Well-being, Personal Wholeness and the Social Fabric

Well-being is a familiar term in academic literature and public discourse. It captures the imagination by addressing issues related to the social good and the quest for personal happiness. It embraces a wide variety of concerns: age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, self-esteem, health, class, education, institution and ecosystems, among many issues. Well-being studies focus on the welfare of the world and its inhabitants, bringing holistic and transformative perspectives to bear. The Christian faith has been a powerful contributor to this tradition over the centuries. Human beings, made in the image of God, are called to live transformed lives through the Spirit of Christ in communities of grace and reconciliation for the benefit of others, caring for our planet in the expectation of God’s new creation. What difference does the study of well-being from a Christian perspective make?

The results of this wide-ranging volume are rich, diverse and insightful. The chapters engage issues of fundamental relevance to our well-being: the role of humour; music in dementia care; the urban crisis; student resilience; the value of pilgrimage; our moral compass; overcoming prejudice; integrated and faith-based leadership for the greater good; the malaise of Late Capitalism and the importance of interconnectedness. Further studies adopt theological, patristic and biblical perspectives, exploring personal meaning and well-being, the rational creation, and the notion of well-being articulated in the earliest biography of Christ. Easily overlooked in our cynical century, the social dynamism of early Christianity remains undiminished.