Papers by Jobi Thomas Thurackal
The role of personality factors in the psychological maturity and spiritual development of the Ca... more The role of personality factors in the psychological maturity and spiritual development of the Catholic seminarians have not received due attention during their priestly formation. Consequently, the root causes of personality problems of the priests were not fully addressed. In this context, some Indian psychologists claim that “many religiously oriented persons and organizations until very recently gave little systematic attention to mental and emotional health” and as a result of this “many religious and priests remained emotionally immature, with great cost to their spiritual development and inter-personal functioning” (Parappully & Mannath, 2009, p. 34). Hence, a detailed study can contribute substantially to examine the psychological change during the priestly formation and to rectify the psychological inadequacies. Based on McAdams (1995) model of three distinct levels of personality description, we explore personality factors, psychological maturity, spiritual development and meaning in life in the emerging male adults of Catholic seminarians and nonseminarians in India, using variable-oriented and person-oriented approaches in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Chapter 1 introduces the theoretical background of the research project, roughly based on the model of three levels of personality description: (1) dispositional traits, (2) characteristic adaptations – psychological maturity, and (3) integrative life stories – spiritual development and meaning in life (McAdams, 1995). Chapter 2 describes how personality is related to self-compassion among the emerging male adults of Catholic seminarians and nonseminarians in India. The results showed that personality was a predictor of self-compassion and more precisely, Neuroticism was a strong negative predictor of self-compassion in both samples. In Chapter 3, we examine the relationship between spiritual development and gratitude among Indian emerging male adults. Awareness of God was a significant predictor of gratitude for both samples of Catholic seminarians and nonseminarians, whereas, Realistic Acceptance of God became a predictor of gratitude for seminarians only. Chapter 4 focuses on the relationship between personality and spiritual development among Indian emerging adults of Catholic seminarians and nonseminarians. The results showed that personality and spiritual development were closely related among seminarians and nonseminarians but the degree of relationships was different in the samples. Chapter 5 focuses on a longitudinal study of stability or change of personality, psychological maturity, and spiritual development of emerging adults of Catholic seminarians of philosophy and theology. Results showed that personality factors of the Big Five remained stable, whereas the Honesty-Humility factor showed an increase in seminarians, particularly among theology students. No change was found in the spiritual development factors. Levels of Self-compassion increased in theology students. Avoidance, a negative factor of forgiveness, increased in philosophy students, whereas gratitude, hope, and forgiveness remained stable among both philosophy and theology students. In chapter 6, we explore meaning in life among Catholic seminarians. Based on a person-oriented approach, four types of meaning-in-life profiles present in secularized Western were replicated in a sample of Indian seminarians and a significant positive association between Presence of Meaning and Search for Meaning was found.status: publishe
Tattva - Journal of Philosophy, 2018
This paper examines the different aspects of meaning in life from a theoretical perspective of ph... more This paper examines the different aspects of meaning in life from a theoretical perspective of philosophy and psychology. It deals mainly with the dynamism ofmeaning in life on the basis of contextual perspectives and its emergence from different sources. In this regard, religion plays an important role in the formation of meaning in life, especially in relation to its competence. Moreover, the praxis of meaning in life is processoriented and is different from the purpose of life. It also remains as a connector between the existential vacuum and the reality of life, promoting stability in life. The expression of meaning in life can be based on both low and high levels. Above all, meaning in life can be seen from two different aspects of presence of meaning and search for meaning, specifically from the empirical and Indian contexts.
European Journal of Mental Health, 2016
Archive for the Psychology of Religion, 2016
Gratitude, a significant Christian value, is regarded as a duty among Indians. The present study ... more Gratitude, a significant Christian value, is regarded as a duty among Indians. The present study examines the role played by spiritual development in gratitude among the Indian population. The participants were emerging Indian male adults, aged between 18 and 30 years. The first sample is from 495 Catholic Indian seminarians (267 theology students and 228 philosophy students) with intensive spiritual training, and the second is from 504 Catholic Indian nonseminarians. We use the Gratitude Questionnaire-6 and the Spiritual Assessment Inventory (SAI) in the study. The results show that the factors of SAI, Awareness (of God) and Realistic Experience (of God), had medium-size correlations with gratitude in both samples. Awareness predicted gratitude in both samples and Realistic Acceptance predicted gratitude only in seminarians. The study shows that individuals with an awareness of God's presence tend to be highly grateful. Spiritually mature individuals who undergo spiritual train...
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Papers by Jobi Thomas Thurackal