Grace is commonly defined using words like unconditional, unearned, and unobligated, yet dominant models of well-being emphasize conditions, effort, and obligations in relationships. Relational grace, the practice of grace within human interaction, offers a counter-model with implications for individual and societal health. This paper introduces a conceptual model of relational grace comprised of three core components: five overlapping dimensions of grace; the cyclical exchange of grace; and the antecedents and outcomes of relational grace. The framework illuminates how multiple virtues interact within imperfect relationships. Advancing research and measurement of relational grace will enable broader integration into public health practice for societal well-being.
Psychodynamic Transformational Therapy for Religious Trauma (PTT-RT) is a clinical model designed to address religious trauma. Moving beyond symptom-focused interventions, PTT-RT focuses on structural transformation through a phased process. This paper proposes a psychodynamic reading of Luke 24:13-33 as a clinical metaphor for the PTT-RT four phases. The paper examines how the interaction between Jesus and the disciples mirrors core psychodynamic processes, working through trauma. The unrecognized presence of Jesus is analogous to the therapist's function - an accompanying other who facilitates transformation. The narrative is further explored as a model of emotional communication, symbolic reorganization, and reconnection with spirituality.
This paper describes the case of a person experiencing spiritual struggle, initially interpreted as spiritual bondage, with initially undiagnosed dissociation linked to unremembered spiritual and sexual abuse. It examines how two mental health models (a pathologizing model, diagnosis based on modern psychiatry; a "normalizing model," Internal Family Systems [IFS]) and two spiritual models (a "pathologizing" model, Unbound deliverance prayer; a "normalizing" model, Ignatian spirituality) informed one another. Provided alone, Unbound ministry worsened dissociative symptoms. Following diagnosis, spirituality and especially Ignatian tools supported engagement in IFS. IFS-informed second Unbound then contributed to positive outcomes, suggesting complementarity between psychological and spiritual interventions.
The article analyses the profound importance of religion for prison inmates. The objective of this research is to analyze the impact of religious experiences and narratives on inmates serving long sentences for whom religion can help activate personal resilience mechanisms. The results highlight that prisoners accumulate "personal religious capital," which organizes and provides structure for identity processes of personal self-dignification. This research provides a new vision of religious experiences in prison in the sense that it highlights the importance of religion as a source of enhanced resilience.
Catholic Sisters are known for their spiritual and communal life commitment, which promotes their social justice and ministerial outreach worldwide. These Sisters are now re-exploring their identity, the meaning of their lives, and their mission worldwide. Governmental organizations (e.g. WHO, etc.) strongly encourage the use of tools assessing life satisfaction and well-being to support the direction of policy decision-making. Based on Sisters' use of two instruments (e.g. LSSAWR & HSQ), this study reveals generational patterns, which are informative for the Sisters and for the public health worldwide.
This paper argues that prevailing clinical frameworks for understanding combat trauma are insufficient to account for what is commonly described as moral injury. Diagnoses such as PTSD describe patterns of psychological distress arising from exposure to violence, but they do not adequately address the moral dimension of human action in war. Moral injury arises not only from what has been experienced but from what has been done and how that action is judged by the acting agent. Drawing on the parable of the Prodigal Son, this study interprets moral injury as a condition of moral awareness arising from the perceived violation of a law intrinsic to the human person. The analysis distinguishes between lex and ius to show how service members may act lawfully and still judge themselves to have violated a deeper moral order. Clinical models can describe emotional and psychological consequences, but they cannot adjudicate the truth of moral judgment. This limitation calls for the recovery of the chaplain's distinctly ecclesiastical role. Moral injury reveals the limits of therapeutic approaches and points beyond them to the need for moral and theological interpretation, culminating not in self-resolution but in the possibility of forgiveness and restoration grounded in divine grace.
This paper explores the intersection of Western mental health approaches and traditional Arab Muslim healing practices, highlighting opportunities and challenges in creating culturally relevant care. While Western methods emphasize medicalization and evidence-based practice, traditional approaches draw on Islamic principles, spirituality, community, and indigenous healers. The study argues for hybrid models that integrate both, enhancing accessibility, trust, and cultural resonance, especially in conflict-affected regions where Western methods may face resistance. By acknowledging diverse perspectives, the paper advocates for culturally competent care and offers recommendations for practitioners on incorporating traditional healing into modern therapeutic frameworks to better support Arab Muslim populations.
This study investigates how fear of death influences death-related status consumption and how religious social control moderates this link. Grounded in Terror Management Theory, it examines how existential anxiety shapes symbolic consumer behavior within culturally and religiously framed death rituals. Data were collected from 488 Muslims in Turkey through an online survey using validated scales. SEM (AMOS 24.0) tested the direct effect of fear of death, while Hayes' PROCESS (Model 1) assessed moderation. Results show that fear of death increases status-oriented consumption, and this relationship becomes stronger under high religious social control, offering implications for culturally sensitive consumer research.
This study examined whether empathy predicts serenity, a construct linked to emotional intelligence and psychological resilience, among theology students in T & uuml;rkiye. Data were collected from 300 students using validated empathy and serenity scales. Results showed a significant but modest positive association between empathy and serenity (r = .223, p < .05), with empathy explaining 5% of the variance. Male and senior students scored higher on both constructs. These findings suggest that empathy-related educational practices may support emotional resilience and well-being. Given the cross-sectional design, the results should be interpreted as correlational rather than causal.
This study explores mental health and spirituality among transgender women in India, examining their experiences within global conflicts between national conservatism and "radical gender ideology." Analyzing stories of eleven trans women, we show how faith provides resilience amid rejection and discrimination. We contend that right-wing populist movements redirect anxieties about capitalist exploitation onto marginalized groups, particularly transgender individuals. Through Kierkegaardian ethical lenses, we show how Hijra women embody Kierkegaard's concept of "knights of faith": transcending conformity to embrace authentic existence while maintaining mental health and spiritual integrity. We propose a Marxist - Kierkegaardian synthesis combining critique with existential authenticity, linking personal resilience.
