bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Learning Agility in Clergy: Understanding the Personal Strategies and Situational Factors that Enable Pastors to Learn from Experience
Authors: Mckenna Robert B. , Boyd Tanya N. , Yost Paul R.
Published: February 2018

Relatively little is known about the ongoing development of pastors as leaders. This study focused on learning agility, the combination of personal strategies and situational factors that pastors rely on to capture the lessons their experiences teach them. Interviews with 100 senior pastors indicated that the situational factors associated with learning for pastors were those that pushed them to step to the edge of their comfort zones, requiring them to draw on God and others, manage significant change, manage the ministry in all its complexity, and to extract lessons from positive and especially negative results. The personal strategies that pastors leveraged to navigate through and learn from key experiences included adopting a learning focus, relying on personal character and values, establishing and managing relationships, relying on their faith and calling, and using their expertise and knowledge. Implications for lifelong pastoral leadership development are explored.
Emotion and Transformation in the Relational Spirituality Paradigm Part 1. Prospects and Prescriptions for Reconstructive Dialogue
Authors: Leffel G. Michael
Published: February 2018

Advances in several areas of psychological science in the last 20 years suggest that the time may be right to take up anew the challenge of constructing an integrative psychology-theology framework for studying the affective basis of spiritual transformation (Emmons, 2005). The objective of this three-article series is to outline a theology-driven metapsychology for one approach; a moral motive analysis of the role of emotion in spiritual transformation. Toward that end, these articles outline 1) a framework for conceptualizing a “Good Life” story (Murphy's MacIntyrean framework), 2) a paradigm for integrating conceptions of moral development and spiritual transformation (relational spirituality paradigm), 3) a theological tradition for clarifying the importance of multiple processes of change (apophatic tradition), and finally 4) an approach to modeling the affective basis of transformation (moral motive analysis). Collectively these articles attempt to delineate an interdisciplinary paradigm that is consistent with the sensibilities of Aristotelean virtue ethics (MacIntyre, 1984), contemporary moral motive theory (Emmons & McCullough, 2004), and the apophatic tradition of personality change (Jones, 2002). The purpose of the present article is, first, to summarize Murphy's MacIntyrean framework (Dueck & Lee, 2005) as a heuristic for theory-construction to be used in subsequent articles. Second, it discusses five trends in current psychological theory that highlight the need for of a new approach to emotion and transformation. Prospects and prescriptions for future theory and research are suggested throughout the article.
Christian Vocation: Defining Relations with Identity Status, College Adjustment, and Spirituality
Authors: Feenstra Jennifer S. , Brouwer Amanda M.
Published: February 2018

A great deal of growth takes place during the college years. Christian college students may be involved in exploring their spirituality and in finding what God is calling them to do, their vocation, as well as in identity development. In this study one hundred twenty-eight women and sixty-three men (M age = 20.3 years, SD = 1.7) from a Christian liberal arts college were surveyed. In general, identity development and greater understanding of Christian vocation were related; achieved identity statuses were positively correlated with a greater understanding of Christian vocation and diffused statuses were negatively correlated with an understanding of Christian vocation. Students who better understood their vocation also showed better adjustment to college. Greater spiritual vitality and commitment and secure spiritual attachment were related to greater understanding of vocation. Preoccupied spiritual attachment was negatively correlated with understanding vocation. Limitations and suggestions for further research are discussed.
The Church as Forgiving Community: An Initial Model
Authors: Magnuson Chad M. , Enright Robert D.
Published: February 2018

Recent empirical studies have shown that forgiveness interventions decrease anxiety, depression, and anger, and increase self esteem, hope, and positive affect. We propose a three-tiered holistic psycho-educational approach called “The Forgiving Communities,” that targets three interdependent categories: the family, the school, and the Church. The goal of The Forgiving Communities is to deepen individuals’ (and society's) understanding and personal practice of, and growth in forgiveness. We posit here an initial model of the Church as Forgiving Community, consisting of multiple levels of forgiveness education intended to cultivate a culture of forgiveness and the expectation that forgiveness is part of the congregation's existence. The model targets the leadership of the congregation and every level of programming, from infancy through late adulthood.
Understanding the Role of Relational Factors in Christian Spirituality
Authors: Simpson David B. , Newman Jody L. , Fuqua Dale R.
Published: February 2018

