sustain:if:able kiwi

presenting social impact of shared spiritual practices research at Ecclesiology and Ethnography conference 2025

It was really helpful to present my social impact of shared religious practices research at the 2025 Ecclesiology and Ethnography conference in Durham, UK last week.

First, it’s a long way from New Zealand to England and there are geographic degrees of isolation that inevitably result. So it’s always good to be presenting internationally, maintaining connections and developing networks.

Second, the Ecclesiology and Ethnography conference is a lot of fun. There’s live music on the Wednesday. There’s a constructive and encouraging ethos. There are people who remember me from previous years, and I remember them. So it’s simply a great conference to be part of.

Third, I had presented on the research at the biennial International Association for the Psychology of Religion conference in Birmingham a few weeks earlier. So it was good to be able to return to a powerpoint and a presentation I had already worked on, rather than starting from scratch.

Fourth, it was fascinating presenting the same research to practical theologians (Ecclesiology and Ethnography conference) and not psychologists of religion (IAPR). Different audiences, different interests. So it was interesting reflecting on what I wanted to change, and why and what that said about psychologically-engaged theology. It was also interesting to have different questions being asked. The IAPR questions focused on research design. In contrast, several E and E conference questions pushed me to consider further research.

• Could I imagine doing shared spiritual practice online?
• Was there any indication that some participants might struggle with Bible engagement? How might those who are neurodiverse engage with Christian practices like lectio divina?

Several other E and E conference questions suggested further theoretical dialogue partners.

• Had I thought of engaging John Zizoulas and his work on somatic modes of attention?
• Was there any resonance with my work and that of Helmut Rosa’s work on resonance?

These are helpful suggestions and give me food for thought.

Finally, my thanks to the Ecclesiology and Ethnography conference organisors for accepting my paper. My thanks to the John Templeton Foundation, for providing the funding to make possible not only the long haul travel but also the in-country train travel, conference fees and accommodation.

Prayers for others Jeremiah 18:1-12 Year C 2025

It was a privilege to offer prayers for others at the Scots Kirk in Paris on Sunday 7 September. The Old Testament Bible passage was Jeremiah 18:1-12, where Jeremiah watches the potter work with clay, which is then compared to God’s dealings with the nation of Israel. The passage suggests a way of praying as thinking about God the potter putting the world (cities, nations, congregations, individuals) on the wheel.

God our maker, Working at the wheel that is our world,
Moulding, remoulding, making communities of hope and justice,
In our prayers for others, we place on Your wheel this city of Paris
We pray your blessing on town planners and city officials and those who clean our streets
We pray your wisdom for teachers and patience for students returning to school
We pray your compassion for those who support and care for the homeless and isolated
Working at the wheel, Moulding our cities, as places of justice for all; Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer

God who moulds us, working at Your wheel, We bring to you the nations of the world,
We pray for Presidents and Prime Ministers, diplomats and trade negotatiators
We pray your blessing on cities under siege, in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan and the countries of Benin, Ivory Coast and Togo,
We pray for nations in the Pacific, like Papua New Guina celebrating 50 years of independence this week, and Pacific nations still seeking independence
God, mould the nations, as places of hospitality for all
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer

God who moulds us, We bring to you this congregation and the wider Church
We pray your blessing on Scots Kirk, on the ministry of Word and Sacrament here each  Sunday, on the mission of all of us in our apartments and places of vocation
We pray your wisdom for the International Presbytery of Church of Scotland and the moderator Rosie Frew, as she speaks for justice and offers words of hope
We pray your grace and abundance on other Christian communities in this city
Working at the wheel, Moulding our churches, as places of abundance for all;
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer

God who moulds us, We bring to you ourselves and those we know,
We pray your blessing – for health and wholeness for those who are sick and grieving
For clarity for those seeking for the words of eternal life
For courage for each of us to embrace the cost of discipleship,  to let you mould our passions and possessions. Working at the wheel, Moulding each of us through the cost of discipleship;
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer

the anxiety of interdisciplinary research

Interdisciplinary research is certainly anxious making. Last week, I presented my social impact of selected religious practices research at the biennial International Association for the Psychology of Religion conference in Birmingham.

