Church surroundings as spaces with a health-promoting function – possibilities and dilemmas

Piotr Kulesza

doi:10.31648/aspal.9783

Published: 2024-10-301

Vol. 23 No. 3 (2024)

Church surroundings as spaces with a health-promoting function – possibilities and dilemmas

Piotr Kulesza

Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Administratio Locorum

Section: Articles

https://doi.org/10.31648/aspal.9783

Abstract

Motives: Climate and socio-economic changes exert a negative influence on human health, both physical and psychological. Therefore, various solutions are needed to address this problem, and the spaces surrounding religious sites should be analysed to determine whether they can improve health. Can plant and garden arrangements accompanying parish churches have health-promoting properties?
Aim: The aim of this work was to answer the above questions by analysing selected parish churches of the Lublin Archdiocese.
Results: An analysis of the compositional structure of vegetation and the functional-spatial arrangement of religious sites revealed that these spaces have vast, albeit not fully utilised potential. Despite the fact that these spaces are addressed predominantly to believers, their unique features can promote recreation and even improve health, regardless of one’s religious beliefs and practices.

Keywords:

health, religion, space, therapeutic garden, parish churches

Most read articles by the same author(s)

Piotr Kulesza, Magdalena Lubiarz, Małgorzata Żak-Kulesza, DENDROFLORA OF ROADSIDE SACRAL OBJECTS IN THE TRZYDNIK DUŻY COMMUNE (LUBLIN VOIVODESHIP) , Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Administratio Locorum: Vol. 16 No. 4 (2017)

Download files

PDF

Citation rules

Kulesza, P. (2024). Church surroundings as spaces with a health-promoting function – possibilities and dilemmas. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Administratio Locorum, 23(3), 461–472. https://doi.org/10.31648/aspal.9783

Cited by / Share

Licence

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

References

Arno, M. (2021). New functions of rural sacral buildings in the Groningen province, The Netherlands. Archi-tectus, 1(65), 31–38. https://doi.org/10.37190/arc210104
Crossref
Google Scholar

Azeemi, S. T. Y., & Raza, M. (2005). A critical analysis of chromotherapy and its scientific evolution. Evi¬dence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medi¬cine, 2, 481–488. https://doi.org/10.1093/ecam/neh137
Crossref
Google Scholar

Balon, J., & German, K. (2005). Kościoły w środowisku geograficznym Podhala [Churches in the geographical environment of Podhale] In B. Domański, & S. Skiba (Eds.), Geografia i sacrum. T. 2. [Geography and the sacred. Vol. 2.] (pp. 137–150). IGiGP UJ.
Google Scholar

Barker, S. B., & Wolen, A. R. (2008). The benefits of human-companion animal interaction: A review. J. Vet. Med. Educ., 35, 487–495. https://doi.org/10.3138/ jvme.35.4.487
Crossref
Google Scholar

Cotton, S., Zebracki, K., Rosenthal, S. L., Tsevat, J., & Drotar D. (2006). Religion/spirituality and adolescent health outcomes: a review. J Adolesc Health., 38(4), 472–480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jadohealth.2005.10.005
Crossref
Google Scholar

Eckersley, R. M. (2007). Culture, spirituality, religion and health: looking at the big picture. Medical Journal of Australia, 186, 54–56. https://doi. org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2007.tb01042.x
Crossref
Google Scholar

Godlewska, D., & Gebreselassie, J. (2018). Religia a zdro¬wie i choroba [Religion and health and illness]. Język. Religia. Tożsamość [Language. Religion. Identity], 1(17), 223–236.
Google Scholar

Gordon, S. (2014). Disease, sin and the walking dead in Medieval England, c. 1100–1350: a note on the documentary and archaeological evidence. In E. Gemi- -Iordanou, S. Gordon, R. Matthew, E. McInnes, & R. Pettitt (Eds.), Medicine, Healing and Performance (pp. 55–70). Oxbow Books. https://doi.org/10.2307/j. ctvh1dwj4
Crossref
Google Scholar

Havlíček, T., & Hupková, M. (2013). Sacred structures in the landscape: The case of rural Czechia. Scottish Geographical Journal, 129(2), 100–121. https://doi.or g/10.1080/14702541.2012.754931
Crossref
Google Scholar