Researchers developing multidimensional models of relational quality have largely neglected to consider the potential role of relational spirituality in their models. Recent relational spirituality models have emerged predominantly from a psychodynamic framework. The current study of 385 Christian adults was designed to expand the understanding of the associations between spiritual and relational dimensions. A principal components analysis of 10 measures of spirituality produced two components accounting for just over 50% of the variance. The components were labeled Positive Relationship with God and Instrumental Relationship with God. A second principal components analysis of 7 relationship scales resulted in a single component accounting for 55% of the variance and seemed to measure negative relational quality. This component was labeled Negative Relationships with Others. Using component scores, a multiple regression analysis was then conducted in which the two spirituality components were used to predict relational quality. The two spirituality components accounted for approximately 35% of the variance in the relational component. Theoretical and practical considerations are discussed and areas for further research are recommended.
Who Cares? Generativity and the Moral Emotions, Part 3. Asocial Intuitionist “Ecology of Virtue”
Authors: Leffel G. Michael , Fritz Malerie E. , Stephens Michelle R.
Published: February 2018

Recent thinking in positive psychology has promoted the idea that positive and moral emotions facilitate prosocial (perhaps caring) behavior (Fredrickson, 2004; Haidt, 2003a). One prominent theory proposes that certain affective dispositions (e.g., empathy, gratitude) serve as “moral motives” for prosocial action, as they provide a link between other facets of moral character and prosocial action (McCullough, Kilpatrick, Emmons, and Larsen, 2001). Following this line of thought, and the social intuitionist model of moral motivation (SIM motivation) presented in Part 2, this article introduces (hypothesizes) a conceptual model of ten moral emotion-related capacities (virtues) that recent research suggests may be fundamental to a flourishing capacity for generative care: trust, love, elevation, empathy, compassion, gratitude, positive pride, guilt, forgiveness, and humility. The objectives of this article are, first, to describe this model; second, to suggest future directions for theoretical and empirical development of the model; and third, to discuss how it contributes to the emerging relational spirituality paradigm (Hall, 2004; Shults & Sandage, 2006). The article proposes that these moral affective capacities (MACs) represent one plausible model of the “virtues of acknowledged dependence” (MacIntyre, 1999), an “ecology of virtue” that describes the nature of a flourishing relational environment (Flanagan, 2007), and capacities that likely motivate and enable Christian kenotic love (Polkinghorne, 2001). The article concludes by looking ahead to future discussions of emotion and transformation in the relational spirituality paradigm, specifically the nature of the moral dilemma that persons encounter as they strive to develop a virtuous character (Leffel, 2007c).
Healthy Questing and Mature Religious Reflection: Critique, Antecedents, and Relevance of Attachment Theory?
Authors: Miner Maureen H.
Published: February 2018

Gordon Allport (1950) suggested that a willingness to reflect upon and question one's beliefs was a component of mature religiosity. Subsequently, the construct and measurement of quest was developed by Batson and colleagues. There has been much helpful research based on the Batson Quest Scale but also debate surrounding the psychometric properties of the scale, and attempts to develop other questing measures. However, there has been little attempt to develop a broad, theoretically based understanding of mature religious reflection, especially in view of the plurality of religions in the global context. This paper (1) analyses the nature and limitations of Batson's quest construct; (2) examines the need for a broader understanding of religious reflection in a pluralistic religious context; (3) justifies a developmental perspective based in attachment theory for an understanding of defensive and non-defensive religious reflection; and (4) presents some research implications of a developmental attachment-questing perspective.
Religious Doubt and Identity Formation: Salient Predictors of Adolescent Religious Doubt
Authors: Puffer Keith A. , Pence Kris G. , Graverson T. Martin , Wolfe Michael , Pate Ellen , Clegg Stacy
Published: February 2018

Different ideological perspectives about religious doubt spawn controversy and confusion among some Christians. Typically misunderstood as unbelief, doubt is often characterized as dangerous if not outright prohibited by Scripture. As this study demonstrates, comprehending religious doubt through the lens of Marcia's ego identity statuses offers a more nuanced understanding of the cognitive phenomenon. Multiple regression analyses of survey data from 604 religious adolescents revealed identity moratorium, identity achievement, and doctrinal uncertainties are positive predictors of doubt while identity foreclosure, identity diffusion, and religious satisfaction are negative predictors. Implications from the findings relevant to Erikson and Batson's theories are discussed along with practical applications for those in the church community working with youth.
Winnicott's Object Relations Theory and the Work of the Holy Spirit
Authors: Parker Stephen
Published: February 2018

While various studies have focused on the practical working of the Holy Spirit in counseling and therapy and the impact of the Holy Spirit on personality growth and development, few studies have offered sustained theoretical reflections of how the work of the Holy Spirit might be understood psychologically. This article uses the object relations psychology of D.W. Winnicott to redress this need. It argues that Winnicott's developmental psychology, especially his concepts of “transitional objects” and “object usage” provide useful lenses for psychological reflections on the work of the Holy Spirit.
Feeling Queasy about the Incarnation: Terror Management Theory, Death, and the Body of Jesus
Authors: Beck Richard
Published: February 2018

