Psychology of Religion at Cambridge

The MPhil program in social and developmental psychology at Cambridge University offers the opportunity to study the psychology of religion. Applications are being accepted through the end of June. Nicholas Gibson is on the faculty and invites prospective students to apply.

Scott Atran's Understanding of Terrorism

Anthropologist Scot Atran offers some insight into how it is that the privileged become terrorists. He posted his comments nearly 3 weeks ago, so you may already have seen the column. If not, drop by to read what his ideas are on the topic.

Clinical Post-Doc, Loma Linda University

This announcement comes from Carlos Fayard:

Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry is currently accepting applications for a postdoctoral position in Clinical Psychology. Loma Linda University is a Seventh-day Adventist educational health-sciences institution; the mission of Loma Linda University is to alleviate human suffering through a wholistic approach, seeking to bring about healing and growth by attending to the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs of the persons and communities that we serve. The Department of Psychiatry supports the mission of Loma Linda University through service, training, teaching, and research at the interface of psychology and the spiritual life.

We are seeking an individual with a strong clinical and research interest in the interface of psychology and the spiritual life, and in particular, knowledgeable and supportive of the Adventist worldview. As we endeavor to engage all dimensions of a patient's personhood, including spirituality and religious faith should the patient so desire, the ideal candidate for this position would be one who demonstrates competence (or is actively seeking the development of competence) in theoretical, clinical, and personal aspects of psychotherapy and the spiritual life. In addition to clinical work, the postdoctoral resident will be involved in interdisciplinary dialogues and scholarly activities such as symposia, theoretical writings, and the development and implementation of research projects aimed to teaching and training medical professionals and lay persons to contextualize and apply mental health programs in international communities.

The successful candidate will provide outpatient individual psychotherapy and psychological testing, inpatient group therapy and testing, training and peer supervision to practicum students, consultation to medical providers, and will participate in multidisciplinary treatment teams. Regarding involvement in scholarly activities, the postdoctoral resident is expected to contribute to ongoing quantitative and qualitative research projects; therefore familiarity with both methodologies is required. Qualified candidates should submit a CV, letter of interest (including a statement describing your thoughts on the relationship between clinical psychology and the spiritual life), and three letters of recommendation by e-mail to:

Carlos Fayard, Ph.D. at cfayard @ llu. edu (Note: delete the spaces in the email address)
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Training Director, Clinical Psychology Internship
Loma Linda University Behavioral Health Institute

Community College Psych of Religion

Citrus College, in Glendora, California, is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its Psychology of Religion course. Offering such a course at the community college level is unusual; this is the first such course I have heard about. An article summarizing the celebration is found at the Clarion College newspaper.

International Meaning Conference

The 6th Biennial International Meaning Conference will be held in Vancouver, BC, August 5-8, 2010. The conference theme will be "Creating a Psychologically Healthy Workplace: Meaning, Engagement, & Spirituality". The conference is organized by The International Network on Personal Meaning. Abstracts must be submitted by June 15; early registration discounts are available until June 15. Of special interest to psychologists interested in religion is a focus on the role of spirituality in in the workplace and the mental health of workers. Click for more information.

Turkish Psychology of Religion Site

Chances are, if you speak Turkish you are familiar already with http://www.dinpsikolojisi.org/. If you are not a Turkish speaker, then you might try this translation of the site. It is worth a visit to learn how the psychology of religion is represented elsewhere.

Religious Differences in Education

The Journal of College and Character may be of interest to people studying psychology and religion. In the current issue are articles such as Addressing Religious Difference in Social Justice Education, which discusses ways that religion might be addressed in your classes.

Pre-Tenure Stress Low at Christian Colleges

Research reported at the American Educational Research Association found that faculty working toward tenure were less stressed at Christian colleges than were faculty at other colleges.