate incremental validity over two etic measures of relationship with God with respect to well-being outcomes. We conclude that the Intimacy with God Scale captures an important aspect of relationship to God that has not been robustly captured in previous measures and that is associated with well-being.

https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/u5mg9

Description: Originally the field of psychology had a threefold mission: to cure mental illness, yes, but also to find ways to make life fulfilling for all and to maximize talent. Over the last century, a focus on mental illness has often been prioritized over studies of health, to the point that many people assume "psychologist" is just another way of saying "psychotherapist." This book is about one attempt to restore the discipline's larger mission.

Positive psychology attends to what philosophers call "the good life." It is about fostering strength and living well—about how to do a good job at being human. Some of that will involve cheerful emotions, and some of it will not. There are vital roles to be played by archetypal challenges such as those involving self-control, guilt, and grit, and even the terror of death enters into positive psychology's vision of human flourishing.

Charles Hackney connects this still-new movement to foundational concepts in philosophy and Christian theology. He then explores topics such as subjective states, cognitive processes, and the roles of personality, relationships, and environment, also considering relevant practices in spheres from the workplace to the church and even the martial arts dojo. Hackney takes seriously the range of critiques positive psychology has faced as he frames a constructive future for Christian contributions to the field.

Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) Books explore how Christianity relates to mental health and behavioral sciences including psychology, counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy in order to equip Christian clinicians to support the well-being of their clients.

Abstract: Faith maturity is likely to be one of the factors that helps workers in Christian organizations cope with work-related stressful demands. A survey of 301 adults working in New Zealand Christian organizations measured faith maturity, threat and challenge appraisal, religious coping, positive and negative affect and stress-related growth. As expected, respondents with higher levels of faith maturity were more likely to appraise stressors as challenges, had more positive affect, less negative religious coping and more stress-related growth. Surprisingly both positive and negative religious coping were related to higher levels of negative affect and stress-related growth. Faith maturity was an important mediator of the relationship between challenge appraisals and positive religious coping, and positive religious coping mediated the relationship between faith and stress-related growth.

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2010-23744-002

Abstract: This study explored whether the Christian themes of love of God, love of others, and love of self were associated with improved well-being. An online questionnaire was completed by 323 Christians. A structural equation model was developed to explain the relationships between church attendance, love of God, love of others, love of self, presence of meaning, satisfaction with life, depression, anxiety, and physical health. Key findings were that church attendance was beneficial only when mediated by love of God, and that love of God and others improved satisfaction with life only when mediated by meaning in life.

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2018-39043-003

Book Description: How should Christians understand and undertake the discipline of psychology?

This question has been of keen interest—and sometimes concern—to Christians because of the importance we place on a correct understanding of humannature. Psychology can sometimes seem disconnected from, if not antithetical to, Christian perspectives on life. How are we to understand our Christian beliefs about personhood in relation to secular psychological beliefs?

This revised edition of Psychology and Christianity presents five models for understanding the relationship between psychology and Christianity. All the essays and responses have been reworked and updated with some new contributors including the addition of a new perspective.

The five views presented in this book are:

• A Levels-of-Explanation View from David G. Myers

• An Integration View from Stanton L. Jones

• A Christian Psychology Viewfrom Robert C. Roberts and Paul J. Watson

• A Transformational Psychology View from John H. Coe and Todd W. Hall

• A Biblical Counseling View from David Powlison

Each of the contributors responds to the other essayists, noting points of agreement as well as problems they see. Eric L. Johnson provides a revised introduction that describes the history of Christians and psychology, as well as a conclusion that considers what might unite the five views and how a reader might evaluate the relative strengths and weaknesses of each view.

