1st Edition
The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Spirituality and Contemplative Studies
The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Spirituality and Contemplative Studies provides the first authoritative overview of methodology in this growing field. Against the background of the pandemic and other global challenges, spirituality is expanding as an agreed term with which to discuss the efforts people make to be fully present to deeper, invisible dimensions of their personal identity and external reality, but until now there have been few resources exploring the different methodological approaches researchers take.
This book explores the primary methodologies emerging: First Person, Second Person, and Third Person, and provides a systematisation of spirituality research in applied contexts for the first time. Comprising 33 chapters by a team of international contributors, the book is divided into 7 parts:
- Foundations
- Approaches to Contemplative Research
- Contemplative Research in Education
- Contemplative Research in Work and Leadership
- Contemplative Research in Science, Health, and Healing
- Contemplative Research in Social Sciences
- Contemplative Research and the Way Forward
The Handbook provides readers, practitioners, and policy makers with methods and approaches which can facilitate a spiritual and contemplative stance in research activities. It is an essential resource for researchers and students of Religion, Spirituality, and Research Methods.
List of Contributors
Preface Jane Dalton
Acknowledgements
Part 1: Foundations
1. The Research Revolution: Emerging Discourses in Spirituality Studies Bernadette Flanagan
2. Discovering Spirituality through Critical Reflection and Autoethnography Cheryl Hunt
3. Spiritual Autobiography as a Prelude to Contemplative Research Inquiry Noelia Molina
Part 2: Approaches to Contemplative Research
4. Heuristic Inquiry as Contemplative Practice Nevine Sultan
5. Organic Inquiry as a Contemplative Method Larisa Bardsley
6. Embodied Spiritual Inquiry: A Participatory Research Method for Spiritual and Contemplative Studies Olga Sohmer and Jorge Ferrer
7. Contemplative Science: Expanding the Scope of Empiricism to Increase the Convergence of Evidence Nicholas Matiasz and B. Alan Wallace
8. Critical Hermeneutical Inquiry of Participatory Spirituality, Buddhist Modernism, and Secularized Buddhism in North America Sabine Grunwald
9. Experimental Phenomenology in Research on Spirituality Lars-Gunnar Lundh
10. The Contribution of Felt Sensing and Focusing to Contemplative Research Greg Walkerden
11. From Frustration to Freedom: A spiritual diary as inspiration for diary research Christopher Staab
Part 3: Contemplative Research in Education
12. Contemplative Inquiry as Research and Pedagogic Method Heesoon Bai, Heather Williams, Renata Cueto de Souza, Allen Yee, Charles Scott and Avraham Cohen
13. Contemplative Research as Arational Inquiry in an Irrational World Barbara Bickel
14. Narrative and the Paradoxical Ethos of Contemplative Inquiry Giovanni Rossini
15. Cooperative Inquiry: An Experiential and Participatory Research Method in Spirituality and Contemplative Studies Olga R. Sohmer
16. Spiritual “Quilting”: How Contemplative Practices Can Deepen and Humanize Understanding(s) of Global Citizenship Education Maureen Hall & Mary Ellen Lynch
Part 4: Contemplative Research in Work and Leadership
17. Action Research in the Christian Spirituality of Action David Coghlan
18. Turning Within: The Spirit of Contemplative Research Elmor Van Staden
Part 5: Contemplative Research in Science, Health and Healing
19. Bringing Compassion to Research: Contemplative Perspectives Natasha Huang
20. Compassion-Informed Inquiry and the Transformative Power of Compassion in Research Aizaiah G. Yong
21. Delving into Deeper Consciousness in Person-Centred Practice and Research: The Value of Non-Dual Self-Inquiry Maria Kefalogianni and George Fragakis
22. Body, Spirit, and Wonder in the Research Journey with Women in Recovery from Eating Disorders Tara Travers
23. Power and Privilege in the Study of Near-death Experiences Natasha Tassell-Matamua
Part 6: Contemplative Research in Social Sciences
24. Transformative Phenomenology Valerie Bentz and James Marlatt
25. Contemplation in Ethnographic Fieldwork Deborah C. Breede
26. Contemplative Methodologies and Methods in Sociology and Social Research Vincenzo M.B. Giorgino
27. Advances in Contemplative Social Research. Inspirations from Phenomenology, Hatha Yoga, and Meditation Practice Krzysztof Konecki
Part 7: Contemplative Research and the Way Forward
28. Mictlán and Xibalbá: Our Shared Home: Indigenous Contemplative Sciences through Rituals of Remembrance Yuria Celidwen
29. Spiritual Exchange: A Methodology of Relationality Vicki Bouvier and Jennifer MacDonald
30. The Impact of Contemplative Studies on Research Paradigms Louis Komjathy
31. Contemplative Practices and Artificial Intelligence Systems: Consciousness, Ethics and Bias Daniel Barbezat
32. Taking the Design Stance Towards Spiritual Cognition John Vervaeke
33. Towards a Convergence of Contemplative and Scientific Methods for Social Sciences and Public Policy Naresh Singh and Sudip Patra
Index
Biography
Bernadette Flanagan leads the research group Spirituality in Society and the Professions (SpirSoP) at the South East Technological University, Waterford Campus, Ireland. Her research covers such themes as indigeneity (Celtic), engaged spiritual practices, inner development goals for SDGs and pilgrimage.
