Religion or Spirituality Has Positive Impact on Romantic/Marital Relationships, Child Development, Research Shows

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Newswise WASHINGTON Adolescents who attend religious services with one or both of their parents are more likely to feel greater well-being while romantic partners who pray for their significant others experience greater relationship commitment, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

These were among the findings of studies published in two special sections of APAs Journal of Family Psychology looking at how spiritual beliefs or behaviors have appeared to strengthen generally happy marriages and how a persons religious and/or spiritual functioning may influence that of his or her family members.

These studies exemplify an emerging subfield called relational spirituality, which focuses on the ways that diverse couples and families can rely on specific spiritual beliefs and behaviors, for better or worse, to motivate them to create, maintain and transform their intimate relationships, according to Annette Mahoney, PhD, of Bowling Green State University, and Annamarie Cano, PhD, of Wayne State University, who edited special sections in the December and October issues of the journal. Hopefully, publishing these articles will spur more research on ways that religion and spirituality can help or harm couples and families relationships and encourage more interchange between family psychology and the psychology of religion and spirituality.

The December issue features five studies that offer novel insights into how religiosity or spiritualism affect childrens development and influence the importance of religion in their own lives.

The October section comprises four studies that focus on the ways that couples can draw on religious/spiritual beliefs and behaviors to transform their unions and help them cope with adversity. Each of the studies in the October special section moves beyond general measures of peoples involvement in organized religion or spirituality and investigates specific spiritual beliefs or behaviors that appear to influence marital adjustment and human development, according to APA President Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, editor of the Journal of Family Psychology. All the studies present rigorous research into the roles that religion and spirituality can play in enhancing family well-being.

Articles in the December issue:

Religious Socialization in African-American Families: The Relative Influence of Parents, Grandparents, and Siblings by Ian A. Gutierrez, MA, University of Connecticut; Lucas J. Goodwin, MA, New York University; Katherine Kirkinis, MA, Teachers College, Columbia University; and Jacqueline S. Mattis, PhD, New York University. Looking at three generations, the researchers found that mothers have the most consistently positive influence on the religious lives of their children because they are socialized to transmit critical values, beliefs and practices across generations, and because they embrace norms of femininity that reinforce such roles. Additionally, grandparents especially grandmothers play a significant role in the religious socialization of grandchildren in African-American families, according to this research. Contact: Ian Gutierrez at ian.gutierrez@uconn.edu

Neighborhood Disorder, Spiritual Well-Being and Parenting Stress in African American Women by Dorian A. Lamis, PhD, and Christina K. Wilson, PhD, Emory University School of Medicine; Nicholas Tarantino, MA, Georgia State University; Jennifer E. Lansford, PhD, Duke University; and Nadine J. Kaslow, PhD, Emory University School of Medicine Low-income African-American women who were primary caregivers of children between 8 and 12 and lived in disorderly neighborhoods experienced lower levels of parenting stress if they exhibited existential and/or religious well-being, according to this study. Contact: Nadine Kaslow at nkaslow@emory.edu

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Religion or Spirituality Has Positive Impact on Romantic/Marital Relationships, Child Development, Research Shows

Blake Prize for religious art under threat

End of an era: Warwick Thornton's Untitled 2013 is a finalist in this year's Blake Prize.

The end is nigh for one of Australia's top prizes for religious art. The Blake Prize will be awarded for the last time on Saturday if a sponsor cannot be found.

The chairman of the Blake Society, Rod Pattenden, said the organisation had been unable to find a major sponsor for the $25,000 prize, and it was likely the 63rdBlake Prize would be the last.

"Without a major sponsor the prize will have to close," Mr Pattenden said. "In approaching sponsors, many of them recognise that spirituality is a difficult, if not prickly, subject for consideration in Australia.

"Sponsors prefer their art to be popular and safe."

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Mr Pattenden said the Blake Prize was viewed as "too open-minded" by religious organisations and "too religious" by people with secular views.

The Blake Prize was first awarded in 1951 and was originally designed to find artworks to decorate churches.

Since 2000 it has shifted focus from traditional religion to exploring spirituality and has frequently been caught up in controversy.

In 2007, former prime minister John Howard and former Catholic archbishop of Sydney George Pell criticised entries that showed a statue of the Virgin Mary in a burqa and a hologram of Christ morphing with Osama bin Laden.

