Dr Bernadette Flanagan

I specilise in contemplative research methods.   It us well known that an  important component of most programmes of postgraduate study is the closing assignment  —  the research, dissertation or thesis. This assignment often assumes Olympic proportions for those who have to undertake it so as to complete the award for which they are studying. The perception of thesis-writing as a burdensome undertaking usually arises from the fact that it will be the longest piece of writing ever undertaken by the student. In the context of the anxiety generated by writing such a long piece of work, as well as the challenges of acquiring the technical skills that undertaking research requires, it can be difficult to integrate such a task with the content and focus of a postgraduate programme in spirituality. However a number of recent developments are changing the nature of the research experience and, as a result, the research project has the potential to become a privileged occasion of spiritual transformation for those undertaking it. 

Current​ly supervising 4 PhDs at SETU

From Santiago de Compostela to South East Ireland:   An Investigation of Opportunities to Localise the attraction to International Pilgrimage Routes in the Celtic Cultural-Spiritual Heritage of South East Ireland

Hunger for Food, Hunger for Life: THE Inner Spiritual World of Women who have overcome Eating Disorders

Contemplative Practices in the Protestant Traditions Today: A Mixed Methods Study of International Teachers.

An Investigate of the function of Inner Development Goals (IDGs) in the advancement of Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs).

Previous Research Supervision Commitments:

36 MA Theses, ​4 PhD Thes​es Supervised to Completion ​

External Examination of Doctoral Theses

St Mary’s University, Twickenham:  Charism and Community: A Study of New Monasticism with Special Reference to the Northumbria Communit -September 2022

Dublin City University   :  Shamanic Spirituality as a Therapeutic Resource: An Exploratory Study: August 2018

St Mary’s University, Twickenham:  An Evaluation of Spiritual Education programmes in the UK for Hospice Chaplains -September 2017

University of Winchester: Christian perspective on enabling spiritual formation in relation to work - May 2016

Queen’s Foundation: Birmingham University:  Practices of Silence amongst Contemporary British Christian Women -  July 2015

University College London  : The Medicalisation of Sadness, Depression and Spiritual Distress: A Phenomenological Study  - August 2014

School of Divinity, University of St Andrews , Scotland:  A Critical Examination of Christian Ministry: Pastoral Perspectives by Preachers of the Churches of Christ in Bicol Province in the Philippines  - June 2014

School of Divinity, Edinburgh University  : Spiritual Direction as a Spiritual Practice for Reconciliation Ministry: A Personal Reconciliation Perspective

April 2012

Liverpool Hope University: Pursuing Eudaimonia: Re-appropriating the Greek Philosophical Foundations of the Christian Apophatic Tradition

Nov 2011

University of East Anglia at Norwich:  An Investigation of Discernment Educationin Spiritual Accompaniment / Direction Training Programmes in the UK   - May 2011

Peer Reviewed Publications (books, book chapters, journals):

2023

“The art of sustainable wellbeing: an eastern philosophy approach to cultivating happiness”, Indujeeva K. Peiris, Renu Joshi, Bernadette Flanagan, Rohana Ulluwishewa, 2023. Journal for the Study of Spirituality DOI. 10.1080/20440243.2023.2271386

BOOK REVIEW: Bernadette Flanagan (2023) The spirit of global health: The World Health Orgnization and the ‘spiritual dimension’ of health, 1946–2021, Journal for the Study of Spirituality, DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2023.2255418

2022

‘Introduction’ in Bernadette Flanagan, Noelia Molina, eds Spirituality and Addiction Basel: MDPI.  DOI DOIs: 10.3390/rel13060555

Laszlo Zsolnai, Bernadette Flanagan, Luk Bouckaert. (Co-Editors), Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion: Ethics Special Section 19/3. ISSN (Print): 1476-6086

BOOK REVIEW: Bernadette Flanagan (2022) Women and Pilgrimage, Journal for the Study of Spirituality, 12:2, 181-182, DOI: 10.1080/20440243.2022.2126132

Peer Reviewed Conference / Presentations / Posters: 

2023

Symposium, “From Local Sites to Global Encounters: Aspects of Pilgrimage Practice with reference to Recovery from Uncertainty”, The Seventh International Conference of the International Network for the Study of Spirituality - Spirituality, Critical Reflection and Professional Practice in an Uncertain World. 16th - 18th May at South East Technological University, Waterford, Ireland

2022

First speaker, “Motivation, pilgrimage and religious tourism”, 13th International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conference. 29th June – 2nd July. Vilnius, Lithuania

Other Research Outputs (webinars / seminars / outreach programmes / media dissemination)

2023

11th March:  Presentation to International Symposium led by Ancient Connections in collaboration with British Pilgrimage Trust “Pilgrimage Today - routes to flourishing communities & enterprise”, in Riverside Park Hotel, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, to mark the launch of the new Wexford-Pembrokeshire Pilgrim Way linking Ferns in North Wexford with St Davids in Wales.

18th March Interview with Maria Colfer, South East Radio regarding rising interest in Spiritual Tourism and Pilgrimage. https://soundcloud.com/user-603545423/simply-divine-18th-march-23

2022

29 November:  Presentation of SpirSoP Activities to “Awakened Campus” symposium held by the Collaborative for Spirituality in Education, TEACHERS COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, New York. https://spiritualityineducation.org/awakened-campus-global/

Other significant research-related activities

2023

Appointment as Member of International Editorial Board Member of Journal for the Study of Spirituality (JSS). Print ISSN: 2044-0243 Online ISSN: 2044-0251.  2 issues per year.  Abstracted/Indexed in: European Reference Index for the Humanities (ERIH) & Religious and Theological Abstracts; Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI); Scopus. 22K annual downloads/views.