Kerri Clough is an Honorary Research Fellow and member of the Spirituality in Society & the Professions (SpirSoP) research group at South East Technological University (SETU), Waterford Campus, Ireland. She has researched across areas of public health, ageing, human health, well-being & spirituality.
"The bounteous beauty of the natural world can make one pause for a moment and remember that we are a part of all that splendor and not apart from it. Indeed, the splendor of the simple, like a shaft of morning sunlight blessing the green world, or perhaps on occasion something close to a miracle cradled in the mundane, can remind one of William Blake’s vision of the holy, sacred character of the natural world. The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Spirituality and Contemplative Studies not only awakens our imagination to these moments of wonder within the spiritual depths of the material world. It also offers multiple ways of researching spirituality."
Robert D. Romanyshyn, Author of The Wounded Researcher (Routledge, 2020)
"While tremendous advancements are occurring in the sciences of medicine, the brain, and technology, methodologies for studying human experience remain rudimentary. Contemplative research provides a practical toolkit of rigorous and innovative methods to study the nuances of being human from experiences of the tangible to transient, from the quotidian to profound. The current subjective turn in research spotlights how such methods can be coupled with contemplative life skills to advance basic sanity, health and wellbeing, and spirituality and flourishing. This handbook contributes chapters by a diverse group of experts on how contemplative research can meaningfully shape education, healthcare, leadership, philosophy, and our future on Earth. As research on the human mind and experience progresses, contemplative methods will be imperative, and this handbook will remain a source to reference."
Michael R. Sheehy, Research Assistant Professor, Director of Research at the Contemplative Sciences Center, University of Virginia, USA, and Executive Editor of the Journal of Contemplative Studies
"The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Spirituality and Contemplative Studies offers readers a ground breaking and expansive look at spirituality and contemplative research in education, science, health, and healing. Inside this compendium you will discover practices for tapping into the abundant resources of the mind and heart to support both teaching and learning. Highly recommended for those wanting to bring more presence and meaning to their curriculum and classrooms."
Jane E. Dalton, Author of The Mindful Studio: Cultivating Creativity and Well-Being in the Art Classroom
“This handbook provides a wide-ranging elucidation of an integral view of contemplative studies that scholars, educators and grad students will find value in as a methodological resource to support their research and studies. Much needed and appreciated!”
Olen Gunnlaugson, Associate Professor of Leadership, FSA – Université Laval - Faculty of Business (AACSB, EQUIS, PRME)
“The Routledge International Handbook of Research Methods in Spirituality and Contemplative Studies is a welcome contribution to the methodology of the study of spirituality. The contemplative methods presented in this volume can also be applied in other fields of scientific inquiry, including economics, management, sociology, human ecology, health sciences.”
Laszlo Zsolnai, Professor and Director of the Business Ethics Center of Corvinus University of Budapest, President of the European SPES Institute – Leuven, Associate Member of the Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford, and co-editor of The Routledge International Handbook of Spirituality in Society and the Professions (Routledge, 2019)
"An inspiring exploration of the evolving landscape of spirituality research, this book captures the essence of a profound revolution. With a commitment to embracing diverse spiritual practices and an unwavering respect for interconnectedness, it offers a powerful perspective on the transformative potential of contemplative methods. A must-read for those seeking to deepen their understanding of spirituality's role in our rapidly changing world."
Indu Peiris, Principal Academic Staff Member, Learning Delivery
"The shortcomings of modern education in promoting student well-being and sustainability underscore the importance of integrating spirituality into teaching and research. Prioritizing research methodologies that foster spiritual growth during research is now more crucial than ever. The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Spirituality and Contemplative Studies is a valuable contribution to meeting this imperative need."
Rohana Ulluwishewa, Author of Spirituality and Sustainable Development (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014)
"Bernadette Flanagan and Kerri Clough have performed a wonderful service to scholars of religion the world over in co-creating an informative and authoritative handbook of research methods in spirituality and contemplative studies. The first comprehensive handbook of its kind, it will be of immeasurable value to postgraduate students at masters and doctoral level, post-doctoral and established scholars in the field. The range of methods and approaches covered is impressive, and the creativity and authenticity of the contributors is evident. Not only will this text be of immense benefit to scholars in the field, but it will help to establish the field of heuristic, contemplative and compassionate enquiry in the study of religion. Bravo!"
Nicola Slee, Professor of Feminist Practical Theology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, Convenor of the Symposium on the Faith Lives of Women and Girls, and author of Fragments for Fractured Times: What Feminist Practical Theology Brings to the Table (SCM, 2020)
"This volume is a sweeping and widely inclusive collection of articles which push the boundaries within which research and practice in spirituality are often caged. It will serve a wide variety of users - both researchers and practitioners alike. While deconstructing some often-held views concerning spirituality, it proposes fresh and viable alternative approaches that have as their goal the creation 'of a more compassionate and respectful world'."
David B. Perrin, Professor Emeritus, St. Jerome's University, Canada
"This volume showcases the new era in which we live. The time has firmly passed when Spirituality, Contemplation and cognate disciplines were frowned upon as academically naïve and intellectually lightweight. The range of topics, the complexities of thought required and the depth of the sensitive analyses collected here contribute valuably to these disciplines. As secularisms wane, the study of Spirituality and Contemplation blossoms; in this volume too, luminously."
Christo Lombaard, Faculty of Theology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
