Wise aging offers social, emotional and spiritual insights to help individuals meet the challenges of these years with a sustaining spirit. Gerontological society of america a spiritual life, one. This erudite, wellreasoned examination of aging and spirituality from a social work perspective is crucial reading for social workers, human service professionals. If you develop the confidence to talk about spirituality and aging, you will discover many resources that could help your senior parents to. While mental health professionals are the primary intended audience, i also believe this book holds value for people who just want to learn more about aging, spirituality, and religion. Spirituality and aging incorporates material from two decades of interviews, observations, study, and reflection to illustrate ways of thinking about and discussing spirituality. However, when i took a look at her top 15 books i realized that every book on her list was about life extension, antiaging strategies and longevity. Readers will gain the knowledge and skills they need to assess, engage, and address the spiritual and religious needs of.
Carol is editor of fierce with age, the digest of boomer wisdom, inspiration and spirituality. Interest in spirituality and aging has increased recently, owing to overwhelming evidence of positive health outcomes linked to spirituality and religious participation. As such, it is a universal human experiencesomething that touches us all. Aging as a spiritual practice is a wise, compassionate book that guides readers through the four key stages of agingsuch as lightning strikes the moment we wake up to our agingas well as the processes of adapting to change, embracing who we are, and appreciating our unique life chapters. The alchemist is more than a book and has taken on a life.
What she was witnessing were women who were fully engaged in life despite their aging bodies. Robert c atchley a spiritual life, one focused on personal growth and deep human experience, is a major focus and motivator for people over the age of forty. This highly integrative book helps students gain the knowledge and skills they need to assess, engage, and address the spiritual and religious. This powerful little book by interfaith minister john robinson goes even further than describing aging as a spiritual path. They view the realm of the spirit as private, personal, or best left to professionals.
The chapters can and do stand alone, so this book can easily be used as a reference by many different practitioners. Spirituality and aging is a topic that many people shy away from. Spirituality and aging february 19, 2020 by jeff worthy i had a different agenda altogether this month for an article concept part iii of the blade runner seriescoming soon, but as life often does, events conspired to force me to grapple with another issue deserving of reflection for this months article. Religion, spirituality, and aging a social work perspective. A lot of people believe that spirituality and aging go hand in hand. Very simply, the aging process the experience of moving into and through different developmental phases affects the spirit and therefore ones spiritual life. Spirituality and aging incorporates material from two decades of interviews, observations, study, and reflection to illustrate ways of thinking about and discussing spiritualitywhat it is, why it is important, and how it influences the experience of aging. This movement has picked up momentum among scholars, particularly in terms of. The sacred relationship between marriage, spirituality and healthy aging in hinduism. Since the 1971 white house conference on aging in the united states, the need to. This book provides a nuanced view of spirituality and the richness it brings to.
Aging and spirituality are interwoven in a mystical way. Bengtson and merril silverstein, new york, taylor and francis, 2019, 293 pp. This book provides a nuanced view of spirituality and the richness it brings to the lives of older people. See all 2 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Spirituality offers shelter to the aging and at the same time makes the natural process of aging a wonderful journey. One of the concepts i found interesting was vertical timetime as it exists in this breath, as opposed to horizontal timeour ordinary time line stretching. The text is an outstanding guide for all disciplines. The laws themselves arent groundbreaking but rather, familiar, but that is precisely what makes it appealing. The book is divided into three sections, with the first providing basic frames of reference for examining spirituality and aging, such as the nature of spirituality, spiritual. New dimensions in spirituality, religion, and aging edited by vern l. Out of my experience teaching for 20 years, i know that individuals learn through multiple formats.
