Search Results (161)

The impacts of the climate crisis compel congregations to reimagine their mission and identity in various ways. Working with data taken from U.S. clergy participating in an online program for education and support on climate and environmental issues, as well as selected congregational leaders from their congregations, this article examines the ways that ministers and their congregations in primarily North American mainline Protestant contexts frame the climate crisis and how those understandings both create tension and open space for new conversations about their Christian and congregational vocation. It also describes how these ministers and congregations engage with environmental issues through means beyond technological solutions and consumption choices, such as collaborating with other community organizations, hosting rituals for grieving or meaning-making, and inviting transformative encounters with the more-than-human world. Finally, it will suggest possible strategies for leaders and their congregations to frame and creatively engage with the environment through various methods. Full article

This article describes the design and implementation of a Specialized Mental Health Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program for clergy and theological students of all spiritual, religious, and cultural backgrounds. Addressing the need for mental health competencies in religious leaders and chaplains, this training equips participants with specialized skills in individual and group mental health spiritual assessment and spiritual care. Program participants become effective members of a multiprofessional team, gain knowledge of mental health philosophies of concordant and discordant spiritual orienting systems, and gain greater relational capacity. The Mental Health CPE Program includes traditional and novel CPE elements: (1) clinical practice, (2) group and individual supervision, (3) didactic presentations and journal clubs, (4) verbatim (Protocols of patient encounters) and case presentations, (5) group leadership training and practica, and (6) experience of faith reflections. This article provides insights into the origins of CPE, a description of the implementation in a free-standing psychiatric hospital, and observed developmental changes of program participants. We include graduates’ anecdotal feedback about their learning experience and its impact on their leadership in chaplaincy and in religious communities. Additionally, we report on areas for future development and further study of the effectiveness of Mental Health CPE. Full article

Questions of finance and economic models are vital for congregational leaders to consider, but they are too often overlooked in research and practice. While we argue that the explicit attention to budgets and balance sheets should be a focus of both congregational researchers and religious leaders, we would also argue that these topics are embedded in congregational life as practices and cultures of giving that are likewise rooted in theologies of money. To examine the theologies of money religious leaders rely on in shaping their views of receiving, managing, and spending resources, our study analyzes the qualitative data of 82 clergy interviews from the National Study of Congregations’ Economic Practices (NSCEP). We find that the language of “stewardship” continues to dominate, and we consider how this language has both shaped and masked congregations’ current and future engagement with money matters. Full article

The Religious Workforce Project is a Lilly Endowment-funded effort to map the nation’s changing Christian religious landscape. A quantitative component identifies broad US trends, while our qualitative work focuses on Christian congregations in the Washington, DC metro area and surrounding counties, to understand how congregations staff to fulfill their missions, and to learn how congregational leaders understand the nature of their ministry today. In 2019–2022, we conducted case studies in 40 congregations in a variety of Christian traditions and contexts. For our analysis, we used a framework based on three societal trends that have impacted congregations: long-term member loss in churches, a skewed distribution in church attendance in which most people attend large churches while most churches are small, and a pandemic-induced movement from brick-and-mortar spaces to online spaces. This analysis revealed the consequential impacts of these three trends on congregations and their leaders, and some of the essential skills needed for effective church operation during this “wilderness moment,” a liminal time in the life of the church. We see these impacts not only as responses to external pressures but also as signs of internal reimagining. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing effective strategies for church staffing and for preparing future congregational leaders that can adapt to the future needs of ministry. Full article

This essay explores themes in monk–underworld stories from the early medieval to Song periods, shedding light on evolving monastic–lay relations. These tales typically follow an individual who visits the afterlife and returns to share their experience. Monks frequently appear in these narratives, revealing shifting perceptions of the clergy. In earlier stories, monks often serve as underworld guardians or bodhisattvas, but by the Song period they are more commonly depicted as recipients of punishment, often for neglecting their obligations to lay patrons. This shift suggests that Song society increasingly viewed monks through a commercial lens, expecting them to provide specific services. However, these underworld tales do not indicate a decline in respect for the clergy. A broader look at Song literature confirms that monks remained highly regarded, despite changing expectations of their role within society. Full article

