Mixed-methods study demonstrates improved spiritual well-being and death acceptance in older Muslim and Buddhist adults, indicating shared theological pathways for geriatric pastoral care.
Asia’s rapidly aging populations urgently require theologically grounded frameworks for pastoral care that transcend biomedical reductionism. This mixed-methods study examines how Islamic nūr (divine light) and Thai Theravāda anicca (impermanence) configure late life as “spiritual ripeness” – a threshold of heightened wisdom, ethical accountability, and contemplative depth. Drawing on primary textual analysis and semi-structured interviews with 120 Muslim and Buddhist elders in Pakistan and Thailand (2025–2026), the study identifies significant positive correlations between practice duration and spiritual well-being (r = .72, p < .001) and death acceptance (r = .68, p < .001). Despite metaphysical differences, both traditions comparably support elder flourishing. Concrete implications for chaplains, pastoral counselors, and interfaith caregivers are presented.
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Akhtar et al. (2026) studied this question.
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