Presenting internationally to psychologists researching religion was certainly not on my 2025 bingo sheet as the year begun. But with the encouragement of the Psychology and Theology Cross training team at the University of Birmingham and the generous offer of financial support from the John Templeton Foundation, my abstract was accepted and I found myself as a practical theologian stepping across academic disciplines.

It was a work in progress presentation. I had completed data collection the evening before I departed New Zealand, so my paper focused on the value of listening in community building and the lack of empirical research into participant experiences of engaging in religious practices. I introduced my research methods, sharing how I was doing action research, inviting participants to share in 8 sessions of lectio divina and gathering data through focus groups, a longitudinal survey, individual diaries and my participant observation. I offered some memorable quotes, from an initial code of two focus groups that I wrapped up, one in June, the other in early July.

And then the time for questions. From experts from other disciplines! How would they respond to my research? Anxiously, I invited questions.

• A first hand went up. They asked why I called what I was doing action research. I noted first that I was researching action, in the sharing together of the practice of lectio divina. Further, as I implemented my design, I made adjustments in response to events that occurred during sessions. Third, my grant application included the words “pilot study” and one of my stated outcomes was to make connections with other scholars researching spiritual practices with a view to further research. So I hoped my initial work would spiral into further research of action.
• A second hand went up. They said they liked the design and asked what Bible passages I used in the lectio divina sessions. I replied the story of Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3 and the transfiguration in Matthew 17.
• A third hand went up. They congratulated me on my research and asked for more understanding of how practising lectio divina might strengthen community. I responded with a story shared by one of my participants in an interview.

The five minutes for questions was complete. I was done. I had survived. And still alive.

My research into the social impact of selected religious practices had been treated with thoughtful respect. The questions had been genuine.

“It’s really a joy to listen to other people” research poster

My research poster I presented at the Psychology-engaged Theology Conference in Birmingham, 2025 as part of a Capstone event for the Psychologically-Engaged Theologians Cross-training fellowship I have been part of. The poster is a “work in progress” – a preliminary analysis of half of the data from half of the research cohorts I have conducted.

a researching life and 24% of my winter evenings

Last night was another session in my research into the social impact of spiritual practices. It was raining and misty as I drove to Cohort D for our sixth evening sharing in spiritual practice.

I began this data gathering phase of the research on 1 May. It’s now the 31st of July. I’ve conducted 26 sessions with 4 cohorts over the last 92 days. 24% of my evenings this winter have been out and about researching!!

Thankfully, only a few nights have been raining. Pleasingly, all my participants have been engaged, engaging and informative. Gratifyingly I expect to shortly have 7 focus groups, 23 weekly journals and 64 survey forms. That’s a very rich store of qualitative data to inform my research into the social impact of shared spiritual practices (as part of the Psychologically engaged theology crosss-training with John Templeton)

(I know that social media posts are supposed to have visual images to draw attention. But honestly, it was too wet, dark and cold last night to grab an image of a wet and cold Dunedin night!)

emoji-gesis! Visualising online climate change activism: public eco-theologies in grassroots climate-justice organisations article

I’m delighted to have some new research published in Theology journal.

Taylor, S. (2025). Visualizing online climate change activism: public eco-theologies in grassroots climate-justice organizations. Theology, 128(4), 247-256. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040571X251354942

Keywords – climate justice – digital activism – public theology – social media – visual grammar

My paper explores how visual images are used in digital activism. Visual images are a key dimension of online communication. I research the social media visual images of two UK Christian organisations activating for climate justice.

I describe visual grammar analysis and emoji-gesis. I demonstrate how colour, perspective and composition read the header images of these two activist organisations. I do emoji-gesis by tracking how emoji’s communicate different activist journeys.

The visual grammar of the two organisations is distinctive. The visual posting is a public theology that communicates activist journeys, intergenerational participation and prayer. Images of prayer as public witness offer a unique online activism, different from how secular activist organisations mobilise collective action. The research has practical implications for Christian organisations. It encourages developing unique visual identities rather than one-size fits all approaches to activism.