Throughout Christian history, at different times and places, believers have expressed ambivalence regarding the Incarnation. There has always been something scandalous and shocking about God taking a fully human form. What is the source of this discomfort? Recent work in Terror Management Theory has shown that people feel ambivalent toward their bodies and bodily functions because the body functions as a mortality/death reminder. If this analysis is correct it might explain why many Christians, from the earliest days of the church, have resisted the notion of the Incarnation. Thus, it was the thesis of this study that existential concerns are intimately involved in Incarnational ambivalence. The study sought to test this formulation by assessing Incarnational ambivalence, death anxiety, and other facets of an existential faith orientation to determine if existential fears were implicated in Incarnational ambivalence. Overall, the results of the study supported the predictions. Respondents reporting greater death anxiety and displaying a more “closed” faith orientation, existentially speaking, were the most likely to reject strong body-scenarios involving Jesus, finding these scenarios uncomfortable, demeaning to Jesus, unrealistic, and unbiblical.
A Phenomenology of the Integration of Faith and Learning
Authors: Sites Elizabeth C. , Garzon Fernando L. , Milacci Frederick A. , Boothe Barbara
Published: February 2018

This phenomenological investigation examined how eight student-nominated faculty who teach at an evangelical Christian liberal arts university describe their understanding and practice of the Integration of Faith and Learning (IFL). Collected data via informal, conversational, taped interviews led to the emergence of two primary themes: the Inseparability of Faith from Practice and the Outworking of Faith in Practice. The findings of the study highlight the need to create a more conducive context in which students can learn IFL and call for a re-examination of the already murky discourse surrounding definitional aspects of IFL. The study proposes to move the discourse forward by offering a new, yet to be discussed construct that emanated from the participants of this study, ontological foundation. A conceptual model describing its relationship with IFL is proposed.
Teaching Integration outside the Traditional Classroom
Authors: Dominguez Amy W. , McMinn Mark R. , Moon Gary W.
Published: February 2018

Today's educational environment is being transformed by online technologies that open new venues for teaching and make education accessible far beyond the traditional classroom environment. How might these changes affect the ways we teach the integration of psychology and Christianity? Three faculty members dialogue about such integration opportunities, advantages, and potential disadvantages.
Normative Thoughts, Normative Feelings, Normative Actions: A Protestant, Relational Psychoanalytic Reply to E. Christian Brugger and the Faculty of IPS
Authors: Hoffman Lowell W. , Strawn Brad D.
Published: February 2018

The present article is a response to E. Christian Brugger's 2008 article, Anthropological Foundations of Clinical Psychology, published in the Journal of Psychology & Theology (Volume 36, Number 1). In the article, Brugger argued that all psychological theories contain implicit anthropologies complete with values and ethics. Brugger called on theoreticians to overtly explicate their philosophical and theological model. He then presented such a system from his own Catholic tradition and invited authors from other Christian traditions to constructively interact. The authors of this article dialogue with Brugger's model using Reformed and Wesleyan theology and Relational Psychoanalysis.
Kierkegaard as Physician of the Soul: On Self-forgiveness and Despair
Authors: Podmore Simon D.
Published: February 2018

Despair (sickness of the spirit) and divine forgiveness are decisive psychological and theological themes essential to both Søren Kierkegaard's relational vision of ‘the self before God’ and his own personal struggles with guilt and the consciousness of sin. Reading Kierkegaard as both a physician and a patient of this struggle, therefore, this article examines The Sickness unto Death (1849) as an attempt to resolve the sinful ‘self’ by integrating a psychological perspective on despair with a theology of the forgiveness of sins. It is suggested that by presenting this integrative notion of self-knowledge through the ‘higher’ Christian pseudonym of Anti-Climacus, Kierkegaard is indicting his own resistances to accepting divine forgiveness and thereby operating—via a ‘higher’ pastoral identity—as a physician to his own soul. By diagnosing the unconscious psychological and theological relationships between sin/forgiveness, offense, and human impossibility/divine possibility, Kierkegaard finally reveals faith—as a self-surrendering recognition of acceptance before the Holy Other—to be the key to unlocking the enigma of the self in despair.
Attachment to God and Implicit Spirituality: Clarifying Correspondence and Compensation Models
Authors: Hall Todd W. , Fujikawa Annie , Halcrow Sarah R. , Hill Peter C. , Delaney Harold
Published: February 2018

