215
design, measurement – of biodiversity, of spiritual well-being – mediating pathways and moderating variables. We undertook a thematic, narrative analysis of the
literature. Findings were interpreted through the lens of four spiritual well-being
domains identified through our examination of definitions of spiritual well-being
(see Sect. 10.2).
10.1.2 Our Biases
Our approach to such a task has several biases that we think are important to delineate up front. First, the authors’ different ways of knowing – academic researchers;
disciplinary training in environmental psychology (KNI, RB-W), sociology and
religious studies (DH); integrative family medicine (SLW); and Western worldview
(USA, UK) – bring a certain perspective to the selection and interpretation of the
literature. Second, while we recognise that aspects of religious traditions can have
negative effects on biodiversity (e.g. White 1967) and that not all experiences of
biodiversity or nature foster well-being (e.g. Dallimer et al. 2012, see pp. 52–53;
Heintzman 2016, see pp. 394–395), this chapter focuses on beneficial aspects of the
biodiversity/spiritual well-being nexus. Third, although this is a chapter about the
relationship between biodiversity and spiritual well-being, our author team does not
include an ecologist, which limits our interpretation of the biodiversity component
within the selected literature.
10.1.3 Chapter Structure
In Sect. 10.2 we provide a contextualised understanding of the concept of spiritual
well-being that is taken forward throughout the chapter. We discuss four themes
from our assessment of the literature in Sect. 10.3: (i) influence of spiritual
Box 10.1: Definitions of Biodiversity, Health, Spiritual Well-Being
• Biodiversity is “the variability among living organisms from all sources
including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the
ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within
species, between species and of ecosystems” (United Nations 1992, p. 3).
• Health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and
not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO 1948).
• Spiritual well-being is “concerned with meaning, connection to something greater than oneself and, in some cases, a faith in a higher power”
(Linton et al. 2016, p. 12).
10 Biodiversity and Spiritual Well-being
design, measurement – of biodiversity, of spiritual well-being – mediating pathways and moderating variables. We undertook a thematic, narrative analysis of the
literature. Findings were interpreted through the lens of four spiritual well-being
domains identified through our examination of definitions of spiritual well-being
(see Sect. 10.2).
10.1.2 Our Biases
Our approach to such a task has several biases that we think are important to delineate up front. First, the authors’ different ways of knowing – academic researchers;
disciplinary training in environmental psychology (KNI, RB-W), sociology and
religious studies (DH); integrative family medicine (SLW); and Western worldview
(USA, UK) – bring a certain perspective to the selection and interpretation of the
literature. Second, while we recognise that aspects of religious traditions can have
negative effects on biodiversity (e.g. White 1967) and that not all experiences of
biodiversity or nature foster well-being (e.g. Dallimer et al. 2012, see pp. 52–53;
Heintzman 2016, see pp. 394–395), this chapter focuses on beneficial aspects of the
biodiversity/spiritual well-being nexus. Third, although this is a chapter about the
relationship between biodiversity and spiritual well-being, our author team does not
include an ecologist, which limits our interpretation of the biodiversity component
within the selected literature.
10.1.3 Chapter Structure
In Sect. 10.2 we provide a contextualised understanding of the concept of spiritual
well-being that is taken forward throughout the chapter. We discuss four themes
from our assessment of the literature in Sect. 10.3: (i) influence of spiritual
Box 10.1: Definitions of Biodiversity, Health, Spiritual Well-Being
• Biodiversity is “the variability among living organisms from all sources
including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the
ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within
species, between species and of ecosystems” (United Nations 1992, p. 3).
• Health is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and
not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO 1948).
• Spiritual well-being is “concerned with meaning, connection to something greater than oneself and, in some cases, a faith in a higher power”
(Linton et al. 2016, p. 12).
10 Biodiversity and Spiritual Well-being