Showing papers in "Pastoral Psychology in 2023"

Dealing with Institutional Sexism: the Coping Strategies of Hong Kong Clergywomen

Abstract: Abstract Clergywomen in the male sphere of the deeply patriarchal and hierarchical church system are exposed to many types of gender maltreatment requiring them to constantly adapt and manage the challenges in their role. In this article, I examine how Hong Kong clergywomen cope when facing gravely oppressive and marginalising gender maltreatment at work. I identify four primary types of coping strategies: tolerance, defying the status quo, seeking external support, and quitting. Collectively, these coping behaviours are utilised by women ministers to endure and fulfil their ministerial callings in the face of discriminatory and oppressive actions of their colleagues. The article aims to raise awareness and draw attention to the prevailing conditions of institutional sexism within the church and to the need to address the enduring impacts of wounds inflicted on clergywomen.

Stories Matter: A Novel Approach to Exploring Perceptions, Discourses, and the Symbolic Social Order in Pastoral Psychology

Abstract: Abstract This article locates story completion (SC), a novel and underutilised qualitative data collection tool, as a valuable adjunct to traditional qualitative methods for pastoral psychology. In contrast to traditional self-reporting qualitative interviews or surveys, SC necessitates a researcher writing a story “stem” or “cue” – or, more specifically, an opening sentence – which participants are asked to continue in their own words. Uniquely, for SC, it is the stories themselves (which may be either first- or third-person perceptions, or constructions, of a phenomenon) which are subject to data analysis. Story completion has the benefit of being able to target implicit perceptions, or social constructions, depending on the epistemological framework chosen. However, this method has seldom been used in pastoral psychology, despite its potential significance. In this article, I demarcate SC as a prospective qualitative research tool for use in pastoral psychology, distinguishing it from other qualitative methodologies. I trace its emergence from psychoanalytic thought to its current usage in qualitative psychology research. I argue that SC has profound potential, especially for those looking to examine stigmatised topics or populations with sensitivity. Nevertheless, studies which utilise SC need to be theoretically cognizant and align fully with the ontological or epistemological assumptions of the researcher. I introduce and expound on varied epistemological frameworks that can be used in conjunction with story completion, further discussing their relative merits and potential drawbacks for pastoral psychology. I propose that, methodologically, SC is beneficial for accessing sociocultural discourses and broader representations surrounding religiously and culturally complex topics. I offer a case study of one recent research study, which used SC within the context of mental health and religion, to demonstrate its merit and applicability to the field. In doing so, I provide three contrasting epistemological readings of the data to show how these might be applied in practice.

Narratives of Externality, Oppression, and Agency: Perceptions of the Role of the Demonic in Mental Illness Among Evangelical Christians

Abstract: Abstract Accounts of the demonic within the Christian tradition as causative in differing forms of illness and suffering can be traced back to the New Testament. Demonic accounts also exist more centrally in the language of spiritual warfare that pervades some evangelical groups. Contemporary research suggests that belief in the demonic as aetiologically culpable in mental illness has potentially stigmatising effects for those with mental illness and can also negatively impact help-seeking behaviours. However, no research has explored how evangelical groups which subscribe to belief in demonic entities represent the demonic and their relative role in relation to mental illness. This study explores perceptions of the demonic in relation to mental illness, with a sample of evangelical Christians who actively subscribe to belief in the demonic, by using the novel qualitative story completion task. A convenience sample of 43 evangelical Christians completed a third-person fictional story stem featuring a gender-neutral character (Alex) who encountered the demonic (in an ambiguous way) in relation to their mental health. A contextualist informed thematic analysis suggests that while mental ill health was often positioned as having a biopsychological cause, demonic activity was also frequently cited as exacerbating mental illness. Narrations of the demonic positioned Alex in either an active position, wherein they were responsible for their engagement with the occult and the subsequent onset of their mental illness (causative), or a passive position, wherein their pre-existing mental ill health made them vulnerable to demonic attack. In relation to recovery, storied data situated medical and spiritual interventions as effective. Significantly, participants positioned Alex’s Christian faith as a source of power over the demonic and over mental ill health – thus, despite demonic attacks, a sense of agency was often maintained. That the stories positioned demonic influence as external to the self, thereby maintaining a level of individual agency amidst suffering, highlights the potential limitations of assuming all demonic accounts are singularly stigmatising and negative in nature. Findings underline the need for future research to explore demonic accounts in religiously and culturally syntonic ways without imposing meaning.

Yogic Spirituality and Positive Psychology vis-à-vis the Mental Health of Adolescents During COVID-19

Abstract: COVID-19 ushered in a period of uncertainty and insecurity. It has affected the mental well-being of all, but certain groups are more vulnerable, including adolescents. Adolescence is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood in which the mental domain is still developing. The pandemic has had an adverse effect on the mental well-being of adolescents. Their normal routines are severely affected by the pandemic and related restrictions. There is a need for a coping mechanism or resources to empower this group of people. Spirituality has salubrious effect on all dimensions of health. The concept of spirituality is closely related to yoga and positive psychology. The article describes the similarities between yoga and positive psychology. It further posits that spirituality is closely related to yoga and positive psychology. The article also argues that both yoga and positive psychology could be useful in improving the mental dimension of health in adolescents in the COVID-19 era. A thorough study of the literature helped the authors to conclude that yoga and positive psychology definitely enhance mental well-being. The tenets of yoga and positive psychology can be incorporated into the daily regimen of children and adolescents to increase their resilience and mental strength. Further studies with robust study designs could ascertain the benefits of such measures.

Conversations with God: How Are Religion and Spirituality Used to Make Sense of Forgiveness?

