Search

The search for new meanings in life during and after midlife is like a journey from material to spiritual, external to internal and, ultimately, from secular to sacred. Living in a competitive and fast pace society of Hong Kong, there are midlife Christian professionals who have accumulated many achievements but are still not feeling fulfilled. My personal experience echoed this phenomenon. In the last ten years, I placed this affective experience under a process of academic analysis and spiritual meditation through my doctorate research in practical theology under the title: "Exploring midlife Christian professionals in Hong Kong: evolving a model of spiritual practice." The present paper selected an important outcome of this research to illustrate the process of how experience, especially the Ignatian advocacy of "affective experience," may evolve into a kind of affective knowledge, which in turn may lead to deeper dimensions of spiritual experience. In my own case, this journey of transforming affective experience into theological knowledge also facilitated my attempt to develop a pilot model of spiritual practice for midlife participants in the research to interpret their own experience and search for new meanings of life. In the present paper, I have adopted an autoethnographic approach to tell my story of this journey of spirituality starting with Bob Buford's Halftime ministry, then through Inspired Education mindfulness practice and ultimately to Ignatian spirituality. This journey has ultimately helped me develop the tools and methodology appropriate for midlife Christian professionals to reinforce the Christian practice of silent meditation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing participant observation into Japanese meditation practices along with an investigation into primary sources and previous studies, this paper investigates the incorporation of meditation practices in Christian churches in Japan. Asian meditation practices are often associated with monastic commitment, social renunciation, and physical austerity. These perceived characteristics often do not relate well to lay Christian principles of social engagement and physical prudence and hence formal meditation practices are rare and/or marginal in many denominations. In the nineteenth century, when Christian evangelism returned to Japan, a new form of meditative practice was evolving among lay organizations and new religious movements. Containing a syncretic blend of Confucian principles and Zen meditation, these groups utilized meditation as a path to self-cultivation and moral development. Subsequently, these new meditation practices became more palatable to Christian movements as they assimilated to Japanese culture and society. Today, the influences of these groups remain and many Zen Buddhist organizations adjust meditation practices to meet the social and familial needs of their lay memberships. Many indigenous Christian movements as well as some Catholic and Protestant congregations have added meditation to their religious observances. The therapeutic and spiritual benefits may justify the expansion of meditation practices in Christian organizations beyond Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) has held a consistent testimony of abstinence and moderation regarding alcohol and other substances. This paper outlines the historical background, and describes modern Quaker understandings of moderation. It then outlines hitherto unpublished results regarding spirituality from the only study to date about Quaker behaviour and atttitudes regarding substance use. The association between low substance use and religiosity is established in the literature, but the role of spirituality is less defined. This study methodology allowed an unusually detailed analysis of different aspects of spirituality. Results generally support Miller's suggestion that idiographic spirituality may have a role in resilience to higher substance use. However, spiritual practice through prayer/meditation emerges as having a more consistent role in the Quaker sample--a finding that is of interest and potential significance in considerations of resilience and recovery. The community dimension of shared spiritual attitudes towards substance use, and the spiritual values that underlie the interpretation of testimony, are also explored. The congruence that some Quakers find with the spiritual approaches of Alcoholics Anonymous is also discussed. It is concluded that spirituality is a significant factor in a Quaker balance that can mitigate immoderate use and support recovery from addiction, without, in general, excluding those who use at higher levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the religious identity project of an interdenominational association of Christians who practice a ritual called “Christian Meditation.” While maintaining denominational affiliation, Christian meditators also employ the symbolic boundary of religious pluralism to demarcate their religious identity. They must therefore balance their sense of openness with denominational commitment. Within their identification as Christian meditators, these individuals not only surmount this challenge, but paradoxically also enhance and increase denominational activity. This paper utilizes data from participant observation, in-depth interviews, and supplementary sources to explain how this is accomplished. Compared with Dillon's (Michele Dillon, 1999. Catholic Identity: Balancing Reason, Faith, and Power. New York: Cambridge University Press) finding that “core” traditions can be used to transform religious identity, I argue that the “invented tradition” (Eric Hobsbawn. 1983. “Introduction: Inventing Traditions.” The Invention of Tradition, edited by E. Hobsbawn and T. Ranger. New York: Cambridge University Press, pp. 1–14) of Christian Meditation also serves this purpose. Via its multidimensional structure of meaning, the ritual simultaneously operates as an anchor that maintains, enhances, and promotes denominational activity and a sail that allows institutional boundaries to be crossed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Even though Eastern forms of meditation have received the most attention in clinical practice, Christian meditation may be a better fit for some Christian couples. Couples may benefit from treatment when this intervention is used within the context of Anderson's collaborative theoretical perspective. In this paper, key concepts of Anderson's approach are described and their compatibility with Christian meditation is examined. Clinical applications of this integrated approach are discussed and transcripts from a session are presented to illustrate its use. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]