Personnel

Director

Professor John Swinton

Professor Swinton is professor in Practical Theology and Pastoral Care in the School of Divinity, Religious Studies and Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen. He has a background in nursing and mental health chaplaincy and has researched and published extensively within the area of mental health, spirituality and human well-being and the theology of disability.

For further information see: www.abdn.ac.uk/divinity/staff/details.php?id=j.swinton

Core Members

Dr Harriet Mowat

Harriet Mowat’s research interests include spirituality and “successful” ageing, use of qualitative research methods and practical theology and action research as an implementation strategy. Recent activities in this field include a key note presentation in Australia to the Spirituality Health and Ageing third international Conference which has summarised and led to developments in this field; completion, as lead grant holder of a Scottish Executive funded study on the role of the hospital chaplain; completion of a study looking at the Ministers role in suicide in Highland funded by Highland Choose Life; completion of an action research study looking at patient involvement in cancer care, funded by the Scottish Executive.   Professor Mowat co founded “Spirited Scotland” (http://www.spiritedscotland.org/site/about.htm) an action research programme which produces a newsletter for the Scottish Executive focussing on spirituality, health and well being. She is managing director of a research and development company and has an honorary professorship with Robert Gordon’s University, Faculty of  Health and Social Care.    

For further information see: http://www.mowatresearch.co.uk/people/

Dr. David Hay

Is the former director of the Religious Experience Research Unit originally set up by Alister Hardy, formerly professor of Zoology at Oxford University.  He has recently been appointed to the post of Honorary Senior Research Fellow in the School of Divinity, Religious Studies and Philosophy in Aberdeen University.  Hay’s most recent investigations have been concerned with the spirituality of people who have no formal religious connections. He has shown that spiritual experience is extraordinarily widespread in spite of the secular nature of Western European society.  His findings have important implications for an understanding of the psychology of religion and for the processes of European cultural history.

For further information see: www.abdn.ac.uk/divinity/staff/david-hay.shtml

Cristina Gangemi

Holds a masters degree in pastoral theology and catechesis, with a special focus on Disability theology. Cristina is the diocesan advisor for Disability and Inclusion for the Archdiocese of Southwark, as well as being one of the major advisors to the Bishops’ Conference and many other national, diocesan organisations. Cristina has extensive experience in Special Education and the training of specialised Lay ministers. She was the coordinator of disability access and provision during the recent visit of Pope Benedict XVI.

Dr Brian Brock

Brian Brock is Lecturer in Moral and Practical Theology. His particular interests are the ethics of new technology, the use of the Bible in Christian ethics, disability and political theology, and medical ethics.

For further information see: www.abdn.ac.uk/divinity/staff/details.php?id=b.brock

Dr. Alyson Kettles