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467 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spiritual Pathology: The Case of Adolf Hitler

by W. George Scarlett

Religions 2012, 3(2), 389-406; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel3020389 - 26 Apr 2012

Viewed by 38740

Hitler had a noble purpose (to save the world) and a strong faith in the laws of Nature as he understood Nature. He was, then, a spiritual person, though his spirituality was pathological and destructive. Here, the example of Hitler, his faith, and [...] Read more.

Hitler had a noble purpose (to save the world) and a strong faith in the laws of Nature as he understood Nature. He was, then, a spiritual person, though his spirituality was pathological and destructive. Here, the example of Hitler, his faith, and his spiritual pathology is given to both understand spiritual pathology in general and, through contrast, to understand positive spiritual development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spiritual Exemplars)

470 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nelson Mandela and the Power of Ubuntu

by Claire E. Oppenheim

Religions 2012, 3(2), 369-388; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel3020369 - 26 Apr 2012

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 29931

Abstract

Nelson Mandela dedicated his life to fighting for the freedom of his South African kin of all colors against the institution of apartheid. He spent twenty-seven years fighting from within prison, only gaining his freedom when his fellow South Africans could claim it [...] Read more.

Nelson Mandela dedicated his life to fighting for the freedom of his South African kin of all colors against the institution of apartheid. He spent twenty-seven years fighting from within prison, only gaining his freedom when his fellow South Africans could claim it as well. This article demonstrates how his faith, his spiritual development and his noble purpose can be conceptualized through the lens of Ubuntu: the African ethic of community, unity, humanity and harmony. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spiritual Exemplars)

267 KiB

Open AccessArticle

New Light on a Lost Cause: Atticus G. Haygood’s Universalizing Spirituality

by Susan Kwilecki

Religions 2012, 3(2), 357-368; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel3020357 - 26 Apr 2012

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5461

Abstract

The American tragedy of slavery and the Civil War provides the backdrop for the exemplary spirituality of Atticus Haygood (1839–1896). The son of a Georgia slaveholder, Haygood served as a chaplain in the Confederate army. At the War’s end, he returned to Atlanta [...] Read more.

The American tragedy of slavery and the Civil War provides the backdrop for the exemplary spirituality of Atticus Haygood (1839–1896). The son of a Georgia slaveholder, Haygood served as a chaplain in the Confederate army. At the War’s end, he returned to Atlanta to suffer poverty and humiliation under the martial law of conquerors. His spirituality developed as a positive response to the chaos of Reconstruction. Following a mid-life transformation, he earned a national reputation as a progressive Southerner and crusader for the rights and education of former slaves. As a Southern Methodist clergyman, Haygood blended the ideals of evangelism and the social gospel, envisioning an America in which Northerners and Southerners, blacks and whites joined together to build the Kingdom of God. His spirituality evolved to the “universalizing” pinnacle of James Fowler’s stages of faith, a perspective from which all persons—regardless of race, status, and place of birth—participate as equals in fellowship with a just and loving deity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spiritual Exemplars)

418 KiB

Open AccessArticle

John Muir and “Godful” Nature

by Raymond Barnett

Religions 2012, 3(2), 266-288; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel3020266 - 13 Apr 2012

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 14470

Abstract

John Muir, America’s most influential conservationist, held a special view of Nature, one that treated Nature as “Godful” and “unredeemed” because, unlike humankind, Nature has not “fallen”. It is a view that asks us to adopt a gaiacentric, not anthropocentric, perspective on our [...] Read more.

John Muir, America’s most influential conservationist, held a special view of Nature, one that treated Nature as “Godful” and “unredeemed” because, unlike humankind, Nature has not “fallen”. It is a view that asks us to adopt a gaiacentric, not anthropocentric, perspective on our place in the universe. This article explores the meaning and development of that view and how it came to define Muir’s faith and serve his noble purpose of preserving the Wilderness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spiritual Exemplars)

758 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spiritual Identity: Personal Narratives for Faith and Spiritual Living

by Kevin S. Reimer and Alvin C. Dueck

Religions 2012, 3(2), 251-265; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel3020251 - 13 Apr 2012

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 10647

Abstract

In this article we outline a theoretical and methodological framework for spiritual identity as meaning in folk psychology. Identity is associated with psychological elements of personality that help people manage a time-bound existence. This discussion is extended on anthropological grounds, noting that spiritual [...] Read more.

In this article we outline a theoretical and methodological framework for spiritual identity as meaning in folk psychology. Identity is associated with psychological elements of personality that help people manage a time-bound existence. This discussion is extended on anthropological grounds, noting that spiritual goals are reinforced when they become symbolically self-important, often through religious ritual. This makes religious tradition and culture of monotheist exemplars centrally important to understanding idiosyncratic folk narratives like spiritual success. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spiritual Exemplars)

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378 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Abraham Lincoln: God’s “Instrument”

by W. George Scarlett

Religions 2012, 3(2), 191-209; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel3020191 - 11 Apr 2012

Viewed by 7290

Abstract

This paper examines one example of a spiritual hero, Abraham Lincoln, to reflect on issues about spiritual development, to connect spiritual development to character, and to indicate in what ways moral and religious development define and promote spiritual development. It uses Lincoln to [...] Read more.

This paper examines one example of a spiritual hero, Abraham Lincoln, to reflect on issues about spiritual development, to connect spiritual development to character, and to indicate in what ways moral and religious development define and promote spiritual development. It uses Lincoln to show why spiritual maturity takes so long to develop and to show how spiritual development grows out of, rather than in parallel to, the many developments in our public and private lives. Finally, it shows the significance of being spiritual and why we should support spiritual development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spiritual Exemplars)

230 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spiritual Exemplars: An Introduction

by W. George Scarlett

Religions 2012, 3(2), 183-190; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel3020183 - 10 Apr 2012

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5432

Abstract

This essay introduces the special issue, provides criteria for evaluating spiritual exemplars, presents a case study to illustrate how spiritual exemplars can extend our knowledge of spiritual development, and makes important distinctions between types of exemplars and between positive and pathological spirituality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spiritual Exemplars)

484 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche: Dzogchen and Tibetan Tradition. From Shang Shung to the West

by Paolo Roberti di Sarsina

Religions 2012, 3(2), 163-182; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel3020163 - 23 Mar 2012

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 17252

Abstract

In July 2011 the International Dzogchen Community celebrated its 30th Anniversary. In 1981, near Arcidosso in Tuscany (Italy), Master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche founded the first community or Gar of the International Dzogchen Community. He named it “Meri-gar”, the “Community of [...] Read more.

In July 2011 the International Dzogchen Community celebrated its 30th Anniversary. In 1981, near Arcidosso in Tuscany (Italy), Master Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche founded the first community or Gar of the International Dzogchen Community. He named it “Meri-gar”, the “Community of the Mountain-of-Fire”. In the 70s Chögyal Namkhai Norbu began to teach Dzogchen to his first students. Interest soon became widespread and having received invitations from all continents, Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche began to travel and teach throughout the world. These last thirty years the Dzogchen Community has grown and now has thousands of members in over 40 countries and all continents. The main objective of the Community is to preserve and develop understanding of Dzogchen, as well as preserving Tibet's extraordinary cultural patrimony. The International Shang Shung Institute for Tibetan Studies was founded by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche with this aim and it was inaugurated by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in 1990. It has a rich collections of Tibetan books and manuscripts and publishes the teachings of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu. This article draws on Chögyal Namkhai Norbu’s work and legacy to describe the Dzogchen Lineage and Tibetan Tradition from the very origin of the Shang Shung Culture. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Spiritual Exemplars)

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