Illness and suffering as a transformative force?
The importance of spirituality in medicine and care
Public conference
Friday, 7 March 2025
Kapuzinerkloster
Kapuzinergasse 2
85072 Eichstätt
KAP 209, Campus Eichstätt
CME credits
Research Forum
Thursday, 6 March 2025
KAP 209, Eichstätt Campus
Illness and suffering as a transformative force?
The importance of spirituality in medicine and care
Existential questions often play a minor role in daily life but come into sharp focus in the face of illness and suffering. Life paths are deeply affected, boundaries are experienced, and the meaning of life is called into question.
This becomes particularly relevant for professionals in medicine, care, and pastoral work who encounter human suffering and seek pathways to healing and hope.
Interdisciplinary research suggests that spirituality—whether in the form of religiosity or a search for meaning—can serve as a powerful force for personal growth in times of existential crisis, while also presenting certain limitations.
The conference explores this complex interplay, focusing on the role of spirituality in the context of illness and suffering by addressing key questions, including:
- Spirituality as a factor of resilience: What happens when this resource is absent?
- How do various disciplines perceive the role of spirituality in illness and suffering?
- How can spirituality support the management of illness in a multi-professional workplace?
These and other questions will be discussed on March 7, 2025, with international experts from academia, healthcare, and pastoral care. This multidisciplinary exchange of knowledge and experience provides an excellent opportunity to explore how best to support individuals in their illness and suffering and to accompany them on their journey.
Program
Friday, 7 March 2025
| Agenda | |
|---|---|
| from 8.00 a.m. | Check-In |
| 09.00 | Welcome and introduction Prof Dr Dr Janusz Surzykiewicz Greetings Keyspeaker contributions with opportunity for questions Moderation Dr Elisabeth Anker University of Innsbruck / A |
| 09.15 | We only make our cross and suffering greater... ... through sadness Prof Dr Klaus Baumann University of Freiburg |
| 10.00 | The Role of Forgiveness in Suffering, Disease and Health: Research and Applications in Healthcare Prof Dr Loren Toussaint Luther College Iowa / USA |
| 10.45 | Coffee break |
| 11.15 | Suffering and its call for Care and Consolation Prof Dr Giovanni Maio University of Freiburg |
| 12.00 | Lunch break |
| 13.30 | What do you want me to do to you?’ - Empirical findings on spiritual needs needs in a secular society Prof Dr Arndt Büssing University of Witten/Herdecke |
| 14.15 | Coffee break |
| 14.45 | Panel discussion Moderation Dr Michael Utsch Honorary Professor, Berlin Prof Dr Maya Zumstein-Shaha Nursing Science, Department of Health, University of Applied Sciences, Bern / CH Prof Dr Philipp Lenz, Medical Director Palliative Medicine, University Hospital Münster Prof Dr Jürgen Zerth, Professor of Management in Social and Healthcare Organisations, KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt Dr Wolfgang Lingl, Head of the Hospice and Palliative Care Department, Archdiocese of Munich-Freising and spokesperson for the Spiritual Care Working Group of the German Society for Palliative Medicine |
| 16.45 | Outlook and conclusion |
Already on Thursday, 6 March
Research and implementation
Current studies, findings and questions will be dis-cussed at a Meet the Experts session. If you would like to attend or submit a paper, you can find more information on the homepage or request the Call for Papers by e-mail (see Registration / Contact).
Evening event with book presentation ‘The healing power of spirituality - the life and work of Luigi Novarese’ Keynote address by Prof Dario Sacchini, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuora, Rome.
Registration
Participation fee
90 € (incl. catering)
Students and young researchers, reduced fee 25 €
Please transfer the amount
Bank: Volksbank Raiffeisenbank Bayern Mitte eG
IBAN: DE67 7216 0818 0009 6329 99
BIC: GENODEF1INP
Purpose: M020240013
Registration
Please register via e-mail:
lehrstuhl-sop@ku.de
Your participation is automatically confirmed upon receipt of payment.
Certificate of partification / Training points
The certificates of attendance will be available at check-in.
