Language and Spirit: Exploring Languages, Religions and Spirituality in Australia Today

✍ Scribed by Robyn Moloney (editor), Shenouda Mansour (editor)

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2022
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 441
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

​This edited book explores stories of linguistic and spiritual identity in the urban and rural Australian landscape. It is an innovative mix of thirty six personal narratives and eleven research studies, which together offer accounts of the intersection of languages, religion and spirituality in people’s lives. Teachers of Indigenous languages speak of the critical connection between language revitalization, the spirituality of Country, and well-being. Both new and long-established diaspora individuals speak of the often complex but vital joint role of language and faith in belonging and heritage. The new dimension which the book brings to multilingualism is relevant to all complex global societies. Language and Spirit is ideal for both the general reader interested in community languages and interfaith issues, and academics in global intercultural studies and Applied Linguistics study wishing to gain a nuanced insight into the Language and Spirit intersection.

✦ Table of Contents

Foreword
References
Acknowledgement of Country
Acknowledgements Page
Contents
Notes on Contributors
List of Figures
List of Tables
Part I
1: Introduction: Language, Identity and Spirituality
Introduction
Why This Volume?
Language and Intercultural Life
Religion and Spirituality
The Value of Narratives
Developing a Model of Linguistic and Spiritual Identity
Overview of Contents
Editor Narratives
Father Shenouda Mansour
References
2: Living Spiritualities on Country
Introduction
Opening a Door to Another World
Building from the Inside Out
Strong Kids Who Can Speak Up for Themselves
Revitalising Both My Language and Myself
Language Is About What Connects Us, Not What Sets Us Apart
‘Walk with Good Spirit’
Fulfilling My Aunty’s Dream
Living Without Language
References
3: Living Faiths Section 1 (Buddhism and Christianity)
Introduction
My Relationship with the Heart Sutra and My Mother
My Journey to Buddhism
A Russian Orthodox Service as an Experience of Language, Music and Spirituality
My Identity as an Armenian Christian
Language as the Canoe of the Niuean Culture
The Tongan Church Community
My Roses and Thorns
A Family Life in the Ukranian Community
Vietnamese Is Our Heart Language
The Aramaic Language of the Assyrian Community
Crossing Boundaries in Australia? The Religious Experiences of Growing Up in an Ethnically Mixed Family from the Former Yugoslavia
References
4: Introduction: Living Faiths Section 2: Hinduism, Islam, Judaism
Introduction
Language for Communicative Oneness
Language and Religious Practice in Marathi, Hindi and Sanskrit
Multilingualism, Spirituality, Religion, in Order of Importance
Sanskrit, Peace and Social Harmony
Raising Tamil Saivite Children: From Sri Lanka to Australia
Islam
Beginning Every Endeavour in the Name of God (Bismillah hir Rahman nir Raheem)
The Goals of Teaching a Language Connected to a Spiritual Context
Language Diversity at the Imam Hasan Centre
Judaism, Religion, Hebrew and the Yiddish Language
Teaching Hebrew in Primary School
Breaching Spiritual Language Barriers
5: The Front Line: Teaching Language and Spirit
Introduction
Praying in Chinese: Teaching in a Bilingual Christian School
Educating to Keep Language and Culture Alive Through Beliefs and Traditions
A Teaching and Learning Life with Arabic
The Role of Language in Religious Studies in a Shia Muslim Community School
Singing the Spirit and the Realm of Oneness
‘Reawakening Our Language’: The Story of the Nyoongar Bible Translation
Reference
Part II
6: Aboriginal Language and Spirituality Within the Context of Riddim and Poetry: A Creative School Program
Introduction
Literature Review
Designing Drumming and Poem Writing Workshops
Implementing Drumming and Poem Writing Workshops
Collective Drumming
Collective Poem Writing
Aboriginal Spirituality in Gumbaynggirr Language Lessons
Conclusion
References
7: Many Members, One Body: A Multilingual Church in Central Australia
Introduction
Outline
Language Background
History
Language Ideologies
The Multilingual VELKA and Its Languages
Language Research
