Religious/Spiritual Struggles and Spiritual Resilience in Marginalised Older Adults
Spiritual and religious struggles emerge in times where life meaning is unclear, has changed or is challenged. Resilience has been addressed in terms of psychological, social, emotional and physical capacity or competence related to struggle. However, there is a relatively sparse literature defining...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-08-01
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| Series: | Religions |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/9/431 |
| _version_ | 1797556111205728256 |
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| author | Holly Nelson-Becker Michael Thomas |
| author_facet | Holly Nelson-Becker Michael Thomas |
| author_sort | Holly Nelson-Becker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Spiritual and religious struggles emerge in times where life meaning is unclear, has changed or is challenged. Resilience has been addressed in terms of psychological, social, emotional and physical capacity or competence related to struggle. However, there is a relatively sparse literature defining and addressing spiritual resilience, both what it is and how it is demonstrated. This is especially true of the oppressive and marginalised experiences of diverse older persons. This paper asks how older persons have responded to life challenge and spiritual struggle through spiritually resilient responses. It provides a foundation for the discussion of spiritual resilience in older people through examples from two different community studies: 55 LGBQ older dyads across several nations, and 75 older Black and Jewish persons residing in Chicago, IL. The first study highlights same-sex couples, discussing the complex relationship of sexuality and religion and how resilience is achieved. The second study addresses religious/spiritual struggle using a life course perspective to note where spiritual resilience has been an outcome. Spiritual resilience is at the heart of posttraumatic and stress-related growth and often emerges through a process of lived transformation leading to greater self-awareness and self-understanding in a revised construction of identity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:57:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aae4141ca15a402fa7858c4f5594de8d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T16:57:08Z |
| publishDate | 2020-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-aae4141ca15a402fa7858c4f5594de8d2023-11-20T11:05:53ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442020-08-0111943110.3390/rel11090431Religious/Spiritual Struggles and Spiritual Resilience in Marginalised Older AdultsHolly Nelson-Becker0Michael Thomas1Department of Health Sciences, Division of Social Work, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKDepartment of Health Sciences, Division of Social Work, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UKSpiritual and religious struggles emerge in times where life meaning is unclear, has changed or is challenged. Resilience has been addressed in terms of psychological, social, emotional and physical capacity or competence related to struggle. However, there is a relatively sparse literature defining and addressing spiritual resilience, both what it is and how it is demonstrated. This is especially true of the oppressive and marginalised experiences of diverse older persons. This paper asks how older persons have responded to life challenge and spiritual struggle through spiritually resilient responses. It provides a foundation for the discussion of spiritual resilience in older people through examples from two different community studies: 55 LGBQ older dyads across several nations, and 75 older Black and Jewish persons residing in Chicago, IL. The first study highlights same-sex couples, discussing the complex relationship of sexuality and religion and how resilience is achieved. The second study addresses religious/spiritual struggle using a life course perspective to note where spiritual resilience has been an outcome. Spiritual resilience is at the heart of posttraumatic and stress-related growth and often emerges through a process of lived transformation leading to greater self-awareness and self-understanding in a revised construction of identity.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/9/431spiritualityreligionresilienceolder peoplemarginalised groupsstruggle |
| spellingShingle | Holly Nelson-Becker Michael Thomas Religious/Spiritual Struggles and Spiritual Resilience in Marginalised Older Adults Religions spirituality religion resilience older people marginalised groups struggle |
| title | Religious/Spiritual Struggles and Spiritual Resilience in Marginalised Older Adults |
| title_full | Religious/Spiritual Struggles and Spiritual Resilience in Marginalised Older Adults |
| title_fullStr | Religious/Spiritual Struggles and Spiritual Resilience in Marginalised Older Adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | Religious/Spiritual Struggles and Spiritual Resilience in Marginalised Older Adults |
| title_short | Religious/Spiritual Struggles and Spiritual Resilience in Marginalised Older Adults |
| title_sort | religious spiritual struggles and spiritual resilience in marginalised older adults |
| topic | spirituality religion resilience older people marginalised groups struggle |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/11/9/431 |
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