This article empirically investigates two alternative, competing hypotheses regarding human attachment patterns and attachment patterns with respect to people's spiritual experiences of relationship with God. The correspondence model posits that attachment patterns with humans correspond to, or are reflected in attachment patterns in individuals’ experiences of God. The compensation model, in contrast proposes that attachment patterns with humans do not correspond to God attachment patterns presumably because God functions as a substitute attachment figure for those with insecure human attachments. Overall, the evidence has been somewhat mixed, with some findings supporting correspondence and some supporting compensation. It is argued here that this is due to limitations of the conceptual models, more specifically, lack of clarity regarding the compensation model, and the limited way in which spirituality and religiousness has been conceptualized and measured. We propose a conceptual distinction between implicit spiritual functioning and explicit spiritual functioning, which reflect two separate ways of knowing and processing emotional information: explicit knowledge and implicit relational knowledge (Stern et al., 1998). Based on this distinction, we propose a conceptual model arguing that correspondence operates at implicit levels of spiritual experience, and that human attachment patterns are not associated with explicit spiritual functioning. Results overall provided strong support for this model.
Profanity: The Gnostic Affront of the Seven Words you can Never Say on Television
Authors: Beck Richard
Published: February 2018

Profanity remains a mystery to psychological science as we have little understanding as to why obscene speech tends to cluster around body-related subject matter. However, recent work in the areas of Terror Management Theory and disgust psychology suggest that the offense of profanity may be due to the fact that profanity highlights the animal nature of the human body, which, in turn, implicates profanity as a death/mortality reminder. If so, profanity might be experienced differently in Christian populations depending upon the degree to which the body is viewed suspiciously, a lingering influence of Gnostic thought within the Christian tradition. This paper presents empirical research that attempted to assess these associations. Overall, the data was found to be consistent with the notion that profanity may function, particularly in some Christian communities, as a Gnostic affront, as an insult to a creature aspiring to be more than an animal.
Attachment and Faith Development
Authors: Hart Jonathan T. , Limke Alicia , Budd Phillip R.
Published: February 2018

Recent research has shown the relationship between an attachment to caregivers and an attachment to God, an attachment to God and adult attachment, attachment to God and religiosity, and attachment and spiritual maturity, but has failed to examine the link between attachment and faith development (which includes not only the relational but also the imaginative nature in the questioning and answering process regarding philosophical notions of existence). The current project investigated the relationship between adult romantic attachment (cf. Brennan et al., 1998) and Fowler's (1981) stages of faith development in an undergraduate sample at a private, religious university (N = 95). Attachment anxiety (but not attachment avoidance) predicted faith development, such that the higher the attachment anxiety, the lower the stage of faith development.
Family of Origin Qualities as Predictors of Religious Dysfunctional Perfectionism
Authors: Craddock Alan E. , Church Wendy , Harrison Fleur , Sands Alexandra
Published: February 2018

This study investigated the interrelationships between perceptions of religious dysfunctional perfectionism (RDP) and family of origin qualities in a sample of religiously active Australian first-year Psychology students at the University of Sydney. General functional and dysfunctional perfectionism was assessed using the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale and a specific measure of RDP was developed by means of an adaptation of some of Frost's items. The main findings supported the study's hypotheses: Zero-order correlations indicated that high RDP was significantly associated with high levels of family rigidity, enmeshment and disengagement. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that general functional perfectionism and general dysfunctional perfectionism explained 18% of the variance in RDP. After controlling for both aspects of general perfectionism, extreme family rigidity, enmeshment and disengagement explained a further 18% of the variance in RDP. The significant independent predictors of religious dysfunctional perfectionism were general dysfunctional perfectionism and family rigidity. Implications of these findings for cognitive behavioral treatment of religious dysfunctional perfectionism are discussed.
Interventions to Promote Forgiveness in Couple and Family Context: Conceptualization, Review, and Analysis
Authors: Worthington Everett L. , Jennings David J. , Diblasio Frederick A.
Published: February 2018

Forgiveness interventions have not been adapted for children, couples, families, and also specifically with Christians. Conceptualization and theorizing have lagged empirical studies. We use a stress-and-coping conceptualization of forgiveness to provide a framework for understanding forgiveness in family context, especially with Christians. Although several evidence-based interventions to promote forgiveness have been developed, few have targeted children, early adolescents, parents, families, and Christians. However, most will likely resonate with Christian beliefs and values and can be adapted to Christian families. More target high school adolescents and couples. Most are adaptations of (a) Enright's process model of forgiveness, (b) Worthington's emotional forgiveness through the REACH Forgiveness program, (c) DiBlasio's Decision-based model, and (d) Worthing-ton's Forgiveness and Reconciliation through Experiencing Empathy—FREE—model. Such interventions need to be manualized and studied empirically to determine their efficacy in family context.
Transgressions, Guilt, and Forgiveness: A Model of Seeking Forgiveness
Authors: Riek Blake M.
Published: February 2018