Appointment as Member of International Editorial Board Member of The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine (IJPM). Online ISSN: 1541-3527. ·. Print ISSN: 0091-2174.  2 issues per year. 85.5K annual downloads/views.

2022

Appointed Member of Steering Committee of Christian Spirituality Unit at American Academy of Religion. 1/1/2022 - 12/31/2027. https://papers.aarweb.org/pu/christian-spirituality-unit

Books   

Flanagan, B. and Zsolani, L. (2019) The Routledge International Handbook of Spirituality in Society and the Professions. London: Routledge.  

Flanagan, B. (2016) Nano Nagle: An Evolving Charism to Inspire Leaders, Educators and Care Providers. Dublin: Veritas.   

Flanagan, B. and Thornton, S. (2014) The Bloomsbury Guide to Pastoral Care. London/New York: Continuum.  

Flanagan, B. (2013) Embracing Solitude: Women and the New Monasticisms. Oregon: Wipf & Stock.  

Flanagan, B. and O’Sullivan, M. (2012) Spiritual Capital: Spirituality in Practice in Christian Perspective. England/USA: Ashgate.  

Flanagan, B., Agnew, U. and Heylin, G. (2008) With Wisdom Seeking God: Papers from the First European Conference on the Academic Study of Spirituality. Leuven: Peeters, 2008. Co-edited with Una Agnew & Greg Heylin  

Flanagan, B. and Kelly, D. (2004) Lamplighters: Exploring Spirituality in New Contexts. Dublin: Veritas.   

Flanagan, B. (1999) The Spirit of the City: Voices from Dublin’s Liberties. Dublin: Veritas.  

Book Chapters  

“The New Monasticism.” with D.B. Christie, In The Oxford Handbook of Christian Monasticism, ed. B.M. Kaczynski. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020. 634- 644  

“The Renewal of Contemplative Traditions: New Monasticism and Quotidian Practices.” In Mystical Theology and Contemporary Spiritual Practice, ed. C.C.H. Cook, et. al., London: Routledge, 2018.  

“Christian Spirituality and the Mystical Tradition.” In Spirituality Across Disciplines, ed. M. de Souza, 11 - 24. Dodrecht: Springer, 2016.   

“Nano Nagle and Everyday Leadership.” In Nano Nagle: An Evolving Charism to Inspire Leaders, Educators and Care Providers, ed. B. Flanagan et al., 72 – 84. Dublin: Veritas, 2016.   

“The Emergence of Contemplative Ireland.” In The Catholic Church in Ireland Today, ed. D. Cochran. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books/Rowman & Littlefield, 2015. 143 – 154.  

Journal Articles  

"Pilgrimage: Spirituality on the Move."  Spiritus: A Journal of Christian Spirituality, vol. 19 no. 2, 2019, p. 181-198 

“Research as Spiritual Practice”. Mysterion: Rivista di Ricerca in Teologia Spirituale 12/2 (2019): 397- 402 

“The phenomenon of presence in spiritual care: a tapestry of themes”. Spiritual Care, 7(2)/ 2018, pp. 169-179 .doi:10.1515/spircare-2016-0203.  Co-authored with Martina Corrigan  

“Developing Agreed and Accepted Understandings of Spirituality and Spiritual Care Concepts among Members of an Innovative Spirituality Interest Group in the Republic of Ireland: Case Report”. Religions 7/1 (2016), 1-19 doi:10.3390/rel7030030. Co-author with Fiona Timmins, Maryanne Murphy, Sílvia Caldeira, Eimear Ging, Carole King, Vivienne Brady, Jacqueline Whelan, Colm O’Boyle, John Kelly, Freda Neill, Geralyn Hynes, Kathleen Neenan, Nicolas Pujol, Lisa Fitzgerald, Deborah Hayden, Barbara Sweeney, Mary Threadgold, Michael O’Sullivan, Elizabeth Weathers, Philip Larkin, Therese Meehan, Karen Ward, Hannah Chew, Eunice Minford, Mandy Lee, Margaret Mulcaire, Anne McAuliffe, P.J. Boyle, Noel Keating and Brian Nolan.   

“Implementing Spiritual Care at the End of Life in the Republic of Ireland’, European Journal of Palliative Care,” 23/1 (2016), 42-44. Co-Author with Fiona Timmins, Maryanne Murphy, Nicolas Pujol,  Greg Sheaf,  Sílvia Maria Alves Caldeira, Jacqueline Whelan, Elizabeth Weathers.  

”Spirituality in Contemporary Ireland: Manifesting Indigeneity.” Spiritus: A Journal of Christian Spirituality (Spring 2016): 55-73. Co-Author with Michael O’Sullivan.   

“Serenity Spirituality Sessions: A Descriptive Qualitative Exploration of a Christian Resource Designed to Foster Spiritual Well-Being among Older People in Nursing Homes in Ireland.” Religions 6/2 (2015): 299-316. Link: http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/6/2/299. Co-author with Fiona Timmins, Suzanne Kelly, Mary Threadgold, and Michael O’Sullivan.   

“Quaestio Divina: Research as Spiritual Practice.” The Way: A Review of Christian Spirituality Published by British Jesuits 53, no.4 (Oct 2014): 126 -136.  

James Nelson, & Aiveen Mulally. “Spiritual Education: A Teacher Development Initiative.” Journal for the Study of Spirituality 1, no. 2 (2012): 61–76.  

“Women and Spirituality” In The Bloomsbury Guide to Christian Spirituality, eds. R. Woods & P. Tyler, 320-337. London: Bloomsbury, 2012.    

“Applied Spirituality: Reflections of an Educator.” Spiritus: A Journal of Christian Spirituality 11, no. 1 (2011): 38 – 50