Description
Book SynopsisThis edited book explores stories of linguistic and spiritual identity in the urban and rural Australian landscape. It is an innovative mix of thirty six personal narratives and eleven research studies, which together offer accounts of the intersection of languages, religion and spirituality in people’s lives. Teachers of Indigenous languages speak of the critical connection between language revitalization, the spirituality of Country, and well-being. Both new and long-established diaspora individuals speak of the often complex but vital joint role of language and faith in belonging and heritage. The new dimension which the book brings to multilingualism is relevant to all complex global societies. Language and Spirit is ideal for both the general reader interested in community languages and interfaith issues, and academics in global intercultural studies and Applied Linguistics study wishing to gain a nuanced insight into the Language and Spirit intersection.
Table of ContentsForeword
Part I
1 Introduction: Language, Identity and Spirituality Robyn Moloney Father Shenouda Mansour
2 Narratives: Living Spirituality on CountryIntroduction Aunty Louise Campbell
Gumbaynggirr: Opening a door to another worldMichael JarrettTeaching Gunggay: Building from the inside out.Nathan Schreiber Wiradjuri: strong kids who can speak up for themselvesAunty Diane McNaboeThe revitalization of myself Craig DuncanLanguage is about what connects us, not what sets us apart.Aunty Louise Campbell Walk with Good Spirit Corina Norman Fulfilling my Aunty’s dream Kayleen Kerwin Living Without Language Glenn Loughrey
3 Narratives: Living Faiths Buddhism and ChristianityIntroduction Father Shenouda Mansour
My relationship with the Heart Sutra and my motherHarumi HayakawaMy journey to BuddhismVen. MiaoyouA Russian Orthodox service: an experience of language, music and spiritualityAlex Chistiakoff My Identity as an Armenian ChristianTamara Kotoyan Language as the Canoe of the Niuean cultureMatagi Vilitama The Tongan church community Susitina Suli Roses and Thorns: My Korean experience in church Sookhee McRobertsA Family life in the Ukranian Community Jaroslav R DumaVietnamese: my heart language Dich Dao Muc The Aramaic language of the Assyrian CommunityArchbishop Mar Meelis Zaia Crossing boundaries in Australia? The religious experiences of growing up in an ethnically mixed family from the former YugoslaviaJohn Hajek
4 Narratives: Living Faiths Hindu, Islam, Judaism Introduction: Father Shenouda Mansour
Language for communicative onenessSwati Doshi Language and religious practice in Marathi, Hindi and SanskritMilind Sathye Multilingualism, Spirituality, Religion, in my order of importance Varsha Daithankar Sanskrit, peace and social harmonyPandit Prakash Dhodari Raising Tamil Saivite children – from Sri Lanka to AustraliaRavi Anandarajah Beginning every endeavour in the name of GodAbdullah Ibrahim The goals of teaching a language connected to a spiritual contextDr. Teuku Chalidin Yacob Language diversity at the Imama Hasan CentreZohra AlyJudaism, religion, and the Hebrew languageDiane Alperstein Teaching Hebrew in Primary school Judit Rubenstein Breaching Spiritual Language BarriersRabbi Zalman Kastel
5 Narratives: Front line teaching language and spiritIntroduction Robyn Moloney
Praying in Chinese: Teaching in a Bilingual Christian SchoolJianlian Liang Educating to keep language and culture alive through beliefs and traditionsMala Mehta A teaching and learning life with Arabic Melanie BrownThe role of language in religious studies in a Shia Muslim community schoolMojgan Mokhatebi Ardakani and Zainab Rizvi Singing the Spirit towards the Realm of Oneness Trish Watts‘Reawakening our language’: the story of the Nyoongar Bible translation John Harris
PART II
6 Aboriginal spirituality within the context of Riddim & Poetry: A creative school programDevrim Yilmaz and Michael Jarrett
7 Many members, one body: a multilingual church in Central AustraliaDavid Moore
8 Why should we sing to the sharks? Language reclamation and Indigenous wellbeing.Ghil’ad Zuckerman
9 Multilingualism and religion in a multicultural AustraliaJames Forrest
10 A framework for the revitalisation of Coptic language in the 21st century Father Shenouda Mansour and Ounas Gerges
11 Language and religion in the lives of two transnational sojournersLisa Gilanyi
12 Hakha Chin language in Melbourne: a marker of cultural and spiritual identitySalai Biak Za Lian Ching, Dr Alistair Welsh, Dr Ramon Lopez Castellano
13 Christian bilingual practices and hybrid identities as vehicles of migrant integrationYining Wang and Ingrid Pillar
14 The Intersection of Hebrew, Judaism and Jewish SpiritualityZehavit Gross and Suzanne Rutland
15 The impact of learning language and culture on adolescents’ identity formation, enculturation and socialisation: A case study of a pluralistic faith-based schoolYona Gilead
16 Journey into Indian spirituality: A Westerner perspectiveChantal Crozet
17 Some Final Words on Languages and Religion: Peacebuilding, Personal Reflections and Professional Problems Joseph Lo Bianco
Index