This book is a standard introductory textbook for students and professors of Christian psychology. With Psychology and Christianity, gain a fuller understanding ofhow to participate in and understand psychology as a Christian.

https://www.ivpress.com/psychology-christianity?srsltid=AfmBOor4dk-Uqd0SHJY67w3JQ_DQkEB1hZoVNuO7lAeuXEHWml8Iy2Yp

Abstract: Research interest in human flourishing continues to grow across multiple disciplines. In this article, we suggest means by which Christian theology can inform teaching positive psychology. We survey the field of positive psychology by characterizing and distinguishing theories regarding eudaimonic and hedonic accounts of flourishing. Christian theological approaches diverge from the emphases of psychology by grounding flourishing outside of the self. Love, properly understood, links various Christian proposals regarding the nature of flourishing and circumscribes the relationships in need of flourishing: with God, with each other, with ourselves, and with the rest of creation. From this follow several pedagogical implications: (a) grounding positive psychology in love, (b) linking love of God to psychology of religion and spirituality, (c) using love to unify the study of traits, (d) including emic versions of positive traits, (e) incorporating discussion of positive institutions, (f) tempering positive psychology with a theology of suffering, and (g) using cross-cultural perspectives.

https://doi.org//10.31234/osf.io/q7e2z

Abstract: In the current study, the authors developed the Communion with God Scale (CGS)—a Christian-sensitive scale for measuring Christians’ perceived relationship with God, consistent with an indigenous psychology, “insider” perspective. Utilizing an emic, “bottom-up” approach by starting with Christianity’s sacred text, the Bible, and other Christian writings, the authors operationalized “communion with God” from within Christian culture, then generated a pool of Likert-scale items for further examination. In turn, with a community sample of self-described Christian adults (N = 437), the authors examined the reliability (i.e., internal consistency) and validity (i.e., factorial, construct, and incremental) of the CGS as a Christian-sensitive, emic alternative to an etic, “outsider,” “top-down” approach to measuring Christians’ relationship with God (e.g., God attachment) in the psychology of religion literature. Overall, the CGS demonstrated adequate internal consistency reliability, with a one-factor solution. Moreover, the scale was positively correlated with daily spiritual experiences and mental well-being and demonstrated incremental validity, above and beyond God attachment, in predicting psychological and spiritual functioning. To conclude, the authors discussed study limitations and directions for future research.

https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000272

Abstract: Although self-esteem is a widely researched construct in psychology and has been found to be closely associated with wellbeing, its relationship with religion is unclear. In view of the inconsistent pattern of the relationship between religion and self-esteem in the extant literature, this paper proposes a new construct, namely, religious self-esteem, in terms of the religion of Christianity. This construct comprises three dimensions—cognition, relationship with God, and meaning in life—to bridge the gap between Christianity, self-esteem, and wellbeing. The theoretical and practical significance of this new construct is also discussed.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11089-023-01082-y

Abstract: Faith and meaning-making are essential for improving well-being and building healthy personalities. Through inductive thematic analysis, we aimed to capture the particular nuances of meaning-making in a sample of Orthodox Christian religious emerging adults from Romania. The present research takes into consideration cultural and social aspects, that were explored through in-depth interviews. By following a thematic analysis protocol, we immersed ourselves in the religious and spiritual reality of these emerging adults. Following the protocol for our inductive analysis, we reviewed the research literature on these topics. Thus, we begin with the presentation of the existing literature on the main concepts and the implications of our focus on emerging adulthood. We continue with the qualitative research and the presentation of the main theme and subthemes that have emerged. Lastly, connections were made between positive and negative religious coping and the implications for psychological well-being during emerging adulthood and the impact later in life. The practical implications are discussed both for psychological aid specialists (e.g., psychological counselors, psychotherapists) and theological aid professionals (e.g., confessor priest or spiritual director). We argue that this research could further develop the dialogue and collaboration between psychological and theological specialists.