Hazen, T. (1995). Therapeutic garden characteristics. The American Horticultural Therapy Association, 41(2), 3.
Google Scholar

Kalbarczyk, E. (2020). Transformation of public space in rural areas – identification and assessment of the state of development in selected communes in the Greater Poland voivodeship. Acta Scientiarum Polo norum. Administratio Locorum, 19(2), 77–84. https:// doi.org/10.31648/aspal.4669
Google Scholar

Katolo, A. J. (2009). Koncepcje zdrowia i choroby w starożytnej kulturze klasycznej i w ujęciu biblijnym. Próba porównania [Conceptions of health and illness in the classical culture of ancient times and in the bible]. Studia Gdańskie [Gdansk Studies], 24, 195–209.
Google Scholar

Keniger, L. E., Gaston, K. J., Irvine, K. N., & Fuller R. A. (2013). What are the Benefits of Interacting with Nature? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 10(3), 913–935. https:// doi.org/10.3390/ijerph10030913
Crossref
Google Scholar

Koenig, H. G. (2000b). Religion and medicine I: historical background and reasons for separation. The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, 30(4), 385–398. https://doi.org/10.2190/2RWB-3AE1-M1E5- TVHK
Crossref
Google Scholar

Koenig, H. G. (2001). Religion, spirituality, and medicine: how are they related and what does it mean? Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 76(12), 1189–1191. https://doi. org/10.4065/76.12.1189
Crossref
Google Scholar

Koenig, H. G., McCullough, M., & Larson, D. (2000a). Handbook of religion and health. Oxford University Press.
Crossref
Google Scholar

Kulesza, P. (2023). Współczesne otoczenie wiejskich kościołów parafialnych archidiecezji lubelskiej. Analiza dendrologiczna z aspektami kompozycyjnymi i krajobrazowymi [The contemporary surroundings of rural parish churches of the Archdiocese of Lublin. Dendrological analysis with compositional and landscape aspects.]. Wydawnictwo KUL [John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin Publishing House].
Crossref
Google Scholar

Latkowska, M. J., & Miernik, M. (2012). Ogrody terapeutyczne–miejsca biernej i czynnej „zielonej terapii” [Therapeutic gardens – places of passive and active „green therapy”]. Czasopismo Techniczne. Architektura [Technical Transactions. Architecture], 109(8-A), 245–251.
Google Scholar

Lee, B. Y., & Newberg, A. B. (2005). Religion and health: A review and critical analysis. Zygon®, 40(2), 443–468. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9744.2005.00674.x
Crossref
Google Scholar

Longbons, J. (2013). The Church as a Community of Gardeners. Leaven, 21(3), 1–6.
Google Scholar

Marcus, C. C., & Sachs, N. A. (2013). Therapeutic Landscapes: An Evidence-Based Approach to Designing Healing Gardens and Restorative Outdoor Spaces. Hoboken.
Google Scholar

McIntosh, D. N., Silver, R. C., & Wortman, C. B. (1993). Religion’s role in adjustment to a negative life event: coping with the loss of a child. Journal of personality and social psychology, 65(4), 812–821. https://doi. org/10.1037//0022-3514.65.4.81
Crossref
Google Scholar

McMahan, E. A., & Estes, D. (2015) The effect of contact with natural environments on positive and negative affect: A meta-analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10(6), 507–519. https://doi.org/10.1080/1 7439760.2014.994224
Crossref
Google Scholar

Meuwese, D., van der Voort, N., Dijkstra, K., Krabbendam, L., & Maas, J. (2021). The Value of Nature During Psychotherapy: A Qualitative Study of Client Experiences. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 765177. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.765177
Crossref
Google Scholar

Meyvaert, P. (1986). The Garden as Art. In E. B. Macdou¬gall (Ed.), Medieval Gardens (pp. 177–185). Dumbar-ton Oaks Research Library and Colletion, Harvard University Press.
Google Scholar

Mohr, W. K. (2006). Spiritual issues in psychiatric care. Perspectives in psychiatric care, 42(3), 174–183. https:// doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6163.2006.00076.x
Crossref
Google Scholar

Mueller, P. S., Plevak, D. J., & Rummans, T. A. (2001). Re¬ligious involvement, spirituality, and medicine: impli-cations for clinical practice. Mayo clinic proceedings, 76(12), 1225–1235. https://doi.org/10.4065/76.12.1225
Crossref
Google Scholar

