CURRENT FEATURED ARTICLE
A Spiritual Dimension of Human–Animal Relations?
Sangild, Peter T., and Peggy H. Ip. “A Spiritual Dimension of Human–Animal Relations?” Dialog 64 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1111/dial.70009
ABSTRACT
A close relationship with nature and animals is widely acknowledged to support human physical, social, and mental health, but is more seldom considered relevant for human spirituality. Using theological resources, this paper argues that some human–animal relations may possess spiritual qualities. While classical Christian (Augustinian and Thomistic) theologies give limited support for said spiritual dimensions, Franciscan traditions, modern incarnation theology, and ecotheology provide inspiration to articulate spiritual elements in some human–animal relationships. The latter theologies resonate well with the holistic nature views in specific Eastern religious traditions (Hinduism and Daoism). Together, these resources may serve as interreligious and cross-cultural inspirations for a human relationship to animals that incorporates spiritual elements of biological, social, and divine interconnectedness. While our arguments may relate mostly to companion animals, they have relevance for human relations to all animals in the more-than-human nature. Empirical studies can be done in the future to test if specific human–animal relationships affect human spirituality. If confirmed, a Christian theology of animals that is attentive to potential spiritual effects of human–animal relationships will support health and flourishing in a world where humans are often alienated from nature and animals.
Figure 1.
"According to the WHO Constitution (1948), human health is defined as “not only the lack of disease or infirmity, but a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing” (Schramme 2023). In the last decades, spiritual health has been suggested as a necessary fourth dimension of human health (Puchalski et al. 2014). While the four domains of health are interacting (bent arrows), they also represent four distinct characteristics of human health. We hypothesize that close human–animal attachments can support aspects of human spiritual health, in addition to their well-known effects on physical, social, and mental health outcomes." Photo: A wild dog captured in a forest in Hong Kong and transitioned into a companion animal for a young child (used with permission).
Other Articles Related to Religion, Spirituality, and Animal Assisted Interventions and Activities (AKA "pet therapy")
Rizzo, Daniela. 2024. "The Word Made Flesh and the Spirit’s Breath: Bridging Christology and Pneumatology in Animal Theology" Religions 15, no. 11: 1355. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15111355
Non-Human Animals in Christian Theology
McLaughlin, Ryan. "Nonhuman Animals in Christian Theology." In St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology, edited by Brendan N. Wolfe et al. University of St Andrews, 2022. Article published April 20, 2023. https://www.saet.ac.uk/Christianity/NonhumanAnimalsinChristianTheology.
Francis of Assisi on Protecting, Obeying, and Worshiping with Animals.
Crane, Susan. 2021. “Francis of Assisi on Protecting, Obeying, and Worshiping with Animals.” Exemplaria 33 (4): 369–88. doi:10.1080/10412573.2021.1997023. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10412573.2021.1997023?utm_source=wiley&getft_integrator=wiley
Daniëlle Groenewoud et al., “Children’s Bond with Companion Animals and Associations with Psychosocial Health: A Systematic Review,” Frontiers in Psychology 14 (June 23, 2023): 1120000, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1120000.
The connection we share: Companion animals and spirituality
https://forum.psychlinks.ca/threads/the-connection-we-share-companion-animals-and-spirituality.31619/
Books
On God and Dogs: A Christian Theology of Compassion for Animals by Stephen H. Webb, with a Foreword by Andrew Linzey.
Access: [Download your FREE book]
Animals in the Writings of C. S. Lewis.
Michael J. Gilmour.
The Palgrave Macmillan Animal Ethics Series. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017.
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Animals-Writings-Palgrave-Macmillan-Animal-ebook/dp/B075SWZRYB
Animal Theology by Andrew Linzey. Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1995.