Research has shown that religious coping is one of the strongest predictors of psychological adjustment and event-related outcomes to stressful situations among religious individuals. However, little is known about what prompts a person to engage in various coping strategies during stressful situations. This dissertation project aims to increase the understanding of different facets of religious life that may contribute to and influence the coping process. To understand better how intrapersonal and interpersonal aspects of one’s faith predict the coping behaviors he or she uses, this study examined the relationships of religious internalization and church-based social support with both religious and nonreligious coping. In the first phase of the project, 206 adult Christians responded to quantitative questionnaires about religious internalization, church-based social support, and coping. In the second phase, interviews were conducted with 10 individuals who completed the quantitative questionnaires in phase 1. Generally, it was hypothesized that (1) identified vs. introjected religious internalization and (2) church-based social support would predict religious and nonreligious coping among religious individuals. As expected, identified and introjected religious internalization styles were predictive of positive and negative religious coping, respectively. Identified religious internalization also predicted restraint coping (an aspect of nonreligious problem-focused coping) as expected; however, it failed to predict planning coping (an aspect of nonreligious problem-focused coping). Spiritual support predicted positive religious coping as expected; however it failed to predict restraint and planning coping. Contrary to predictions, emotional support from members of one’s congregation and emotional support from one’s pastor did not predict focus on and venting of emotions. Implications are discussed. It is hoped that the findings will provide insights that clinicians, counselors, and religious leaders will find valuable in assessing the needs and strengths of religious individuals and in fostering their care and growth. / text

The association between the experience of depression and the use of religious coping methods has been widely researched in recent studies. However there is a dire need in this area of research in South Africa. Further most of the previous studies have been quantitative in nature limiting the subjective aspect of the depressive experience. The current study was undertaken to explore the perceived impact of religious beliefs on the individual's coping with depression. The sample used was a convenience sample of Christians from various denominations with a history of depression or a current diagnosis of depression. A semi-structured interview was conducted to collect the data from volunteers who agreed to participate, and a thematic analysis method was used to analyze the data. The findings of the research revealed that the use of religious coping methods can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on the individual's experience of depression. Conversely it was found that depression can also have both positive and negative impact on the individual's faith. Furthermore this study has highlighted the importance of the individual's appraisal of their depressive experience which in turn influences the form of religious coping methods (either positive or negative) that would be used. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2011.

The purpose of this study was to bring to consciousness the varied experiences that men have had of feeling wounded and to explore how a relationship to Jesus the Christ has influenced their understanding of those experiences. A modified naturalistic inquiry model was used as the qualitative research method, and the research was developed using grounded theory. This method of inquiry encouraged participants, and the researcher, to voice their experiences and to utilize them in a way that made the research significant. This methodological approach allowed themes to emerge, while honouring the stories and experiences that the participants shared. The theoretical framework for the study emerged from two major fields of research: Christian theology and gender-male studies. This research is located where these two fields intersect and overlap. It builds on the research from gender-male studies, specifically the psychological study of men and masculinity, organized men's movements, mythopoetic movements, profeminist movements, as well as the Christian theological understanding of a Messiah who has been portrayed and understood as the "wounded healer." The research focuses on the point at which men's experiences connect with their own sense of woundedness, their Christian faith, and their process of healing. The researcher engaged a discriminate group of men in exploring and trying to understand their experiences of feeling wounded in relation to the Christian story. Four men were identified who have had formal education in both pastoral psychology and theology. The participants were interviewed, and a constant comparative method was employed. Throughout the process of interviewing these men and being privy to their stories, my own story of feeling wounded often surfaced. This research is significant because allowing these men to articulate their experiences of woundedness facilitates healing, for themselves but also for other men who may access their own stories of feeling wounded through hearing those of the participants. Identifying and articulating woundedness helps to manifest the path of healing and self-understanding, ultimately leading to happier lives. / x, 130 leaves ; 29 cm.