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Blake Prize for religious art under threat

THE DESTITUTE: A DISCUSSION ON THE SPIRITUALITY OF POVERTY | Shaykh Yusuf Talal De Lorenzo – Video


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Entheogens: What’s In a Name? The Untold History of Psychedelic Spirituality, and the CIA – Video


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Can Spirituality Help You Age More Gracefully?

Aging may also come with new and different challenges, like the loss of independence or a debilitating illness. Research suggests that spirituality can help. At a recent meeting for the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), KALWs Rachel Dornhelm spoke with Lydia K. Manning, associate professor of Gerontology at Concordia University in Chicago, about spirituality and aging in older adults. Dornhelm produced this interview through a Journalism Fellowship from New America Media and GSA, supported by AARP.

RACHEL DORNHELM: How did you get interested in the subject of aging?

LYDIA MANNING: I had an experience when I was young. I was very close to my grandmother who ended up in a nursing home when I was seven. So from the ages of seven to about 14 or 15, I spent a lot of time visiting with her. As a result I had many friends who were actually residents in the nursing home. I realized early on that I had a connection, interest, and a fondness for being around and working with older adults.

DORNHELM: So what was your dissertation topic and what are you researching now?

MANNING: For my dissertation topic I interviewed women in late, late life. All of the participants were over 85 years old. I was very interested in their spiritual experiences and how that factored into late, late life and approaching death. How they were making meaning as they approached their end of life? From that, I realized there was something happening with spirituality and resilience. The women I talked to described having the ability to withstand profound hardship and adversity, particularly in late, late life. In many ways their spirituality was a buffer and a tool.

DORNHELM: Were these people who always self-identified as spiritual?

MANNING: The women I talked to for my dissertation were all 85 and over, and for most of them spirituality reflected some kind of continuous narrative in their lives.

DORNHELM: Im curious how you define spirituality in your work.

MANNING: With the women I interviewed, I came to the table with a broad definition rooted in the [social-science] literature. It was:

1. Intense awareness of the present;

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Can Spirituality Help You Age More Gracefully?

The Most Powerful Video on Spirituality and Happiness Rare Eckhart Tolle Teaching Must – Video


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Spiritual Growth. How To Grow Your Spirituality? Basis Of Spiritual Growth | Damie John – Video


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Akashic Inspirations LIVE on Practical Spirituality (aired 11/14/2014) – Video


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Dr. Penni Waldman introducing the service on Non-denominational Ministry and Spirituality – Video


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The Common Core of Science, Art, & Spirituality Spinosaurus Painting Time Lapse – Video


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New novel by Jean Gilbertson choreographs spiritual ballet

SEATTLE, Wash (PRWEB) December 03, 2014

Inspired by two loves spirituality and ballet author Jean Gilbertson combines the two in her new book, Dancing on the Whisper of God: A Novel (published by Trafford Publishing).

In Gilbertsons new book, choreographer Calvin Tropp is jolted awake by a divine directive and launches a hard-driving, 63-day effort to prepare a new ballet from scratch with the theme of prayer. All of the choreography and music must be developed and dancers must learn their parts. In the process, they discover the power prayer has to change their lives.

Dancing on the Whisper of God is not a book about religion, nor is it about Christianity, Gilbertson says. Its about spiritual awakening and the transformation that can come from it. The transforming power of prayer is available to all of us.

An excerpt from Dancing on the Whisper of God:

The room was as quiet as predawn. Every face was turned toward him. What this voice said was, We are going to make a new dance and the theme is prayer. Now why I did not shake that off as a silly dream, roll over, and go back to sleep, I cannot tell you. He corrected himself. Well, maybe I can.

Dancing on the Whisper of God By Jean Gilbertson Hardcover | 6 x 9 in | 256 pages | ISBN 9781490721606 Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 256 pages | ISBN 9781490721613 E-Book | 256 pages | ISBN 9781490721620 Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author Jean Gilbertson writes a weekly blog, Everyday Spirituality, at jeangilbertson.com. She has a Master of Arts degree in transforming spirituality from Seattle Universitys School of Theology and Ministry, 10 years of experience as a spiritual director and a more-than-20-year practice in transcendental meditation.

Trafford Publishing, an Author Solutions, LLC, author services imprint, was the first publisher in the world to offer an on-demand publishing service, and has led the independent publishing revolution since its establishment in 1995. Trafford was also one of the earliest publishers to utilize the Internet for selling books. More than 10,000 authors from over 120 countries have utilized Traffords experience for self publishing their books. For more information about Trafford Publishing, or to publish your book today, call 1-888-232-4444 or visit trafford.com.

