Tracy J. Trothen

Inequalities in the spiritual health of young Canadians: a national, cross-sectional study

BackgroundSpiritual health, along with physical, emotional, and social aspects, is one of four domains of health. Assessment in this field of research is challenging methodologically. No contemporary population-based studies have profiled the spiritual health of adolescent Canadians with a focus on health inequalities. In a 2014 nationally representative sample of Canadians aged 11–15 years we therefore: (1) psychometrically evaluated a series of items used to assess the perceived importance of spiritual health and its four potential sub-domains (connections with: self, others, nature and the natural environment, and the transcendent) to adolescents; (2) described potential inequalities in spiritual health within adolescent populations, overall and by spiritual health sub-domain, by key socio-demographic factors.MethodsCross-sectional analysis of survey reports from the 2014 (Cycle 7) of the Canadian Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study (weighted n = 25,036). Principal components analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis were used to explore the psychometric properties of the spiritual health items and the associated composite scale describing perceived importance of spiritual health. Associations among this composite scale, its individual sub-domains, and key socio-demographic factors were then explored.ResultsThe principal components analysis best supported a four-factor structure where the eight scale items loaded highly according to the original four domains. This was also supported in confirmatory factor analyses. We then combined the eight items into composite spiritual health score as supported by theory, principal components analysis findings, and acceptable tests of reliability. Further confirmatory factor analysis suggested the need for additional refinements to this scale. Based upon exploratory cross-sectional analyses, strong socio-demographic inequalities were observed in the spiritual health measures by age, gender, relative material wealth, immigration status, and province/territory.ConclusionsStudy findings highlight potential inequalities in the spiritual health of young Canadians, as well as opportunities for methodological advances in the assessment of adolescent spiritual health in our population.

Canadian Children and Spiritual Health: Foundations for Spiritual Care

The spiritual health of adolescents is recognized as being a topic of profound importance, yet little is known about the relationship between spiritual health and its broader impacts on the health of adolescents. This knowledge is necessary if we are to provide adequate spiritual health care to this population. In this article, we present the results of analyses involving a multi-dimensional scale for spiritual health that was adapted for use within adolescent populations.

Eucharistic Eating, Family Meals and the Health of Adolescent Girls

Abstract This national study of adolescent Canadian girls focuses on church or religious group involvement as a potential determinant of health, as well as participation in family meals as a spiritual practice with potential health benefits. Current church involvement did not relate to improved emotional health, suggesting the need for more integrative messages and practices. Findings confirmed the strong protective relationship between regular participation in the family meal and health benefits among girls. Drawing on health research and theological reflection, we argue that regular participation in the family meal is a potentially powerful practice that could benefit adolescent girls. By helping families to understand the importance of the family meal as a spiritual practice, and by providing practical, theologically rich tools for practicing the family meal in our busy culture, these findings have the potential to contribute to the overall holistic health of young people, both in and outside the church.

Through the looking glass: women and ministry supervision.

Issues pertaining to women and clinical pastoral supervision are identified and examined in this essay. An in-depth literature review regarding the relationship between gender and supervised pastoral training provides the basis for the identification of the following themes: the relative lack of female supervisors; how and why we ought to talk about gender and ministry supervision; the contextual relevance of systemic marginalization to ministry supervision; the relationship between pastoral care and the “feminine”; the relevance of a panentheistic God to gender and ministry supervision; and, lastly, the relevance of gender to the supervisory relationship. Although the focus is on the ways in which gender dynamics can affect the female supervisees experience, the author also takes a brief look at how female supervisors might experience the relevance of their gender to the art of supervision.

Moral Bioenhancement from the Margins: An Intersectional Christian Theological Reconsideration

Why not pursue moral bioenhancements? The world could be a better place. From an intersectional Christian perspective, Trothen considers empathy, autonomy, dependence, authenticity, sin, and virtue. She argues that how these concepts are understood is important to the assessment of moral bioenhancements. Empathy is explored as an example of a virtue that we may be able to enhance through pharmacological means. Throughout this discussion, she considers global systemic power imbalances and power. Trothen concludes that while there may be cautious justification for some moral bioenhancements, suspicion is needed regarding whose voices are not being heard in this debate.

Making Us Better: Believe It or Not?

In this concluding chapter, Trothen teases out some of the most significant themes of the book. She distills key points of intersection and divergence between transhumanist promoters of human enhancements and religious commitments. Other themes include personal identity and what is valuable about being human, the relationship between human desire and what it means to have a good life. The place of mortality as part of being human is discussed in relation to the possibility and desirability of radical life extension. Trothen makes the case that enhancements do not ensure happiness, but they may have a role in making the world better. The interdependence of all life is the key to her analysis.

Bodies and Behaviours: A Study of Body Image in Adolescent Girls and the Canadian Church

This is an interdisciplinary study that applies Christian feminist theology and health sciences’ insights to the results of a study concerning adolescent girls and body image. The desire of adolescent girls to be thin is inherently connected to their desire for wholeness, acceptance and unconditional love, and the promise of Christianity reaches a wholeness of this depth. And yet, the reality of the churchs relationship to the female body often results in destructive patterns of low body image and emotional health. Thus, using quantitative methods, we employed a large and representative sample of Canadian adolescent girls to: (1) investigate how often they report healthy and unhealthy images of their bodies; (2) relate perceptions of body image to self-reported adiposity (body mass index or BMI) status; (3) relate perceptions of body image to diets and other measures used to control body weight; and (4) to determine whether the above perceptions and relationships are modified by participation in church or religious groups. We present an initial overview of our findings that suggest that church involvement does not protect adolescent girls from modern challenges with body image. We then go on to consider the possible relationship between these findings and contemporary theologies. Practical implications for the practice of spiritual care are also identified.

Response to: Theology from Outside the Foxhole

Abstract A response to L. Clifton Edwards’ reflections on military heroism.