https://thenewjsri.ro/index.php/njsri/article/view/196

Abstract: One of the main developmental tasks of emerging adulthood is finding the answer to the question “Who am I”? This quest can be guided directly and indirectly by parents, culture, faith, and social context. Finding the answer before starting adulthood can contribute to the individuals’ well-being later on in life. By using inductive thematic analysis, we aim to explore and capture the personal view of religious faith in a sample of Orthodox Christian religious emerging adults from Romania. The in-depth interviews allowed for a theme relating to identity and religious teachings from parents to emerge in an organic manner. Following the protocol for our inductive analysis, we reviewed the research literature on these topics. We begin by presenting the review of the literature on the main concepts that relate to our data. We continue by presenting the data from a small segment of an extended qualitative research. Finally, we discuss the implications on a theoretical level both from a psychological and theological perspective, and also on a practical one by referring to psychological and theological aid.

https://thenewjsri.ro/index.php/njsri/article/view/307

Abstract: This paper presents an emic approach to the science of Christian flourishing, focusing on the individual domain as a foundational element for broader congregational and community well-being. While VanderWeele’s universal etic approach to human flourishing, involving six domains, provides valuable insights, it may not fully capture the nuances of flourishing within Christian contexts. Christian flourishing can be conceptualized through three interconnected domains: individual Christians, their congregations, and the communities they influence. The rationale for adopting an emic approach lies in the recognition that flourishing is a state in which all aspects of a person’s life are good, including the contexts in which they live. Religious communities, as a significant context for human existence, serve as both a setting and a pathway for flourishing. Given that Christianity represents the largest religious group globally, focusing on the Christian context offers a critical lens for understanding how faith communities contribute to human flourishing. Therefore, we introduce a new construct and corresponding measure—the Christian Flourishing Index—that reflects individual flourishing in alignment with the values of the Christian "abundant life," the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love, communion with God, and a stewardship approach to material resources. While the conceptual framing and measurement template of the individual Christian flourishing broadly aligns within the original dimensions of VanderWeele, the proposed dimensions might be better framed as—contentment, health, meaning, character, relationships, and stewardship—reflecting the transformative influence of the Christian faith to anchor temporal conceptions of the good life to that which is pointed towards eternal ends in God. Although this paper centers on the individual domain, we invite further scholarly engagement on other domains (e.g., congregational, community) of flourishing within the Christian context.

Abstract: An important node of overlapping interest between contemporary positive psychology and Christian theology is the issue of human flourishing and the virtues one should pursue to experience this. In this essay, we argue that the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), one of the most important and influential portions of the Christian Scriptures, addresses human flourishing and virtue at a foundational level, providing resources for a robustly Christian understanding of positive psychology. In contrast to positive psychology in general, a Christian positive psychology will prioritize the God-ward (vertical) and Charity (horizontal) virtues, as well as maintaining a vibrant orientation to assured hope for a new era called God’s kingdom.

https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1228008

Abstract: Positive psychology has yielded rich insights about the nature of human flourishing and is just beginning to broach the topic of grace. Because of the central role grace plays in Christianity, a qualitative exploration was conducted with a sample of Christian participants identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. Transcripts from 25 semi-structured interviews were coded and analyzed using grounded theory. Most participants described growing up in relatively conservative Christian communities where their emerging sexual identity was discouraged and then finding new faith communities in late teenage or adult years where they can experience and practice their faith more freely. They described God as loving and grace as available freely to all, even as some have reverberating doubts about their changed theological views. We discuss clinical implications for working with gay Christian clients in psychotherapy, emphasizing that faith communities are not necessarily places to be avoided, but can actually be places of healing and support.

