Religion, spirituality, and mental health and social behaviour in young adulthood: A longitudinal study

Background The concept spirituality appears to be gaining increasing attention for its potential relationship to mental health, despite there being an absence of consensus on what spirituality is or whether it can be distinguished from religion (or religiousness) in operational terms. Spirituality is a term that is embraced within secular and non-secular contexts alike. As a consequence, spirituality as a concept encompasses forms of religiosity that are embedded in traditional religion and those that have little or no connection to traditional religious teachings. The emergence of religious/spiritual beliefs that depart from traditional religious thought represents one key feature of widespread religious change in contemporary societies. Non-traditional religious/spiritual beliefs need to be viewed within this context and thus be differentiated from traditional religious/spiritual beliefs when investigating connections between religion, spirituality, and mental health. Aims The current study seeks to compare the mental health of those whose beliefs are rooted in religious tradition with those whose beliefs deviate from traditional religious thought. The two main objectives of this study are: (1) to determine the extent to which religious background predicts endorsement of traditional and non-traditional religious/spiritual beliefs and church attendance in young adulthood, and; (2) to determine whether differential relationships exist between current religiosity, religious background, and mental health in young adulthood, and whether any observed differences are attributable to other characteristics of respondents like sociodemographic factors and health-risk behaviours. Methods Data were derived from the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy, a longitudinal, prospective study of maternal and child health from the prenatal period to 21 years post-delivery. Religiosity was assessed among the study children in young adulthood from three items measured at the time of the 21-year follow-up. Religious background was assessed from information provided by the study mothers in earlier phases of the study. Young adult responses to items included in the Young Adult Self Report (Achenbach, 1997) were used to assess cases of anxiety/depression and externalising behaviour, and delusional ideation was assessed from their responses to the 21-item Peters et al. Delusions Inventory (PDI) (Peters & Garety, 1996). Results Belief in a spiritual or higher power other than God was found to be positively related to anxiety/depression, disturbed ideation, suspiciousness and paranormal ideation, high total PDI scores, as well as antisocial behaviour in young adulthood, regardless of gender. These associations persisted after adjustment for potential confounders. By contrast, young adults who maintain a traditional belief in God appear to be no different to those who reject this belief in regard to anxiety/depression. Belief in God was found to have no association with antisocial behaviour for males, but was observed to have a weak negative relationship with antisocial behaviour for females. This association failed to reach statistical significance however, after adjustment for other religious/spiritual and social characteristics. No associations were found between young adult belief in God and disturbed, suspicious or paranormal ideation, although a positive relationship was identified for high total PDI scores. Weekly church attendance was observed to reduce the likelihood of antisocial behaviour in young adulthood among males, but not females. Religious ideation was found to more prevalent among young adults who attend church on either a weekly or infrequent basis. No long-term effects on anxiety/depression or antisocial behaviour were evident from maternal belief in God, church attendance or religious affiliation in the young adults’ early lives. However, maternal church attendance predicted religious ideation in young adulthood. Offspring of mothers affiliated with a Pentecostal church in the prenatal period appear to have a high rate of religious ideation and high total PDI scores. Paranormal ideation in young adulthood appears to have no association with maternal religiosity in a young adult’s early life. Conclusion The findings from this study suggest that young adults who endorse non-traditional religious/spiritual beliefs are at greater risk for poorer mental health and aberrant social behaviour than those who reject these beliefs. These results suggest that a non-traditional religious/spiritual belief system involves more than mere rejection of traditional religious doctrine. This system of belief may be a marker for those who question the legitimacy of established societal norms and values, and whose thoughts, attitudes and actions reflect this position. This possibility has implications for mental health and wellbeing at both an individual and a societal level and warrants further research attention.

Religious information literacy : using information to learn in church community

What informs members of the church community as they learn? Do the ways people engage with information differ according to the circumstances in which they learn? Informed learning, or the ways in which people use information in the learning experience and the degree to which they are aware of that, has become a focus of contemporary information literacy research. This essay explores the nature of informed learning in the context of the church as a learning community. It is anticipated that insights resulting from this exploration may help church organisations, church leaders and lay people to consider how information can be used to grow faith, develop relationships, manage the church and respond to religious knowledge, which support the pursuit of spiritual wellness and the cultivation of lifelong learning. Information professionals within the church community and the broader information profession are encouraged to foster their awareness of the impact that engagement with information has in the learning experience and in the prioritising of lifelong learning in community contexts.

