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About the Department | Undergraduate Study | Postgraduate Study | Staff Directory | News & Events Professor John Swinton
Professor John Swinton
The University of Aberdeen
School of Divinity, History & Philosophy
Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies
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+44 (0)1224 273224
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j.swinton@abdn.ac.uk
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School of Divinity, History and Philosophy, King's College, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen. AB24 3UB
Chair in Divinity and Religious Studies BD, PhD (Aberdeen), RMN (Registered Mental Nurse),
Jump to: Web LinksCentre for Spirituality, Health and Disability: www.abdn.ac.uk/cshad
^ top Research Interests
I am an ordained minister of the Church of Scotland with a strong commitment to supporting the work of the church. I am member of Aberdeen Presbytery and currently secretary of Christ's College, which is responsible for the welfare and education of candidates for the ministry of the Church of Scotland. I have a particular interest in multidisciplinary education and research. At present I teach cross-college courses in the schools of nursing and medicine at the University of Aberdeen. For a number of years I have taught an interdisciplinary course on spirituality and health that involves nursing students, medical students and students from the Arts and Theology. To my knowledge there is no other course like this in the UK. I also teach on spirituality and healthcare to nurses and occupational therapists at Robert Gordon's University in Aberdeen. I also engage in cross-college interdisciplinary research. An example of this would be our ongoing collaborative research with Professor Steve Heys who heads up the Breast Cancer Unit at Forresterhill Hospital in Aberdeen. We are working on a number of projects exploring the relationship between spirituality and women's experiences of breast cancer. My research profile is similarly multidisciplinary in its emphasis, and I have published extensively within the area of practical theology, pastoral care, mental health studies, disability theology and nursing. I am honorary professor of nursing in the Centre for Advanced Studies in Nursing at the University of Aberdeen ( http://www.abdn.ac.uk/nursing/) where I teach the role of the humanities and healthcare, nursing ethics and qualitative research. I supervise PhD students in nursing studies within a variety of areas. I continue to research and publish in the areas of nursing and medicine. Disability Studies I have a strong interest in disability issues and in particular the theology of disability. We are currently working on a variety of important projects. The Centre for Spirituality, Disability and Health recently won a major research award for a two year project exploring the spiritual needs of people with profound and complex learning disabilities. Details can be found here: http://www.abdn.ac.uk/cshad/award.shtml This is a unique project that will fill a vital gap in our practical and theological knowledge. We are currently working on various projects within the area of disability studies exploring areas such as: genetics and disability, the spirituality of people with profound and complex needs, religion and autism. I recently published a book with Stanley Hauerwas' and Jean Vanier on theology and intellectual disabilities: Living Gently in a Violent World: The Prophetic Witness of Weakness which is the fruits of a conference we held in Aberdeen in 2006. Myself and my colleague Dr. Brian Brock have a new reader in disability about to come out: Disability in the Christian Tradition: A reader (Eerdmans 2012)We are currently commencing a new initiative looking at the theology of dementia. The We are currently commencing a major new initiative looking at the theology of dementia. Details of all of these projects can be found on the website for the Centre for Spirituality, Health and Disability: (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/cshad/ ).
Pastoral Care and Counselling I have a major interest in the pastoral ministry of the church. This interest emerges from my position as a minister in the Church of Scotland as well as my background in nursing and hospital chaplaincy. I teach courses at postgraduate and undergraduate levels focusing on various aspects of pastoral care and counselling and have a number of publications which explore various dimensions of this area of ministry. I am particularly interested in mental health issues both as they relate to the spiritual dimensions of care offered by religious communities as well as the spiritual care offered by established "secular" mental health services. I also have an interest in the role of the church as a community in the care of marginalised people. I direct the department's MTh program in Practical Theology which provides a unique blend of pastoral, ethical and missional studies designed to enable students to develop vital insights and skills within this area.