Venue
Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
Aula of the university on the Eichstätt campus
Ostenstraße 26
How to get there
www.ku.de/unileben/campus-und-umfeld/anfahrt
Contact us
Chair of Social and Health Education
Teresa Loichen M.A. and Sonja Bittl
Luitpoldstraße 32
D-85072 Eichstätt
Tel: +49 8421 93 21599
E-Mail: lehrstuhl-sop@ku.de
www.ku.de/intkonf
Organizer and partner
Organiser
Prof. Janusz Surzykiewicz
Chair of Social and Health Education
In co-operation with
Prof. Arndt Büssing, University Witten/Herdecke
Prof. Klaus Baumann, University Freiburg
Prof. Anna Fidelus, Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw
Prof. Dario Sacchini, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Department of Healthcare Surveillance and Bioethics, Rome
Practice partner
Centro Volontari della Sofferenza, Rome
Casa di Cura “Mons. Luigi Novarese”, Centro di
Recupero e Rieducazione Funzionale, Moncrivello
Funding partner
Maximilian Bickhoff University Foundation
Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Alessandria / I
Kapellverein Oberriet / CH
Diocese Eichstätt
Invitation for Papers Submissions: “Meet the Experts” as part of a Two-Day International Conference
Structure of the International Conference
Day 1 – March 6, 2024
The first day of the conference focuses on a scientific perspective. Researchers from diverse disciplines will convene to discuss key issues. The “Meet the Experts” format includes several thematic working groups, specifically designed to offer early-career researchers the opportunity to engage with established experts. The aim is to foster research collaborations and share valuable insights into interdisciplinary and multiprofessional concepts.
Day 2 – March 7, 2024
The second day of the conference is themed: “Illness and Suffering as Transformative Forces? The Role of Spirituality in Medicine and Care.”
This day is structured as a knowledge transfer conference featuring a series of lectures by renowned keynote speakers and concluding with a panel discussion (detailed information can be found in the attached program).
Conference Objectives
The conference provides a platform for international experts in academia, healthcare, and pastoral care to exchange knowledge and practical research experiences. The primary goal is to develop actionable recommendations for research-based spiritual care and build interdisciplinary bridges between theory, research, and practice in medicine, care, and pastoral services.
Call for Papers
“Why Should Medicine and Nursing-Care Be Concerned with the Spiritual Needs of Their Patients?”
This provocative question highlights the tension modern healthcare faces: the demand for high specialization versus the growing recognition that illness and suffering often touch on deeper spiritual dimensions that are not always adequately addressed. Particularly in increasingly secularized societies, spirituality—whether expressed as faith, religiosity, or a broader search for meaning—is often overlooked. Yet, in moments of crisis such as illness and suffering, spiritual questions frequently come to the forefront, serving as a resource for healing and coping or, conversely, as an additional burden.
This interdisciplinary conference aims to provide space for these discussions and to inspire new directions for research, practice, and theory. It is intended for scholars, practitioners in medicine, care, and pastoral services, and all those interested in the role of spirituality in healthcare.
Themes for Day 1: “Meet the Experts”
The central question is: “Why Should Medicine and Care Be Concerned with the Spiritual Needs of Their Patients?”
We invite you to submit a short contribution addressing one or more of the following guiding questions and themes:
1. Philosophical and Theological Dimensions
- Why are people confronted with illness and suffering? Is there a deeper meaning to it?
- What role do existential and spiritual aspects play within religious traditions and the message of suffering and redemption?
2. Interdisciplinary Perspectives
- How do various academic disciplines view the role of spirituality in dealing with illness and suffering?
- How can the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) model be utilized to consider spirituality, resilience, and mental health from an interdisciplinary perspective?
- How can health promotion in multiprofessional everyday practice address spiritual needs effectively?
3. Practical Approaches in Medicine and Care
- How can spiritual health promotion support coping with illness, especially when traditional healing is no longer possible?
- Which approaches specifically promote resilience and activate resources in patients through spiritual and psychosocial interventions?
- What role do forgiveness, reconciliation, and the search for meaning play as transformative elements in the healing and coping process?
4. Innovation and Systemic Questions
- How can spiritual and resilience-oriented approaches meet individual needs while accounting for the specific requirements of medical specialties and systemic demands?
- What innovative methods enable cost-efficient, holistic healthcare that systematically integrates spirituality and resilience?
Submission Guidelines
We warmly invite you to submit proposals for short contributions and poster presentations. Selected contributions will be included in a scientific publication. Please send an abstract (max. 300 words) along with a short biographical sketch by 10.02.2025.
Contact Address
Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
Chair of Social and Health Education
Mrs Teresa Loichen M.A.
Luitpoldstraße 32
85072 Eichstätt
Phone +49 8421 93 21599
We look forward to your contributions and an inspiring conference!
Prof. Janusz Surzykiewicz