Abstract
Those who minister to people living with chronic illness are called to evaluate and relieve clients from spiritual distress. It takes a particular type of practiced spirituality to meet this task. This workshop offers a listening method for those who minister with and to people living with chronic illness, be it substance abuse, mental health disorders, adult/young adults or children living in long-term care, or a hospital, retreat, or clinical setting. The two primary theorists for this study are Paul Ricoeur and Arthur W. Frank. Ricoeur (1913–2005), a world-renowned philosopher, argues that the narrative has validity as a tool for understanding. Frank, a sociologist, focuses on understanding the narrative, specifically illness narratives. The work here is tempered with the idea that spirituality flourishes in deep conversation with philosophy and sociology, specifically, practical theology. I make the case that in any care ministry, and for this presentation, spiritual care specifically, the praxis of listening to the other’s narrative is central to the hearer’s understanding of the person offering the narrative. I will explain that any spiritual training should include a method to listen to a client’s narrative. Based on philosophical and sociological research, I created a learning tool to assist in this training.
Presenters
Paul ButlerDirector of Spiritual Care and Mission Integration, Mental Health Counselor, Elizabeth Seton Children’s and Mountainside Treatment Center, New York, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2025 Special Focus—Fragile Meanings: Vulnerability in the Study of Religions and Spirituality
KEYWORDS
Narrative, Tool, Spirituality, Philosophy, Practical