^ top Current ResearchThe School of Practical Theology in Aberdeen has developed a unique prespective which brings together practical theology and combines it creatively with moral theology in a way that is academically rigorous and practically transformative. Our discipline begins and ends with inquiries focused on practices. The ground for this focus is an understanding of faith as a lived entity. Our task is to think through faith not as "belief" but as lived. Thus the primary reference of our theologizing is the lived life in all its contemporary forms. This contrasts with biblical studies focus on texts, systematics focus on doctrines, church history's focus on the history of the community of faith, but relies on these forms of inquiry in understanding what it means for faith to be lived. ^ top CollaborationsASPARRG (Autism Spectrum People and Religion Research Group)Is an inter-disciplinary Network of academics, practitioners and others, with an European Society for Theology and DisabilityThe European Society for the Study of Theology and Disability seeks to stimulate and support theological reflection on the lives of people with disabilities and their families. It confesses that the Christian Church and its theology often have not used their valuable sources to support such people. It therefore seeks to include people with disabilities in its own activities. It believes that rigorous theological thinking has much to contribute positively to the understanding of social and cultural processes that currently shape their lives. It is particularly concerned with tendencies that target "disability" as a problem to be solved, and that approach it within the framework of liberal individualism and its obsession with consumer choice. The Society brings together people who are committed to support the increasing participation of people with disabilities in Christian communities and in society at large through their research and writing. Further information can be found here. End of Life Care initiative with Duke Divinity School, North Carolina: http://www.iceol.duke.edu/resources/livingwell.html ^ top Teaching ResponsibilitiesI teach courses within a variety of areas including:
I teach and supervise students at postgraduate and undergraduate levels within the full range of practical theology. ^ top External ResponsibilitiesI am a member of the AHRC panel review committee, the British and Irish Association of Practical Theology, the International Academy of Practical Theology and teh American Academy of Religion. I am also a member of the Scottish Association of Healthcare Chaplains and a registered member of the NMC. (Nursing and Midwifery Council) I sit on the National Board of Social Responsibility within the national Church of Scotland and the local boards of mission and ministry. I am a former editor of Contact: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Pastoral Studies (Contact (Now re-titled Practical Theology) is the leading journal of practical theology within the United Kingdom).I was the founding editor of the Scottish Journal of Healthcare Chaplains. I sit on the editorial board of various other leading pastoral journals in Britain and the United States including: The Journal of Religion, Disability and Health, Contact, The Scottish Journal of Health Care Chaplaincy, The Journal of Healthcare Chaplaincy. ^ top Centre for Spirituality, Health and Disability (CSHAD)In 2004 I founded the Centre for the Study of Spirituality, Health and Disability (CSHAD) (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/cshad) which I Direct. The Centre aims to enable academics, researchers, practitioners and educators to work together to develop innovative and creative research projects and teaching initiatives within the areas of spirituality and health and the theology of disability. It seeks to enable a transformation within current health and social care practices and policies that will move caring services, including religious communities, towards a more compassionate, health oriented and genuinely person centred approach to the practice of caring. The centre houses a number of unique research projects and innovative educational initiatives aimed at pastoral carers and health and social care professionals. Summaries of our most recent reports can be found here. It hosted its first international conference in 2004 focusing on the relationship between spirituality and healthcare practices which drew people from all over the world and from a variety of disciplines (nursing, medicine, chaplaincy, pastoral ministry, psychiatry, psychology). Since then the Centre hosted major international research symposia on disability and the new genetics, spirituality and health care, Ecclesiology and Ethnography and the theology of adoption. In 2006 we hosted a unique conference which brought together Jean Vanier and Stanley Hauerwas for two days of conversation and reflection. Full details of the Centre's activities can be found on the Centre's website. ^ top Keynote PresentationsMay 2012. University fo Hull. Debate with John Paley: 'Contemporary definitions of spirituality embrace everything and mean nothing.' March 2012. Rampton Hospital, England. 'Compassion towards mentally disordered offenders? March 2012. Uniting Church, Adelaide, Australia. Lecture series on mental health and disability. January 2012. Palmer Lecture, Seattle Pacific University. 'From Believing to Belonging: Why including people with disabilties is not enough.' November 2011. American Academy of Religion Conference, San Francisco. 'A Christian ethnography?' November 2011. Johannelund Theological Seminary, Sweden. 'Dementia, theology and care.' November 2011. Orebro Theological Seminary, Sweden. 'The spiritual lives of people with severe intellectual disabilties.' July 2011. British and Irish Association for Practical Theology annual conference. 'Autism and love: What does love look like?' London School of Theology. March 2011. Royal College of Nursing Spirituality and Health Care Conference, London. 'Spirituality and people with learning disabilities' . June 2011. European Society for the Study of Disability Theology annual conference. 'Autistic Love.' Schoorl, Holland. May 2011. Annual Malcolm Goldsmith Lecture. Who will hold my soul?: Dementia, friendship and September 2010, Theology, dementia and resurrection identities. University of Durham, UK. May 2010 Looking at and Living in: Remembering the personal in religion and health research. 