St. Edith Stein’s Holy Realism as a Framework of Spiritual Care for Elders with Dementia

• Author / Creator

  Kang, Seung Hee

• This dissertation seeks to respond to the question of whether the framework for soul care for elders living with dementia is necessary in healthcare. It proposes that Edith Stein’s (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, 1891-1942) philosophy of anthropology and her Carmelite apophatic spirituality articulates a framework for soul care of the elders living with dementia in healthcare. This dissertation explores Stein’s phenomenology of incarnational existentialism derived from Stein’s philosophy of anthropology and theo-centric spirituality, and it introduces Stein’s conceptual framework for soul care of elders living with dementia. Concurrently, this dissertation advocates for elders living with dementia and the raison d’ȇtre of spiritual care in healthcare. Soul care is underpinned by Steinian ethical personalism, which respects and values the inherent dignity and humanity of elders living with dementia. In pursuit of the above goal, the first chapter introduces the current challenges of dementia in Canadian and global contexts and identifies the assumptions and limitations of the dissertation. The second chapter presents a literature review and its findings. The third chapter examines Stein’s phenomenology of incarnational existentialism and how it is transformed in alignment with her conversion experience. Along with Stein’s philosophy of anthropology, Stein’s apophatic spirituality reflected in Holy Realism is introduced as a conceptual framework for soul care of elders living with dementia. The fourth chapter presents hermeneutic phenomenology as a research methodology and includes 10 case studies of my lived experiences of spiritual care ministry provided to the elders living with dementia. The fifth chapter discusses Steinian ethical personalism which posits theo-centric spirituality. The concluding chapter offers my spiritual reflection, detailing the further implications of the dissertation and its limitations. As an embodied Truth herself on earth, Stein’s philosophy of anthropology, phenomenology of incarnational existentialism and Holy Realism gives rise to a sense of great hope for the spiritual care providers for elders living with dementia. Stein also continues to teach us to grow deeper in our search for the Truth. We, as spiritual care providers, have a privilege to grow in spiritual care ministry, participating in God’s self-communication of love for elders living with dementia, who are endowed with the image of God as God’s creation.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • spiritual care
  • elders
  • dementia
  • Edith Stein
  • holy

• Graduation date

  2023

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Doctor of Ministry

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-83wf-9832

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.