Religious Leaders’ Exposure to Suffering, Personal Spiritual Doubts, and Well-Being: An Empirical Study Applying the Relational Spirituality Model
摘要
The current study analyzed data from a nationally representative sample (N = 1,600) of U.S. clergy across diverse faith traditions. We applied the relational spirituality model to explore the notion that how clergy navigate their own spiritual doubts and vocational exposures to suffering can have impacts on their well-being. Such experiences might thrust religious/spiritual leaders into a period of spiritual seeking as they grapple with existential questions about their call, role, and limitations. Moderation analyses evaluated whether religious/spiritual leaders’ openness to psychological science could help buffer their well-being in times of spiritual seeking, potentially through increasing access to resources and providing language that helps capture the complexity of their experiences. Our hypotheses were supported for spiritual doubt but not for frequency of spiritual care provision. Limitations, particularly involving measurement constraints, are discussed. Intervention efforts should consider how to increase mental health fluency as part of seminary formation. Future research is needed to understand how exposure to suffering may interact with personal psychological vulnerabilities to create a differential toll. Given some clergies’ reticence to engage with psychology, mental health professionals should utilize culturally responsive approaches, honoring the wisdom, strengths, and resources embedded within religious/spiritual frameworks.