I’m delighted for several reasons.

1. Its great to have some emoji-gesis published. The article includes analysis of emojis used online in climate justice organisations. There is an entire paragraph where I write with the emojis (the Theology journal kindly let me offer a colour version for free).
2. It’s always great to be published academically and to watch work grow and improve through peer review and copy editing.
3. This is the first public research output emerging from my research fellowship with IASH, Edinburgh. There has been a long slow burn – applying for the research fellowship, navigating research ethics in a different university, learning in a new city.
4. It’s a placemarker and the first in what will be a range of outputs from the Grassroots digital activisms project. There is a book chapter accepted. The April 2025 colloquium is a work in progress toward a special issue of a journal. There is ongoing research which could well result in more outputs.
5. To have all this emerging from what was such a fun 7 weeks in Edinburgh is very satisfying.

brief review of Material by Nick Kary

Glad to have read Material by Nick Kary. It explores handcraft by sharing interviews with crafters in the South of England. Basket makers, copper smiths, furniture makers reflect on place, making and identity. 

It’s an intense read, tightly woven but worth the readers attention. My copy has around 15 pages marked that have helpful thoughts about the process of making. It’s given me new ways of thinking about my own research of makers, both those who knit for Christian mission and who activate in digital space for climate justice.

baking cakes and marking research transitions

Three of my action research cohorts have finished in recent weeks. As part of our ending, I’ve enjoyed baking cakes.

Banana cakes, with either chocolate or lemon flavoured icing!

I’ve baked cakes for several reasons.

1. It marks a change. Probably as much for me as for my participants, it’s a way of marking and ending. As I cream the sugar and mash the bananas, there’s a chance to reflect on our time together and be aware of a change.
2. It expresses gratitude for time. My participants have generously given eight hours to share together in spiritual practice over eight sessions. Some research projects offer incentives to participants, like book vouchers or cash payments, to thank them for their time. However, financial incentives can make the research feel more transactional and might not match the motivations of my participants. A homemade cake feels an appropriate thankyou for my particular cohorts.
3. It manages the debrief. Once the final pieces of data are gathered, I offer to share a brief explanation of the research design. Some participants are interested. Other participants aren’t. Having a cake provides a way to relationally manage the range of responses. I offer serviettes and invite people to take a slice of cake and leave if they wish. Or to stay, enjoy the cake and learn a bit more about the research. People are different and the cake help manage the debrief with a bit of humour and humanity.
4. It navigates a relational transition. The ending of data gathering means there is a farewell. This is with myself as the researcher. It can also be between the participants. Some people want to linger, to ask me a specific question, to make an observation or to arrange to connect in a different way with someone they have enjoyed connecting with a bit more deeply. Having cake helps with this relational transition.

I’ve not baked cakes for other research projects. But it’s been an appropriate way to end this project and mark transitions with the different cohorts who have shared with me in religious practice over this particular piece of John Templeton funded research.

Blessed are the ethnographers

Blessed are those who observe (Psalm 106:3).

After 21 sessions facilitating shared spiritual practice, this week I found myself starting to run out of pages in my participant observation research journal. Which meant I was blessed to be able to buy a second research journal.

I am conducting action research into the social impact of spiritual practices. As part of a John Templeton funded project, I’m currently running 4 cohorts in the late afternoon and evenings. I’m gathering data through focus groups, along with short surveys at the start, middle and end. I’m also inviting participants to keep a weekly journal, to help me understand their individual experiences over time. Finally, I’m also observing. Which means taking notes of responses and interactions.

After every session, I write these notes up as research memos. Often stretching to 3 pages, these research memos will help me remember what happened, when I come to analyse the data in a few months time. The research memos also enable me to record my experiences, helping me get the impressions in my own head down on paper, as a further source of data.

My observations of 21 sessions mean pages and pages of notes. So a milestone this week, after 20 hours of facilitating and observing, at the three-quarter mark, to realise I would need a another brand new research journal.

