Spirituality is contentious in occupational therapy. Theoretically ill-defined and under-researched by the profession, spirituality is difficult for therapists to address in practice. Relatively few guidelines exist for incorporating spirituality within the enabling process. Accordingly, therapists individually determine their parameters around addressing spirituality in therapy. This has led to some concerns regarding how therapists with a firm religious orientation approach spirituality in practice. This study used in-depth interviews to explore the experiences of seven Christian occupational therapists for whom spirituality was personally important. Their beliefs provided a perspective that influenced clinical reasoning. Christian faith was a unique resource used in practice, distinguishing their work experience from that of their colleagues. To varying degrees, fear of reprimand by the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario inhibited the extent to which Christian faith was incorporated into therapy. Showing faith rather than sharing faith enabled participants to practice within regulatory guidelines.

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There is scientific evidence that the spiritual well-being of a person can influence the quality of life lived and the general responses to life's crises of illness, pain, suffering and even death (Ross, 1994). The problem that was identified in this study was the absence of an explicit description or the phenomena of spirituality and spiritual care in nursing within a South African context. Concept clarification was imperative ifnurses, patients/clients in South Africa were to realize spirituality and spiritual care within a broader context of holistic nursing. The purpose of the study was to conceptualize the phenomena of spirituality and spiritual care from the perspectives of nurses and patients/clients with an aim of generating a middle range theory of spiritual care in nursing that explained the phenomena by utilizing data that were grounded in the participants' experiences. A qualitative mode of inquiry using a grounded theory method was applied. A sample of 56 participants composed of 40 nurses, 14 patients and 2 relatives of patients was recruited by theoretical sampling procedure from two hospitals, and one hospice settings. Data were collected by utilizing focus groups interviews followed by one to one in depth interviews and observations. An audio tape recorder was used to record the conversation, field notes and memos were also kept to strengthen the data, and to ensure trustworthiness. Data were collected and analyzed simultaneously. A software called Nvivo was used to code data into different levels of coding. The results were rich descriptions of the phenomena in question and a development of a theoretical model for spiritual care. The concept of spirituality was described as a unique individual quest for a transcendent relationship by establishing and maintaining a dynamic relationship with self, others and with God as understood by the person. The ability to establish and maintain a meaningful transcendent relationship seemed to be related to the person's beliefs, faith or trust. 99% of the participants expressed their quest for a transcendent relationship through organized religion while I % claimed to have their spiritual fulfilment outside an organized religion. The phenomena of spirituality and spiritual care were conceptualized as occurring in phases which begin with a comfortable zone, trigge r-response and spiritual caring. The nurses role in spiritual care was perceived as based upon the principles of ubuntu. compassion for human suffering and pain and acceptance of a patient/client as a unique being. Nurses carried their spiritual care roles by accompanying, helping, presencing, valuing and intercessory roles. The outcomes of spiritual care were cited as hope, inner peace, finding meaning and purpose in life, illness, and in death. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

The aim of this paper is to study how school yoga in Östermalmsskolan is expressed in the texts consist of a notification to the Schools Inspectorate, an opinion to the Schools Inspectorate and a statement of the Schools Inspectorate. The method used for the investigation is a critical discourse analysis which study social and political processes in the society as created through language. The perspective of the critical discourse analysis is a social construction that considers that language is a social production created in a discursive way. It produces and reflects social process in the language. By using theories of different concepts such as yoga, religion, spirituality, non-denominational and freedom of religion, my aim is to investigate how yoga is expressed in the school inspectorate text. With this method I’m aiming to analyze the discourse of the investigation of document from 2012, of complaint against Östermalmsskolan teaching yoga. The conclusion of the study is that in the document to the Schools Inspectorate there are two different religion definitions, which are substantial and functional definition of religion. In the motivations of accepting yoga teaching in school, the school inspectorate is not incorporating the word, spiritual. Instead they use words as, self-awareness and increased ability to concentrate. I found it hard for the school inspectorate, to identify yoga as non-denominational. There’s a complexity in the school inspectorate document, because there’s indicates of trying to secularize yoga. In the document the problem of guaranty students and parents, a non- denominational yoga teaching, is exposed because the school principal have a responsibility that the performance of yoga teaching will not conflict with the Education Act provisions on denominational elements. The mantra “aum”, that students are exposed to during yoga, is considered without a non- denominational element even though it’s a central element in Hinduism and Buddhism, where it’s used to profess and invoke gods and spirits. In doing so, yoga teaching violates against the Education Act provision of non-denominational education.

This thesis reports the findings of an exploratory, ethnographic study of the spiritual journal keeping practices of Catholic university students at the 'Harbour House,' a Catholic student centre and parish operating on the campus of a large, Canadian university. Guided by the question,'How and why do Catholic students keep journals to document their spiritual lives?' it examines journal keeping in the context of Catholic spirituality, the relationships students have with their journals as spiritual documents, and the representations of information found in spiritual journals. Findings are organized under the themes of Content, Materials, Practice, and Structure, and demonstrate that spiritual journal keeping is a deeply personal activity that involves a variety of unique and individualized information practices and behaviours, developed and used in order to better navigate a vast and mysterious spiritual path, and to work towards spiritual growth.