Chiesa dei Ss. Ippolito e Cassiano (The Church SS Ippolito e Cassiano in Cassano Valcuvia)

The development of the town of Cassano door, unknown time, first to build a chapel, a church filiare then, the town center, the building, intended for the cult of Mary, is described during the visit of Bishop Diocesan Pastoral Feliciano Ninguarda : "Item in the Middle huius pages, pro COMMODIT incolarum, east extructum sacellum, seu oratorium B. Dicatum Mariae Virginia, eastern parvum penes quo cum bell tower, ubi ab rates annis not fuit celebratum, quia non est to formam decretorum extructum [...]» [... down in Annex more information]

Experiencing religious information literacy : informed learning in church communities

This paper reports an exploration of religious information literacy in terms of how people use information to learn in the context of church communities. The research approach of phenomenography was used to explore Uniting Church in Australia members' experience of using information to learn as participants in their church communities. Five ways of experiencing religious information literacy were identified, using information to learn about: growing faith, developing relationships, managing the church, serving church communities and reaching out beyond church communities. It is anticipated that such findings will be of interest to information professionals, including information literacy specialists, as well as leaders and members of church communities.

Lessons on sin and forgiveness : a crisis in the Roman Catholic Church

One of the greatest challenges facing the Roman Catholic Church (the Church) across the world continues to be found in addressing complaints of child sexual abuse (csa) by clergy. The list of Catholic clergy in Australia who have been criminally processed for sexual offences against children is disturbingly long. As disturbing as this list is, more disturbing are the accounts of clergy who have not been criminally prosecuted, but protected within the cloister of the Church. It is increasingly recognised that the significant difficulty with child sexual abuse in Catholic Churches, in particular, has not been the presence of perpetrators but the response of Church leadership to allegations of csa by clergy. Those who have faced criminal charges have often done so due to the resilience of victim/survivors and not because of the support of Church structures or culture. The Church has been slow to come to terms with the realities of the perpetration of csa by its clergy and even slower to recognise the need to prioritise victims in any effective, just response. The church has been slowest of all recognising that there are significant cultural and discursive challenges to confront in addressing the management of csa by clergy. There is, however, progressive recognition of the role that discursive constructs of forgiveness have played in perpetuating the crises and ultimately in perpetuating abuse. The institutional praxis of forgiveness can be demonstrated not only in the Church, but in lessons learned from use of forgiveness as an institutional response to mass violations of human rights. This paper explores the juncture between criminality, church culture and forgiveness in responding to csa by clergy.

Cultural inhibitors to hearing the voices of child sexual abuse by church personnel

It is increasingly recognised that Christian Churches and their Institutions have historically been sites where the voices of survivors of child sexual abuse (csa) by Church personnel have not been effectively heard. This paper draws on data from a research project which sought the voices of Church Leaders who were identified as being pro-active in addressing csa within their individual denominations. From this research several key inhibitors to hearing survivor’s voices, within Churches of Australia, were identified. These key inhibitors include the culture of Churches themselves, gendered ideologies, constructions of leadership and the deployment of forgiveness. The identification of such factors creates space to learn more effective strategies for hearing the voices of survivors both within Churches and their organisations and externally. This paper goes beyond considering these factors to report on a collaborative project initiated, between Survivors Australia and Dr Death. This project specifically targets the voices of Australian Survivors of csa by Church leaders. It is hoped that this project will not only achieve the primary objective of hearing and valuing the voices of survivors of csa by Church leaders, but will also provide impetus for the creation of alternative ways of managing complaints of csa by Church leaders in Australia. Such complaints processes will be increasingly survivor focussed and include the creation of spaces where the voices of survivors are valued.