In a curious quirk, the Psalm for this morning offered encouragement. First, in ways similar to the beatitudes, God blesses those who observe. Ethnography and research memos gain God’s favour. They are empirical methods that value human interactions, create structure in gathering data from lived experience and make the researcher transparent.

The rest of Psalm 106, verse 3 provides a reason for observing – “do what is just.” Ethnography invites critical reflection on the practices of the church. Practical theologians use observation as a tool in bringing change.

Sometimes church practices contribute to injustice. When that happens, ethnography and observation become a prophetic call for change. Sometimes church practices contribute to life. When that happens, ethnography and observation offers encouragement in the seeking of God’s justice hear on earth.

I’m glad that my ethnographic research is blessed :).

spiritual practices when life is out of balance

Spiritual practices when life is out of balance – how might psychology informed research offer resources for preaching on spiritual practices of lament, rest and mindfulness? How might psychology insights and resources be woven with Christian scripture?

Lament – Psalm 69:1-3; 13-16; 33-36; John 11:17-22; 30-37.

Rest – Exodus 20:8-11; Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message translation).

Christ-centred mindfulness – Psalm 62:1–3; 5–8; 11-12: Matthew 6:24-34. A thoughtful reminder to stop rushing and instead remember we’re a part of something bigger than our individual worries. This practice involves experiencing the world as being filled with signs of God, and slowing down long enough to see heaven in ordinary things.

These resources are drawn from Dr Lynne Taylor’s teaching with medical school students, my (Dr Steve Taylor’s) current research into the social impact of spiritual practices and our combined experience of the Psychology and Theology Cross-training through University of Birmingham.

researching the sounds of silence

As I explore spiritual practice, I find that sounds are being magnified. This week, as I researched the social impact of the spiritual practice of silence, I recognised

• a heater whirring
• human voices making introductions
• the turn of paper, the scratch of pen on paper as survey forms are completed,
• a match being struck and a candle lit, calling us to silence
• a phone timer sounding to call us out of silence
• the exhale of a person’s breath as a lit candle is blown out
• the rustle of lolly wrappers as an ending treat

Such are the sounds of Cohort C experiencing the spiritual practice of shared silence. This is one of 5 cohorts I am researching with as part of my John Templeton funded 12 month research of the social impact of spiritual practices.

Transforming Work with Brill (2024)

Delighted with the publication of Transforming Work: Missiological Perspectives for the Church in the World.

Several chapter authors have provided short summaries of their work.

an open door to welcome cohort C

Cohort C in my action research into the social impact of spiritual practices began last night. There was an open door on a chilly autumn evening.

Cohort C is a variation of cohort A, B and D (which begins tonight). Cohort C is shorter – 4 weeks not 8. Cohort C has different snacks – Werthers Originals. Cohort C is a different practice – silence. There are reasons for these variations, which I might explain in a future post.

But amid the changes, the same four ways to gather data remain. As part of the Psychology and Theology Cross-training research fellowship funded by John Templeton through the University of Birmingham (my project is described here), I am gathering data using surveys, focus group, individual journals and my participation. Together, this gives me qualitative and quantitative data, shared individually and with others.

On the first night we made introductions. Spiritual practices were introduced, first in general, then specifically in relation to silence. A candle was lit and we settled into a period of shared silence. We began with 10 minutes on our first night. It will be 20 minutes the second week, and 30 minutes the third week. Could sitting in silence with others have a social impact?

a table to welcome research cohort B

Yesterday involved laying a table of welcome for cohort B in research investigating the social impact of spiritual practices. The welcome included the offer of participant diaries to record individual experiences and a pre-survey. Plus cheese and crackers and my research diary for ethnographic observations as I introduce spiritual practices and we begin 8 weeks of exploration.

There is a lot of energy involved in recruiting participants, then finding a time and venue that works. So week 1 has a sense of anticipation and expectancy, as strangers connect, questions are clarified and we settle in our shared experience of spiritual practice.

The highlight was a participant holding two types of journal diary – one hard cover, the other white daisy – one in each hand, weighing which they would choose as a companion for recording their experiences over 8 weeks.