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New novel by Jean Gilbertson choreographs spiritual ballet

New Research Examines Spirituality and Marital Health

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Newswise BOWLING GREEN, O.Each year, millions of U.S. couples walk down aisles in churches, temples and mosques to get married. Many only occasionally return to a place of worship together. Does that mean their marriage is devoid of spirituality? Do spiritual dimensions of marriage help or hurt couples unions, especially when they become parents?

A recent study by researchers at Bowling Green State University identified two ways that spirituality helps the marriages of new parents fare better. The results were published in the October 2014 issue of the Journal of Family Psychology.

First, the more spiritual intimacy the couples said they shared, the higher the positivity and the lower the negativity the couples exhibited when they discussed high-conflict topics. Second, viewing their marriage as sacred facilitated more positive marital interactions.

These two spiritual factors motivate couples to manage their conflicts in a kind and collaborative way, said Dr. Annette Mahoney, a professor of psychology at BGSU, who led the study, which was funded by a $1.3 million grant from the Templeton Foundation. The study included analysis of couples videotaped interactions as well as husbands and wives responses to survey instruments.

Couples ratings of their spiritual intimacy were based on how often they revealed their spiritual beliefs, questions and doubts to each other, and listened supportively to each others spiritual disclosures without judgment. It didnt matter whether the spouses were blue-collar employees with high school educations or wealthy professionals with advanced college degreesthe results were the same. The more spiritual intimacy the couples said they shared, the better they handled their top three conflicts.

Spiritual intimacy is very, very important and undeniably a construct that matters, said Mahoney.

Second, couples views on the sanctification of their marriagehow much they perceived their union as having divine significance and characterwas predictive of more positive behavior by the spouses.

It is rare for what people say about the quality of their relationship to predict how they behave when their interactions are directly observed by researchers, Mahoney said, which is why the findings were remarkable.

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New Research Examines Spirituality and Marital Health

Chopra reveals 'Happiness Formula' at lecture

A huge crowd of more than 1,600 people turned out at Congregation B'nai Israel (CBI) in Boca Raton on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 13 to hear Dr. Deepak Chopra the prominent alternative medicine advocate and chairman of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, Calif. speak as part of the congregation's public, ticketed "CBI Talks Speaker Series."

Said Sharon Wagman, B'nai Israel executive director: "We were not surprised at all by the size of this crowd. Deepak Chopra is a cultural and societal icon. We are delighted that Dr. Chopra chose to share his experiences with not only our members, but with the community at-large."

Added Temple President Gary Weiner: "Congregation B'nai Israel was fortunate to host Dr. Deepak Chopra physician, author and pioneer of alternative medicine and human empowerment. Dr. Chopra shared practical ways to experience higher consciousness, transformation, happiness and healing with our B'nai Israel community."

Following the talk, Chopra signed copies of his new book, "The Future of God: A Practical Approach to Spirituality for Our Times." The book came out on Nov. 11.

Chopra talked about how they measure a "Happiness Formula" at his Center for Wellbeing as being equal to the brain's set-point for happiness plus one's conditions for living and voluntary choices.

Chopra explained that the brain's set-point whether we see situations as positive or negative makes up 50 percent of our ability to be happy. While this set-point is conditioned by our environment, parents and ancestry, we can change it through meditation and cognitive therapy.

Conditions of living include your financial status, relationship status and health status. These make up about 10 percent of the "Happiness Formula."

Making up the final 40 percent of the "Happiness Formula" are voluntary choices including intentional activities that lead to personal action and fulfillment, such as how do we make ourselves and others in our lives happy. Chopra explained that the fastest way to feel happy is to make someone else happy.

Ultimately, the conclusion is, that based on this theory, we have a lot of influence on our own ability to be happy.

In Boca Magazine, John Thomason wrote about the event: "It's been less than a year since Chopra's last South Florida appearance, but it didn't stop this event from achieving a capacity swell. [Chopra} was utterly captivating, holding our attention, touching our souls and flexing our mental muscles for the better part of two hours. Despite the density of the material, Chopra kept everything explicable, leavening his speech with epigrammatic humor, such as 'We spend money we don't have on things we don't need to impress people we don't like' and 'If you're constantly planning for the future, when it comes your way you won't be present for it.'"

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Chopra reveals 'Happiness Formula' at lecture