This thesis reports the findings of an exploratory, ethnographic study of the spiritual journal keeping practices of Catholic university students at the 'Harbour House,' a Catholic student centre and parish operating on the campus of a large, Canadian university. Guided by the question,'How and why do Catholic students keep journals to document their spiritual lives?' it examines journal keeping in the context of Catholic spirituality, the relationships students have with their journals as spiritual documents, and the representations of information found in spiritual journals. Findings are organized under the themes of Content, Materials, Practice, and Structure, and demonstrate that spiritual journal keeping is a deeply personal activity that involves a variety of unique and individualized information practices and behaviours, developed and used in order to better navigate a vast and mysterious spiritual path, and to work towards spiritual growth.

<p> This dissertation is an inquiry into the worldviews and global justice actions of persons who have experienced non-dual consciousness. This research explores how people who have self-reported experiencing non-duality and are engaging in global justice actions describe economic globalization and global scale inequality as it relates to their actions. Eight open-ended in-depth interviews generated rich data around the themes of (a) non-dual experiences, (b) personal transformations, (c) understanding of global affairs, and (d) non-dual global justice in action. The primary findings are twofold. First, the participants hold conventional analysis of global affairs, such as the inherent exploitation of the capitalist economy, within the sense of an interconnected whole without any contradictions between the two. Second, the participants reported that their personal transformations had decisive influence in shaping their understanding of the world, as well as their choice of global justice actions. Because of the impact of their personal and often spiritual transformations on their global justice actions, participants consider fostering others' transformation to be their act for global justice. Their engagements for global justice are significantly different from conventional activism both in form and in nature. Instead of "analyzing, criticizing, and making a change," the non-dual global justice actors "love, care, and make a difference" through their way of being on this planet.</p>

ABSTRACT "HE WORKED OUT HIS SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING": THE SPIRITUALITY OF JOHN RYLAND, JR. Keith Alan Tillman, Th.M. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2014 Chair: Dr. Michael A. G. Haykin This thesis explores the spirituality in John Ryland, Jr.'s life, ministry, and writings. It examines the antinomian controversy within the Particular Baptists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, focusing on the teaching of William Huntington, a key proponent of antinomianism. It seeks to answer the questions of what influence John Ryland had on the antinomianism controversy and how his theology of the law and the gospel affected his own piety. Chapter 1 is the introduction of the thesis. It presents the main research question concerning the spirituality of John Ryland, as well as introduces the secondary questions concerning the influences of Ryland's piety and the legacy that he left. This chapter also makes the case for the importance of a study of John Ryland's life and ministry as it pertains to his spirituality. Chapter 2 examines John Ryland's life, ministry, and relationships, especially those relationships that helped shape his spiritual life. It includes detailed information concerning his family, especially his father John Collett Ryland, as well as his personal relationship with John Newton. Chapter 3 focuses on the antinomian controversy that affected the British Particular Baptists. It details the controversy by offering an historical biography of William Huntington and by examining Huntington's writings. Chapter 4 discusses Ryland's conflict with Huntington and, through sermons and letters, examines Ryland's thoughts concerning antinomianism. It also examines Ryland's thoughts concerning the law and the gospel and the influence this had on his spirituality. Chapter 5 is the conclusion, and it summarizes the presented arguments in order to answer the research question. It also presents key benefits of this study for the modern Baptist church and shows how Ryland's work continues to impact churches and missionaries of the twenty-first century.

While spirituality has been an increasingly researched topic within the field of marriage and family therapy, it has been largely overlooked within the context of couple’s therapy. The goal of the present study is to enhance the understanding of the role of spirituality in therapy by describing clients’ experiences of spirituality in couple’s therapy. The study utilized a phenomenological approach to come to a better understanding of the essence of clients’ experiences of spirituality in couple’s therapy. Semi-structured interviews with couples enrolled in couple’s therapy were conducted and analyzed. Four major themes emerged: spiritual experiences in couple’s therapy, perception of spirituality, spirituality as beneficial, and spirituality as a journey. Implications for clinicians and recommendations for future research are discussed.

This dissertation examines the legacy of secrecy, silences, and the unspoken in twentieth century African American literary texts. Using a range of texts representing various eras within the genre of African American literature, this dissertation contends that secrecy is a trope and may be attributed to inherited, maintained traditional practices from West and West Central Africa. Having read a number of African American texts and connecting my personal experiences with these works, I noticed a pattern of withheld discourse throughout. Most notably, Leslie Lewis’s Telling Narratives posits a reason for this trope by examining earlier narratives, specifically nineteenth-century African American texts. She argues the master/slave relationship as the prevailing reason for the secretive motif. Yet, traditional and cultural practices noted in early African publications demonstrate that Africans were keeping secrets prior to their diasporic scatterings. By examining early West African-derived works, as well as nineteenth-century African American texts, I ground my position that secrecy as we see it evolves from or relates to early signifying and language manipulations, particular to African-derived people. Thus, the early works connect sustained homeland ties to the literature that follows, providing an explanation for the secrecy reflected in African American literature. This study highlights three types of secrets: identity, family, and sexual, all of which are interrelated and, out of one, the other type may result. The texts that best demonstrate these silences are James Weldon Johnson’s The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man and Nella Larsen’s Passing; James Baldwin’s Go Tell It on the Mountain and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple; and Gayl Jones’s Corregidora and Lalita Tademy’s Cane River. Each text group corresponds with a secret type. Overall, this dissertation challenges the notion that secrecy as a trope in African American literature limits itself to the master/slave relationship in the United States. The previously mentioned texts highlight a direct link to West and West Central African traditions maintained after the Middle Passage. Hence, these preserved homeland customs, including secrecy, are reflected in twentieth-century African American literature.