PsyRel

Internet Issues in USA -- SOPA and PIPA

2012-01-18T00:37:00.002-05:00

If you are in the USA, you may have heard of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect-IP Act (PIPA). Advocates of these proposals in the legislature claim that they will protect people who create resources from having them stolen or used without proper attribution. Opponents point out that these acts strike at the heart of what makes the internet useful, not only for intellectual property but also for commerce.

Visit http://americancensorship.org/ for more information about these proposals, and to join me and others in protesting the proposed legislation. We do need to protect intellectual property, but these measures go too far. For instance, as I understand the proposals I would need to remove all links to other sites, because if I link to another site that has taken information from an unattributed source, or has linked to it without the creator's permission, I could be held liable for breaking the law. LInking to information is at the heart of the internet, and laws such as that would render the internet almost useless. So, please, go to http://americancensorship.org/ to learn more and to tell your legislator that there needs to be a better way.

Thanks.

Religion in Poli Sci, Psychology, and our Social World

2012-01-13T09:35:00.006-05:00

Over the years, psychologists of religion have bemoaned the neglect of religion's role in people's behavior. A new report shows that psychology is not alone in this. Religion is ignored in political science, too. In some ways this seems a bit surprising, given the high profile religion has in US politics. Religion is often a part of presidential elections, and especially so in this cycle with numerous stories about whether Evangelical Republicans can/should/will support Mitt Romney, who seems objectionable to them both for his 'flip-flopping' stance on social issues, and for his Mormonism. The subject of religion has come up in other ways, too. For instance, there have been recent polls finding that voters in most districts would be loathe to elect an atheist or a Muslim, or Newt Gingrich's conversion to Catholicism, or Santorum or Perry's stance on issues connected with the evangelical vote. But, in terms of popular press, those stories take a distant second to Mitt's Mormonism.

So, it is interesting that the topic has been neglected in political science research in spite of its relevance to current events.

We face a similar problem in the psychology of religion. Much of our research and work deals with interesting theoretical questions. Another common topic concerns the much-less-interesting effort to devise new scales, which Gorsuch and others have bemoaned for decades. What we could use, however, is more current, socially-relevant research. Religion and spirituality are vital parts of many people's everyday lives. Religion and spirituality impact us on many levels, from how we process information, to how we interact with other individuals, to what we direct our social institutions to do.

I would argue that when we improve our discipline's connection with the world around us, we will also increase our stature within psychology. The embrace of health psychology is a good example of this change. Whereas two or three decades ago it was unusual for an introductory textbook to have a chapter devoted to health psychology, it has become common now. Psychology has much to contribute to our understanding of health, and health is an area of life that interests many of our students (as well as society at large). The same is true of religion, and if psychologists of religion investigate socially relevant aspects of our field, we will facilitate the growth and development of the psychology of religion.

"Brain on God", from NPR

2012-01-09T13:36:00.003-05:00

National Public Radio offers an introduction to the brain's role in religious experience. The site might be useful to share with your students, or as a way to see how this aspect of the psych of religion is represented in the media. Visit it when you have a chance. (Given that it has been a Very Long Time since I posted, you might need to awake from your reverie first.)

Master's Programs in Psych of Religion

2011-09-10T14:46:00.004-05:00

Two universities in the UK now offer master's degree programs in the psychology of religion. I have added the information to my page on graduate study in psych of religion, but I want to advertise these efforts here as well.

Heythrop College, University of London, offers a M.A. in Psychology of Religion. This is a traditional course, with a strong reading list that will prepare students with an excellent understanding of the field's past and present.

Another program is fully online, through Glyndwr University in Wales. This program may offer more flexibility for students who are not near enough to attend Heythrop and can thereby take advantage of in-person classes.

For more information about graduate school options in psychology of religion, view my graduate study page to get started.

Conference in Sri Lanka

2011-08-08T20:27:00.003-05:00

The International Conference on Psychology and Allied Professions will be held in Sri Lanka, December 5-8, 2011. The agenda and materials for this conference are too lengthy to summarize adequately on this blog. I have made them available to you at this link. I hope that someone will be able to attend, and tell me about the experience. It sounds like a tremendous opportunity to exchange ideas about psychology and spirituality in a fascinating context. In addition to the academic sessions, the President of Sri Lanka will speak to attendees, and the conference will include ceremonial dance, and blessings by religious dignitaries.

