Feature

Adults at play

In this series by SISTAD* students, Major Elizabeth Turner tells us about the theme of her BA (Honours) Pastoral Care with Psychology dissertation: ‘Exploring the role of Godly Play in facilitating spirituality in adults’

EVERY now and then, doors of discovery open to us that we can walk through to incredible places. For me the Pastoral Care with Psychology course was one of those doors and I’m grateful to those who guided me through it. In encountering Godly Play, doors of discovery opened to me as never before.

Godly Play was devised by Jerome Berryman, a priest and psychology professor. Inspired by Sofia Cavalletti’s religious development of the Montessori educational method, Berryman sought to offer spiritual language and nurturing to children in hospital.

I believed that Godly Play could also positively impact adults, but how could it be measured? My dissertation attempted to examine this.

Spirituality embraces the notion that there is something greater of which we are a part. In his book The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God, Dallas Willard suggests that every living thing requires an environment ‘that is suited to it’ and that ‘cut off from its special world it languishes and eventually dies’.

The Godly Play method presents a Scripture or faith story in a measured manner, using visual elements and allowing space for verbal and creative contemplation. Some adults might balk at the word ‘play’, considering Paul’s admonishment to relinquish childish things (see 1 Corinthians 13:11). Yet Jesus urges us to ‘become like little children’ (Matthew 18:3) in their open and ready acceptance of spiritual matters.

Spirituality has claimed the attention of many researchers, who have sought to understand its impact on people’s minds and bodies. In reading around the nature of spirituality and psychology, I found four areas to consider and explore in my study.

First, a ‘sophisticate theology’ emerges in reflecting on the impact of a sacred story. When people try to explain some unusual experience that’s happened, they borrow words or pictures to help describe it. Similar language is used in the Bible and so aids understanding and reflection.

Second, research suggests wisdom is generated by openness, which is not easy to entertain when we are distracted and busy. ‘Sacred space’ allows us to pause our hectic activity to connect with the spiritual.

Third, ‘layers of meaning’ unfold in thinking about aspects of our lives, as we try to make sense of our experiences. This process seems to be automatic as studies suggest our unconscious minds are also involved. Helping children to process their experiences was a key aspect of Godly Play; perhaps it could assist adults in processing their own stories too.

Qualities such as the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22 and 23 are part of the fourth area, ‘sacred language’, used by those who are spiritually inclined. Berryman describes an atmosphere of joy in Godly Play settings with children. This characteristic emerges in other studies around spirituality. I wondered if joy would be experienced by those in my study.

I gathered six adults of different ages from a regular Bible study group, all professing a Christian faith. After a presentation of a Godly Play story – ‘The Good Shepherd’ based on Luke 15:1–7 and Psalm 23 – I questioned them together, looking for signs of my four aspects that might indicate some spiritual facilitation.

Reflecting on their experience of the story presentation and what they chose to do subsequently – quiet reflection, reading the Bible or other Christian books, creative expression from a range of craft materials or another activity – my participants described thinking about biblically rich symbols, which came into the area of a sophisticate theology.

A deep sense of awe or openness emerged in other responses, pointing to a sense of having entered a sacred space. Layers of meaning were echoed in speaking about aspects of the Godly Play story in relation to specific personal struggles.

When it came to spiritual language, joy was there but in less overt measure than it seemed to be with children. Even so, like children on Christmas morning, the adults expressed surprise at what they had received by participating in Godly Play. They seemed unanimous in suggesting that it had a spiritual impact on them. One wisely suggested it had much to do with attitude. Rather like doors, our minds can be open or closed to what presents itself to us.

While my study was small, limited and conducted with people of faith, I was encouraged to see signs emerge that Godly Play does appear to facilitate spirituality in adults as well as in children.

MAJOR ELIZABETH TURNER M

Corps Officer Prestonpans

*SISTAD is the territory’s School for In-Service Training and Development, which provides courses for officers and employees, plus open learning courses for everyone. Visit salvationarmy.org. uk/SISTAD for details.