spiritual

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of sacred things, the Church, religion, etc.

2. standing in a relationship based on communication between the souls or minds of the persons involved

3. See Negro spiritual

4. the sphere of religious, spiritual, or ecclesiastical matters, or such matters in themselves

5. the. the realm of spirits

Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Spiritual

a spiritual song of the American Negro; the most important genre of Negro musical folklore.

Spirituals arose in the southern states of the USA during the period of slavery, and they drew from African and Anglo-Celtic artistic traditions. For the most part, spirituals are associated with biblical images; however, biblical themes are expressed in the vernacular and combined with the narration of daily life. The melodies are distinguished by originality of harmony (pentatonic and six-tone harmony and alternations between major and minor thirds) and rhythm (syncopation). Spirituals convey the moods of tragic loneliness and spiritual suffering and are characterized by their profundity, sincerity, and poetic quality. Initially, they were performed a cappella by a choir as a collective improvisation, in which the melody was varied with each performance. In the last third of the 19th century, reworkings of spirituals appeared for solo singing with instrumental accompaniment (banjo or piano).

V. DZH. KONEN

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References in periodicals archive

His research interest and scholarship include mental health of African Americans, HIV/AIDS prevention, spirituality and adolescent health risk behaviors.

The role of spirituality in the lives of many African Americans has been well documented (Bowen-Reid & Smalls, 2004; Mattis & Jager, 2001).

A conceptualization of spirituality among African American young adults

Al-Gazzali (2004) stated that it is worth noting that spirituality in Islamic context neither encompass facial looks or wealth, personal backgrounds or race, but depends on to what extent ones heart is clean from stains of sins and disobeying Allahs commands.

Spiritual aspects of pious people depicting Islamic spirituality are as follow; careful observance of the Rituals (Ibadat) which comprise of prayers (salat), fasting (saum), charity (zakat) and pilgrimage to Mecca (at least once in a life time) i.e.

Personal Spirituality and Work Attitudes Among Doctors

While no one has been able to provide a universally accepted definition of spirituality, theorists and researchers agree that it is a multidimensional phenomenon.

Spiritual care begins with recognizing the distinctions between spirituality and religion, developing skills in noting the manifestations of spirituality in patients, and knowing that patient's spiritual questions are not problems to be solved by the nurse but opportunities to show compassion and sensitivity.

Spirituality: A Very Misunderstood Word

The inclusion of spirituality proves beneficial in improving health outcomes for African Americans, thus, it may be beneficial to include spirituality when providing care to other ethnic groups as well.

This positions nurses as suitable leaders in the integration of spirituality. "Nurses can promote expressions of spirituality in the patient/family through creation of a climate that communicates love, value, and worth, and that respects others' cultures, beliefs, and practice" (Canfield et al, 2016, p.

Spirituality: Improving Health Behaviors Among African Americans

Spirituality plays an important part in a majority of people's lives around the world.

Spirituality, Psychological Capital and Employee Performance: An Empirical Examination

Despite the major emphasis placed on spirituality in healthcare, spirituality often remains neglected and poorly understood.

Nurses' Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Care at Five Tertiary Care Hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Spirituality is the identification of a person to the spirit (Piryaei & Zare, 2013).

Workplace spirituality and job satisfaction: Moderating role of intrinsic and extrinsic values

* Spirituality is a feeling of interconnectedness with a oneness, higher power or a being.

Conceptualization and organizational outcome correlates of spirituality at workplace