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2022-64847-004

Abstract: Forgiveness is a multidimensional phenomenon that often functions as a disposition; it is closely linked to psychological well-being and religion/spirituality. However, no validated instruments have been available to assess forgiveness in the Georgian context. This study aimed to adapt the Toussaint Forgiveness Scale (TFS) for use in Georgia and to examine cross-cultural patterns of forgiveness and mental health among Georgian Orthodox Christians and Polish Roman Catholics. Methods: Study 1 (N = 321) validated the Georgian TFS using confirmatory factor analysis and assessed its convergent validity with perceived stress and religiosity. Study 2 applied structural equation modeling to analyze associations between forgiveness dimensions and mental health indicators in Georgian (n = 110) and Polish (n = 111) samples. Results: The Georgian TFS showed good psychometric properties. In both groups, self-forgiveness was associated with lower depressive symptoms; in Georgia, it also predicted higher quality of life. Forgiveness by God predicted reduced anxiety and depression in Georgia but not in Poland. Although path patterns varied, overlapping confidence intervals suggest no significant between-group differences. Conclusions: Forgiveness supports mental health across cultures, especially self-forgiveness. Its expression may show subtle, culturally nuanced patterns, though these require cautious interpretation.

https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16060720

No abstract available.

Abstract: A key question that arises from studies on posttraumatic growth and resilience is whether suffering is necessary for growth or “does growth require suffering?” In a recent major systematic review and meta-analysis on genuine posttraumatic growth as well as genuine post-ecstatic growth, Mangelsdorf et al. attempted to answer this crucial question. Consistent with the growing literature on posttraumatic growth and resilience, Mangelsdorf et. al. pointed out two crucial and unresolved issues concerning whether and when negative events or adversity may lead to growth. The first issue has to do with the methodological problems and limitations of retrospective studies with cross-sectional designs that frequently use a self-report measure such as the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, which are the majority of studies in this area. The second issue has to do with whether growth requires suffering or if growth can also be the result of experiencing positive events. In order to adequately address these two issues, Mangelsdorf et. al. conducted the first large-scale meta-analysis and systematic review of longitudinal studies on what they described as genuine posttraumatic growth and genuine post-ecstatic growth, by including only studies that focused on major life events, with specific outcomes evaluated repeatedly over time, without depending on measures of self perceived change in a post hoc way. To conclude, both posttraumatic growth and post-ecstatic growth are important and valid from a biblical perspective.

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2020-49844-006

Abstract:

Background:

Eating disorders are complex conditions, with aetiological factors and impacts across multiple domains. Religion and spirituality are areas of individual diversity that may represent a source of strength or struggle for those experiencing mental illness. However, there is limited and mixed evidence regarding the influence of religion and spirituality in eating disorders, and this is not well integrated within healthcare.

Aim:

To explore the interplay between Christian religion and spirituality and eating disorder development, experience and recovery, from the perspectives of Australians and New Zealanders with lived experience.

Methods:

Qualitative methodology using reflexive thematic analysis and selected grounded theory techniques. Data is based on semi-structured interviews with 23 participants who had a Christian background and self-identified as having partially or fully recovered from an eating disorder. Trustworthiness was supported by investigator reflexivity and triangulation.

Results:

Analysis highlighted an overarching experience of eating disorders and Christian spirituality as two non-linear, interwoven journeys. Three themes and seven subthemes elucidated this dynamic. Themes included (1) “Not enough”—A sense of not being “good enough” and/or “safe enough” in an eating disorder could be exacerbated or alleviated by Christian religion and spirituality; (2) “Wrestling”—Eating disorders often triggered religious and spiritual, which could change spiritual trajectories; and (3) “Help to heal”—Some participants found comfort, hope, and a foundation for eating disorder recovery in their Christian religion and spirituality, often experienced as embracing God’s grace (that is, God’s unmerited love and favour).

Conclusion:

This study highlights previously under-recognised religious and spiritual influences upon protective and predisposing factors for eating disorders, including perfectionism, attachment and identity formation. Results could inform more personalised approaches to caring for Christians experiencing eating disorders. Findings also suggest a need for similar research with other religious and spiritual traditions.

