All Shall Be Well: An Approach to Wellness - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0819223743 ISBN 13: 9780819223746

Verlag: Morehouse Publishing, 2009

Inhaltsangabe

This substantive book addresses the CREDO approach to wellness. Chapters explore the theology of wellness and identity, core values, creativity and passion, renewal, emotional health, spiritual practices, balance, transformation, and fitness. It features a foreword by the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. Models, perspectives, theories, and stories are provided by contributors who are involved with CREDO as faculty, researchers, or participants.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorinnen und Autoren

William S. Craddock Jr. is a business executive who worked with Trinity Church, Wall Street, in the development and management of The Clergy Leadership Project from 1991 until 1995. He also served as Director of The Cornerstone Project, a ministry of the Episcopal Church Foundation. He served as the Managing Director of CREDO Institute, Inc. from 2001 until 2012 and then served as Senior Vice President of the Church Pension Group, overseeing Education and Wellness programs. He retired in 2015 and is now serving as Chair of the Board of Directors for St. Vincent's Centre for Children with Disabilities and also co-founder of Give Back Memphis, a pro bono consulting resource for non-profit organizations.

Katharine Jefferts Schori was the ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada and the former Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church of the United States. She lives in Nevada and is the author of A Wing and a Prayer: A Message of Faith and Hope and The Heartbeat of God: Finding the Sacred in the Middle of Everything.

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All Shall Be Well

An Approach to Wellness

By William S. Craddock Jr.

Church Publishing Incorporated

Copyright © 2009 The Church Pension Fund
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-8192-2374-6

Contents

Acknowledgments
Contributors
Foreword Katharine Jefferts Schori
Introduction William S. Craddock, Jr.
I. Identity
II. Discernment
III. Practice
IV. Transformation

Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

IDENTITY

Who Am I?

Life is to be lived forward but it is understood backward.

—Søren Kierkegaard

Identity is an umbrella term usually used to describe an individual'scomprehension of self as a discrete, separate entity. Identity is, simply, asense of self that remains constant and identifiable across a variety ofsituations and circumstances. The essays in this chapter introduce a morerelational understanding of identity—connecting and balancing the conceptof the individual with others and with God. This broader perspective of identitymay lead us to a richer sense of wellness, wholeness, and holiness in our lives.

Based on their work for the CREDO "Borders and Bridges" research project, Drs.Kreiner, Hollensbe, and Sheep introduce practical social science concepts aboutidentity in their essay, "Balancing the 'Me' and the 'We.'" They suggest thatthe tension between the need to be unique and the need to belong is a life-longbalancing act along the path to wellness.

In "Toward a Theology of Wellness," the Rt. Rev. Jeffrey Lee ties the concept ofwellness with identity. He shares a personal glimpse of his relationship withhis son to convey the essence of loving and being loved by God.

In "Values to Live By," the Rev. Dr. Robert R. Hansel explores identity througha foundational awareness of our core values. Robert refers to values asstandards, used as a compass, helping people steer a life-course that isresponsible and meaningful. He suggests a set of Christian core values thatunderlie and sustain us in our lives.

The Very Rev. Canon Michael J. Battle, Ph.D. addresses the murky waters ofidentity with Ubuntu, an African spirituality that begins with community andmoves to individuality. In his essay, "Toward a Theology of Identity," Michaelinvites us to rethink our modern, isolated, Cartesian sense of identity andbegin to understand a more relational ontology, an identity interdependent withothers as expressed in the powerful aphorism: "I am because we are."

Dr. Mathew L. Sheep, a researcher and assistant professor at Illinois StateUniversity, examines the relationship of identity to wellness along threedimensions: multiplicity, different levels, and change. Throughout his essay,"The Relationships of Identity to wellness," Mathew emphasizes ways thatindividuals, as people of God, can more clearly know themselves, theirconnections with others, and the critical role of health and wellness innavigating change and serving others.

Balancing the "Me" and the "We"

Identity Work as a Path toward Wellness

Glen E. KreinerElaine C. HollensbeMathew L. Sheep

I think a lot of clergy take themselves way too seriously. My metaphor isthat they need to buy a collar that is one-half inch bigger because the one theyare wearing is way too tight, and cuts off oxygen to their brain.

—Episcopal priest

Have you ever felt like your job, your family, or some other obligation iscompletely defining you? Have you ever wondered where the unique "you"disappeared amidst all the demands on your time, talent, and energies? You'renot alone. In addition to your own experiences, you can probably pretty easilythink of a friend, a family member, or a neighbor who seems to be working toohard, losing themselves to work or social obligations, or just generally toospent for healthy living. Why is this happening? And what can we do aboutit—for ourselves and for those around us?

This chapter is about the search for "optimal balance"—the "just right"equilibrium between being ourselves and being what other people want us to be.In the chapter, we share some insights as to why this might be happening. Wehope that we can provide a language for understanding some of these challenges,with the hope that the language can give you power over the problem.

Let's start with what research has shown to be a universal challenge—thatevery individual lives in a constant tension between two aspects ofself—the social identity, which comes from group memberships suchas roles, occupation, or church, and the personal identity, whichrepresents the aspects of self that are unique to each person, areas such aspersonal history or personality profile. When we rely too much on the socialaspects of identity (our jobs or social connections), we lose our sense of selfas a unique human being. The "me" gets lost in the "we." On the other hand, whenwe rely too much on the personal aspects of identity, we are cut off fromothers. The "me" loses a healthy connection to the "we." We find that, perhapsparadoxically, by acknowledging our limits as human beings, we empower ourselvesto be better instruments for good. In fact, Jesus found it necessary to withdrawfrom others at times—to seek solitude and achieve balance by being alonein prayer—perhaps to renew a clear sense of his identity and mission:"Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." (Luke 5:15–16)

Of course, each of us differs in our approaches to balancing the "we" and the"me." Research has demonstrated that individuals vary in how much they want tomanifest their unique identities as opposed to defining themselves in terms of acollective. It is worthwhile to pause and ask yourself the following questions:

What parts of me are defined by the groups to which I belong?

Am I satisfied with how and how much they define me?

Do I need more individuality in the way I see myself, or do I need more of asense of belonging?

As we ponder these questions, we help ourselves to recognize the need forchange. We call moving toward this change "identity work."

Identity Work

Identity work is what people can do to create and sustain a healthy sense ofself. Individuals engage in identity work as they struggle to find and maintainthe optimal balance between the "me" and the "we." In our work with Episcopalclergy, we found three major ways that individuals can undertake identity work:through segmenting tactics, integrating tactics, and dual-roleor neutral tactics.

Segmenting Tactics

People can use segmenting tactics in identity work to differentiate theirpersonal identity (me) from their social identity (we). We documented severalways people can segment, limit, prioritize, and relegate social identities tocarve out space for personal identity. This process helps crystallize the "me"among the demands of the "we."

Separating Role from Identity

With this tactic, an individual is able to separate the "what I do" from the"who I am." Distinguishing between doing and being helps to gain control overidentity-shaping processes instead of being consumed by them. One clericdescribed the priesthood in this way:

I feel like it is all of my being. I can't just discard it. It's [like] a cloththat has been soaked with a stain that is through and through—and yet...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Morehouse Publishing
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2009
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0819223743
• ISBN 13: 9780819223746
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 193
• Herausgeber: Craddock Jr. William S.
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar