Papers by Stuart Devenish
Standards in education
... Tuovinen 8 National Education in Singapore Schools: Challenges of Engagement and Motivation 1... more ... Tuovinen 8 National Education in Singapore Schools: Challenges of Engagement and Motivation 173 Giok Ling Ooi 9 Motivation in the ... Irgat 13 Standards for Quantitative Research in Diverse Sociocultural Contexts 315 Phillip Parker, Martin Dawson, and Dennis Mcliiemty 14 ...
Exploring the Psycho-Spiritual Construct Attachment to God: The Contribution of Australian Researchers
Spirituality: Theory, Praxis and Pedagogy
ABSTRACT In recent years the psycho-spiritual construct identified as ‘attachment to God’ (ATG) h... more ABSTRACT In recent years the psycho-spiritual construct identified as ‘attachment to God’ (ATG) has become as an important variable of interest to theorists, especially in the context of the spirituality-health relationship. The theoretical merits of ATG for interpreting religious experiences, beliefs and practices have been outlined, with on-going research continuing to clarify the nature and extent of the ATG-psychological health link. For example, it has now become clear that ATG functions psychologically in a manner similar to, but independent of human attachment in predicting a range of health outcomes. Concurrently, categorical and dimensional measures of ATG have been developed, these informed by human attachment measurement models. This chapter reports on on-going research being undertaken by a group of Australian researchers whose disciplines include psychology, medicine, education, theology and philosophy. It provides an overview of theological, theoretical and conceptual, measurement and assessment, clinical and psychotherapeutic research completed or which is currently in progress, including studies exploring the attachment to God (ATG)-psychological health/adjustment relationship. What is highlighted in this chapter is a series of inter-connected methodological resources developed in our research, vis-a-vis the (i) Development of the God Attachment Interview Schedule (GAIS); (ii) Formulation of ATG profiles (i.e., explicit ATG representations) and ATG states of minds (i.e. implicit ATG representations); (iii) Development of relational markers for assessing explicit ATG representations and discourse markers for assessing implicit ATG representations; and (iv) Recent attempts to ground key theoretical elements (safe haven and secure base functions of attachment to God) in the lived experiences of Christian persons. Data informing this body of work comes from (i) thirty-one predominately Australian Christians ranging in age from 18 to 77 years who participated in in-depth, semi-structured interviews, responding to questions about their retrospective and current relationship with God and (ii) approximately 1000 Australian Christians who completed a range of psychological and spiritual measures. Narrative data and qualitative analyses were managed using both NVivo, while quantitative data and analyses was undertaken using SPSS and SEM. Some theoretical, methodological and clinical insights gleaned from this body of work are discussed. Key Words: Attachment, attachment to God, health, narrative, qualitative, quantitative, spirituality.
Religion and Spirituality. International Advances in Education: Global Initiatives for Equity and Social Justice
Iap Information Age Publishing Inc, 2010
... and Social Justice: The Role of Spirituality, Emotional Intelligence and Mature Racial Identi... more ... and Social Justice: The Role of Spirituality, Emotional Intelligence and Mature Racial Identity (Sachin Jain, Martin Dowson, and Alicia M. Lacouture). ... Role of Black Religious Institutions in the Education of African Americans (Elinor L. Brown & Nadia C. Gadson); (13) African ...
