Effective Islamic Spiritual Care: Foundations and Practices of Imams and Other Muslim Spiritual Caregivers

In Canada, Muslim communities turn to Muslim spiritual caregivers, especially to imams, for help with various problems. Research has shown that many Muslim spiritual caregivers are familiar with the Arabic language and Islamic values but have limited practice in Islamic counseling and psychotherapy. This study is intended to examine the effectiveness of Muslim spiritual caregivers in the context of Canadian Muslims’ health care. Cross-sectional ethnographic research with fifteen Muslim spiritual caregivers and interviews with them were conducted. Our results show that even though the majority of Muslim spiritual caregivers have no formal training in Western psychotherapy intervention, they nonetheless play a major role in the promotion of Muslims’ health. However, they can be more effective if they apply social sciences in their practice. Results of the study show that it is necessary to bridge the gap between Islamic intervention and contemporary psychotherapy paradigms in order to make Islamic spiritual care more effective

The Role of Islam in Preventing Domestic Violence towards Muslim Women in Azerbaijan

This is a qualitative research study that addresses the problem of domestic violence perpetrated on pregnant women in Azerbaijani society to discover whether pregnant Muslim women in Azerbaijan who are subjected to domestic violence find the role of Islam helpful in tackling the violence against them. Although this study is descriptive in its nature and the findings from the data are limited to the research participants only, a dire need exists for further study in this area to identify and eliminate the risk factors pregnant women face in Azerbaijan. The results suggest that domestic violence against pregnant women is significantly reduced during pregnancy. However, some cultural and religious factors play a significant role in reducing or increasing the incidence of violence against pregnant women. For example, the Azerbaijani government recently adopted several measures to tackle violence against women. Nevertheless, applying progressive Islamic teachings can increase the moral and spiritual values of these social, educational, and legal initiatives in tackling domestic violence against pregnant women in Azerbaijan

Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy in Religiously Diverse Societies

The recent open-access volume Complexities of Spiritual Care in Plural Societies: Education, Praxis and Concepts (De Gruyter, 2022) contributes to an emerging field that could be referred to as plural spiritual care and chaplaincy, by innovatively bringing together contributions from a broad range of contexts and religious traditions. Including empirical work and conceptual explorations, the volume helps to fill the gap between practices and developments related to plural spiritual care and chaplaincy in the scholarly discourse, and their application for practitioners serving religiously diverse populations in health and chaplaincy settings. In this webinar, editor Anne Hege Grung will introduce the book and project, contributor Nazila Isgandarova will discuss female voices in Islamic spiritual care, and contributor Su Yon Pak will explore Buddhist chaplaincy education at a Protestant seminary. Time will be allowed for discussion and questions. Anne Hege Grung is Professor in Interreligious Studies at the Faculty of Theology, University of Oslo. She holds a PhD in interreligious studies. In 2019 she was pivotal in establishing the master program “Leadership, ethics and counselling” at the University of Oslo, which provides training in chaplaincy and spiritual and existential care for a religiously diverse student group. She was the chair of the European Society for Intercultural Theology and Interreligious Studies (ESITIS) 2017–2022 and is presently member of the Steering Committee for the unit Interfaith and Interreligious Studies in the American Academy of Religion. Nazila Isgandarova is Assistant Professor at Emmanuel College of Victoria University in the University of Toronto. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto, a Doctor of Ministry degree in pastoral counselling, marriage and family studies from Wilfred Laurier University, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Windsor. She is a Registered Psychotherapist at the College for Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and a Registered Social Worker at the Ontario Social Workers and Social Service Workers. Isgandarova is the recipient of the prestigious Forum for Theological Exploration research award for her study on domestic violence against Muslim women, the Canadian Association for Spiritual Care Senior Research Award and the Society for Pastoral Counselling Research Award. Her book, titled Muslim Women, Domestic Violence, and Psychotherapy: Theological and Clinical Issues, was published by Routledge in 2018 and Islamic Spiritual Care; Theory and Practice(s) by Pandora Press in 2019. Su Yon Pak is Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean, Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. Dr. Su Yon Pak holds an Ed.D from the joint program of Teachers College Columbia University and Union Theological Seminary. She has revitalized the curricular and co-curricular work of field education. She was pivotal in creating the new chaplaincy concentration at Union and is the senior advisor to the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab. Her latest publication is a co-authored and co-edited volume, Sister in Mourning: Daughters Reflection on Care, Loss, and Meaning (Cascade, 2021). Her research interests include aging and spirituality, Asian/Asian American women and leadership, integrative education pedagogies, interreligious chaplaincy education, and poetry as theological reflection. Organized and hosted by: Centre for Christian Engagement, St. Mark\u27s College at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada) Faculty of Theology, University of Oslo (Norway) Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies, College of Art and Sciences at the University of St. Thomas and the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning at Saint John\u27s University (Minnesota, USA