Nadrowski, H. (2008). Bliższe i dalsze otoczenie kościoła [Closer and further surroundings of the church]. In Ogród sakralny – idea i rzeczywistość [Sacred garden – idea and reality]. (pp. 51–70). SacroExpo.
Google Scholar

Obwieszczenie nr 1/2023 Lubelskiego Wojewódzkiego Konserwatora Zabytków w Lublinie z dnia 26 lute¬go 2023 r. w sprawie wykazu zabytków wpisanych do rejestru zabytków nieruchomych województwa lubelskiego i do rejestru zabytków archeologicznych województwa lubelskiego [Notice no 1/2023 of the Lu¬blin Provincial Conservator of Monuments in Lublin of February 26, 2023 on the list of monuments en¬tered in the register of immovable monuments of the Lublin Voivodeship and in the register of archaeologi-cal monuments of the Lublin Voivodeship]. Official Journal of the Lublin Voivodeship of 2023, item 449 (2023) (Poland). https://edziennik.lublin.uw.gov.pl/ legalact/2023/499/
Google Scholar

Pawlikowski, J., & Marczewski, K. (2008). Religia a zdro¬wie – czy religia może sprzyjać trosce o zdrowie? Część 1 – wartość zdrowia w wielkich religiach świata [Religion and health – can religion promote health care? Part 1 – the value of health in the world’s great religions.]. Kardiol. Dypl [Cardiology After Graduation], 7(10), 96–103.
Google Scholar

Płoszaj-Witkowska, B., & Zamojska, M. (2019). Concept of garden for disabled people at Special School and Child Care Centre in Szymanowo. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Administratio Locorum, 13(2). https://doi. org/10.31648/aspal.4205
Google Scholar

Porter, D. (2005). Health, civilization and the state: a his¬tory of public health from ancient to modern times. Routledge.
Crossref
Google Scholar

Pudelska, K., Dudkiewicz, M., Durlak, W., & Parzy¬mies, M. (2016). Ranga dawnych i współczesnych ogrodów terapeutycznych [An importance of the former and present therapeutic gardens]. Acta Sci-entiarum Polonorum. Formatio Circumiectus, 15(1), 125–137. https://doi.org/10.15576/Asp.Fc/2016.15.1.125
Crossref
Google Scholar

Rabiej, J. (2005). Wymiar społeczny współczesnych kościołów [The social dimension of contemporary churches]. In Kościoły naszych czasów – zespół sa¬kralny w mieście [Churches of our times – a religious complex in the city] (pp. 119–132). SacroExpo.
Google Scholar

Rouba, B. J. (2014). Pielęgnacja świątyni i innych zabytków. Książka nie tylko dla księży [Maintaining the temple and other monuments. The book is not only for priests]. Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika [Scientific Publishing House of the Nicolaus Copernicus University].
Google Scholar

Rydzewska, A., Chojnacka M., & Urbański, P. (2008). Stan zachowania zieleni nieczynnych cmentarzy przykościelnych północnej Wielkopolski [The state of preservation of the greenery of closed church cemeteries in northern Greater Poland]. In Ogród sakralny – idea i rzeczywistość [Sacred garden – idea and reality] (pp. 131–140). SacroExpo.
Google Scholar

Sadłoń, W., Organek, L., & Kamiński, K. (Eds.) (2021). Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae in Polonia. Dane za rok 2020 [Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae in Polonia. Data for 2020]. Instytut Statystyki Kościoła Katolickiego SAC im. Witolda Zdaniewicza [Witold Zdaniewicz Institute of Catholic Church Statistics SAC].
Google Scholar

Sennett, R. (2015). Ciało i Kamień. Człowiek i miasto w cywilizacji zachodu [Body and Stone. Man and the city in Western civilization]. Aletheia.
Google Scholar

Siewniak, M., & Mitkowska, A. (2021). Tezaurus Sztuki Ogrodowej [Garden Art Thesaurus]. Wyd. Uniwer¬sytetu Przyrodniczego we Wrocławiu [Publishing House of the Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences].
Google Scholar

Sloan, R. P., Bagiella, E., & Powell, T. (1999). Religion, spirituality and medicine. Lancet, 353(9153), 664–667. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(98)07376-0
Crossref
Google Scholar