Position at Uppsala University

2011-07-04T07:21:00.002-05:00

Uppsala University seeks to hire a researcher or postdoc in the psychology of religion. The ad indicates "The position as researcher/postdoc in Psychology of Religion involves primarily pursuing empirical research related to one or more of the following areas of the research programme: health, wellbeing, migration and ritual studies. Both cultural- and gender analysis are an integral part of all research projects included in the research programme." View the ad for more details.

Q & A about Life as a Professor

2011-06-21T08:34:00.003-05:00

I received an email from Mark, a student who is interested in pursuing a career in academia, studying the psychology of religion. Here are his questions, along with my responses.

Mark: What is a typical work day like?

Me: I normally arrive at work by 8:00, and deal with email and administrative matters. Currently, these involve making plans for next year's graduate assistants (determining which assistant will work with which faculty members), planning the Spring 2012 semester curriculum, and dealing with student and faculty concerns. During the day I will also do some reading for a research project that I'm working on. (At the moment, it is putting the finishing touches on an article I've written. Other times, it might be doing library research, collecting data, or analyzing data.) Depending on the semester, I teach one or two classes as well. I usually leave the office by 5:30.

Mark: What are some of the rewarding/gratifying aspects and negative sides to your career?

Me: It is a privilege to be able to study things that I am naturally curious about, and to do this as part of my job. I have many questions about why people do what they do, and believe what they believe, and being able to investigate these kinds of questions as part of my daily work life is absolutely intriguing.

I also enjoy working with people who are interested in related questions, whether they are fellow faculty members or students. This helps create a stimulating intellectual environment. I have also found it to be very rewarding to work with scholarly journals, whether as reviewer, editorial board member, or coeditor. In this way I can learn what other people are studying, and help them improve their work for publication. I greatly enjoy doing this.

The negative aspect is that there are sometimes students attending classes because they are avoiding work, which makes it frustrating. They do not realize how fortunate they are to have the opportunity to learn; fewer than 1% of the world's population has a college degree, I am told, but too often we take it for granted. This is quite aggravating at times, but the benefits of this career outweigh these kinds of frustrations.

A different negative aspect of my work is that the nature of higher education is changing. It is becoming more routinized, and people in general seem to discount the role of educators in improving society. Instead, I am seeing more cases of students (and their parents) expecting good grades for mediocre work, or credit merely for showing up in class. This is disappointing, as the main benefit of education comes when the individual pursues knowledge. It isn't received, it is pursued.

Mark: How is you day to day work different from what you expected when in school?

Me: When I was a student, I was relatively clueless about what a professor or teacher actually did. I was blissfully ignorant about administrative matters, in particular. While in college my first major was music education; I planned to teach band. Two things led me away from that career. One was the realization that high school band teachers needed to be good at "crowd control", and that this was not my strength. The other was taking education classes. In one class, we spent 3-4 days learning minutiae regarding different systems for recording class attendance. It was mind-numbingly tedious, and after that class I changed my major to psychology. I have since learned that administrative matters are important, although there are far more important things than whether to use a single hash-mark or a large X to indicate a student's absence in a roll book.

More substantively, I learned that I don't spend nearly as much time as I'd like engaged in research. Preparing to teach a class takes more time than I expected, especially when grading exams, etc. Committee meetings also intrude on the time that I'd like to devote to research. Committee work is important -- it is how educational institutions get work done -- but they can be agonizingly slow.

Mark: How did you pursue your career?

Me: I was interested in why people do what they do, and decided to study it in graduate school. I selected my graduate school based on a combination of factors, including the faculty research interests (at the time I was interested in moral development, and the faculty member's research was intriguing to me), cost of living, and the availability of graduate assistantship support. Once I arrived at that university, I learned that the person I intended to study with was about to leave for a year's sabbatical, and communication was not very easy in those pre-email days. I was fortunate, however, in that another faculty member's research was interesting to me, and he was very good to work with for my master's thesis. Chuck Miller's work in group decision-making remains interesting to me to this day. During that time I became more interested in the psychology of religion, and a new faculty member, Jim Fultz, arrived on campus. He had studied with Dan Batson, and was agreeable to supervising a dissertation in the psychology of religion even though he had worked with Dan on his altruism/helping research, rather than his religion research. Jim was an excellent mentor, and gave me a good start.