From an outside perspective, it is not clear whether the Catholic Church is an active digital entity, or at least, it is not perceived as such. This paper analyses this issue. The methodology involved the monitoring of ecclesiastical Internet activity, SWOT analysis and in-depth interviews (seven) with clergy and technological suppliers of the Church in both Spain and Latin America. Results: Catholic Church digitalisation is spontaneous, as a reflection of society at large, and is heterogeneous due to its decentralised management. There is more inner acceptance of digital mediatisation for proclamation or support in faith (i.e., apps for praying) and less acceptance for the digitalised practice of rites (digital mediation in the celebration of sacraments is an open debate); however, the presence of ICTs in sacred places is increasing (i.e., liturgical books on screen). The evangelisation of the digital continent is an objective of the Church, whereby clergy influencers are the most striking but less solid case. There is almost full digital implementation at the functional level (i.e., digitised accounting and archives). Only charitable action with vulnerable groups remains analogue. Polarisation is also present, as ultra-Catholic groups are over-represented on the Internet. Conclusion: The Catholic Church is integrated in the Information and Digital Age but is also concerned with spiritual impoverishment, as online fragmentation does not feed real humanitarian communities. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting stay-at-home orders disrupted religious life across the United States, forcing congregations to rapidly adapt to unprecedented challenges. While existing research has explored the pandemic’s impact on individual religiosity, this article centers on how congregations were reshaped by the pandemic—sometimes temporarily, sometimes permanently. Drawing on nationally representative survey data from the Exploring the Pandemic Impact on Congregations project and the long-running Faith Communities Today initiative, this article analyzes trends in worship attendance, other forms of commitment to and engagement with congregations, congregational openness to change, and clergy well-being. The findings show that in-person worship attendance continues to decline, while online worship was adopted widely during the pandemic and remains common. Programming, volunteering, and financial giving have rebounded but still fall short of pre-pandemic levels or current needs. Many congregations embraced change early in the pandemic but have since reverted to old routines. Clergy are in relatively good health, yet growing numbers are reconsidering their futures in ministry. These shifts reveal the pandemic’s lasting impact on congregational life and raise critical questions for clergy, lay leaders, and researchers about institutional resilience, innovation, and leadership sustainability. The findings underscore the complex and evolving nature of post-pandemic ministry. Full article

This paper chronicles the evolution of the presbyterate of the Ruthenian Byzantine Metropolitan Catholic Church in the United States of America from the time of the first wave of immigrants to the United States to the present day. It looks at critical junctures in the history of this sui iuris Church regarding (1) the importation of married priests from Europe serving in the Metropolia during the first wave of immigration; (2) the restriction of consideration for priestly formation and ordination to celibate men; (3) the more recent importation of married priests from Europe in response to the critical shortage of clergy; and (4) most recently, the admission of American-born married men to priestly formation and ordination. This paper will examine in more detail the changing face of the presbyterate across the Metropolia, beyond the boundaries of the Passaic Eparchy. This paper also discusses how the Metropolia has adapted to forming married men alongside single men for the presbyterate as well as developed a policy for the formation of married deacons for the married presbyterate. The Byzantine Catholic Seminary adapted from having a student body of celibate men to one that includes celibate men, men who are dating, and others who are married. This paper also discusses the reception of married priests and their families by the lay faithful as well as the reception and acceptance of married priests and their families by celibate clergy. Finally, this paper discusses how the restoration of the married presbyterate to the Metropolia has been a positive development for the Church. Full article

Victims of domestic violence who bring their experiences to the attention of their spiritual communities and faith leaders have experienced both betrayal and courage from their religious institutions. There is much hurt in the betrayal and much to celebrate in the courage. Institutional betrayal can be embedded in systemic and organizational cultures that repeat themselves even with new leadership and across generations. When leadership hesitate to take actions to protect members, or values the institution above the individuals that depend on it, betrayal ensues. Alternatively, institutional courage can be implemented through improved practices and updated organizational policies. This is true in all communities, including those of faith. When clergy take supportive actions to ensure the safety and wellbeing of those within an institution, healing is more likely to follow. Faith leaders must seek to engage proactively, protect the vulnerable against injustice, and create cultures that benefit those who depend upon the institution. It takes courage to practice institutional courage! Full article

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church was officially liquidated by the Soviet authorities at the L’viv Pseudo-Council of 1946. However, the clergy and faithful who remained loyal to their Church formed an underground church structure. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the underground Greek Catholics had special hopes for the revival of the UGCC. This was due to the easing of repression in the USSR after Stalin’s death and the preparation and convening of the Second Vatican Council. It was at this time that Pope John XXIII managed to secure the release of the head of the UGCC, Metropolitan Josyf Slipyj, who had spent 18 years in the Soviet labor camps and exile. At that time, many suspicions and accusations arose among the clergy and faithful of the underground UGCC due to insufficient information about the actions and decisions of the Council. In those years, a movement emerged that later grew into an apocalyptic sect (“Pokutnyky”). Ecumenical talks between the Vatican and the Russian Orthodox Church, the issue of patriarchal status for the UGCC, ritual disputes, and so on also caused a lot of discussion among the Greek Catholics in Ukraine. This paper is an attempt to provide a better understanding of the perception of the Vatican II decisions by underground Greek Catholics within their struggle for the existence and revival of their Church. Full article

