Use of religious and spiritual interventions by trainees in APA-accredited Christian clinical psychology programs

Little is known about the effectiveness of Christian clinical programs accredited by the American Psychological Association in training students to use religious and spiritual interventions in therapy. We surveyed 162 student therapists from three such programs regarding their training experiences and use of religious and spiritual interventions. Self-reported competency and use of religious and spiritual interventions correlated with a number of training components. However, none of the training components predicted unique variance in regression equations above and beyond that of general professional training, personal religiousness, and intervention-specific training. Suggestions are offered regarding intervention-specific training in both Christian and secular programs, the role of personal therapy in training, and the development of guidelines for competency in using religious and spiritual interventions.     

Investigating Australian education students’ views about spiritual well‐being,as compared with teachers in schools

Education students in Australian state and Christian universities expressed their views on ideals, lived experience, and help expected from schools in four domains of spiritual well‐being (personal, communal, environmental, and transcendental) (SWB), using the Spiritual Health and Life‐Orientation Measure (SHALOM). Students’ lived experiences greatly affected their views on help provided by schools to nurture students’ SWB. Currently, the more religious students in Christian universities reported support for their SWB from religious activities, whereas students in the state university gained support from more humanistic sources. But is this sufficient? Education students in state universities are likely to maintain the status quo regarding SWB in state schools. They report levels of help for students in line with current teachers’ views. Christian university education students have lower expectations of schools than current teachers in Christian schools. However, some positive action is being taken in Christian universities to address the spiritual formation of their students. Further opportunities are needed within teacher education and schools in Australia for staff to address this area of vital concern for their own and students’ SWB.     

Three approaches to religious education at Key Stages one and two in Wales: how different are church schools?

Survey data provided by 361 headteachers regarding religious education provision at Key Stages one and two within schools in Wales are modelled to distinguish between three main approaches to religious education, characterised as concerned with spiritual development, world religions, and Christian nurture. No differences in emphasis on these three approaches are found between non‐denominational schools and Church in Wales voluntary controlled schools. In Church in Wales voluntary aided schools greater emphasis is placed on the spiritual development dimension and on the Christian nurture dimension. In Roman Catholic voluntary‐aided schools greater emphasis is placed on the spiritual development dimension, greater emphasis is placed on the Christian nurture dimension, and less emphasis is placed on the world religions dimension.     

Intentional Peer-Mentoring Programs in Christian Schools: An Exploratory Study

This study investigated what Christian schools were doing with peer-mentoring programs. A total of 344 secondary schools accredited by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) received a 19-question electronic survey that focused on the specifics of their peer-mentoring programs. A total of 80 schools responded, with 55% reporting organized peer-mentoring groups for students; 73% identified their groups as having been established for 6 years or less. This data, coupled with the lack of published research, indicates that there continues to be a need for further research in this area.     

Most Common Teacher Characteristics Related to Intentionality in Student Spiritual Formation

Teachers have the important commission of guiding students in their spiritual formation, which is the process through which an individual accepts Jesus Christ as Savior and continually becomes more like Him. Given this task, Christian teachers are able to be intentional within classroom management, through instruction, and by modeling. Teachers from 50 schools within the Southeast Region of the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) were asked to complete a survey regarding intentional practices for student spiritual formation. With a Likert scale, a rating system, and open-ended questions, a triangulation method was used to find the most common characteristics related to spiritual formation intentionality. The characteristics found to be most common included “exhibiting a Christ-like attitude”, “creating a classroom climate that promotes spiritual growth”, and “being intentional in the spiritual disciplines”. By being intentional in these areas, the teacher is able to be that agent that fosters and guides student spiritual formation.     

The Christian College Advantage? The Impact of Christian Versus Secular Training Among Faculty at Christian Colleges and Universities

Are faculty trained at Christian institutions better equipped to integrate their faith with their professional work? This study uses a mixed methods analysis of Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) faculty survey data to analyze whether and in what ways faculty who graduate from Christian undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs are more apt to identify connections between their faith tradition and their course objectives. Findings show that faculty members prepared at Christian institutions are more likely to see this relationship and may conceive of it in more sophisticated ways. However, the gap is modest.     