The subject of spirituality is growing in popularity within the field of mental health. A major aspect of our human experience includes striving for meaning, hopefulness and purpose - this process can be understood as a spiritual experience. Another aspect of our shared human experience includes psychological distress and alienation. This is understood in most contemporary mental health literature as mental disorders. In our contemporary era mental health has addressed the latter. Spirituality, as an integral component of human experience, involves tapping into the innate need for integration while paving the way forward towards a transformative experience. The present research explores important interpretive issues related to spirituality and mental health from within a historical perspective. The present research suggests that holistic trends in mental health cohere with contemporary, phenomenologically rooted trends in spirituality. / Christian Spirituality / M.Th. (Christian Spirituality)

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2001 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Humankind has made great progress over the centuries in gaining an understanding of how the human body works. This has all been in an attempt to bring about health and healing where there appeared to be an unbalance in the body's normal functions. The mind also later became an object of study to address its relation to humankinds physical health. Later, social dimensions of health were also identified and were attended to. Yet, much disease and ailments seem to still plague our societies and communities. Theology in the name of pastoral care had been faithfully adding the spiritual dimension to healing. But it was only in the recent wake within practical theology that the theological sciences had entered into meaning conversations with other disciplines. These developments within practical theology raised a lot of question both inside and outside of the theological discipline. At the same time, this new fibrant branch of theology built bridges with the medical sciences, social and behavioural SCiences, management sciences, just to name a few. This study highlights the developments specifically around the scientific nature of theology and the conversation it had over the decades with medical science. It becomes clear that this dialogue is necessary as both theology and medicine have a common interest. They both complement each others dimensions and they address humankind in their state of pain and suffering. By covering the historical development of theology and medicine, proving their credibility as scientific disciplines, and pointing to their struggle with the dualistic concept, this study proposes to the Church and its healing ministry to restore wholistic healing in collaboration with the goverment services and local community structures. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mensdom het groot vordering gemaak oor die eeue deur kennis te versamel aangaande hoe die menslike liggaam werk. Dit was alles 'n poging om gesondheid en geneesing te voorsien waar dit gelyk het na 'n wanbalans in die liggaam se normale funksies. Die verstand het ook later 'n objek geword van studie om die verhouding van die mensdom se fiesiese gesondheid te ondersoek. Later was die sosiale dimensies van gesondheid ook geidentifiseer en aandag gekry. Tog, het vele siektes en Iyding nog steeds die gemeenskap geyl. Teologie het in die naam van pastorale sorg toewyding gewys deur spiriteule dimensies van gesondheid bygedra. Maar dit was in die onlangse ontwaking binne praktiese teologie dat die teologiese wetenskap die ander dissipline as waardevol gesprek ingegaan. Hierdie ontwikkelinge in praktiese teologie het baie vrae laat onstaan binne as ook buite die teologiese dissipline. Terselfdetyd, het hierdie nuwe stralende tak van teologie brue gebou met mediese wetenskap, sosiale en gedrags wetenskap, en bestuurswetenskap, net om a paar te noem. Hierdie studie fokus op die spesifieke ontwikkelings roundom die wetenskaplike natuur van teologie en die gesprek wat die oor die dekades voer met die mediese wetenskap. Dit word duidelik dat hierdie dialoog is nodig want beide teologie and medies het 'n gemeenskaplike belang. Beide komplementeer mekaar se dimensies en adreseer mensdom in hulle staat van pyn en leiding. Deur die historiese ontwikkelinge van teologie en medies te dek, om hulle te krediet te gee as wetenskaplike dissipline, en hulle stryd met die dualisties konsept uit te wys, maak die study 'n voorstel aan die Kerk en sy geneesing dienste om 'n holistiese geneesing te herstel in samewerking met goverment dienste end die plaaslike gemeenskap's strukture.

The research explores and examines the relationship that exists between religion and health. Four church health related activities were examined as case studies to assert their direct and indirect contribution to health and well being of communities on the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. The main thrust and perspective of the study is a theological position on the contribution of the Christian Church toward holistic health care and provision. The study is rooted in a large field of study called African Religiou s Health Assets Program [ARHAP] which has developed a theory to help establish the link that exist between religion and health in health care. The insights from the ARHAP theoretical framework are engaged in this study to identify the religious health assets known as tangible and intangible in each institution and how they contribute to health promotion and care . Key informants from each of the four religious health institutions were interviewed to establish and examine the kind of religious health assets they have and on how they affect and contribute to health outcomes. Through these case studies of four Christian religious health institutions, in Ndola and Masaiti districts, the thesis has shown that religious health institutions have diverse assets that enhance and contribute directly and indirectly to better health outcomes . These assets [referring to what is present in these institutions] are labeled as ‘religious health assets’ in this thesis . The findings of the thesis indicate that Christian religious health institutions have assets, which could be aligned and leveraged in public health policy for the well being of people and communities. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