As the Synod on Synodality has massively consulted Catholics around the globe for three years (2021–2024), this paper discusses ways in which academics with knowledge related to Asian Catholics have been involved in these processes. Focusing on this specific community of scholars, we highlight the paradoxical ways in which they contributed to these synodal conversations. They simultaneously illustrate the relatively new production of multidisciplinary knowledge on Asian Catholicism and the hesitations standing between ecclesial organizations and academia. While academics of Asian Catholicism produce scholarship not foreign to the principles of synodal listening and discernment, their involvement within synodal processes has often been indirect and filtered by their disciplinary background and ecclesial status (laity vs. clergy). Based on a survey conducted in May 2024, this paper shows that the production of academic knowledge on Asian Catholics is now driven chiefly by laity and shaped across various disciplines and places. Yet, a significantly higher proportion of scholars who directly engaged in synodal conversations were theologians belonging to the clergy. While other disciplines may have contributed indirectly, theologians were overrepresented. This creates a paradox in which synodal conversations have coexisted from a certain distance with a rich academic knowledge of Asian Catholics, and most academics of Asian Catholicism have remained outside of synodal efforts. Departing from existing theories that approach this Synod on Synodality as a vertical process, either as a bottom-up or a top-down reform of the Catholic Church, we highlight its restrained engagement with academia, a lateral community of listening and discernment. Full article

The Franciscan presence in China is one of the first expressions of the Chinese encounter with Christianity. Despite the significant number of preserved documents and archives, research on the Franciscans in China is still limited. Furthermore, previous studies have predominantly focused on the texts and activities of foreign missionaries, often neglecting the role of their Chinese collaborators and converts. The purpose of this paper is to examine the interactions between Franciscans and Chinese people from a diachronic perspective, starting from the first phases of the Franciscan presence in China during the Yuan dynasty and tracing its development through the centuries up to the 20th century. Analyzing the transformation of these interactions, this paper will outline the long and gradual evolution of Franciscan foreign missions into expressions of a local church, detecting unexplored issues such as the establishment of institutes for the local clergy or the shift in the assignment of significant tasks in the Order to Chinese members. The preliminary findings of this research underscore the necessity for further studies to fully address these complex dynamics. Full article

Despite a succession of advances and setbacks observed here and there, the suppression of regular religion in the age of revolution represented a definitive and irreversible process of the ascendancy of new social groups and classes and, at the same time, the suppression of the power of the two pillars of the ancien régime: the clergy and the nobility. It was also the nation that asserted itself as a “new historical actor”, with a new political and social agency of its own, and also with a new ambition for property and patrimony. Full article

Cultural heritage is a common good passed down as a legacy from previous to future generations. Its preservation is a strong commitment to humanity. The main motivation for this project is based on this understanding and arose from the need for the proper and scientifically documented recording of cultural heritage (CH), both movable and immovable monuments of ecclesiastical cultural treasures. Despite its significance, the systematic documentation of ecclesiastical heritage remains fragmented, lacking a standardized and scientifically driven approach. This research addresses this critical gap by developing a structured methodology for the recording, organization, and digital archiving of ecclesiastical CH monuments. This was accomplished by codifying the actual recording and documentation needs for the ecclesiastical cultural treasures, with the systematic study of the users’ needs. The study focused on the region of Thrace, encompassing areas of Greece, Turkey, and Bulgaria, where post-Byzantine ecclesiastical treasures are expected to be in abundance. Through the design and implementation of surveys and metadata collection, this project has the capacity to facilitate digital transformation across the interconnected fields of religion, arts, and CH. Stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, both within and outside the clergy community, including owners and end-users connected to ecclesiastical cultural treasures, were actively involved in the process. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the vital role of building distance communication channels and promoting digital transformation across the interconnected fields of religion and cultural heritage. Our emphasis was to actively engage stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to create a practical, user-friendly documentation tool that meets their actual needs. Full article

There is research on professional helper education and jobs working in a society with children and youth or supporting vulnerable people, but for academics, working in higher education, and preparing students for these work fields, it is not very common. This research focuses on academics from five European countries who prepare teachers, medical, healthcare, and clergy professionals. The aim is to design a map of pressures and challenges in their work. We hypothesized that academics in professional helper higher education (PHHE) perceive work-related challenges differently. Using explanatory research methodology, we considered higher education responsibilities: the working time and demands of academics. A total of 315 responses were used in our quantitative analyses from Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, and Ukraine. The research questions were as follows: Are there differences between academics’ responsibilities and different PHHE scientific fields or work profiles? How do academics cope with work tasks and work time? How is a long hour-working academic’s profile? Statistical analyses using SPSS included cross-tabulation analysis, ANOVA and correlation tests, and factor analysis. We delimited two scientific fields and four academic working profiles: 1. academics in teacher education; 2. academics in medical/healthcare education; 3. leaders; 4. organizers; 5. classic lecturers; and 6. researchers. We designed five work demand patterns: controls and supports, global pressures, performance pressures, multi-role challenges, and lecturer roles. Drawing the map of pressures, we concluded that there are significant differences between those in teacher education in perceiving global (research, grant, and publish) responsibilities and performance pressures. At the same time, classic lecturers have significantly higher scores on perceiving performance challenges, and we deduced a positive and significant relation between multi-role challenges and overworking time. The design of the long hour-working profile of academics in PHHE is significantly associated with the medical and health scientific field. Men and academics from E.U. countries have significantly higher working time scores than females and workers outside E.U. Leaders have the highest working mean-time score comparing all the working fields and profiles. Our results for higher education teachers, researchers, policymakers, and institutional leaders can be useful in identifying work-related difficulties and maintaining a balanced distribution of work in the academic fields. Full article