Abstract: Forgiveness has a connection to religion and spirituality. Yet, little is known about how religious and spiritual people actually forgive. The present study investigated how religion and spirituality are used to make sense of forgiveness. The narratives of seven interviewees were chosen for close analysis of their experiences of forgiveness. McAdams's life story interview method and narrative analysis were applied. Five themes were formulated: (1) forgiveness as Christian duty, (2) forgiveness as God's miracle, (3) forgiveness through praying, (4) forgiveness through God's sacrifice, and (5) forgiveness as God's mercy. The findings indicate that God was important to the interviewees and supported their forgiveness process. Subthemes of revenge and justice suggest that sometimes forgiveness and revenge motives may be intertwined. Forgiveness was a divine process for the participants, and some felt that they would not have been able to forgive without God. Attributing forgiveness to God may serve the forgiveness process.

Twist in Perception: Spiritual Needs and Technology in the Times of COVID-19. A Qualitative Research Study in the Czech Republic

Abstract: The covid-19 pandemic caused a significant change in how active members of Christian churches in the Czech Republic perceive and use technology to address their religious needs. Physical presence in worship, sacred spaces, and communities used to be almost the sole means of religious practice of Czech Christian believers before the pandemic. Technologically mediated services suddenly became the almost exclusive medium of content distribution (worships, readings, sermons, prayers), contact, and communication among believers. This study aims to understand the diversity of technology perception of Christian believers active in official Christian churches in the Czech Republic in their religious practice in respect of various technologically transmitted religious services before and during the covid-19 pandemic with potential impact on post-pandemic times. The qualitative research method of in-depth semi-structured interviews with 117 Czech Christian believers and 16 clergy representatives, all active in official Christian churches in the Czech Republic, and data gathering method (3 age cohorts in data collection team, 6 churches, and 8 regions) aim to map in complexity the evolution of their perceptions. The research took place from March–April 2021. Research outcomes show the breadth of the perception of the technologically mediated religious services during the pandemic. Unexpected exposure to technologies made many Christian believers re-evaluate how they perceive the role and contribution of new technologies to their spiritual lives. The findings help predict changes in the use of technology in Czech Christian faith communities. Understanding the diversity of perceptions may help churches establish communication strategies that reflect the current needs of their believers.

A Theoretical and Theological Reframing of Trauma

Abstract: Racism, eco-violence, and myriad sociopolitical and interpersonal injustices continuously injure individuals, communities, and the globe, thereby challenging the human capacity to endure. The prevailing biomedical model of trauma, with its emphasis on pathology, fails to acknowledge the traumatic nature of these diffuse and pervasive injuries. The disciplines of spiritual and pastoral psychology are uniquely poised to reconceptualize trauma and reframe it as part of a stress-trauma continuum, given the way trauma can engender great suffering as well as resistance and the possibility of transformation. This perspective eschews the sentiment, ubiquitous in popular culture, that everything stressful is traumatic as well as the notion that "true" trauma is delimited by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR). This article posits a strength-based approach to trauma that contextualizes our societal negativity bias within spiritual values of hope, (post-traumatic) growth, and (possibly) resilience while not diminishing the very real suffering, even despair, that emerge from trauma of all kinds.

Death, Funeral Rituals, and Stigma: Perspectives from Mortuary Workers and Bereaved Families

Abstract: Deaths caused by COVID-19 have affected bereaved family members in several ways, including the inability to perform funeral rites and rituals. Understanding the dynamics and experiences of death and funerals of bereaved families and mortuary workers can lead to improvements in funeral services and the provision of social support for the affected families and mortuary workers. This study aimed to capture the experiences of mourning family members in Indonesia who lost a loved one due to COVID-19 and of mortuary workers who performed funerals according to COVID-19 protocols. Ten family members and 12 mortuary workers living in West Timor, Indonesia, were interviewed using a semistructured interview approach. Findings of the study show that mortuary workers were able to strictly implement the new funeral protocols. However, the rushed nature of these funerals led to resistance from families and prevented bereaved families from performing the usual cultural and religious funeral rituals. This, combined with stigma from their neighbors, led these families to have poor psychological wellbeing.

The Effects of Role Differentiation Among Clergy: Impact on Pastoral Burnout and Job Satisfaction

Abstract: The present study investigated the impact of differentiation of self as an emotion regulation strategy on work and family conflict, ministerial job satisfaction, and burnout for pastors. Specifically, does differentiation of self provide a psychological resource for pastors coping with the experience of burnout as emotional exhaustion, given the unique social context of the pastor's family and the role emotional labor has in causing burnout in social service professions? A unique aspect of the pastorate is the pastor's family's social context of living with the congregation. Due to this unique social context, work and family conflict were investigated as predictors of pastoral burnout. A sample of pastors (N = 164) was surveyed to investigate the impact of differentiation and job satisfaction on personal and work-related burnout. Findings suggest that differentiation of self provides a resource against the personal experience of burnout, while ministerial job satisfaction buffers pastors against work-related burnout.

Examining Motivations to Walk the Camino de Santiago: A Typology of Pilgrims

Abstract: Abstract The purpose of this article is to develop a comprehensive understanding of people’s motivations for going on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage using qualitative and quantitative methods. The methodology comprised qualitative research based on content analysis of 32 travelogue testimonies and quantitative research based on an online survey of prospective pilgrims ( N = 228). Three dimensions of motivation were identified using the following factor analyses: secular, spiritual, and religious. Then, a two-step cluster analysis was conducted to classify pilgrims into seven different types. The results revealed that pilgrims are not homogeneous in their motivations and that, except for two types with a total frequency of 4%, secular motivation is more or less present in all other types of prospective pilgrims. There are no “purely religious” pilgrims. Religious motivation always appears together with secular, spiritual, or, most often, both these forms of motivation. The findings suggest that secular motivation may be related to a need for exploration, the core motive underlying self-actualization.