#12 Bernadette Flanagan | Why Spirituality and Contemplative Studies Matter for Today's Professionals
TRANSCRIPT SUMMARY
(This transcript summary was AI-generated and then edited by the podcast hosts for quality assurance)
#12 BERNADETTE FLANAGAN | WHY SPIRITUALITY AND CONTEMPLATIVE STUDIES MATTER FOR TODAY'S PROFESSIONALS
- a podcast dialogue with Michael Noah Weiss and Guro Hansen Helskog
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
Bernadette Flanagan, an internationally recognized researcher in spirituality and contemplative studies, was invited to our ResponsAbility podcast to discuss the role of spirituality in society and professional studies. Flanagan, who has served as Director of Research at All Hallows College (Dublin City University) and now leads the Spirituality in Society and the Professions research group at South-East Technological University (Ireland), is also editor of two key Routledge handbooks on spirituality and research methods in contemplative studies.
The conversation delves deeply into defining spirituality, its practical role across professional fields, and its methodological exploration in academic research, particularly in relation to responsibility and professional formation.
DEFINING SPIRITUALITY: AN OPEN CONCEPT
Flanagan begins by addressing the complexity and multiplicity of the term "spirituality." She emphasizes that spirituality resists singular definition, as it encompasses diverse frameworks depending on individual and cultural contexts. For some, it represents a quest for meaning beyond inherited religious or cultural systems; for others, it relates to mysticism, where each person is seen as having the potential to awaken to a deeper, mysterious dimension of life. For many, indigenous consciousness is foundational. She refers to Ireland’s own Celtic spirituality, drawing connections to global indigenous traditions, including in Australia and other postcolonial societies. Rather than pinning down one meaning, Flanagan argues that spirituality should be approached as a scaffolded concept, built with "distinctive stuff" by each person or community.
SPIRITUALITY IN PROFESSIONAL LIFE
Flanagan argues that spirituality is relevant within many professional fields. From social work, leadership, nursing, and education to computer science and neuroscience, spirituality provides a conceptual space for intangible human qualities, such as kindness, humility, and presence, that are essential for professional care and relational practices.
She observes a growing interest in biological studies of contemplative practices like meditation, which show measurable effects on well-being and resilience. Such capacities for stillness, attentiveness, and awareness are crucial for navigating complex, high-pressure professions. Moreover, Flanagan addresses the commercialization of spirituality through digital apps that offer "technologies of the self"—practices that cultivate resilience and balance in a rapidly changing world.
THE NEED FOR SPIRITUALITY IN A TIME OF "POLY-CRISIS"
The conversation situates this turn toward spirituality within the context of our contemporary "polycrisis"—a term Flanagan uses to describe the overlapping crises facing the world today, such as climate change, social inequality, and rising violence. These "wicked problems" are interconnected and cannot be addressed in isolation. Spirituality and contemplative practices, she suggests, provide a way to seek stability amid instability, helping people to cultivate inner resources and resilience.
SPIRITUALITY AND CONTEMPLATION: INTERSECTIONS AND DISTINCTIONS
Flanagan distinguishes spirituality as a broad quest encompassing many practices, while contemplative practices often refer to structured, tradition-based methods rooted in historical wisdom traditions like Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, and Hinduism. Contemplative studies typically focus on these inherited practices and their deep, reflective engagement with life’s mysteries, while spirituality, in her view, is a more open-ended exploration that may include novel or indigenous approaches.
THE VALUE OF SPIRITUALITY IN PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
For professional fields such as teaching, nursing, and social care, contemplative and spiritual practices offer structured reflective tools. They provide professionals with systematic ways to reflect on their work, especially in emotionally demanding roles. Flanagan emphasizes that many spiritual traditions offer step-by-step reflective practices, such as Lectio Divina, Visio Divina, and Audio Divina, which are more than a thousand years old and continue to offer meaningful models for processing professional and personal experiences today.
