PASTORAL MINISTRY AS A RESOURCE FOR SUPPORTING THE PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF RELIGIOUS INDIVIDUALS IN THE CONTEXT OF WAR: THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS AND METHODOLOGICAL GUIDELINES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/academ-ped.psyh-2026-1.29Keywords:
spiritual and value-based support, pastor, pastoral ministry, psychological health, psychological resilience, religious personalityAbstract
The article analyzes pastoral ministry as an applied resource for supporting and harmonizing the psychological well-being of religious individuals in the context of war and profound social transformations. The purpose of the article is to provide a theoretical justification and conceptualization of pastoral care as a form of spiritual and value-based support, as well as to identify its structural components, psychological mechanisms of influence, and key pastoral competencies required for working with crisis-related and traumatic experiences. The study highlights current scholarly approaches within the psychology of religion concerning the role of spirituality, faith, and community belonging in fostering psychological resilience under conditions of wartime stress. The results of an empirical study conducted in 2024–2025 among members of Protestant communities are generalized, demonstrating the significant potential of pastoral support and spiritual practices in processes of emotional stabilization, meaning-making, and overcoming psycho-emotional distress. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the development of a model of spiritual and value-based support for psychological well-being that integrates spiritual practices, psycho-emotional assistance, involvement in a religious community, and existential reorientation of the individual. Particular emphasis is placed on the applied significance of the study, which consists in the development of methodological guidelines for pastors aimed at the practical harmonization of believers’ psychological well-being in crisis conditions. The proposed guidelines may be used in everyday pastoral practice to facilitate spiritual and value-oriented dialogue, pastoral counseling, support in grief processes, prevention of psycho-emotional exhaustion, and timely referral of believers to mental health professionals when necessary. It is concluded that the implementation of the proposed methodological guidelines enhances the effectiveness of pastoral care and contributes to the preservation of personal integrity, restoration of inner balance, and strengthening of psychological resilience of believers in the context of war.
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