Joanna Collicutt - Being Mindful, Being Christian: An guide to mindful discipleship

They say it takes a village to raise a child. It also appears to take a village, or at least a small army of people, to produce a book. In our case, this book emerged from a series of conversations, correspondences, and conferences concerning the role of mindfulness in the Christian life. We have no doubt left someone off this list, but in addition to the other contributors to this book, we would like to offer thanks to Richard Adeniran, Brendan Callaghan, Tara Cutland Green, Tim Devine, Richard Johnston, Debbi Malki, Toni Suffolk, and Margaret Whitelaw. We owe the membership of the British Association of Christians in Psychology (BACiP) a debt of gratitude for keeping the conversation on mindfulness energetic and alive. And special thanks particularly are due to Helen Scott, the unflagging administrator of BACiP without whose support very little of this would have been possible. We would also like to thank Jenny Muscat, Drew Stanley, and the team at Monarch for their help and editorial input. Thanks are due also to those who shared their stories and experiences of mindfulness with the contributors. All names are pseudonyms throughout.

Dr Roger Bretherton is a Clinical Psychologist and Principal Lecturer for Enterprise in the School of Psychology at the University of Lincoln. He has training and years of experience in various psychological therapies that emphasize mindfulness. He is currently chair of BACiP (the British Association of Christians in Psychology) and sits on the board of the Fusion national student network. He speaks regularly in churches and conferences, and works in consultancy with a variety of commercial and public sector organizations. His short book, The God Lab: 8 Spiritual Experiments You Can Try at Home , is an experiential guide to the Beatitudes in Matthews Gospel.

Revd Canon Dr Joanna Collicutt is the Karl Jaspers Lecturer in Psychology and Spirituality at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, a theological college that trains men and women for ministry in the Church of England. She worked for many years as a clinical psychologist in the National Health Service before becoming an academic psychologist of religion. She is the author of several books on the interface between psychology and the Christian faith including Self-esteem: The Cross and Christian Confidence ; Meeting Jesus ; The Dawkins Delusion? ; and The Psychology of Christian Character Formation.

Dr Jennifer Brickman is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist. She worked in the NHS for many years as a therapist and supervisor. She now works in private practice providing psychological support to Christians in ministry. She and her husband Mark, an Associate Minister at St Aldates Church in Oxford, have developed The Encounter Course. This integrates insights from mindfulness, compassion research, and cognitive therapy with biblical narratives to help participants grow in emotional and spiritual health.

Dr Tanya Arroba

Chartered Occupational Psychologist and Visiting Fellow at Cranfield University School of Management.

Chapter: The Mindful Organization