Beyond Belief 2006

The internet is an astonishing resource, as evidenced by this conference that you can view online. Join me in watching some of the world's biggest names in science discuss matters of religion and belief. I've had time to view only Session 4, with Hameroff and Ramachandran, and can hardly wait to view the rest. There is a tremendous wealth of material here for personal study or for your class. The main disadvantage is that these are video streams, so you'll need a fast internet connection. The discussion is absolutely fascinating, and worth your time. Stop what you're doing and visit http://beyondbelief2006.org/Watch/. You'll be glad you did!

SRCD Preconference

A preconference meeting on methodology will be held March 29th, 2007, immediately prior to the Society for Research in Child Development, in Boston. Details will be forthcoming; at this point Chris Boyatzis, the preconference organizer, hopes to hear from people who would like to make presentations or lead small-group discussions on methodological issues. Topics might include such things as IRB procedures, sampling challenges, survey design, and alternatives to self-report measures. Contact Chris at boyatzis {at symbol} bucknell {dot} edu.

Christ vs. Christ Follower

In the US, Apple Computers has had an advertising campaign comparing their Mac with the PC. I find the commercials to be very humorous and creative, but perhaps I'm simply easily entertained. A parody of these commercials now compares being a Christian with being a Christ Follower. If you teach a class in Psychology of Religion, you may find these parodies to be a useful way of stimulating conversation in the class on such issues as identity, need for structure, or other concepts.

APA Mid-Year Conference

The APA Division 36 Mid-Year Research Conference on Religion & Spirituality will be March 2-3, 2007. Submissions for the conference are due by January 5, 2007. CEU credits are available for practitioners, and stimulating research sessions are scheduled for non-practitioners. Click here for more information on the conference. Note that the link printed in some mailings is no longer operational, but as of today the link above does work.

Positive Psychology and Spirituality Survey

Joe Ciarrocchi at Loyola University asked me to pass along this link to his latest study. Here is a brief description:

Positive psychology is an important new field of study which helps correct an imbalance in the scientific study of human nature. Previously most research examined emotional pain, psychological disorders, and problem behaviors. A new emphasis is to study a wider range of human attitudes and motivation. The current study is interested in how people describe themselves across additional domains that include their character strengths. Positive psychology is also interested in spirituality as one aspect of this new exploration. Participating in the study will help us see how these attitudes, behaviors, and motivations fit together in ways that are currently unknown.