Soszyński, D., Gadaj, P., Kołodyńska, M., & Muda, K. (2019). Problems in the functioning and managing rural public areas, based on the example of selected villages of Uścimów commune in the West Polesie region. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Administratio Locorum, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.31648/aspal.4293
Google Scholar

Soszyński, D., & Kamiński, J. (2022). Typology of rural public places. On examples from Eastern Poland. Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, 58, 155–167. https://doi.org/10.12775/bgss-2022-0040
Crossref
Google Scholar

Soszyński, D., Sowińska-Świerkosz, B., Kamiński, J., Trzaskowska, E., & Gawryluk, A. (2022). Rural public places: specificity and importance for the local community (case study of four villages). European Planning Studies, 30(2), 311–335. https://doi.org/10.1 080/09654313.2021.1948974
Crossref
Google Scholar

Stachak, A., Jurzyk-Nordlöw, S., & Nowakowska, M. (2009). Drzewa i krzewy wiejskich terenów przyko¬ścielnych w południowo-zachodniej części wojewódz¬twa Zachodniopomorskiego – między Odrą a Myślą [The trees and shrubs of the rural areas adjacent to the churches in south-western part of the West Po¬meranian Voivodeship – between Odra and Myśla]. Folia Pomer. Univ. Technol. Stetin., Agric., Aliment., Pisc. Zootech., 274(12), 51–62. https://hdl.handle. net/20.500.12539/1211
Google Scholar

Stefanek, M., McDonald, P. G., & Hess, S. A. (2005). Religion, spirituality and cancer: current status and methodological challenges. Psycho-oncology, 14(6), 450–463. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.861
Crossref
Google Scholar

Thiessen, J., & McAlpine, B. (2013). Sacred space: function and mission from a sociological and theological perspective. International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church, 13(2), 133–146. https://doi.org/10.1 080/1474225X.2013.781911
Crossref
Google Scholar

Trojanowska, M. (2017). Parki i ogrody terapeutyczne [Therapeutic parks and gardens]. Wyd. Naukowe PWN [PWN Scientific Publishing House].
Google Scholar

Trojanowska, M. (2023). Biblical Gardens and the Resilience of Cultural Landscapes – A Case Study of Gdansk, Poland. Land, 12, 137. https://doi. org/10.3390/land12010137
Crossref
Google Scholar

Trzaskowska, E., & Adamiec, P. (2013). Sacrum i profanum w ogrodach przykościelnych. [Sacred and profane in the church gardens]. Prace Komisji Krajobrazu Kulturowego PTG [Dissertations of the Cultural Landscape Commission], 22, 129–141.
Google Scholar

Uwajeh, P. C., Iyendo, T. O., & Polay, M. (2019). Therapeutic gardens as a design approach for optimising the healing environment of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias: A narrative review. Explore, 15(5), 352–362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2019.05.002
Crossref
Google Scholar

van der Weele, T. J. (2017). Religion and health: A synthesis. In M. J. Balboni, & J. R. Peteet (Eds.), Spirituality and religion within the culture of medicine: From evidence to practice (pp. 357–401). Oxford University Press.
Crossref
Google Scholar

Wilkosz-Mamcarczyk, M. (2012). Ogrodowe założenia sakralne w wiejskich krajobrazach powiatu wadowic¬kiego [Sacred gardening compositions in rural areas of Wadowicki county]. Czasopismo Techniczne [Tech¬nical Transactions. Architecture], 7(109), 315–330.
Google Scholar

Włodarczyk, Z. (2013). Ogród biblijny – nowy typ ogrodu tematycznego [Biblical garden – a new type of theme gardens]. Zeszyty Naukowe Uniwersytetu Rolniczego im. Hugona Kołłątaja w Krakowie 376. Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Rolniczego w Krakowie [Scientific Journals of the Agricultural University of Hugon Kołłątaj in Kraków 376. Publishing House of the Agricultural University of Kraków], 146.
Google Scholar

Włodarczyk, Z. (2018). Biblical Garden – a Review, Characteristics and Definition Based on Twenty Years of Research. Folia Horticulturae, 30(2), 229–248. https://doi.org/10.2478/fhort-2018-0020
Crossref
Google Scholar