Part 2: The Alice Springs Church History of the Old Church
The Old Church
Internments and Persecution
Part 3: Changes
The Diaspora, Language Diversity and Minority Languages
Conclusion
References
8: Why Should We Sing to the Sharks? Language Reclamation and Indigenous Wellbeing
Introduction: Revivalistics
Why Should We Reclaim Dormant Languages?
Ethical Reasons
Aesthetic Reasons
Utilitarian Benefits
Language Loss and Youth Suicide in British Columbia, Canada
Language Revival and Empowered Spirit in Australia
The Barngarla Aboriginal Language of Eyre Peninsula, South Australia
Concluding Remarks
References
9: Multilingualism and Religion in a Multicultural Australia
Religious Diversity, Population Diversity
On Heritage Language Maintenance in a Multicultural, Multifaith Society
Religion and Heritage Language Maintenance by Source Regions of Immigrants
Religion and Languages of Western Europe
Religion and Languages of Southern, South Eastern and Eastern Europe
Religion and Language of the Middle East and South West Asia
Religion and Language on the Indian Subcontinent
Religion and Language among the Chinese
Conclusions
References
10: A Framework for the Revitalisation of the Coptic Language in the Twenty-First Century
Introduction
Community
Language Revival or Revitalisation
The Coptic Language and Its Communities
History
The Coptic Orthodox Church Today
Models of Other Revitalisation Projects
Hebrew Revitalisation
Te Reo Maori Experience
Irish Language Experience
A Framework to Revitalise Coptic in the Twenty-First Century
Learning from Other Communities
Developing a Conceptual Model
Reflective Narrative: Family Leadership, a Reflection by Ounas Gerges
Strategies for This Project
Conclusion
References
11: Language and Religion in the Lives of Two Transnational Sojourners
Introduction
Literature Review
Theoretical Framework
Methodology
Findings
Fitri’s Narrative: “I don’t think English is part of my culture or identity. It’s just something I can use”
Anne’s Narrative: “I feel a lot of peace here….I have so many things to give thanks to God for”
Discussion
Conclusion
References
12: Hakha Chin Language in Melbourne: A Marker of Cultural and Spiritual Identity
Introduction
Researching Language Use in the Chin Speech Community
Chin Identity: Sense of Community
Language as a Marker of Hakha Chin Identity
Language and Religion: Inseparable Elements of Chin Identity
Will Hakha Chin Endure? Language Vitality and Language Maintenance
Chin Language Materials
Conclusion
References
13: Christian Bilingual Practices and Hybrid Identities as Vehicles of Migrant Integration
Chinese Immigrant Converts
Participants
Migration as an Existential Crisis
Transformation Through Conversion
Consolidating New Identities
Looking to the Next Generation
Conclusion
References
14: The Intersection of Hebrew, Judaism and Jewish Spirituality
Interrelationship Between Language and Religious Identity: The Socio-Cultural Context
The Importance of Hebrew: Shaping Religious and Spiritual Identity
Spirituality, Religion and Its Connection to Health and Well-Being
Attitudes to Language Acquisition
Methodology
Findings
The Importance of Spirituality
The Role of Prayer and Meditation
The Significance of Giving
Attitudes to Hebrew Language Learning
Relevance and Motivation
Connection of Language to Religious Identity and Spirituality
Discussion and Conclusions
References
15: The Impact of Learning Language and Culture on Adolescents’ Identity Formation, Enculturation and Socialisation: A Case Study of a Pluralistic Faith-Based School
Introduction
Theoretical Framework: Schools’ Role in Shaping Students’ Identity and Socialisation
Background: The School
Methodology
Findings
Judaic Studies
Engagement with Israel
Modern Hebrew
Discussion
Conclusions and Recommendations
References
16: Journey into Indian Spirituality: A Westerner Perspective
Introduction
Journey into Indian Spirituality
Learning Sanskrit
‘Coming Out’
Gains and Pitfalls
Concluding Remarks
References
17: Some Final Words on Languages and Religion: Peacebuilding, Personal Reflections and Professional Problems
Introduction
The Myanmar Coup Context
Religion in Peacebuilding
Language and Conflict: Sri Lanka, Myanmar and South Thailand
Promoting Language Rights in Policy
Language, Faith and Positive Peace
Languages and Faith in Australia: The Volume
Concluding Remarks
References
Index