Concept Paper: Application in Nursing

Concept Paper
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Institutional Affiliation
Introduction
Within the human race, there is an inherent need for belonging. This need is greatly fueled by the many puzzles that accompany life, and particularly the inability to solve the riddle of where individuals go after they die. This desire is primarily responsible for the commitment that many individuals pay to their spiritual lives. It is a fairly common consensus that there exists a Supreme Being that has power over life and death, and to whom we all belong. Because of this belief, spirituality has played a central role in the shaping of society. However, it must also be clearly understood that spirituality is not synonymous with religiousness. The inability of these two aspects to ‘co-habit’ has influenced the development of every aspect in its own right. It is essential that spirituality, and its widespread influence is understood in the society.
Definition
Spirituality has an etymological history that points to French and Latin roots. Coincidentally, these two languages, and the nations in which they were spoken, were fundamental to the establishment of religious systems and beliefs in the world of yore. The word itself is derived from the Old French word ‘spirituel’ and the Latin word ‘spirit’ both of which can be translated to mean "spirit". The observance of a path that is destined to attain religious satisfaction is, in essence, a form of spirituality (Young & Koopsen, 2011).
However, it is also worth noting that spirituality does not have a single definition, which the entire human race subscribes to as a hard fact. In essence, spirituality can be defined as an experience that establishes some form of contact with the divine. The 19th Century has been critical to the shaping of spirituality as we know it today, seeing that it is during this period of time that spirituality and religion were separated. Because of this new school of thought, spirituality cannot be ascribed a particular definition, and hence is dependent on the religious views that an individual holds, and the practices that they engage themselves in regularly. I believe that spirituality is actually a belief or experience that is used to develop and instill the feeling within an individual that they are actually closer to their Supreme Being. Spirituality is the cornerstone of successful religion, since the believers that are spiritual form the foundation of any religion (Sheldrake, 2013).
Examples
The need to connect to a higher Supreme Being has been a critical aspect of religion. Christianity and Islam, the two dominant religions in the world, both instill the belief that the Zenith of religion is re-union with one’s maker-hence the belief in the system of Heaven and Hell. This strong influence has been keenly manifested in art and in poetry. This is because art and poetry are vessels through which the painters and poets bring the problems or situations of society to light. In this respect, it is only logical that art and poetry, both past and present, bear strong spirituality undertones, and in some cases outright perceptions. Ever since the establishment of religious systems across the world, many artistes and poets have used their talents to espouse the spirituality of the societies in which they find themselves living. Some of the greatest painters and sculptors to ever live, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael all incorporated spirituality aspects in their works and commissions. While some may argue that this was mainly because the commissions that they received were from the Pope and other Nobles that were religious, the precision and skill with which they incorporated the spirituality represented their own views and beliefs (Martsolf & Mickley 1998). Paintings by da Vinci such as ‘The Last Supper’, ‘Virgin of the Rocks’, ‘The Virgin and Child with St. Anne’ and ‘The Baptism of Christ’ all bear spiritual tones. While they do not directly present Leonardo as a religious individual in ...