Annual of social work, Vol. 21 No. 3, 2014.
Original scientific paper
SPIRITUALITY – A RESOURCE FOR OVERCOMING LIFE CRISES IN MEMBERS OF CHARISMATIC COMMUNITIES
Anita Dučkić
; Department of Social Work, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Slavica Blažeka Kokorić
orcid.org/0000-0002-3846-8384
; Department of Social Work, Faculty of Law, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The subject of this paper is the concept of spirituality and its contribution in overcoming life crises. The introduction defines the concept of spirituality and its key components, clarifies the relation between the concepts of spirituality and religiousness, and presents current theoretical and empirical findings on spirituality as a resource for strengthening individuals and families in dealing with crises. The paper further presents qualitative research aiming at investigating how members of charismatic communities perceive the role of spirituality in dealing with crises on individual and family levels. The results indicate that the intense experience of spirituality in members of charismatic communities, their religious beliefs and experiences as well as the support of the religious community create a significant resource for handling crises by helping them find meaning in life, nurture an optimistic attitude towards the future and strengthen marriage and family cohesion. From the perspective of the research participants, there is a need for greater integration of spirituality into helping professions, development of spiritual sensitivity of professionals/therapists, and for additional training of professionals in the area of spirituality, resulting in increased knowledge and appreciation of different spiritual beliefs and experiences. The concluding recommendations emphasize the importance of including spirituality in crisis interventions, especially for individuals and families with pronounced religious beliefs and spiritual experience.
Keywords
spirituality; religiousness; crisis handling; strengthening individuals and families; spiritual approach in helping professions
Hrčak ID:
134771
URI
Publication date:
14.1.2015.
Visits: 3.409 *