Dr Peter Kevern

Dr Peter Kevern is Professor of Values in Health and Social Care at Staffordshire University, UK, where he is a member of the Centre for Health and Development. In addition to his research and teaching activity, he is Head of the Graduate School, overseeing the activity of early career researchers on doctoral programmes. He has degrees in Biology and Theology, and a PhD in the Theology of Anglican Unity-in-Diversity.

The core of Peter’s research activity has been his work on the relationship between religion and dementia. He has published widely on the theology of dementia; the spiritual needs of people with dementia and their carers; and the potential of churches as ‘dementia friendly’ centres. Recently, his research perspective has broadened to consider the potential role of churches and religious organisations in addressing the social care needs of an ageing society, in collaboration with CSAN in the UK and agencies in Norway and Brazil.

Selected publications:

Kevern, P., Lopes, R.G.D.C., Barroso, Á.E., Côrte, B. and Lucena, C., 2020. The Contribution of Church-Based Networks to Social Care in the Coronavirus Pandemic and Beyond: The Case of Pastoral da Pessoa Idosa in Brazil. Religions, 11(10), p.486.

Kevern, P and Primrose, D (2020) “Changes in Measures of Dementia Awareness in UK Church Congregations Following a ‘Dementia Friendly’ Intervention: a Pre-Post Cohort Study”. Religions 2020, 11(7), 337 https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11070337

Kevern, P (2020) “It’s beautiful to be old.” In search of emergent Catholic Social Teaching on Old Age New Blackfriars 101 (1093) 266-285

Kevern, P. and Stifoss-Hanssen, H., 2020. The challenges of dementia care and the (un) making of meaning: Analysis of an online forum on carer spirituality. Dementia, 19(4), pp.1220-1236.

Kevern, P. (2015) The spirituality of people with late-stage dementia: a review of the research literature, a critical analysis and some implications for person-centred spirituality and dementia care. Mental Health, Religion and Culture, 18(9), 765-776

Kevern, P (2012) Community without memory. In search of an ecclesiology of liberation in the company of people with dementia International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church 12(1) 44-54

Kevern, P (2011) “I pray that I will not fall over the edge” What is left of faith after dementia? Practical Theology 4(3) 283-94

Kevern, P (2010) Sharing the mind of Christ: preliminary thoughts on dementia and the cross New Blackfriars 91(1034) 408-22

Email: p.kevern@staffs.ac.uk