Bernadette Flanagan

Dr. Bernadette Flanagan serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Arts at South East Technological University (SETU), where she has pioneered academic studies in contemporary spiritualities in Ireland for over twenty years. She co-founded and chairs the Spirituality in Society and the Professions Research Group (SpirSoP), which connects spirituality research with practical applications across multiple professional fields.

Her educational background includes a PhD from Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy focusing on Irish urban spirituality, a Master's degree examining the female face of God in contemporary spirituality, and a Bachelors degree in Theology and Mathematics from PONTIFICAL UNIVERSITY MAYNOOTH.

Dr. Flanagan has made significant contributions to developing research methodologies suited for spirituality studies, with particular expertise in spirituality within professional contexts. Her work connects with nursing researchers at Waterford Institute of Technology regarding spiritual care in healthcare, explores pilgrimage as a field of study with rich potential in Ireland's Southeast, and investigates sustainable development through the Inner Development Goals network. She co-designed the MA in Applied Spirituality program in 2001 and continues to teach various modules within this curriculum.

Her publications reveal consistent focus on spirituality's intersection with professional practice, education, monastic traditions, and pilgrimage, most notably through the co-edited 'Routledge International Handbook of Spirituality in Society and the Professions' (2019). Her research fingerprint shows primary activity in Spiritual Care (100%), Monasticism (88%), Guides (88%), Spiritual practices (66%), Occupations (66%), and Expression (53%).

• Elected President of the international Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality
• Active member of the Christian Spirituality Unit of the American Academy of Religion (2021-2024)
• Visiting researcher appointments at University of Zadar (2024) and Titus Brandsma Institute, University of Nijmegen (2025)

Dr. Flanagan regularly organizes academic events including roundtables on spiritual practices in eating disorder recovery and symposia on spirituality and professional practice. Her h-index of 5 with 154 citations reflects her scholarly impact, and her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in education.