Do not hinder them: educating children with mental disabilities in the church

Developmental disabilities in children can be challenging to the family who desires a spiritual home for their family. Parents may hesitate to bring a special needs child to a church service, uncertain of the outcome. While public schools have amazing support for the differently abled, the Church very rarely has assistance in place for the families of handicapped individuals, let alone theology for the parents of mentally disabled children. This paper will examine possible ways for a local church leader or volunteer to educate children with mental disabilities, drawing on a variety of texts for support. The paper will conclude by offering resources for the teachers of special needs children in church education.     

Swedish Muslims and Secular Society: Faith-Based Engagement and Place

This article sets out to explore how Muslims in Sweden identify with and create social life in the place where they live, that is, in their neighbourhood, in their town/city and in Swedish society at large. In a paradoxical religious landscape that includes a strong Lutheran state church heritage and a Christian free-church tradition, in what is, nevertheless, a very secular society, Muslims may choose different strategies to express their faith, here roughly described as “retreatist,” “engaged” or “essentialist/antagonistic.” Focusing on a non-antagonistic, engaged stance, and drawing upon a combination of authors' interviews, and materials published in newspapers and on the Internet, we first bring to the fore arguments by Muslim leaders in favour of creating a Muslim identity with a Swedish brand, and second give some examples of local Muslim individuals, acting as everyday makers in their neighbourhood, town or city. Third, we also give attention to an aggressively negative Islamophobic stance expressed both in words and in physical violence in parts of Swedish society. In conclusion, we reflect upon the challenges and potentialities of an emotionally engaged, dialogue-orientated Muslim position facing antagonistic interpretations of Islam, and an ignorant, sometimes Islamophobic, environment.     

The Role of the Black Church in HIV Prevention: Exploring Barriers and Best Practices

Black people have the highest rate of HIV/AIDS infection in the USA, and they are less likely to access quality physical and mental healthcare. To address these disparities as outlined in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, there is a need for culturally congruent, innovative approaches to HIV/AIDS prevention. The first multi‐denominational national study of Black faith leaders was conducted utilizing focus groups that were held in 11 US cities. The 265 participants were faith leaders who reported involvement in such prevention practices as sponsoring HIV/AIDS workshops, integrating HIV/AIDS messaging in the worship service, hosting HIV/AIDS screenings, distributing written materials about HIV/AIDS through the bulletin or flyers, pastoral counselling, advocating for policies that provide quality healthcare to the community and disseminating HIV/AIDS prevention messages through new media such as the Church website. These findings, including attention to barriers to engagement, provide insight into innovative practices that can be integrated into faith‐based HIV/AIDS prevention programming. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

What do Secular-believer Women in Israel Believe in?

Secular-believers, who constitute about 25% of Israeli Jews, are self-identified secular people who believe in some kind of divinity. Based on in-depth interviews with secular-believer women, this study aims to reveal their theological assumptions and claims. It examines metaphors and images participants used to relate to the divine as well as the theological categories they emphasized. The study uncovers the pluralistic nature of secular-believers’ beliefs and the common tendency to address faith-related content in a positive light.     

The Interface Between Spirituality and Violence in the Lives of Immigrant African Women: Implications for Help Seeking and Service Provision

Immigration is one of many risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) due to the resulting stressors of acculturation and discrimination, in addition to economic changes in the family. Research is limited on African immigrant survivors of IPV in the United States, specifically in terms of women’s experiences with faith-based leaders when seeking help. Although informal help seeking with family elders is the preferred help-seeking method, in light of limited family support available in the United States, women often seek help from faith-based leaders. This qualitative study explored 15 African women’s experiences and perceptions of help seeking with faith-based leaders, and examined the role of spirituality in the lives of African immigrant women who experience IPV. Results indicate experiences of feeling blamed, stigmatized, and misunderstood, in addition to lack of practical help. Women’s self-isolation, however, did not preclude them from engaging in spiritual behaviors, forgiveness, and beliefs in God’s benevolence and future justice. Implications for coordinated responses between secular service providers and faith-based leaders and future research are discussed.     

Seeking help at an Islamic spiritual healing centre: Malaysia’s perspective

Spiritual healing centre is a popular place to seek help among Malaysians whether for medical, psychiatric or other reasons. This study aims to understand the characteristics and illness perception of those patients who seek help at Islamic spiritual healing centre. A cross-sectional study was conducted at an established Islamic spiritual healing centre with 357 respondents. Younger age (OR .97, 95%CI .94–.99, p?=?.002), higher education level (OR 1.99, 95%CI 1.15–3.45, p?=?.014) and a more threatening view of the illness (OR 1.19, 95%CI 1.13–1.26, p?≤?.001) were found to confer risk of seeking help at this centre among attendees with psychiatric diagnosis. Supernatural attribution to illness is common among the attenders with or without a psychiatric diagnosis. Spirituality is important to bring balance and healing. Collaboration with Islamic spiritual healing practitioners to co-manage patients is recommended.     

A Begrudging,Recalcitrant Academic Observes What She's Learning: Distance Learning in Leadership Formation

Neither advocacy nor condemnation of distance learning, this essay offers observations and critical reflection on four years' longitudinal engagement with distance learning pedagogies for formation in higher theological education. Instead, readers are invited to curiosity, communal‐institutional discernment, and intense ambivalence. Theological, pedagogical, contextual, and ethical concerns are examined, as well as potential opportunities for innovation amidst age‐old practical theological challenges. A moral imperative emerges for those within and outside historic faith traditions, and some plausible impacts on educational and communal life are explored, especially faculty grief.     

Formation for the Whole Church: A New/Old Vision of Theological Education in the 21st Century

This article offers a proposal for a vision of theological education beyond the boundaries of training and teaching for traditional professional ministry roles. Particular attention will be given to the idea of education as formation and the shared role academic institutions have with congregations. Implications for reshaping definitions of student and faculty will be explored.