While there has been increasing interest in the psychology of interpersonal forgiveness, the majority of the research has focused on the forgiveness process from the perspective of the victim. However, since by its very nature, forgiveness involves at least two individuals it is vital to begin to understand forgiveness from the perspective of the transgressor. The current study examines the situational factors that influence when and why offenders will seek forgiveness. Participants recalled an incident where they were the transgressor and responded to a questionnaire that assessed their perceptions and the characteristics of the offense. Then, their intention of seeking forgiveness was measured. It was found that a number of factors, including the severity of the transgression, relational closeness and rumination influenced the likelihood of seeking forgiveness. Furthermore, it was found that a number of these relationships were mediated by feelings of guilt, demonstrating the importance of guilt in motivating the seeking of forgiveness.
Relational Spirituality and Dispositional Forgiveness: A Structural Equations Model
Authors: Sandage Steven J. , Williamson Ian
Published: February 2018

The present study tested the associations between relational spirituality and dispositional forgiveness in an adult sample of Christian graduate students (N = 203). A relational model of spiritual dwelling and seeking (Wuthnow, 1998; Shults & Sandage, 2006) drawing on theology and social science was used to conceptualize this study of spiritual factors hypothesized to be positively and negatively associated with dispositional forgiveness. Results using structural equations modeling supported the hypothesized model with (a) gratitude mediating the positive association between securely attached forms of prayer and dispositional forgiveness and (b) spiritual disappointment mediating the negative association between quest religiosity and dispositional forgiveness. Two alternative models were unsatisfactory, however the reverse model also fit the data. Integrative implications are considered for future research and practice in the areas of relational spirituality and forgiveness.
A Place for the Church within Professional Psychology
Authors: Mcminn Mark R. , Vogel Michael J. , Heyne Laura K.
Published: February 2018

There are various reasons why Christian psychologists may resist fully participating in a church community. Among these are historic tensions between science and religion, the complexity of multiple role relationships, cynicism related to clients’ negative experiences in religious communities, and differing perspectives on attributions and human nature. Despite these obstacles, there are compelling reasons for psychologists to remain involved in church. Eight of these reasons are described—clustered into professional, relational, and transformational domains—and implications discussed.
The Therapeutic Implications of the Imprecatory Psalms in the Christian Counseling Setting
Authors: Hankle Dominick D.
Published: February 2018

This article addresses the manner in which the imprecatory psalms provide a valuable mechanism for the cathartic release of negative emotion. The psalms in general work very well in providing voice to negative emotions in the Christian counseling setting. The difficulty with the imprecatory psalms is that if taken at face value, the client may find themselves trapped in justified anger. The vindictive language has value in Christian counseling but must be tempered with proper exegetical and theological understanding. When this is done, these psalms provide appropriate release and resolution of difficult emotions such as anger, hatred, and frustration. By reviewing the nature of the imprecatory psalms as well as the psychological benefits of cathartic expression this article presents some key ideas in how these psalms can be framed for positive interventions.
Evangelical Christian Students and the Path to Self-Authorship
Authors: Bryant Alyssa N.
Published: February 2018

This narrative study adopts the lens and language of Baxter Magolda's self-authorship framework to explore the faith development of four evangelical Christian students from their first year of college through their third year. The findings suggest several common elements in the students’ narratives—earnest questions about “what is true?”, the significant roles of family members and peers in the construction of perspectives on truth, and the centrality of various religious communities in propelling or encumbering self-authored faith development—along with some important distinctions. Implications for research, theory, and practice are discussed.
Action-Oriented Research: A Primer and Examples
Authors: Worthington Everett L. , Miller Andrea J. , Talley Jane C.
Published: February 2018

Action-oriented research is defined as generating knowledge through applied collaborative university-community interventions that can simultaneously contribute to local communities and add to general knowledge. Few examples currently exist in the Christian integration literature. We present a conceptual article encouraging Christians who integrate their practice, research, and Christianity to undertake more of this difficult and costly, yet important research. Some benefits and difficulties in conducting action-oriented research are described with specific research examples. As a case study, we briefly report a failed initial effort, and then report a successful research example in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention-sponsored Multisite Violence Prevention Program (MVPP). We conclude that the imperfect case study can reveal lessons for researchers and community agencies that could make future action-oriented research of higher quality. We encourage researchers and practitioners to collaborate on action-oriented research to eventually lead to high quality research like the MVPP.
Community, Spiritual Traditions, and Disasters in Collective Societies
Authors: Dueck Al , Byron Katie
Published: February 2018

This article posits a deeply contextual and communal therapy as the best path to a victim's reconstruction of a sense of ‘home.’ The authors take seriously the recent call of Zhang Kan, chairperson of the Chinese Psychological Society, to consider the localities and heritage of China in the construction of psychotherapy for Chinese. The article follows Walsh's four ways by which reconstructed communities are a resource for detoxifying the effects of trauma and disaster: shared acknowledgement of the traumatic events, shared experience of loss and survivorship, reorganization of the community, and reinvestment in relationships. It is argued that spirituality can also play a positive role in the recovery of meaning and community after disaster when honored rather than instrumentalized. Examples will be drawn from the communal/religious reconstructive efforts of Ukrainian Mennonites in communist Russia, the ways in which Chinese responded to the 5.12 earthquake, and the work of the Catholic diocese with Guatemalan indigenous peoples in honoring the dead in rebuilding communities.
“If I Tell others about my Anger toward God, How will They Respond?” Predictors, Associated Behaviors, and Outcomes in an Adult Sample
Authors: Exline Julie J. , Grubbs Joshua B.
Published: February 2018

When people experience anger or other negative feelings toward God, do they admit these emotions to others? Participants in an internet survey (n = 471; mean age 41.7) described an incident involving suffering and their responses. Among those reporting negative feelings toward God (n = 256), those who had stronger negative feelings and saw such feelings as morally acceptable were more likely to disclose their feelings to others. Supportive responses to disclosure predominated over unsupportive responses. Yet about half of participants reported some unsupportive responses, including indications that such feelings were wrong or responses that made participants feel judged, guilty, or ashamed. To the extent that participants saw others’ responses as supportive, they reported greater spiritual engagement. In contrast, reports of unsupportive responses were linked with continued anger toward God, more suppression attempts and exit behaviors (e.g., rebellion; rejecting God; doubting God's existence), and greater substance use.
Lost Opportunities, Partial Successes, and Key Questions: Some Historical Lessons
Authors: Tjeltveit Alan C.
Published: February 2018

To shed light on some key perennial issues, I discuss several historical efforts to discern optimal understandings of human persons that take seriously both Christian faith and academic psychology. These include Gordon Allport's disguised integrative efforts; a 1924 book, An Elementary Christian Psychology; and Paul Meehl's 1958 integration book. I conclude that opportunities are lost: when seeking respectability becomes a primary motivator for Christians interested in psychology when psychology's implicit ethical and metaphysical assumptions are not recognized and critiqued, when efforts to create a Christian Psychology are based on a particular cultural-historical understanding of Christian faith that is assumed to be the only correct view of it, when Christians fail to engage with mainstream psychology when Christians fail to address rigorously key problems in the psychology/Christian faith interface, when Christians use ambiguous or supposedly neutral language to pursue Christian goals, and when Christians fail to work through thoroughly and develop fully the implications of Christian faith for our understandings of the psychological dimensions of embodied human persons.
Let's Talk: Embeddedness, Majority-Minority Relations, Principled Pluralism, and the Importance of Dialogue
Authors: Johnson Eric L.
Published: February 2018

Humans tend to be embedded in their prior communally-based understanding, by means of which they interpret the world. Postformal reasoning, promoted by dialogue with others, strives for a metasystemic understanding that incorporates the wisdom of multiple systems of thought. Intellectual majority-minority relations can inhibit postformal thought and dialogue by inclining majorities not to listen to minorities and inclining minorities to doubt themselves and their potential contributions. Principled pluralism is a political framework that promotes the contributions of minority communities. These assertions are explored with relation to psychologists and therapists within the Christian community and within the current field of psychology as a whole.
The Idea of a Christian Psychology
Authors: Roberts Robert C.
Published: February 2018

In response to Paul Vitz's evaluation of three divisions of psychology as: a) neuroscience and cognitive science; b) tests and measurements; c) psychotherapy and personality theory, I offer four reflections: First, neuroscience and cognitive science and the kind of activity that has gone into the production of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual are shot through with contestable assumptions of a generally philosophical kind, at least as neuroscience and tests and measurements are often practiced. Second, I contend that what Vitz calls psychology is more subject to scientific information and evaluation than he suggests in some parts of his article. Third, I argue that psychology is inherently more plural and contestable than is suggested by his rather blanket approval of the program of positive psychology. Finally, I suggest that Vitz exaggerates the difference between positive psychology and the negative psychology it is reacting against. The goal of this article is to illustrate and defend these claims, and to sketch what a Christian psychology is.
Spiritual Experiences Reconsidered: A Relational Approach to the Integration of Psychology and Theology
Authors: Miner Maureen , Dowson Martin
Published: February 2018

Attempts to develop a conceptual integration of psychology and theology typically encounter difficulties at the level of ontological and epistemological presuppositions. Our proposal to overcome some of these difficulties is to begin an attempt at integration with spiritual experiences-particularly experiences of being in an attachment relationship with God. Accounts of experiences of relationship with God are analyzed using the method of relational and contextual reasoning, a form of complementarity. The resulting synthesis is assessed for its coherence, comprehensiveness, and fruitfulness, as well as its limitations. We offer our relational approach as a method and as a case example of integration.
There's Room for All of Us: Discerning Your Role in the Integration Movement
Authors: Exline Julie
Published: February 2018

There are many creative ways to combine psychology with religious and spiritual beliefs, as shown in recent writings on the interface between Christianity and psychology (Johnson, 2010; Stevenson, Eck, & Hill, 2007). To help Christians with interests in psychology begin to discern where they might best fit within this larger integration movement, this brief article raises several practical questions. The questions focus on five areas: bases for truth claims, personal strengths and weaknesses, desired amount of uniformity in faith perspectives, wounds or negative past experiences, and sources of motivation and passion. These questions are presented in a personal style with the aim of encouraging self-reflection. By considering questions such as these, along with factors such as personality traits and seasons of life, Christians who are unsure of their place in the world of psychology may begin to identify areas where they could make distinctive and meaningful contributions.
Principled, Professional, and Personal Integration and Beyond: Further Reflections on the past and Future
Authors: Tan Siang-Yang
Published: February 2018

This article contains the author's further reflections on integration and beyond (Tan, 2001), covering both the past and future, in celebration of 40 years of publication of the Journal of Psychology and Theology. Much has been accomplished in the integration of psychology and Christian faith in the past 40 years, but much remains to be done in the next 40 years. Several directions for the future of integration in the principled (theoretical-conceptual and research), professional (clinical or practice), and personal (intrapersonal, including spirituality) areas are briefly mentioned, with an emphasis on the need to remain Christ-centered, biblically-based, and Spirit-filled.
Redemptive Validity and the Assessment of Depression: Singing Songs to Heavy Hearts
Authors: Greggo Stephen P. , Lawrence Karyn
Published: February 2018

This investigation into the clinical utility of six contemporary depression instruments establishes a foundation for a theologically informed validity subtype. Redemptive validity is defined as the effectiveness of an assessment instrument that samples behavior or attitudes to provide insight into wise living in conformity with the reality and truth of Scripture as creatures growing in dependence on the Creator. Ancient biblical wisdom argues that helping those with heavy hearts requires compassion, understanding, reflective words, and effective strategies (Prov. 25:20). Clinical settings can assess for depression using technology in as little as 74 seconds with remarkable criterion validity. Do such findings reflect Christian values and worldview? Will results sharpen perception of the faith aspects of a heavy heart in a manner consistent with Scriptural teaching? Depression symptoms may indicate spiritual heart health as a downcast emotional state connected to religious affections (Prov. 13:12). Building upon standard psychometric review, this utility survey displays how mental health clinicians can explore measures through the theological notion of redemptive validity to serve both the mental health needs and spiritual formation interests of clients committed to growth in their Christian lives.
Religious Involvement, Humility, and Change in Self-Rated Health over Time
Authors: Krause Neal
Published: February 2018

Theologians have been discussing humility for centuries, but empirical research on humility is in its infancy. The present study has two goals. The first is to see if change in humility is associated with change in self-rated health over time. The second is to explore religious factors that are associated with humility. Spiritual support that study participants receive from fellow church members, as well as the nature of a study participant's relationship with God, figure prominently in this respect. The two study aims are accomplished by estimating a conceptual model that contains the following core relationships: (1) older people who go to church more often are more likely to receive spiritual support from fellow church members; (2) more spiritual support is associated with having a closer relationship with God; (3) older adults who have a closer relationship with God will feel more humble; and (4) older adults who are more humble will rate their health more favorably over time. Data from a nationwide survey of older adults provides support for each of these linkages.
What Would Walther Do? Applying Law and Gospel to Victims and Perpetrators of Child Sexual Abuse
Authors: Vieth Victor I.
Published: February 2018

Counselors and theologians failing to understand the dynamics of child sexual abuse cases often apply the concept of law and gospel incorrectly. When this happens, perpetrators are emboldened to offend again and many victims leave the church. To assist spiritual counselors in avoiding this pitfall, I provide an overview of the dynamics present in many cases of sexual abuse and the impact this has on children physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I also discuss the characteristics of many sex offenders and the efforts offenders make to manipulate both the victim and the church. In determining the proper application of law and gospel to victims and offenders, I discuss the law and gospel treatise of C.F.W. Walther. In doing so, I include examples of Walther's application of law and gospel in cases of domestic violence and sexual exploitation. Finally, I include practical suggestions for psychotherapists and theologians in applying law and gospel to victims and to perpetrators of child sexual abuse.
Religious Considerations and Self-Forgiveness in Treating Complex Trauma and Moral Injury in Present and Former Soldiers
Authors: Worthington Everett L. , Langberg Diane
Published: February 2018

Being in the military, especially if deployed in combat or combat potential settings, can create opportunities for self-condemnation—occurring through moral injury or apart from and within the context of complex trauma. Moral injury is internal conflict due to doing or witnessing acts not in line with one's morals. Complex trauma involves a prolonged history of subjection to totalitarian control and involves danger, stress, and inability to escape from the situation. Combat can be interpreted as fitting these criteria. We first examine how military deployment might lead to self-condemnation due to moral failures by wrongdoing or when soldiers let down their peers and themselves. We examine soldiers who develop complex trauma and explore its contributions to self-condemnation. Religious issues are likely to be involved. Active wrongdoing, moral failure, and failures of church- and culture-created religious expectations contribute. Soldiers need the skill of self-forgiveness through secular and religiously tailored programs delivered via psychoeducational groups, workbook, or online.
The Relationship between Religiosity, PTSD, and Depressive Symptoms in Veterans in PTSD Residential Treatment
Authors: Tran Christy T. , Kuhn Eric , Walser Robyn D. , Drescher Kent D.
Published: February 2018

Veterans who have experienced traumatic events may develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. These traumatic experiences and their sequelae can lead Veterans to question their religious and spiritual faith. Studies with community samples have identified positive and negative associations between religiosity and depression; however, research on religiosity is lacking in the area of PTSD. Our study aimed to evaluate the relationship between religiosity, PTSD, and depressive symptoms in Veterans enrolled in PTSD residential treatment. Significant associations between religiosity, PTSD, and depressive symptoms were observed. Contrary to our hypothesis, higher levels of extrinsic-social religious motivation were associated with lower severity of PTSD and depressive symptoms. A more negative concept of God was associated with higher severity of PTSD and depressive symptoms, whereas, a more positive concept of God was associated with lower severity of depressive symptoms and was not significantly associated with PTSD symptoms. Evaluating religiosity in patients may be an important area to address in PTSD and depression treatment. These findings and clinical implications are addressed.
The Lived Coping Experiences of South Mississippi and New Orleans Clergy Affected by Hurricane Katrina: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Leavell Kari , Aten Jamie D. , Boan David
Published: February 2018

Over seventy percent of Americans identify with some faith community and use their faith as a means to cope with life experiences, especially following disasters (Weaver, Flannelly, Garbarino, Figley, & Flannelly, 2003). Clergy have been found to play a significant role in responding to disaster needs, including providing pastoral counseling, crisis management, and serving and meeting the overall needs of others (Darling, Hill, & McWey, 2004; Pector, 2005). Though clergy play a major role in attending to disaster needs, little is known about how clergy cope with disasters. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the ways in which clergy in South Mississippi and New Orleans coped with Hurricane Katrina using a phenomenological approach.
Sexual Minorities in Faith-Based Higher Education: A National Survey of Attitudes, Milestones, Identity, and Religiosity
Authors: Stratton Stephen P. , Dean Janet B. , Yarhouse Mark A. , Lastoria Michael D.
Published: February 2018

Studies on faith-based campuses are beginning to offer a glimpse into the real experience of sexual minority students in these unique settings. This study adds to this growing body of information by surveying 247 undergraduates, who describe themselves as sexual minorities at 19 Christian schools across the United States. They responded to questions related to attitudes regarding sexuality, sexual identity, religiosity, and sexual milestone events. The results from this sample suggest those who attend higher education at faith-based institutions are a distinctive group within Western culture when it comes to the development of religious/spiritual identity and sexual identity. Although diversity with regard to same-sex and opposite-sex attraction is present among those surveyed, common themes exist for this unique sample of undergraduates. Implications for mainstream culture and Christian educational institutions are discussed.
When Good People Have Bad Thoughts: Religiosity and the Emotional Regulation of Guilt-Inducing Intrusive Thoughts
Authors: Hale Michelle A. , Clark David A.
Published: February 2018

This study investigated whether guilt associated with unwanted intrusive thoughts characterized the elevated obsessionality previously reported in highly religious individuals. Twenty-four high religious Christian and 55 low religious undergraduates completed self-report measures of religiosity, guilt, obsessionality, and negative cognitions. As hypothesized, the highly religious group reported significantly more generalized guilt, obsessionality, and guilt-related negative thoughts, but not more anxiety or depression. Importance of religion and generalized guilt were the only significant predictors of obsessionality in the total sample. Results suggest heightened generalized (trait) guilt plays an important role in the elevated obsessionality of highly religious. Based on the current measures, there was no evidence that guilt over uncontrollable intrusive thoughts played a role in the obsessionality of highly religious individuals.