Head Note: Much of the research and theory on personal religiousness and subjective well-being fails to consider how the traditions in which individuals practice their faith may influence results. This study reveals significantly different findings across Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, and Mainline Protestant religious traditions. Specifically, results show that Evangelical Protestants tend to show greater religious commitment and meaning in life than Catholics and Mainline Protestants. Furthermore, associations between religious commitment and various measures of subjective well-being are shown to differ across Evangelical Protestants and Mainline Protestants. Religious commitment generally predicts greater well-being for Evangelical Protestants in this study. Religious commitment also predicts greater meaning in life for Catholics. In contrast, religious commitment is associated with greater anxiety for Mainline Protestants.

One of the essential questions in the psychology of religion concerns how religion influences people's lives. This topic has generated a vast amount of scholarly interest and a voluminous research literature. The best available research suggests that personal religiousness correlates weakly with a wide array of important life outcomes, including subjective well-being, physical health, marital satisfaction and stability, effective parenting, work satisfaction and stability, and various kinds of virtues (Duffy, 2006; Emmons, 2005; Mahoney & Tarakeshwar, 2005; Pargament, 2002; Powell, Shahabi, & Thoresen, 2003). For example, the most recent meta-analysis of research on the relationship between intrinsic religious commitment and depression revealed an average correlation of -.18 (Smith, McCullough, & Poll, 2003). https://www.proquest.com/docview/1357043263?sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals

Abstract: The Jesus Prayer, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” has a history dating back to the desert fathers of the early 4th century. Practitioners of a number of Christian traditions have used the prayer, also known as the Prayer of the Heart, as a means of growing in union with God. This review of the Jesus Prayer describes the history of its use among various religious groups, the scriptural rationale for its use, and perceived controversial theological considerations and conflicts for evangelicals. Further addressed are the perceived psychological and spiritual benefits of the practice, as well as barriers to the use of the prayer. We contrast the prayer with Buddhist meditation practices and further discuss the burgeoning empirical support surrounding Christian contemplation and the Jesus Prayer itself. Finally, this review concludes with potential clinical uses of the prayer and future directions for research and psychotherapy

Abstract: People who are more religious tend to experience more positive affect and higher levels of life satisfaction. Current explanations for this relation include social support, meaning in life, and more positive emotional experiences. Adding cognitive reappraisal as a new mechanism, we propose that religion consistently trains people to reappraise emotional events, making the devout more effective in applying this emotion regulation practice, which cultivates more positive affect and greater life satisfaction. In two studies, involving Israeli Jewish (N = 288) and American Christian (N = 277) participants, we found that more frequent use of cognitive reappraisal mediated the relationship between religiosity and affective experiences, which in turn, were associated with greater life satisfaction. Religiosity was associated with more frequent cognitive reappraisal (in both samples) and less frequent expressive suppression (in the Christian sample). Cognitive reappraisal mediated the link between religiosity and positive affect (in both samples) as well as negative affect (in the Christian sample). We discuss implications for understanding the link between religion and emotional well-being.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-017-9956-9

Abstract: The integration of psychology and spirituality has gained attention in both religious and secular communities over the last decade, and there has been an increased emphasis on Christian integration in the last few years. Current literature is primarily focused on frameworks and theories for integration. This thesis examines the existing literature on current methods of teaching integration and its applications within social work, church ministry, counseling, and education. By completing the Psychology-Faith Integration scale and a brief semi-structured interview, participants detailed how they understood and experienced the integration of psychology and Christianity throughout their undergraduate psychology programs. Scores on the Psy-FI scale were found to have a slight positive correlation with the number of psychology courses taken and a possible connection to completion of the university’s integration course. Prominent themes evident throughout participant interviews include God as sovereign and in control, God as creator, Jesus and Christianity serving as the foundation for psychology, how God designed the brain to function, how the integration of psychology and Christianity inform relationships with others, sin and the fallen nature of man, checking psychology against scripture, and psychology being utilized as a tool. Findings suggest a need for additional integration curriculum earlier in psychology degree programs that emphasizes practical application.

https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/1454