"They did not believe me” Responding to child sexual abuse by Church personnel in Australia

Child sexual abuse (CSA) by Church personnel has been subject to study internationally. Such studies have often held a specific focus on the Roman Catholic Church in nations such as Ireland, Belgium and the United States of America (USA). This paper discusses the findings of a study conducted by the author which considers the perspectives of 81 survivors of child sexual abuse by Church personnel in Australia. Participants in this study completed an online survey and then nominated to undertake an in depth interview. The majority of respondents to the survey (66 - 69%) reported experiencing CSA in a Roman Catholic Church, school or children’s home. This paper explores the voices of survivors and recognises the complex and dynamic ways in which they continue to construct and manage their experiences of CSA by Church personnel. In particular, this study considers survivors’ perspectives of the ways in which Churches have responded to their informal disclosures and official complaints of CSA by Church personnel. Similarly to other locations across the world, participants in this study reported feeling re-victimised by Church processes. Participants reported high levels of dissatisfaction with Church policy and procedure in managing child protection issues, as well as high levels of dissatisfaction with the outcome of their complaints.

The Church of England : Charity Law and Human Rights

This book examines the interface between religion, charity law and human rights. It does so by treating the Church of England and its current circumstances as a timely case study providing an opportunity to examine the tensions that have now become such a characteristic feature of that interface. Firstly, it suggests that the Church is the primary source of canon law principles that have played a formative role in shaping civic morality throughout the common law jurisdictions: the history of their emergence and enforcement by the State in post-Reformation England is recorded and assessed. Secondly, it reveals that of such principles those of greatest weight were associated with matters of sexuality: in particular, for centuries, family law was formulated and applied with regard for the sanctity of the heterosexual marital family which provided the only legally permissible context for any form of sexual relationship. Thirdly, given that history, it identifies and assesses the particular implications that now arise for the Church as a consequence of recent charity law reform outcomes and human rights case law developments: a comparative analysis of religion related case law is provided. Finally, following an outline of the structure and organizational functions of the Church, a detailed analysis is undertaken of its success in engaging with these issues in the context of the Lambeth Conferences, the wider Anglican Communion and in the ill-fated Covenant initiative. From the perspective of the dilemmas currently challenging the moral authority of the Church of England, this book identifies and explores the contemporary ‘moral imperatives’ or red line issues that now threaten the coherence of Christian religions in most leading common law nations. Gay marriage and abortion are among the host of morally charged and deeply divisive topics demanding a reasoned response and leadership from religious bodies. Attention is given to the judicial interpretation and evaluation of these and other issues that now undermine the traditional role of the Church of England. As the interface between religion, charity law and human rights becomes steadily more fractious, with religious fundamentalism and discrimination acquiring a higher profile, there is now a pressing need for a more balanced relationship between those with and those without religious beliefs. This book will be an invaluable aid in starting the process of achieving a triangulated relationship between the principles of canon law, charity law and human rights law.

Child sex scandal in two countries rocks Anglican church

A CHILD sex scandal involving victims in Australia and Britain has hit the top echelon of the Anglican Church, with allegations that some of its most senior clergymen failed to respond properly to complaints of horrific abuse. The former archbishop of York, now Lord (David) Hope of Thornes, yesterday expressed regret over failing to report to police allegations in 1999 and 2003 about a former Queensland Anglican school principal, who rose to become the head of education for the church in Britain. The late reverend Robert Waddington has been accused of beating and sexually abusing students during the 1960s at St Barnabas boarding school in Ravenshoe, north Queensland, and later, when he was in charge of the choir as dean of Manchester. A joint investigation by The Australian and The Times newspaper in London has revealed that church officials, including Lord Hope, failed to report the 1999 allegations of abuse made by a former Queensland student and similar claims made in 2003 by the family of a choirboy in Manchester. The alleged victims were never told of the existence of the other allegations.

Church's wall of silence on sexual abuse

A SINGLE document was all it took to illuminate a dark secret in the Church of England. The two-page child protection report, unearthed by police in the archives of the diocese of Manchester, was proof, at last, that a former cathedral choirboy -- alleging years of sexual abuse by one of Britain's most senior clergyman -- was not alone. There was another boy. Also a solo soprano, on the other side of the world, who was singing from the same hymn sheet about The Very Reverend Robert Waddington. "There had been a previous referral about sexual impropriety some time ago from Australia, where RW had been the headmaster at a school. An ex-pupil had made a complaint to the Bishop of (north) Queensland who had relayed it to the Archbishop (of York)," the 2003 report says. Eli Ward's family had prompted the secret report when they told church officials, without Ward's knowledge, of the alleged abuse he suffered in the mid-1980s.

