Spiritual Thinking in Day-to-Day Life Course Overview

This course explores the interrelationship between “spirituality” and the biological, psychological, and social dimensions of human experience. “Spirituality” designates the human longing for a sense of meaning through morally responsible relationships between diverse individuals, families, communities, cultures and religions. In addition, this course will explain the important differences between organized “religion” and “spirituality. It will observe a variety of religions, ethnicities and culture, as well as discuss support groups which use belief in a “higher power” and perspectives that search for ultimate meanings and purposes. This course is considered to improved social work practice by (a) identifying and utilizing the qualities of a spirituality sensitive helping relationship, and (b) acquiring knowledge about ways to deal with matters of the human spirit. Epistemologically, the course assumes that there are many avenues to human knowing. As such, this course explores various scientific approaches to studying the relationship between spirituality, religion and health making a reductionist statement that scientific methodologies are superior to critical philosophic ways of knowing, feeling and judging.  Contributing to our understanding of religion and spirituality are official religious beliefs imbedded in historical oral traditions, written scriptures, liturgical rituals, organized works of charity, and legal authority structures. Lastly, the course discovers how individuals view spirituality and religion as they move through the life cycle, thereby integrating theories of human development.