Character Strengths in the Context of Christian Contemplative Practice Facilitating Recovery from Alcohol Misuse: Two Case Studies

Christian contemplative practice may reduce alcohol misuse and foster a three-dimensional religious-spirituality model that includes self-awareness, self-regulation, humility, forgiveness, social responsibility, and social intelligence. Two case studies from an intervention in Nairobi, Kenya, suggest these potential benefits, though the evidence is preliminary.

Study at a glance

Abstract

There is an increasing interest in studying the association between spirituality and addiction, and the effect of mindfulness on recovery. There have been some attempts at exploring the mediators of the association, but seldom in the context of Christian contemplation and rarely within a single theoretical framework of psychology. This article reports two case studies from an intervention study carried out in Nairobi, Kenya, that suggest that the Christian contemplative practice has the potential to reduce alcohol misuse while facilitating the emergence of a three-dimensional religious-spirituality model involving the character strengths of self-awareness, self-regulation, humility, and leading to forgiveness, social responsibility, and social intelligence.