METHODOLOGIES IN SPIRITUALITY AND CONTEMPLATIVE STUDIES
The discussion then turns to Flanagan’s edited Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in Spirituality and Contemplative Studies, where contemplative inquiry and cooperative inquiry are highlighted as key methods. She explains how these approaches share a methodological orientation toward evolutionary knowing, emphasizing that knowledge is dynamic and evolves in response to new challenges.
This orientation resonates with action research, especially as developed by figures like John Heron and Peter Reason. What links these methodologies is their focus on staying open to the unknown—a key aspect of both professional life and spiritual practice, especially in today’s rapidly evolving social and technological landscapes.
FIRST-, SECOND-, AND THIRD-PERSON RESEARCH
Flanagan then explains the differences between first-, second-, and third-person research approaches in spirituality studies.
First-person research focuses on the researcher’s own spiritual journey, including autobiographical and self-reflective methodologies such as intuitive inquiry and autoethnography.
Second-person research emphasizes dialogical, relational inquiry, where learning occurs in cooperative settings like coaching, therapy, or group dialogue.
Third-person research aligns with classical scientific observation, studying spiritual or contemplative practices from an external standpoint.
She argues that all three approaches are needed, depending on the researcher’s context and the nature of the inquiry. However, second-person inquiry holds special value for art-based practices, where collaborative engagement with art, poetry, or ecology can facilitate deeper, communal insights.
PERSONAL IMPACT OF RESEARCH WORK
Flanagan reflects on how supervising over 300 dissertations on spirituality and contemplative studies has profoundly shaped her own perception of life. Each project, she notes, has offered her a new perspective, awakening her to aspects of reality she had not noticed before. For instance, a student’s work on the spiritual dimension of flowers led Flanagan to a new attentiveness to nature. For Flanagan, supervising research has itself become a contemplative practice, enriching her life and understanding through engagement with students’ diverse inquiries.
ENTERING THE FIELD: FLANAGAN’S PERSONAL JOURNEY
Flanagan’s own entry into spirituality studies was not linear. Originally trained in mathematics and theology, she was passionate about mathematics education for girls, recognizing how gendered perceptions can inhibit learning. Her initial professional focus was on empowering women through math education. Yet when a path in statistical studies didn’t open, she pursued a master's in spirituality, which awakened an unexpected passion and led her into a field where she could bridge scientific and contemplative interests.
BUILDING A SPIRITUALITY LIBRARY: A NEEDED RESOURCE
Flanagan describes the Spirituality Institute for Research and Education and its dedicated spirituality studies library, where she works. She points out the lack of proper cataloguing systems for spirituality in mainstream academic libraries, making it difficult to locate interdisciplinary material that spans psychology, sociology, theology, and other fields. The library serves as a unique global hub, collecting diverse works on spirituality under one roof—a vital resource for a field still gaining academic recognition as an independent discipline.
SPIRITUALITY, RESPONSIBILITY, AND PROFESSIONAL FORMATION
Flanagan addresses how spirituality and contemplative practices contribute to professional responsibility. She connects this to global movements like the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the complementary Inner Development Goals (IDGs). To address global crises, outer action must be complemented by inner transformation. Thus, for professionals—from nurses and teachers to engineers—cultivating inner capacities like empathy, resilience, and reflective awareness is crucial for responsible and effective practice.
In Flanagan’s view, inner development leads to outer effectiveness, making spirituality a vital component of modern professional education that equips individuals not just with skills, but with the moral and emotional resilience to meet complex global challenges.
CONCLUSION
Our podcast conversation with Bernadette Flanagan provides a compelling vision of spirituality and contemplation as essential dimensions of personal and professional life. Through her work, she demonstrates how these practices can address the profound challenges of our time—offering tools for reflection, resilience, and responsible action. Her emphasis on methodological pluralism (first-, second-, and third-person research), interdisciplinary dialogue, and inner development for outer change marks a significant contribution to both academic and professional fields. Ultimately, she underscores that spirituality is not merely a private pursuit, but a public good, vital for sustaining responsible professionals in a world in crisis.