As I say in my piece on Graduate Study in the Psychology of Religion, it is very important to study religious behavior and belief from the perspective of one of psychology's more dominant sub-disciplines. Job openings specifically targeting the psychology of religion are rare, but if you study religion from a social-, developmental-, clinical-psychology (or other) perspective, you will find it much more feasible. I was also fortunate in teaching statistics and research methods in my first job after graduating. This allowed me to apply for more faculty positions, and ultimately led to my getting a one-year position at Georgia Southern University. Now, 18 years later, I am still here and am serving as department chair. It all became possible because I was absolutely fascinated by psychology, actively researched the field, and sought out opportunities to teach and publish research. It has been a very rewarding career.

I hope that this helps you understand what is involved in university teaching and research!

Best wishes
Michael Nielsen

Promoting Student Engagement in the Psychology of Religion

2011-06-17T07:33:00.003-05:00

A new resource is available for course instructors. Promoting Student Engagement, Volume 2: Exercises, Activities and Demonstrations for Psychology Courses has been published by the Society for the Teaching of Psychology. It includes chapters covering a wide assortment of psychology courses, including one on Psychology of Religion written by Kevin Ladd and myself. It is an e-book, freely downloadable, and full of great ideas for psych of religion and many, many other courses. Go check it out!

Graduate Study at Georgia Southern

2011-06-13T08:44:00.000-05:00

Some last-minute assistantship funds have become available for our MS in experimental psychology program. This is part of an effort to attract good students who might not have been successful in doctoral admissions, or who are only now realizing that they wish to pursue graduate study in psychology. Please pass word along anyone who might be seeking support for graduate studies. Information about our program is available at:
http://class.georgiasouthern.edu/psychology/ms.php

Please send any questions or replies to me off-list, at mnielsen@georgiasouthern.edu

Thanks,
Mike

Gallup Poll Update: Belief in God

2011-06-03T20:40:00.002-05:00

The Gallup Poll has released a new analysis of U.S. belief in God. This iteration shows belief in God at 92% overall. It is lower among political liberals, younger respondents, people who live in the Eastern U.S., and those with postgraduate levels of education. The availability of alternative responses also affected rates of belief in the May 2010 data set, in which the 92% figure declines to 80% when respondents are offered the option to say they believe in a universal spirit, which received 12% endorsement.

The Fred Phelps Hatred Tour

2011-05-21T14:42:00.002-05:00

I learned today that the Fred Phelps / Westboro Baptist Church Hatred Tour will be in Savannah tomorrow, May 22nd, just an hour's drive from me. I may go snap some photos for my class, if Fred and his crew weren't raptured today. If you are near Savannah and want to see the hatred tour for yourself, go to Christ Church on Bull Street, at 10:00 a.m.

Tenure Problems at a Religiously-Affiliated College

2011-05-18T12:58:00.002-05:00

As a quick follow-up to interviewing at a religious college, you might find this report of problems at Erskine College interesting. It seems that the denomination may have impacted the outcome of a tenure decision there.

Research position at Catholic University of Louvain

2011-05-18T08:13:00.003-05:00

This announcement comes from Vassilis Saroglou:

A research position for a postgraduate/Ph.D. student is open at the Catholic University of Louvain, Centre for Psychology of Religion http://www.uclouvain.be/psyreli . The position is full time (fellowship + social security), lasts two years (1+1), starts September 2011, and implies working in Louvain-la-Neuve (University's town). The research focuses on the understanding of moral and emotional characteristics of ideological (including religious) radicalism and will use methodology from social/moral psychology and psychology of emotions. It is integrated into a broader interdisciplinary project (Research Coordinated Action) on religious fundamentalism and ideological radicalism, a project funded by the Belgian Community of Brussels-Wallonia and the University.

Applications (CV and letter of motivation) are to be sent to Prof. Vassilis Saroglou vassilis.saroglou [at] uclouvain.be by June 15. (Use the same email address for more information).

Interviewing at a Religious College

2011-05-16T05:32:00.002-05:00

If you are (or expect to be) searching for an academic job, here is useful advice on interviewing at a religiously-affiliated college. My one experience at this, nearly 20 years ago, would have been enhanced had I given it more thought beforehand. It was at a Catholic college, and the interview seemed to be going well until I was asked to respond to the following situation. Suppose, the interviewer asked, that an unmarried student of mine found herself pregnant, and wanted my advice on what to do. I replied that she should talk to her priest for advice. Follow-up questions came, probing further into what my own personal feelings were on this hot-button issue. I replied that it was between the individual, and God. He apparently wanted me to say that I was personally opposed to abortion. I failed the college's litmus test, and ended up teaching at another college. The ironic thing is that three years earlier my wife and I were faced with the choice of whether to continue a pregnancy with complications, or not, and our choice would have made the interviewer proud. But I objected to his probing on a personal issue, and decided it was none of his business. I have no regrets now, but job-hunting is stressful and I was probably not as prepared as I might have been for such questions.

