Search results for ""Author John Swinton""

A person's sense of spirituality informs his or her awareness of self and of the society around them, and is intrinsic to their mental well-being. In this balanced and thoughtful book John Swinton explores the connections between mental health or illness and spirituality and draws on these to provide practical guidance for people working in the mental health field. He analyses a range of models of mental health care provision that will enable carers to increase their awareness of aspects of spirituality in their caring strategies.Using a critical evidence-based and interdisciplinary approach to contemporary mental health practice, Swinton explores the therapeutic significance of spirituality from the perspectives of both carers and service-users, looking at mental health problems such as psychotic disorder and depression, Alzheimer's disease and bipolar disorder. He also provides a critical review of existing literature in the field to place spirituality in contemporary theory and practice.

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John Swinton argues that theologians' own stories inevitably matter in relation to the study of the divine. It follows that Swinton describes his place of formation walking alongside people living with intellectual disabilities, mental health challenges and dementia, and how it has gifted him with the opportunity to ask different questions of the tradition; questions that emerge from the lives of people who see the world differently. That learning has shaped him as a theologian and raised some crucial questions around the nature of faithfulness, discipleship and the question of exactly what kind of community the church is and should be in both theory and in practice - one, Swinton hopes, that can encourage Christians to begin to appreciate even more deeply the goodness, kindness and love of God for all human beings.

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Winner of the Michael Ramsay Prize 2016 Dementia is one of the most feared diseases in Western society today. Some have even gone so far as to suggest euthanasia as a solution to the perceived indignity of memory loss and the disorientation that accompanies it. In this book John Swinton develops a practical theology of dementia for caregivers, people with dementia, ministers, hospital chaplains, and medical practitioners as he explores two primary questions: • Who am I when I’ve forgotten who I am? • What does it mean to love God and be loved by God when I have forgotten who God is? Offering compassionate and carefully considered theological and pastoral responses to dementia and forgetfulness, Swinton’s Dementia: Living in the Memories of God redefines dementia in light of the transformative counter story that is the gospel.

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In Becoming Friends of Time, John Swinton crafts a theology of time that draws us toward a perspective wherein time is a gift and a calling. Time is not a commodity nor is time to be mastered. Time is a gift of God to humans, but is also a gift given back to God by humans. Swinton wrestles with critical questions that emerge from theological reflection on time and disability: rethinking doctrine for those who can never grasp Jesus with their intellects; reimagining discipleship and vocation for those who have forgotten who Jesus is; reconsidering salvation for those who, due to neurological damage, can be one person at one time and then be someone else in an instant. In the end, Swinton invites the reader to spend time with the experiences of people with profound neurological disability, people who can change our perceptions of time, enable us to grasp the fruitful rhythms of God’s time, and help us learn to live in ways that are unimaginable within the boundaries of the time of the clock.

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This is not a book about theory, it is a book about life. This volume is in the excellent Practical Theology Series published by Jessica Kingsley and under the general editorship of John Swinton of Aberdeen University who writes the Foreword. Ray Anderson is an American pastor and academic of many years standing. His starting point is (pre) theoretical, arguing vigorously that practical theology has a particular end in view and therefore differs from the empirical (social) sciences. It is well worth sticking with his argument to see how it works out in practice. Early chapters with phrases in their titles such as "Spiritual Praxis of Practical Theology", "Integrative Gestalt of the Human Self", "Ecological Matrix of the Human Person" and "Social Ecology of Human Spirituality" might seem heavy going at times. Don't be put off! The reader is rewarded with highly relevant contemporary understandings of spirituality illuminating and illuminated by both Scripture and modern theologians and therapists. This book comes highly recommended for anyone involved in the field of mental health care.'- Leveson Newsletter'This is a book that deserves to be read, and perhaps re-read, by those who deliver spiritual care and wish to reflect on what they do.'- Scottish Journal of Healthcare ChaplaincyBridging the gap between clinical and religious professionals, this book examines how both can understand the spiritual needs of the individual, and the importance of this spirituality in bringing about health and wholeness.With an emphasis on mental health, the author explores spirituality in the context of the individual and of society, and discusses how those practicing pastoral or health care can deal with the issues raised outside of any specific religious ideas or practice. Taking an ecological approach to understanding the needs of the individual, Ray S. Anderson shows how professionals can help people move towards a more positive state in the face of pain, distress and illness.Moving religious professionals away from the pursuit of simple edification, and those in health from purely medicalized approaches, Spiritual Caregiving as Secular Sacrament brings together professionals' roles in the context of spirituality to enable them to bring the greatest benefit to those in their care.

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Gathering together thoughts and visions of experienced practitioners, academics, educators and strategic leaders from around the world, this edited volume sheds light on the nature of chaplaincy and its role and significance within ever-changing contemporary healthcare systems.A wide range of issues central to spiritual care delivery are covered, including reflections on what it feels like to be cared for by a chaplain through illness; the nature of chaplaincy as a profession; and how chaplains can engage with healthcare institutions in ways that have integrity yet are also deeply spiritual. The focus throughout is that chaplaincy should not only be guidance for people in distress, as a form of crisis intervention, but is rather about helping to promote wellbeing and enhance people's quality of life.Where specialisms tend to fragment systems and individuals, this book seeks to show that true health and wellbeing can only be found through a holistic approach, and shows how chaplaincy can bring this to the table. This book is for anyone who recognises the centrality of spirituality for wellbeing, and wishes to see what that might look like in practice.

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This edited collection about good practice for mental health chaplains and other related professionals looks at how spirituality is viewed across mental health fields. It identifies what mental health chaplaincy is, how mental health chaplaincy interacts with other organisations like the NHS, and what good practice means with examples of positive and fulfilling experiences in mental health settings.The chapters consider some of the main issues of working with the mental health community, such as the place of volunteers, the recovery process, religious diversity and patient safety. They are followed by uplifting case studies, including service user perspectives, to provide a valuable overall insight into mental health chaplaincy and its context in wider mental health services.

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Written by significant researchers and practitioners within the field, this unique collection of key texts introduces the reader to practical theology. It critically explores the way in which the spiritual dimension of pastoral care has entered into constructive dialogue with other disciplines and ways of thinking, including: psychiatry, psychology, counselling, intercultural studies, educational methodology, narrative theory and political studies.Set within this multidisciplinary context, the individual contributions (a selection of articles from a leading journal of pastoral theology, Contact: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Pastoral Studies) cover a wide range of practical and theological issues that alert the reader to the spiritual dimension of pastoral care, such as bereavement, sexuality, ethics, learning disabilities, infertility, the meaning of pain, sickness and suffering and the nature of theology as a practical discipline. The book is an invaluable resource for practitioners, researchers, students and all who have an interest in the ways in which a spiritual dimension can enhance caring practices within a multidisciplinary context.

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Mental Health: The Inclusive Church Resource is written to help your own church to be equipped to welcome all people who live with mental health issues. It contains first-hand personal experiences of people who have felt excluded from churches because of their mental health, a Theology of Mental Health by Jean Vanier and John Swinton and a resource section containing addresses, websites and practical advice. Other books in the Inclusive Church Resource series include Disability and forthcoming titles on Poverty, Sexuality, Gender and Ethnicity.

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