Church officials believed claims were true

FORMER Anglican church officials have admitted they believed a former school headmaster had abused children at a north Queensland boarding school, despite telling a victim during mediation over a compensation payout that his allegations were not proven. For more than six years, Anglican officials dismissed the allegations of Queensland pensioner Bim Atkinson that he had been sexually abused between 1964 and 1968 by the Reverend Robert Waddington, the former headmaster of St Barnabas boarding school in Ravenshoe, on the Atherton Tablelands. In documents and letters obtained by The Weekend Australian, senior church officials in England and Australia told Mr Atkinson, now 59, that Waddington had denied the allegations and his claims were "not proven", despite an internal investigation. Mr Atkinson made his first complaint in 1999 -- when Waddington was living in retirement in York -- but dropped the case after being told the former school principal was near death after surgery for throat cancer. Waddington did not die until 2007. In 2004, Mr Atkinson refiled his complaint, with church officials telling him the allegations were "not proven" and did not warrant another investigation.

UK church orders abuse inquiry

THE Church of England has ordered a formal independent investigation into the handling of child-sex allegations against a senior clergyman in Australia and Britain. Archbishop of York John Sentamu at the weekend commissioned the high-level inquiry into the alleged child sex abuse in the 1960s and 80s by the late Reverend Robert Waddington, and the church's response to complaints over the past 15 years. It comes as the head of Australia's Anglican Church, Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, flew to north Queensland to meet the region's bishop over the revelations, which centre on Waddington's stint as principal of St Barnabas boarding school at Ravenshoe, west of Cairns, and later as dean of Manchester.

Anglican Church knew clergyman Robert Waddington was a risk

AUSTRALIAN church officials knew of child-sex allegations in Britain against a senior clergymen when they pushed a victim into accepting a compensation payout on the basis that there was no evidence to back up his claims of abuse. Former Church of England investigator Ray Morris says he prepared a 2004 report about allegations in Britain and Australia - from the 1960s and 80s - against Robert Waddington. He sent it to north Queensland diocese officials, who were at the time involved in mediation with the Australian victim over his claims that he was abused weekly by Waddington between 1964 and 1968, who was headmaster of St Barnabas boarding school in Ravenshoe, southwest of Cairns.

Anglican Church fails to report abuse

Evidence has emerged that the Anglican Church in Britain failed to alert police about a senior member of the clergy who's alleged to have abused children in both the Britain and Australia. Anglican Priest Reverend Robert Waddington was principal of a school in North Queensland in 1960s. He went on to become the Dean of Manchester, but he died five years ago. Allegations of abuse reached the Anglican Church in England in the late 1990s - but no action was taken. The diocese of North Queensland has begun its own investigation but it seems crucial documents may have been lost.

Feasibility and efficacy of a church-based intervention to promote physical activity in children

Background This study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a church-based intervention to promote physical activity (PA) in children. Methods The study was conducted in 4 churches located in 2 large metropolitan areas and 2 regional towns in Kansas. Churches in the intervention condition implemented the "Shining Like Stars" physical activity curriculum module during their regularly scheduled Sunday school classes. Churches in the control condition delivered the same content without integrating physical activity into the lessons. In addition to the curriculum, the intervention churches completed a series of weekly family devotional activities designed to promote parental support for PA and increase PA outside of Sunday school. Results Children completing the Shining Like Stars curriculum exhibited significantly greater amounts of MVPA than those in the control condition (20 steps/min vs. 7 steps/min). No intervention effects were observed for PA levels outside of Sunday school or parental support for PA; however, relative to controls, children in the intervention churches did exhibit a significant reduction in screen time. Conclusion The findings confirm that the integration of physical activity into Sunday school is feasible and a potentially effective strategy for promoting PA in young children.