End of World Predicted. Again.

2011-05-07T17:24:00.004-05:00

Yes, another group is waiting for the end of the world. Harold Camping, founder of Family Radio, and his followers expect the world to end May 21st, two weeks from today. This story from NPR notes that Camping predicted the end September 6, 1994, but as you and I can tell, he was mistaken. Camping explains it by saying that he hadn't taken into account the message in the book of Jeremiah. It seems to me, however, that he hasn't taken into account the Book of Festinger, Reicken & Schachter.

Join me with popcorn in hand as we wait two weeks for another demonstration of cognitive dissonance.

Luke Galen on Religious Attitudes & Behavior

2011-04-11T08:33:00.003-05:00

The link between attitudes and behavior has long fascinated social psychologists, who wonder how it is that people sometimes say one thing while doing another. For an application of this to religious attitudes and behavior, read this Grand Rapids Press story summarizing Luke Galen's research on the correspondence between attitudes and behaviors among religious fundamentalists.

Religion and Psychiatry

2011-03-17T21:38:00.003-05:00

A new book developed by the backing of the Religion, Spirituality and Psychiatry section of the World Psychiatric Association is worth your consideration. Religion and Psychiatry: Beyond Boundaries offers in-depth chapters on a very broad range of topics dealing with religion and mental health, from science and religion to issues of countertransference, and more. It is well-suited for professionals or advanced graduate students. Read more details on my Featured Books page.

Basic Essay Help

2011-03-12T12:05:00.002-05:00

Students may find help with essays at essay-on-psychology.com. It helps guide students through basic writing steps, including planning, research, writing and proof-reading. It also includes a list of good sites for material. Your high school and college students may find it useful.

Steven Pinker's Psychology of Religion

2011-02-07T10:57:00.004-05:00

Steven Pinker's ideas about the psychology of religion are conveyed in this video. It might be useful for your students, or just for your own perusal.

The Point, by WGBH

2011-01-31T11:20:00.003-05:00

The Point, produced by Boston public radio station WGBH, included an interview about the psychology of religion featuring psychiatrist Marc Whaley and clinical psychologist Michael Abruzzese. The program is about 28 minutes long, and focuses on some of the bigger questions, such as why are people religious? You can listen to it at this webpage.

SRCD Religion Pre-Conference

2011-01-29T17:26:00.002-05:00

This announcement comes from Chris Boyatzis. Please contact him for more information or for the registration form, email: boyatzis (at) bucknell.edu

I am pleased to invite you to the 6th Biennial Soc. for Research in Child Development Pre-Conference on Religious & Spiritual Development.

This preconference is on Wednesday, March 30, 1 - 5 p.m., in Montreal, the day prior to the formal start of the SRCD biennial conference. Our event continues a tradition begun at SRCD in 2001, and each time we have had a superb set of speakers and discussions. Attendees find intellectual excitement in sharing their ideas and meeting new colleagues interested in this important and burgeoning field--religious and spiritual development of children and youth.

Please find the registration form attached. Complete it and return it by March 1.
Space is limited, so if you are genuinely interested in the preconference be sure to submit your form and registration fee soon.

The agenda will continue the past tradition of superb keynote speakers, stimulating round-table discussions, and the finest in light food and beverage.

Our keynote speakers will include:

Dr. Bekah Richert (UC Riverside), on development of religious concepts in children;
Dr. Annette Mahoney (Bowling Green State University), on the role of religion and spirituality in pregnancy and parenting; and
Dr. Amy Syvertsen (Search Institute), on the Search Inst. international study of adolescent spirituality with 5,000 subjects in 8 countries on 4 continents.
(An additional speaker may be added.)

We will also have roundtable discussions on various topics and to foster new collaborations and networking.

In the past, additional scholars have presented their work in poster format. Unfortunately, our preconference facility cannot accommodate posters, so this preconference will have a new feature--"snap talks," or very brief oral presentations of research. This format is increasingly popular at some conferences (especially in natural sciences) and allow more scholars to share their work. If you are interested in doing a snap talk (with data or a conceptual or methodological focus), please let me know!

Additional information will be sent to those who register.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, and forward this email announcement to any colleagues or students who may be interested!