sacred manifestations and demands. The fundamental thing about 'Christian' conversion is its appr... more sacred manifestations and demands. The fundamental thing about 'Christian' conversion is its apprehension that Christ is now the new center of one's life. The result is a radical break with past beliefs and commitments, and a new and alternative way of being, worshipping, acting, and attributing meaning to one's life. More formally, I will repeatedly return to Alan Kreider's (1999: 1) definition of conversion throughout the research. Kreider's definition states that "conversion involv[ es] changes in belief, belonging and behavior-in the context of an experience of God." Many definitions of conversion exist within the literature relating to that field. Three 'classical' definitions are provided by Nock, 1 James, 2 and Rambo. 3 I have chosen Kreider's definition because I deem it to provide a functional definition of conversion which remains close to the experience of converts rather than reflecting a systematic description of conversion. In this regard it is well suited to a phenomenological explication of conversion. Further, I have not sought to provide definition upon definition of conversion, because in this dissertation the experience of converts transformation and world-revision is the priority rather than the development of a systematized 'theory' of conversion. Conversion is conceived here as the instance or event which provides the context for changed meanings and the reattribution of truth in a religious neophyte. As such, I will not 1. AD Nock, (1961: 7). "An acceptance of new worships as useful supplements and not as substitutes, and they did not involve the taking of a new way of life in place of the old. This we may call adhesion, in contradistinction to conversion. By conversion we mean the reorientation of the soul of an individual, his deliberate turning from indifference or from an earlier fonn of piety to another, a turning which implies a consciousness that a great change is involved, that the old was wrong and the new is right. It is seen at its fullest in the positive response of a man to the choice set before him by the prophetic religions." 2. WtlliamJames, (1928: 189). '1'o be converted, to be regenerated, to receive grace, to experience religion, to gain assurance, are so many phrases which denote the process, gradual or sudden, by which the self hitherto divided, and consciously wrong inferior and unhappy, becomes unified and consciously right superior and happy, in consequence of its finner hold upon religious realities.This is the least of what conversion signifies in general tenns, whether or not we believe that a direct divine operation is needed to bring such a moral change about." 3. Lewis Rambo (1993: 176). "Conversion is paradoxical. It is elusive. It is inclusive. It destroys and it saves. Conversion is sudden and it is gradual. It is created totally by the action of God, and it is created totally by the action of humans. Conversion is personal and communal, private and public. It is both passive and active. It is a retreat from the world. It is a resolution of conflict and an empowerment to go into the world and to confront, it not create, conflict. Conversion is an event and a process. It is an ending and a beginning. It is final and open-ended. Conversion leaves us devastated-and transfonned.
Journal of Psychology and Theology
Assessment of attachment to God (ATG) has generally focused on tapping the construct via self-rep... more Assessment of attachment to God (ATG) has generally focused on tapping the construct via self-report measures. Little, if any attention has been paid to assessing ATG via independent ratings of Christians’ relationship with God narratives, obtained at interview. The current study addressed this deficit. It documents the development of a template for assessing Christians’ relationship with God narratives for specific ATG experiences. Three theoretically-derived ATG profiles, labeled as secure-autonomous, insecure-anxious/preoccupied and insecure-dismissing ATG were operationally defined as a series of relational markers. Thirty-one Christians participated in a God Attachment Interview Schedule (GAIS), a semi-structured interview which taps Christians’ past and present relationship with God experiences. Participants’ narratives were analyzed using the template, this revealing relational evidence supportive of the hypothesized relational markers. Validation of the template is an import...
Book Review The Dancing Sharma: A review of ‘To the Things Themselves’ By Arvind Sharma (2001)
The Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology, 2002
To the Things Themselves: Essays on the Discourse and Practice of the Phenomenology of Religion .... more To the Things Themselves: Essays on the Discourse and Practice of the Phenomenology of Religion . Berlin and New York: Walter de Gruyter Hard Cover (311 pages) Price: US$75 (de Gruyter 2001), US$85 (Amazon 2002). Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology , Volume 2, Edition 2, September 2002
Beyond well-being : spirituality and human flourishing
This volume arose out of a deep concern to assist people in their struggle to lead a flourishing ... more This volume arose out of a deep concern to assist people in their struggle to lead a flourishing life. Fractured, stressed, relationally broken and spiritually empty people may instinctively reach for the supposed panacea of happiness. But happiness is often a transitory state. More stable and worthwhile than the pursuit of happiness is leading a flourishing life. But what is flourishing? Is spirituality necessary for human flourishing and, if so, in what ways might spirituality provide a unique and important contribution to flourishing? The volume provides complementary yet diverse accounts of human flourishing. Each account argues that spirituality in general, and Christian spirituality in particular, are vital contributors to flourishing. The volume will be valuable for those who are dissatisfied with popular hedonistic approaches to flourishing. Such people are ready for a change in approach, but often do not have a clear alternative in view. The Volume will provide a clear alte...
The continuing conversion of the Australian Church: A missional conversation with Darrell Guder
Pacifica: Australasian Theological Studies, 2014
The continuing conversion of the Australian Church: A missional conversation with Darrell Guder
Pacifica: Australasian Theological Studies, 2014
This paper explores the theme of human agency in the mission of God (Missio Dei), and the role of... more This paper explores the theme of human agency in the mission of God (Missio Dei), and the role of redeemed human agents (apostles, disciples, missionaries, pastors, evangelists) in that mission. The paper will pay particular attention to the quality of the lives of those who bear witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It will develop the argument that there is a necessary connection between the credibility and believability of the gospel being preached, and the credibility and believability of the life of the missionary/evangelist. A key element of my argument is that sanctity and saintliness are a necessary precondition in the life of the messenger. The life of the missioner – like Jesus their Master before them – has a threefold function in terms of being at one and the same moment messenger-message-working model of righteousness. The paper will engage with two contributions to this theme from the literature of mission and spirituality. The final section of the paper engages with a book I recently published on the topic. I will conclude by offering several implications for future action if we are to properly equip Christians for effective witness into the future. Argument and Definition of Key Terms In this paper, I want to propose that there is a direct correlation between the quality of the life of the gospel communicator, and the effectiveness of Christian witness. The messenger becomes a kind of living impresario (publicist, demonstrator, director, agent, maestro) for the Christian life, whose exemplary character acts as a kind of hermeneutical key to the gospel. The message they communicate to their audience, is interpreted in living technicolor by the words, actions, character and values which resides in their persons and
Religion and Spirituality
International Advances in Education: Global Initiatives for Equity and Social Justice Elinor L. B... more International Advances in Education: Global Initiatives for Equity and Social Justice Elinor L. Brown, Rhonda Craven, and George McLean, Series Editors Religion and Spirituality (2010) edited by Martin Dowson and Stuart Devenish ... Religion and Spirituality edited by ...
The dancing sharma: a review of'To the Things Themselves'. To the Things Themselves: Essays on the Discourse and Practice of the Phenomenology of Religion, …
Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology, Jan 1, 2002
Abstract: Extracted from text ... Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology, Volume 2, Edition 2, Sep... more Abstract: Extracted from text ... Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology, Volume 2, Edition 2, September 2002 Page 1 of 6 The Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology (IPJP) can be found at www.ipjp.org. The IPJP is a joint project of Rhodes University in South Africa and Edith ...
An Applied Method for undertaking Phenomenological explication
... ECU Publications. Title. An Applied Method for undertaking Phenomenological explication. Auth... more ... ECU Publications. Title. An Applied Method for undertaking Phenomenological explication. Authors. Stuart Devenish, Edith Cowan University. Document Type. Journal Article. Faculty. Regional Professional Studies. School. Regional Professional Studies. Comments. ...
An applied method for undertaking phenomenological explication of interview transcripts
Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology, Jan 1, 2011
Books by Stuart Devenish
A strange thing is happening in our 21st-century culture-spirituality (of whatever variety) is un... more A strange thing is happening in our 21st-century culture-spirituality (of whatever variety) is undergoing an extraordinary rebirth in our time; yet classical apostolic Christianity has fallen into disrepair. People make the repeated claim, "I'm spiritual; but I'm not religious!"; which somehow seems to paint Christianity as a religious movement which has no spiritual depth to it. But Christians themselves claim that the faith they profess is an ancient spiritual pathway, and a trustworthy point of entry into the presence of God. Christianity-they would say-makes Jesus' wisdom available to its followers, and is thus genuine, credible and trustworthy.
Drafts by Stuart Devenish
This paper explores the theme of human agency in the mission of God (Missio Dei), and the role of... more This paper explores the theme of human agency in the mission of God (Missio Dei), and the role of redeemed human agents (apostles, disciples, missionaries, pastors, evangelists) in that mission. The paper will pay particular attention to the quality of the lives of those who bear witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It will develop the argument that there is a necessary connection between the credibility and believability of the gospel being preached, and the credibility and believability of the life of the missionary/evangelist. A key element of my argument is that sanctity and saintliness are a necessary precondition in the life of the messenger. The life of the missioner-like Jesus their Master before them-has a threefold function in terms of being at one and the same moment messenger-message-working model of righteousness. The paper will engage with two contributions to this theme from the literature of mission and spirituality. The final section of the paper engages with a book I recently published on the topic. I will conclude by offering several implications for future action if we are to properly equip Christians for effective witness into the future.