This document discusses the meaning of resilience in the context of aging and spirituality. It defines resilience as the ability to maintain dignified autonomy and realize a meaningful life when facing adversity or pressure. Resilience is described as a responding quality and autonomy as a relative concept dependent on relationships. The document outlines two approaches to understanding resilience - the humanization approach focused on empowerment and emancipation, and the meaning approach concerned with finding purpose and values in life. Creativity is presented as a way to gain new perspectives on common experiences through metaphor, values, and exemplary figures.

1. ResilienceResilience
andand
CreativityCreativity
Prof. dr. Joachim DuyndamProf. dr. Joachim Duyndam

2. Main question:
What can Resilience Mean in
the Perspective of Ageing
and Spirituality?

3. Resilience
• Is the ability, when faced with
adversity or when under pressure, to
uphold dignified autonomy (or in
narrative terms: ‘autography’) in
thought and action, to realise a
meaningful and humane life for
oneself and for others

4. Resilience
• Is the ability, when faced with
adversity or when under pressure, to
uphold dignified autonomy (or in
narrative terms: ‘autography’) in
thought and action, to realise a
meaningful and humane life for
oneself and for others
• Resilience is a responding quality

5. Resilience
• Is the ability, when faced with adversity
or when under pressure, to uphold
dignified autonomy (or in narrative terms:
‘autography’) in thought and action, to
realise a meaningful and humane life for
oneself and for others
• Resilience is a responding quality
• Autonomy is relative, a relational
autonomy

6. Two Sources
Two Approaches
1. The humanization approach
2. The meaning approach

7. humanization
 Emancipation discourse / debate
 (1960s-1980s)
 Empowerment discourse / debate
 (1990s – first decade 21st century)
 Resilience
 (recently – 21st century)

8. Social Ecology
 Resilience Research Centre
 (Canada a.o.)

10. meaning of life
 Humanistic tradition, e.g. In the Netherlands
 Jaap van Praag (1911-1981)

13. Meaning, Spirituality
 Creativity: to shed another (new,
unexpected) light to what is usual,
common, customary

14. Meaning, Spirituality
 Creativity: shed another (new,
unexpected) light to what is usual,
common, customary
 Metaphor

15. Meaning, Spirituality
 Creativity: shed another (new,
unexpected) light to what is usual,
common, customary
 Metaphor
 Values

16. Meaning, Spirituality
 Creativity: shed another (new,
unexpected) light to what is usual,
common, customary
 Metaphor
 Values
 Exemplary figures (exemplars)

24. ResilienceResilience
andand
CreativityCreativity
Prof. dr. Joachim DuyndamProf. dr. Joachim Duyndam