See you in Montreal,

Chris Boyatzis
Preconference Convener and Host

John Cleese Explains (humor)

2011-01-27T06:13:00.001-05:00

This laugh comes from John Cleese, who explains belief in God.

The Most Difficult Journal (Humor)

2011-01-25T21:24:00.003-05:00

If you think your work is truly better than the best, don't send it to Psychological Science or American Psychologist. For that matter, don't even try Nature or Science. Instead, consider submitting it to The Journal of Universal Rejection.

Kudos to Caleb Emmons for the clever idea!

Educating Students

2011-01-25T08:39:00.002-05:00

Heather Wilson writes an excellent opinion piece about the spotty education undergraduates receive in the U.S. Too much specialization, and too little reflection on the big picture implications of undergraduates' studies, are contributing to graduates who are "less able to grapple with issues that require them to think across disciplines or reflect on difficult questions about what matters and why". Very worthwhile reading.

Lead with Love

2011-01-22T21:31:00.003-05:00

Lead with Love, a new film for parents with children who are homosexual, is now available to view free at http://www.leadwithlovefilm.com/. Religious issues are among the topics the film addresses in this context.

This 35-minute film offers good, practical advice summarized in the acronym LEAD, which represents four things parents should remember when a child discusses homosexuality:
Let your affection show;
Express your pain away from your child;
Avoid rejecting behaviors;
Do good before you feel good.

Dr. David Huebner, a psychologist who studies prejudice and mental health at the University of Utah, received a NIMH grant to create the film. It is well worth viewing and recommending to others.

2011 Tehran Congress on Psychology, Religion & Culture

2010-12-20T10:41:00.003-05:00

The deadline has been extended for the 2011 International Congress on Psychology, Religion & Culture in Tehran. There is more information at this link. The meeting will be held May 14-16, 2011. I have not had the pleasure of attending, but have heard high compliments from two people who have. If you are considering it, please contact Dr. Shiva Khalili at shivakhalili /at/ yahoo.com
(Substitute the @ symbol in place of /at/)

Neurotheology on NPR

2010-12-20T10:09:00.002-05:00

National Public Radio interviewed Andrew Newberg at length about his work on brain imaging when people meditate. Listen to the interview here.

Forgiveness Resource

2010-12-15T08:22:00.003-05:00

Ken Pope has this useful resource for people interested in forgiveness. The primary focus is on books, articles and other sources that may be useful for therapeutic and counseling settings.

Psychology, Culture and Brian David Mitchell

2010-12-13T21:12:00.003-05:00

Brian David Mitchell kidnapped 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart from her bedroom while she slept in June, 2002. Nine months later Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, were arrested and Smart was recovered. On Friday Mitchell was convicted in federal court on kidnapping and sex charges after the jury heard days of testimony from various experts, and a dramatic, heart-wrenching account from Smart herself about the ordeal.

The crime has many layers to interest psychologists of religion, with claims of mental illness, religious delusions in a highly religious culture interwoven with a horrible crime. Today I participated in KUER Radio's program on the cultural elements in the case. You can listen to the program on RadioWest. It was my first live interview, as you can probably tell. Still, I hope I added some light to the subject.

Evolution in Hiring Decision

2010-12-13T08:55:00.003-05:00

Astronomer Martin Gaskell applied for a faculty position at University of Kentucky in 2007, and was apparently a leading candidate for the job. That all changed, however, when the search committee began to question him about evolution. When he didn't get the job, he sued the university; the case is now headed to court. Read more in this story from The Courier-Journal.

Syllabi from Jim Nelson

2010-12-04T16:06:00.002-05:00

Jim Nelson has added three course syllabi to the collection posted on my site. He has taught general undergraduate, honors undergraduate, and graduate counseling students at Valparaiso University.

I've added my most recent syllabus, too.

For the Adventurous

2010-11-30T17:36:00.003-05:00

Seoul Christian University is seeking doctoral students to teach one or two semesters in courses such as pastoral counseling. They ask that you be enrolled in a doctoral program, and have English fluency. Your duties would be to teach three courses per semester, in return for housing, a stipend, and the adventure of living in Korea. Contact Dr. Jacob Lee for more information at Jacob4jx/at/scu.ac.kr
(change the /at/ to @)

Thanks to Steve Bauman for the tip!

Robert Emmons on Gratitude

2010-11-29T08:32:00.002-05:00

Robert Emmons offers an op-ed on gratitude published in the Sacramento Bee. In it he summarizes research on the benefits of gratitude for one's physical and mental health. Read it, and share it with your friends and students.

