{"title":"Back to the Future: Volf’s Eschatological Vision of Flourishing for a Psychology of Thriving","authors":"P. E. King, Rebecca Ann Baer","doi":"10.1177/00916471211072312","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00916471211072312","url":null,"abstract":"In this article, we aim to explain how Miroslav Volf’s theology of flourishing provides a new vision for psychologists. As the Henry B. Wright Professor and Founder and Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture, Volf is recognized as one of the most influential living theologians. His recent work offers a theology of human flourishing based in an eschatological vision of God’s homecoming, the unification of the Creator with His created. For Volf, the end provides a telos, a purpose, and direction, for current human life. He asserts that although proleptic, flourishing occurs simultaneously within the two eschatological “already” and “not yet” realities through the inbreaking of the Holy Spirit in the context of love. The true life is a life led well, going well, and feeling as God intends and is characterized by love, peace, and joy. In this article, we summarize Volf’s theology of the homecoming of God and human flourishing and bridge the disciplines of theology and psychology, by discussing how the psychology of thriving toward the telos of the Reciprocating Self provides a heuristic for psychologists. The heuristic offers psychologists a guide for research and clinical work that is aligned with Volf’s eschatological vision.","PeriodicalId":46761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychology and Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45880351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Faithfully Negotiating the Danger of this Existence: Stanley Hauerwas, Performing the Kingdom, and Psychotherapy as Ethical Discourse","authors":"R. W. Wright","doi":"10.1177/00916471211071058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00916471211071058","url":null,"abstract":"The life and work of Stanley Hauerwas are discussed in light of what his theological work might mean for clinicians in the fields of psychology and counseling. In particular, three broad themes are considered. The first theme highlights the manner in which Hauerwas critiques the assumptions of liberalism and argues for the story-formed nature of ethics and character. The second theme develops the way in which Hauerwas understands the role of tradition, narrative, grammar, practice, and virtue in shaping character specifically as it applies to his understanding of the Christian tradition. The last theme addresses how Hauerwas understands the church to be a political and subversive witness that embodies an alternative conception of life and of being human. Implications of Hauerwas’ thought for psychotherapy are considered for each theme as well as potential questions that might emerge for clinicians as they interact with Hauerwas’ work.","PeriodicalId":46761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychology and Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47155615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sacramentally Embodied, Free, Feeling Persons: A Dialogue between St. John Paul II’s Thomistic Personalism and Clinical Practice","authors":"Thomas B. Paulus","doi":"10.1177/00916471211071062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00916471211071062","url":null,"abstract":"This article is an attempt to explore the theological and philosophical thought of Karol Wojtyla/John Paul II for the purpose of clinical exploration and application—what does this personalist theologian, philosopher, and pastor impart to clinicians trying to help human persons? The first half of this article offers exploration of Wojtyla/JPII’s ideas about personalism, free will, the body, and the relationship between the body, mind, emotions, and sacrament. The last section of the article attempts to extrapolate and apply these ideas to clinical practice. The article ends by offering an example of how Wojtyla/JPII’s thought might look in clinical practice and includes a specific transcript appropriated from Frederickson wherein a therapist works with the patient’s will in a way that implicitly reflects the interests of Wojtyla/JPII.","PeriodicalId":46761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychology and Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45774057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Amanda Edwards-Stewart, Tim Hoyt, Samuel B. Rennebohm, Fiona B. Kurtz, John S. Charleson, Sadie Teal
{"title":"Comparative MMPI-2 Norms between Free and United Methodist, Catholic Priest, Episcopal, and Presbyterian Ministry Candidates","authors":"Amanda Edwards-Stewart, Tim Hoyt, Samuel B. Rennebohm, Fiona B. Kurtz, John S. Charleson, Sadie Teal","doi":"10.1177/00916471211049478","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00916471211049478","url":null,"abstract":"The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2) is often utilized to assess the suitability of ordination candidates by a religious organization. Published MMPI-2 scale scores for Roman Catholic priest, Episcopal, Presbyterians, and United Methodist ministry samples exist. However, previous research has not provided MMPI-2 scale scores for Free Methodist ordination candidates and has not provided a statistical comparison of scale scores between religious groups. The this study reports on MMPI-2 scale scores for Free Methodist ordination candidates and compares this group’s scores to Roman Catholic priests, Episcopal and Presbyterian ordination candidates, and a United Methodist sample. We found statistically significant differences between Free Methodist and Catholic Priests, Episcopal, Presbyterian ordination candidates on MMPI-2 Hs, Pd, Pt, and Sc scales and L, Pd, Mf, Pa, Pt, Sc, and Ma differences between Free and United Methodist groups. These results seem to indicate that Free Methodist candidates have fewer non-organic health concerns, less obsessive thoughts, positive social relationships, and more readily submit to authority when contracted with other comparative ordination candidates or ministry sample.","PeriodicalId":46761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychology and Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2021-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43196604","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. J. Proeschold-Bell, Beth Stringfield, J. Yao, Jessica Y. Choi, D. Eagle, C. Hybels, Heather E Parnell, Kelly Keefe, Sara Shilling
{"title":"Changes in Sabbath-Keeping and Mental Health Over Time: Evaluation Findings From the Sabbath Living Study","authors":"R. J. Proeschold-Bell, Beth Stringfield, J. Yao, Jessica Y. Choi, D. Eagle, C. Hybels, Heather E Parnell, Kelly Keefe, Sara Shilling","doi":"10.1177/00916471211046227","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00916471211046227","url":null,"abstract":"Work-related stress is experienced at a high level in the United States. Clergy are particularly likely to over-extend themselves to act on their sacred call. Sabbath-keeping may offer a practice that is beneficial for mental health, yet many Protestant clergy do not keep a regular Sabbath. We examined whether United Methodist clergy who attended informative Sabbath-keeping workshops reported changes in spiritual well-being and mental health post-workshop. Compared to baseline, at 3 and 9 months post-workshop, participants reported an increase in Sabbath-keeping. In adjusted random effects and Poisson models, compared to not changing Sabbath-keeping frequency, increasing Sabbath-keeping was related to only one outcome: greater feelings of personal accomplishment at work. Decreasing Sabbath-keeping was related to worse anxiety symptoms, lower spiritual well-being in ministry scores, and a higher probability of having less than flourishing mental health. For four outcomes, there were no significant associations with changes in Sabbath-keeping over time. Although lacking a control group, this study adds to cross-sectional Sabbath-keeping studies by correlating changes in Sabbath-keeping with changes in mental health outcomes over time.","PeriodicalId":46761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychology and Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2021-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48219547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Kim, Lemuel J. C. Ragasajo, Rebekah L. Kolacz, Kinsey J. Painter, John D. Pritchard, Ashlyn Wrobleski
{"title":"The Interplay between Divine, Victim, and Self-forgiveness: The Relationship between Three Types of Forgiveness and Psychological Outcomes","authors":"J. Kim, Lemuel J. C. Ragasajo, Rebekah L. Kolacz, Kinsey J. Painter, John D. Pritchard, Ashlyn Wrobleski","doi":"10.1177/00916471211046226","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00916471211046226","url":null,"abstract":"It is conceivable that one’s level of self-forgiveness is likely to be influenced by the extent to which one feels forgiven by God. Also, self-forgiveness, especially when the self-offense involves wronging another, is likely to be influenced by the extent to which one feels forgiven by the victim. Therefore, this study was aimed at simultaneously examining the interplay between divine, victim, and self-forgiveness as well as their effects on psychological outcomes. In Study 1, we examined the relative strength of divine and victim forgiveness as predictors of self-forgiveness and found that divine and victim forgiveness predicted self-forgiveness independently from each other. In Study 2, we examined the unique effects of three types of forgiveness on psychological outcomes and found that while all three types of forgiveness are associated with each other, after controlling for the other two types of forgiveness, self-forgiveness alone predicted anger, anxiety, and depression. A further analysis showed that self-forgiveness mediated the relationship between divine and victim forgiveness and psychological outcomes. In other words, divine and victim forgiveness contribute to self-forgiveness, which in turn lead to better psychological outcomes.","PeriodicalId":46761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychology and Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2021-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47788139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Do Christian Counselors Show More Empathy Toward Christian Clients Than Secular Clients? An Examination of the Relations Between Counselors’ Empathy and Counselor–Client Similarity in Christian Commitment","authors":"Chun-Fang Kuo, Tzu-Fen Chang","doi":"10.1177/00916471211046218","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00916471211046218","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigated the association between counselors’ Christian beliefs and their counseling. One hundred fifty-eight participants, including 13 counselors and 145 counselors-in-training who were assessed for levels of Christian commitment, were randomly assigned to view one of two versions of a videotape (i.e., a client with or without Christian commitment) and respond in writing to the client’s problem. Two trained raters (i.e., a licensed counselor and an advanced counseling intern) evaluated counselors’ levels of empathy. Counselors with low and high levels of Christian commitment showed similar levels of empathy for non-Christian and Christian clients, while counselors with moderate levels of Christian commitment showed more empathy for Christian clients. The implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.","PeriodicalId":46761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychology and Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2021-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44084753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The ABC’s of Christians’ Anti-Muslim Attitudes: An Application of Eagly and Chaiken’s Attitude Theory","authors":"Angela M. Sabates","doi":"10.1177/00916471211038544","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00916471211038544","url":null,"abstract":"To date, research on Christians’ attitudes toward Muslims has generally focused on the cognitive components of these attitudes. Based on Eagly and Chaiken’s conceptualization of the ABC Model of Attitudes, this study extended that research by considering multiple evaluative aspects of attitudes. Relevant questionnaires from a larger study of 209 self-identified Christians were used to predict attitudes toward American Muslims. It was hypothesized that adding a behavioral component beyond the cognitive would significantly increase prediction of attitudes toward Muslims in the United States. Drawing on research on related prejudices, it was also predicted that the often-neglected affect of disgust would significantly increase the prediction of attitudes toward Muslims beyond only combining behavioral and cognitive factors. In this study, behavioral factors included engagement with people of different faiths, while cognitive factors included dogmatism and endorsement of Christian nationalism. A hierarchical regression analysis indicated that combining behavioral with cognitive components significantly increased the prediction of American Christians’ attitudes toward American Muslims. Yet, further adding the affective component of physical disgust beyond the cognitive and behavioral components did not significantly increase predictive power. Implications of these findings for the Christian church and American society at large are addressed in the light of the important social implications of understanding attitudes toward Muslims. The need for future research to emphasize the multifaceted nature of anti-Muslim attitudes is also discussed.","PeriodicalId":46761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychology and Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2021-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43731812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Addiction, Sin, and the Kierkegaardian Self: On Immanent and Transcendent Goods","authors":"Samuel Davidson","doi":"10.1177/00916471211038543","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00916471211038543","url":null,"abstract":"The article analyzes the relationship between sin and addiction in the recent work of Sonia Waters and Kent Dunnington, teasing out an apparently irresolvable tension rooted in their respective understandings of what fuels the addictive process. It is argued that the core divergence lies in their differing interpretations of the good sought in addiction, with Waters emphasizing the immanent good of biological and psychosocial homeostasis and Dunnington foregrounding the transcendent good of ecstatic relation with God. The essay proposes to resolve this tension by rethinking the relationship between immanent and transcendent human goods, with reference to Kierkegaard’s The Sickness Unto Death. In his definition of the human being as a synthesis, Kierkegaard helps resolve the tension between the immanent and transcendent goods sought in addiction, while his conception of sin as the refusal of selfhood allows us to sharpen our understanding of whether and how it makes sense to frame addiction as participating in sin. It is concluded that addiction may be helpfully framed as a means of avoiding the task of becoming a self, and therefore as a means of remaining in the position of sin.","PeriodicalId":46761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychology and Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2021-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44614431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rebecca J. Crowder, Hannah E. Acquaye, Georgeta Boanca, Norman L. Thiesen
{"title":"A Journey Through Romantic Heartbreak and Psychological Growth: An Exploratory Phenomenological Study of Adult Females","authors":"Rebecca J. Crowder, Hannah E. Acquaye, Georgeta Boanca, Norman L. Thiesen","doi":"10.1177/00916471211032297","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00916471211032297","url":null,"abstract":"Romantic heartbreak is common, affects all genders, and does not spare the adolescent or adult. While some recover and experience growth beyond their pre-break-up state, others do not fully recover. What are the factors that facilitate or impede recovery? Could there be restoration for heartbreak? These are some questions that this study set out to explore. Using a phenomenological lens, eight Caucasian adult females who self-reported as experiencing heartbreak from heterosexual and same sex relationships were interviewed. Emerging themes from transcribed and coded interviews included relational evolution, decline, end, rumination, and recovery. While each relational phase transitioned to the next, the path of rumination influenced participants’ level of recovery. Results indicated that participants who exhibited productive rumination eventually achieved a state of mental and spiritual renewal. Several implications are discussed, including how counselors may help to facilitate productive client rumination and renewal post heartbreak.","PeriodicalId":46761,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psychology and Theology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2021-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44727517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"哲学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}