The subject of spirituality is growing in popularity within the field of mental health. A major aspect of our human experience includes striving for meaning, hopefulness and purpose - this process can be understood as a spiritual experience. Another aspect of our shared human experience includes psychological distress and alienation. This is understood in most contemporary mental health literature as mental disorders. In our contemporary era mental health has addressed the latter. Spirituality, as an integral component of human experience, involves tapping into the innate need for integration while paving the way forward towards a transformative experience. The present research explores important interpretive issues related to spirituality and mental health from within a historical perspective. The present research suggests that holistic trends in mental health cohere with contemporary, phenomenologically rooted trends in spirituality. / Christian Spirituality / M.Th. (Christian Spirituality)

This study, which lies within the ARHAP ongoing research on the interface between religion and public health, examined the impact of Faith-Healing Pentecostal Churches on health and well-being among health-seekers in Ndola, Zambia. The study involved a self-administered questionnaire answered by 100 Faith-Healing Pentecostal Church worshippers in Ndola over a period of 4 weeks. Based on the data analysis and interpretation it was found that these churches have grown rapidly in Zambia and that many people are turning to them for their healing and well-being. There are several factors that are contributing to the rapid growth of Faith-Healing Pentecostal Churches and these range from socio-economic problems to the impact of diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis on households, due to the poor health provision in most government health centres in Ndola. The study notes that people attend Faith-Healing Pentecostal Churches because these churches provide a home for people in need of social networks which enable them to have a sense of identity, belonging and purpose amidst their day-to-day socio-economic challenges. It was therefore evident from the research that Faith-Healing Pentecostal Churches are addressing huge socio-economic needs in people's lives within a context of poverty, unemployment and the burden of sicknesses and diseases, and can rightly be understood as a Religious Health Asset. These findings also provide the context for four important insights into a contemporary and contextual theology of health and healing. Based on the findings of this study, this dissertation offers a number of challenges to public health policy makers and church leaders to take serious the interface between religion and public health, and to also take seriously the contribution that Faith-Healing Pentecostal Churches are making to health and well-being in Ndola, Zambia. When these two issues are taken seriously, it would help to address issues of health and well-being in communities, based on people's religious convictions and understanding of health, healing and well-being. / Thesis (M.Th.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

In this study, C. S. Lewis's books, essays, stories, and poems, in addition to biographies and essays written about Lewis, were read in an attempt to understand the relationship between Lewis's spiritual quest and his total health. The spiritual quest is defined as the search for the ultimate truth and meaning of life. For Lewis, who was a Christian, the quest for the Spirit is a journey toward God-Jesus-the Holy Spirit. Health is defined as total experience; the interrelationship of the body, mind, and spirit with all there is, has been, and will be. Health is considered a changing perception, not a fixed state. The dimensions of Lewis's health—physical, psychological, social, and spiritual—are studied. Lewis's physical states, literary works, literary themes, friendships, ethics, marriage, and views on religion are considered as each relates to his determination to know and to love God. For Lewis, anything without God is nothing. God is the creator of all living things and all matter. He is the inventor of all loves and is Love. In Lewis's opinion, one's health is in direct proportion to one's love for God. When man loves God he is healthy, the more he loves Him the healthier, the less he loves Him the less healthy.

This research project arose from my journeys with Protestant Christian women who were living in sexually unhappy marriages. In South African Protestant faith communities there is the expectation that Christian marriages will experience sexual fulfilment. For many Christian women however, sexual unhappiness becomes their reality. Sexuality is cocooned in silence not only within the church, but also in many Christian marriages. This leaves many Christian women (and men) with little or no recourse to address sexually unhappy marriages. My research journey briefly explored the social construction of sexuality within the history of Christianity to see which discourses underpin current constructions of White Christian female sexuality. This participatory feminist action research journey centralised the voices of present-day contexts: Protestant Christian women, as well as clergy, were invited to share their understandings and interpretations of matrimony and sexual practices in relation to their faith. With the help of narrative therapeutic practices, some of the dominant social and religious discourses that constitute White Christian female sexuality were explored, deconstructed and challenged. This research journey aimed to penetrate this silence and to invite Christian women, who are living in sexually unhappy marriages, to share their experiences. This exploration included the faith predicaments and relational complexities, challenges and dilemmas Protestant Christian women experience when living in sexually unhappy marriages. This feminist-grounded action research explored the effects and consequences which living in sexually unhappy marriages held for the cosearchers. / Practical Theology / D.Th. (Specialisation in Pastoral Therapy)