Faculty Position, Lausanne

2010-11-26T18:41:00.003-05:00

The University of Lausanne is conducting a search for a full professor or tenure track position in the social science of contemporary religion. Click here for details.

Catholic Universities

2010-11-17T16:44:00.002-05:00

The intersection of doctrinal purity and academic freedom is in the news in this article from Inside Higher Ed. At question is a religious institution's concern over theology being taught in a manner consistent with its beliefs, and what -- if any -- latitude faculty have in pursuing questions related to doctrine. If you are interested in such questions, the article is worth a read. My own experience with the matter is limited to a job interview I had, many years ago, at a Catholic college. A couple of different times, during two separate interviews, the interviewer asked how I would respond to a student who sought advice about abortion. A look at my c.v. will reveal that I have never taught at a Catholic-affiliated college, so I am left to conclude that my answer (that it was a matter between her and God) wasn't sufficiently orthodox. It would be interesting to know how that school would handle an interview for a theology position.

Unitarian-Universalist Jokes

2010-11-15T08:02:00.002-05:00

If you are in the mood for a laugh, visit the Unitarian Universalist Joke site. You'll be sure to smile at the humor. After that, see my collection of jokes if you haven't viewed them. Start your Monday with a smile.
:-)

Exorcism and Institutional Distinctiveness

2010-11-13T17:48:00.002-05:00

An article in the New York Times reports on a conference in Baltimore focusing on exorcism in the Catholic Church. The article has a significant social science element. For instance, it quotes Scott Appleby as saying,

“What they’re trying to do in restoring exorcisms,” said Dr. Appleby, a longtime observer of the bishops, “is to strengthen and enhance what seems to be lost in the church, which is the sense that the church is not like any other institution. It is supernatural, and the key players in that are the hierarchy and the priests who can be given the faculties of exorcism.

“It’s a strategy for saying: ‘We are not the Federal Reserve, and we are not the World Council of Churches. We deal with angels and demons.’ ”

It may be useful reading for students.

SPSP - Psych of Religion Pre-Conference Events

2010-11-09T09:50:00.000-05:00

2011 SPSP Pre-conference on Psychology of Religion-Spirituality

8am-4:30pm, Thursday, January 27, 2011, Room 213 Concourse Level, San Antonio Convention Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA

Final Call for Posters: We have space for only about 15 more posters that present psychology of religion research, preferably from a social-personality perspective. The next 15 reasonable submissions will likely be accepted. Decisions will be made on a rolling basis. To submit a poster for consideration, please send a pdf file containing title, 250 word abstract, author(s), affiliation(s), and email address of presenter to Kevin L. Ladd (kladd@iusb.edu). Data must be collected and analyzed before submission; we will not consider abstracts for incomplete studies. If the first or sole author is a student, please indicate whether or not you would like to be considered for the student poster award.

PRELIMINARY PROGRAM (presenter order may change) (updated September 15, 2010)

8:00 - 8:55: Continental breakfast (coffee, juice, fruit, pastries)
9:00 – 9:30: Ian Hansen (John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY)
9:30 – 10:00: Eric Hill (Arizona State University)
10:00 - 10:30: Michael Inzlicht (University of Toronto-Scarborough)
10:30 - 11:00: Break with snack/drinks
11:00 - 11:30: Larisa Heiphetz (Harvard University)
11:30 – 12:00: Margaret Evans (University of Michigan)
12:00 – 2:00: Box lunch and poster session
1:00 – 2:00: Assigned SPSP check-in time
2:00 – 2:30: Ariel Malka (Yeshiva University)
2:30 – 3:00: Karina Schumann (University of Waterloo)
3:00 – 3:30: David Rosmarin (McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School)
3:30 – 4:00: Christopher Ellison (University of Texas - San Antonio, Sociology)
4:00 - 4:30: Edward Slingerland (University of British Columbia, Asian Studies)

Introduction to Psychology, with Psych. of Religion

2010-10-27T11:14:00.003-05:00

An announcement from Doug Krull, posted with his permission:

I'm writing an introductory psychology text and the publisher with whom I've been talking would like me to identify some likely adopters to reduce the risk of launching a new textbook. I have emailed a number of colleagues and have found some who are interested, but because I hope to include a psychology of religion chapter I thought that some members of division 36 might be interested as well.

I would be happy to share any of the chapters I've completed (Intro/Methods, Biopsychology, Perception, Cognition, Learning, Motivation/Emotion, