Centre Wins Major AHRC Speculative Route Award

Professor John Swinton has been awarded £163,754 for a two year project exploring the spiritual lives of people with profound and complex learning disabilities. Professor Swinton is the first person within the university to win an award under the AHRC speculative route, and the School and University are suitably delighted to have achieved this.

The project is entitled, Understanding the spiritual lives of people with profound and complex learning disabilities: a community oriented action research approach.Professor Swinton directs the University of Aberdeen's Centre for Spirituality, Health and Disability. The department is currently looking of a postdoctoral research student to work with Professor Swinton on the project.

The project is focused on accessing and understanding the role of spirituality in the lives of people who have profound learning disabilities with high support needs. (The term ‘high support needs’ signifies people who have a profound learning disability which includes high support needs and communication difficulties that present major challenges to getting one’s views and preferences heard and understood). Theologians such as Stanley Hauerwas and Jean Vanier have written extensively on the spirituality of people with profound learning disabilities and the ways in which Christian communities can become places of spiritual growth, acceptance and well-being. However, to date there has been no empirical work done exploring the spirituality of people with profound learning disabilities and the role of such communities in facilitating spiritual well-being. The current study will address this gap in our knowledge by exploring the spirituality of people with profound and complex learning disabilities as they live out their lives in relation to various forms of Christian community. It is expected that the results and strategies that emerge from the study will have wider application than any single faith tradition. The project commences in June 2008.

The Centre is currently looking for a Research fellow to work on the project. Informal enquiries should be made to:

Rev. Professor John Swinton
Professor in Practical Theology and Pastoral Care
School of Divinity, History and Philosophy
King's College
University of Aberdeen
ABERDEEN
AB24 3UB
United Kingdom

Tel: Int code+44 (0)1224273224
Email: j.swinton@abdn.ac.uk
Fax: Int code +44 (0) 1224-273750

Page last modified: Wednesday, 20-Feb-2008 11:10:52 GMT

School of Divinity with Religious Studies and Philosophy
King's College · University of Aberdeen · Aberdeen · AB24 3UB · United Kingdom
Tel: Int code+44 (0)1224273224 · Fax: Int code +44 (0) 1224-273750
Email: j.swinton@abdn.ac.uk