Feeling good,living life: a spiritual health measure for young children

Following previous work on the spiritual health of secondary students, the author wondered if it was possible to develop a spiritual health measure for younger children. Taking Fisher's model of spiritual health as the basis, items were developed to reflect relationships with self, with others, with the environment and with a god. The children's ideals for spiritual health (what makes them Feel Good) were compared with their lived experience (Living Life) to ascertain their levels of spiritual health. Factor analyses on responses from 1080 students in 14 schools (State, Catholic, Independent and Christian Community Schools) in Victoria and Western Australia are reported in this paper.     

Educational models of spiritual formation in theological education: Introspection‐based spiritual formation

Given that spiritual formation of students is a key pursuit of theological training and in light of the evolving landscape of Christian spiritual formation, designing an effective educational model for the goal of students' formation is challenging. This article explores the educational means and factors of self‐awareness that enhance spiritual formation. Based on a review of the most recent literature, this article intends to synthesize their theories and findings to provide an introspection‐based spiritual formation model that focuses on students' self‐awareness development with the goal of spiritual formation in theological education.     

On Public Aid to Christian Schools in the United States: A Reformed Christian Perspective

This paper seeks to provide a conceptual framework for understanding the topic of public aid to Christian schools in a Reformed Christian perspective. To do so, I need to clarify a Reformed Christian approach in regard to this topic and then review the studies of the issue in legal and educational aspects in the light of the Reformed perspective. Through reviewing legal and educational discussions, I argue that Christian schools are necessary for people to exercise their religious freedom and make a society more moral and spiritual and thus deserve receiving public aid. Nevertheless, public aid to religious schools needs to be carried out in a careful, restricted way.     

Special Education Staffing and Service Models in Christian Schools

Christian schools are not obligated to accept children with disabilities. However, the growing trend in Christian schools is to serve children with disabilities. Recent literature has begun to identify enrollment trends, areas of disability served, and professional development in Christian schools as it relates to disability. Literature exists regarding Catholic, Lutheran, and non-denominational special education service organizations. However, the current literature neither addresses qualifications of Christian special education staff nor where special education services are provided in Christian schools, regardless of denomination. This study sought to understand the qualifications of current special education teachers in Christian schools in the United States and the mode in which services are delivered to children with disabilities.     

Teaching the College “Nones”: Christian Privilege and the Religion Professor

Working with undergraduate students invites teachers into relationship and conversation with young people at a time when they are emerging as adults and forming their identities. Faith is one area of identity formation often attended to by scholars, college professors, and their institutions. But within that, little attention has been paid to those who do not identify as religious. Additionally, “the overwhelming presence of Christianity at American institutions maintains it as the spiritual norm on campus. … Those within the spiritual norm gain a level of privilege that is often unconscious” (Seifert 2007, 11). This has an effect not only on nonreligious students but on any student who identifies as anything other than Christian; and it has a unique effect on teaching and learning in the religion classroom. In this article, I will explain what Christian privilege is, why it is a unique problem in the undergraduate religion classroom, and what teachers of religion might do in response to it. In the end, I argue that educators need to better understand the effects of Christian privilege in our classrooms and become allies to the nonreligious in particular by using pedagogies that include and support all students, in their many religious affiliations and unaffiliations.     

Spiritual development in church schools—a survey of Welsh head teachers’ perceptions

A questionnaire to assess views about spiritual development was completed by 112 of the 174 head teachers of church primary schools in Wales. The findings indicated that despite the seemingly ambiguous nature of the term ‘spiritual development’, head teachers had clear views about its meaning. While most head teachers emphasised the need for pupils to engage in their own personal spiritual search, their views differed in the extent to which they felt that promoting spiritual development meant encouraging pupils to adopt Christian beliefs. While the age and sex of head teachers was found to have no significant impact on their views; and the location and category of the school for which head teachers were responsible had only a limited impact on their view, the language of the school and the religiosity of the head teacher had a considerable impact on views regarding these matters.     

Therapists' Use of Religious and Spiritual Interventions in Christian Counseling: A Preliminary Report

This study explored the use of religious and spiritual interventions in counseling by Christian therapists (N = 100). Use of religious and spiritual interventions correlated with personal religiousness and clinical training involving religious clients and religious and spiritual interventions. Course work involving either psychology or theology did not correlate with use of or self‐reported competency in using religious and spiritual interventions. Self‐reported competency was associated with personal religiousness; professional beliefs, attitudes, and values; personal experiences with counseling; and clinical training involving religious clients and religious and spiritual interventions. It is suggested that training programs incorporate clinical rotations, workshops, and supervision involving religious clients and religious and spiritual interventions to teach therapists to use religious and spiritual interventions in counseling.     

Exploring mystery: can Christian meditation at school nurture students’ relationships with God?

ABSTRACT

While there is growing international interest in meditation and mindfulness initiatives in schools, little research has focused on exploring the impact of such practices on students’ spirituality. This paper reports data from a mixed method study involving primary school classes engaged in the regular practice of Christian meditation between Years 4 to 6 in Catholic schools in New South Wales, Australia. Student focus group data (n = 114 students) and a student survey (n = 250 students) suggest Christian meditation offers an inclusive and ‘hospitable’ space for many students, where their spiritual well-being can be nurtured, including their connection to God. However, the findings suggest that accompanying dialogue with students around the purpose and possibilities of Christian meditation may help to better situate the practice as a ‘hospitable space’ thus enabling deeper engagement with the spiritual in contemporary Catholic classrooms.     

Marriage Counseling: A Christian Approach to Counseling Couples

An approach to marriage counseling aimed at Christian couples is described. The theoretical bases of the approach are cognitive behavioral therapy and structural and strategic marital therapies. Techniques are drawn from various schools of marriage therapy. Shared Christian values between counselor and clients are used to promote increased marital commitment, marital satisfaction, and personal spiritual growth. Marital satisfaction might be increased through helping the couple increase their intimacy, enhance their communication, improve their conflict management, and forgive each other for past and present hurts.     

FEMINIST SOCIAL PROCESS

Abstract

A qualitative semi-structured interview was used to explore the interaction between Christian women's sexuality and spirituality and the impact of sex-negative messages on sexual and spiritual development of 10 Caucasian, middle-aged Christian women. A salient feature of this negative interaction was the women's attempts to reduce the dissonance between their sexuality and spirituality, which reflected a developmental process. Results are discussed in terms of the difficulty Christian women face in being able to integrate their sexuality and spirituality. The study revealed that integration is not an end but an ongoing process. Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are offered.     

Through a Spiritual Lens: Early Childhood Inclusive Education in Hong Kong

The main purpose of this research was to explore early childhood education teachers’, principals’, and parents’ perceptions of the role of spirituality in the lives of children with special needs, and how educators and schools can support the spiritual development of these children. Three preschools, the Buddhist, Christian, and Waldorf schools, were purposefully selected on the basis that each of them reflects a philosophy that includes the spiritual. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: (a) the influence of the schools’ religion and/or spiritual orientations on inclusion; (b) support provided for the spiritual development of children with special needs; and (c) the role of spirituality in the lives of children with special needs. By drawing attention to and offering a preliminary study on early childhood inclusion and spirituality, I hope to encourage more scholars and educators to engage with research and debate on this important yet under-studied dimension of early childhood education.     

International Christian Schoolteachers’ Traits,Characteristics, and Qualities Valued by Third Culture Kids

In this qualitative grounded theory study, 24 participants, referred to as third culture kids (or TCKs), ages 18–30 years, who had previously attended international Christian schools were interviewed to determine the dispositions they valued in their teachers. Incorporating principles of grounded theory, a series of rigorous steps were undertaken resulting in the construction of three primary findings TCKs valued in international Christian schoolteachers. These findings were then situated within an extensive literature review. The results provide insight into the “ideal” international Christian schoolteacher desired and valued by TCKs. These findings should be of great interest to anyone responsible for training, preparing or recruiting international Christian schoolteachers, and/or providing ongoing professional development to the teachers in such schools.     

Education,queer theology,and spiritual development: disrupting heteronormativity for inclusion in Jewish,Muslim and Christian faith schools

Voices critiquing heteronormativity in faith schools often rely on an understanding of such schools as arbiters for heteronormative religious orthodoxies. Many proponents of Jewish, Muslim and Christian schools offer compelling responses to such claims by providing inclusive perspectives on faith schooling. By applying a queer reading of temporality to a critique of the latter body of work, this paper will argue that these perspectives, despite their commitments to inclusion, have affinities with logics of heteronormativity through their appeal to a language of hospitality that reproduces adherence to heteronormative binaries and identity frames as originary and normative. From here, the paper will suggest that queer theology’s understanding of the transcendent in relation to immanence offers resources for reframing discussions around heteronormativity and faith schools in ways that speak to the inclusive commitments of those critiqued in this paper, while also eschewing reproductive determinism as a basis for understanding spiritual development.