Where the essays in affirmative aging and reflections on aging and spiritual growth can be read in any order, picked up for momentary medi. As an editor moberg does a good job making sure that each chapter is written coherently and the material has. The questions that form the core of this inspiring book are those that many of us carry on this journey. This book examines the ways religion and spirituality are experienced by aging persons within an aging society. This book by the respected elderly rabbi zalman schachtershalomi marries spirituality, intellectual grounding and practical application. Similar to aging and time, a spiritual aesthetic or belief system is sensitive to the cultural and historical environment in which the individual life path is traversed corbett, 1990. I was actually in my early 40s at the most when i first decided that, someday before i died, i wanted to write a spirituality of aging. This book provides a nuanced view of spirituality and the richness it brings to the. The book included lots of stories about people facing their aging and ultimate deaths and had contemplative exercises to do, as well as a schedule for a do it yourself spiritual retreat.
In general, it includes a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves, and it typically involves a search for meaning in life. The spirituality of aging father myles sheehan and kevin nelson host this original catholictv series aging gracefully. Spirituality and aging johns hopkins university press books. It aims to encompass the wholeness of the elders life, including spiritual yearnings that are often shaped by religious faith and practice. I decided that before i died i would write a book about the spirituality of aging. Spirituality and ageing presents the experience of ageing as an opportunity for spiritual reflection and affirmation of life. This highly integrative book was written for students, professionals in aging, ministers, and older adults themselves. People may describe a spiritual experience as sacred or transcendent or simply a deep sense of aliveness and. Robinson contends that aging, itself, can be a mystical experience. Since the 1971 white house conference on aging in the united states, the need to move from religiosity into new areas such as spiritual assessment and spirituality has emerged. Spirituality and aging the spiritual naturalist society. Unlike atchleys book, which carefully avoids a sectarian religious perspective for a more universal spiritual one, the chapters that make up this. Spirituality, religion, and aging sage publications inc.
Religion, spirituality, and aging is a remarkable reminder that elders are our future selves. Winner, 2009 richard kalish innovative publication award. Illuminations for therapeutic practice by holly nelsonbecker is a highly integrative book written for students, professionals in aging, ministers, and older adults themselves. For author frank cunningham, vespersor prayer just before darkness descendsis a metaphor for a time of life, when colors deepen and our experience of aging becomes a spiritual practice. Aging and spirituality is an edited book and some chapters are stronger than others because there are various authors. It is also an excellent resource for clergy or layled book groups, lifelong. Spirituality religion and aging download ebook pdf, epub. Among these is a contemplative exercise from the tibetan buddhist tradition that allows us inwardly picture recipients of our generosity and direct compassionate feeling toward them.
The bestselling author of work as a spiritual practic. The spiritual practice of growing older addresses the yearning among elders for continued growth, expansiveness of heart, improvement of mind, and a meaningful understanding of our lives. Readers will gain the knowledge and skills they need to assess, engage, and address the spiritual and religious needs of older persons. What led you to write about what you call growing older gracefully.
This substantive volume is based on two decades of atchleys interviews, observations, study, and recommendations on the interplay between spirituality. According to the author, the study of the important role of spirituality in the lives of aging people has not been covered very widely in the field of gerontology. But it is connies voice, itself, that carries the books central message. Spirituality is the medium that will make you happy and help you buoy in the materialistic world. In addition to its use as a foundational text for facilitated wise aging groups, wise aging can be read as a standalone book. Spirituality and aging kindle edition by atchley, robert. After all, getting older tends to deepen a persons longing for the very things that a spiritual life can providethings like a sense of comfort, meaning, purpose, and connection. Spirituality and aging perfect paperback june 1, 1998 by kathleen fischer author 4. The spirituality of age blog is based on the book the spirituality of age.
Spirituality and aging incorporates material from two decades of interviews, observations, study, and reflection to illustrate ways of thinking about and discussing spirituality what it is, why it is important, and how it influences the experience of aging. For those growing up in america in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, spirituality may be a legacy from various sources. Eminent contributors from a variety of disciplines explore this new terrain of an emerging interdisciplinary field. And theyre probably right at least when it comes to most of todays seniors. Spirituality is a broad concept with room for many perspectives. Spirituality is a vital part of aging and this book is a comprehensive resource providing both theoretical and clinical insight to understand the complex aspects of spirituality for older people. The description of her book on graceful aging sounded wonderful, with a great focus on the positive aspects of aging, meaningful living and legacy.