COMMENTARY: "Spiritual Role Modeling: The Teaching of Meaning Systems"

Abstract

Oman and Thoresen (this issue) describe spiritual modeling as having a key role in traditional religiosity and contemporary spirituality. They suggest that Bandura's social learning theory could contribute to the systematic illumination of spiritual modeling and to the development of successful spiritual interventions that aim at promoting mental and physical health. The first part of my commentary supports Oman and Thoresen's claim regarding the traditional importance of spiritual modeling by describing the emphasis that has been given to it within Judaism. The second part of my article proposes that theoretical research and applied work on spiritual modeling and its relations to individual or societal well-being, require awareness of both the positive and the negative potentials of spiritual modeling. This part highlights research findings as well as historical and recent world events that exemplify possible negative potentials of spiritual modeling. Next, my commentary suggests that, considering the nature of religious and spiritual meaning systems and the nature of learning that can be done through modeling, Oman and Thoresen's suggestion to apply social learning theory to spiritual role modeling is a good one. This part also recommends the application of other social cognitive theories to the study of spiritual modeling. Finally, the commentary suggests several challenging lines for future theoretical and applied research.

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