2nd European Conference on Religion, Spirituality and Health, Berne, Switzerland. February 2010 Raging with Compassion: Pastoral responses to the problem of evil. Ambrose Theological Seminary, Calgary, Canada. September 2009 Spirituality in healthcare Catholic University, Seoul, Korea. September 2009 Spirituality and dementia care. The Better Practice Conference, Melbourne, Australia. September 2009 Positioning, holding, and loving. The spiritual heart of dementia care. International conference on Ageing. University of Auckland, New Zealand. March 2007 Learning From The Disabled: An interdisciplinary symposium sponsored by the Templeton Foundation L'Arche, Le Ferm, Trosley-Breuil, France. March 2007. King's College London 'Practical Theology and Qualitative Research.' December 2007 Health in the midst of mental illness. Duke Medical school, North Carolina. October 2007 Theology and learning disabilities Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia. October 2006 Houston Baptist University. 'Spirituality and healthcare: Why nursing needs spirituality.' October 2006: Centre for Ageing and Pastoral Studies, Canberra, Australia. 'Alzheimer's and successful ageing?: A theology of dementia care.' June 2006 College of Healthcare Chaplains-Durham 'Why healthcare needs chaplains:'http://www.wwwbeeson.co.uk/healthcarechaplains/conference06/conf06day2.htm May 2005 Lecture Series: 'Theology, Mental Health and depression.' Princeton Theological May 2005 ACPE Annual conference, Tuscarora, Pennsylvania 'Lecture series: June 2005 Royal College of Psychiatrists AGM, Edinburgh Why Psychiatry Needs November 2004 American Academy of Religion Conference, San Antonio Beyond the social November 2004 University of Newcastle What are people for? Why it might not be such a good October 2004 Ashworth Hospital, Liverpool Spirituality and Forensic Health Care. August 2004 Tayside NHS Trust conference on Spirituality and Human Well-Being More to life than Science: The importance of spirituality as meaningful knowledge. June 2004 Glasgow Caledonian University Theological foundations for nursing. April 2004 University of Kampen, Holland. Spirituality and the care of the elderly. February 2004 University of Glasgow. Spirituality in Contemporary Scotland: A healthcare perspective. January 2004 University of Aberdeen international, multidisciplinary conference: Integrating August 2003 Joint Institute of Theology Lectures 2003, University of St Andrews. Pastoral April 2003 University of Manchester. International Association for Practical Theology Annual November 2003 Prague, Czech Republic. Overcoming Violence: A challenge for the European September 2002 Royal Society of Medicine, London Creativity and learning disability: recognition, nurture and celebration. January 2002 Royal College of Psychiatrists Special Interest Group on Spirituality in Psychiatry. Does evil have to exist to be real? The social construction of evil and the practice of mental health care. December 2001 Harvard Medical School, Boston. Spirituality & Healing in Medicine: Practical Usage in Contemporary Healthcare. December 2005. Stead Centre Lecture: 'Why it might not be such a good idea to kill disabled babies.' Garret Theological Seminary, Chicago. May 2005 Lecture series: 'Theology, Mental Health and Depression.' Princeton Theological Seminary, New Jersey. May 2005 ACPE Annual conference, Tuscarora, Pennsylvania 'Lecture series: 'Spiritual care as hermeneutics.' November 2004 American Academy of Religion conference, San Antonio.? 'Why disability matters.' October 2004 Spirituality and Mental Health Conference, Ashworth Hospital, Liverpool . 'Why science struggles with February 2004 Spirituality in Contemporary Scotland Conference-University of Glasgow. 'Spirituality in healthcare.' January 2004 Integrating Spirituality into Healthcare Practices? Remembering January 2004 Symposium on the Spiritual Dimensions of Healing (chaired by Sarah Coakley) University of Cambridge. 'Spiritual Healing as Hermeneutics: A practical theological exploration of Jesus' healing miracles. September 2003 College of Healthcare Chaplains Annual Meeting. Leeds 'Listening, hearing and understanding.' April 2003 International Association for Practical Theology Annual Meeting. University of Manchester. 'The body of Christ has Down's Syndrome: Theological reflections on L'Arche, disability and Graceful communities.' March 2003 'Chaplaincy Tomorrow Conference, Crieff. 'Can chaplains be healthcare professionals?' January 2003 Tayside Health Board Conference on Spirituality and Healthcare, Dundee. 'Why bother with spirituality?' November 2003 Overcoming Violence: A challenge for the European Churches. Prague, Czech Republic. 'Suicide amongst young men in Scotland.' November 2002. Symposium on Palliative Care. 'Spirituality in Palliative Care.' King's College September 2002 Creativity and learning disability: recognition, nurture and celebration ? Royal Society June 2002 'Spirituality in dementia care.' 1st Global Conference Making Sense of: Health, Illness and Disease St Hilda's College, Oxford. January 2002 Royal College of Psychiatrists Special Interest Group on Spirituality in Psychiatry. 'Does December 2001 Harvard Medical School, Boston. 'Spirituality & Healing in Medicine: Practical Usage in Contemporary Healthcare.' March 2001 ? New College, University of Edinburgh ? Special lecture: 'Resurrecting the Person: Liberation theology and people with severe mental health problems.' June 2001 ? Wayne Oates Institute, Louisville, Kentucky 2000 St John's College Lecture, University of Durham: 'Liberation Theology and Schizophrenia.' September 1999 - 4th National Symposium on Multidisciplinary Care in Forensic Psychiatric Services April 1999 - The 8th Annual Wheaton Theology Conference, Wheaton College, Illinois.? 'Spirituality in Mental Healthcare Practices' ^ top The Kairos Forum For People With Intellectual Or Cognitive Disabilites^ top PublicationsContributions to JournalsArticles
Chapters in Books, Reports and Conference ProceedingsChapters
Other Contributions
Books and ReportsBooks
Commissioned Reports
Other Reports
Other Contributions
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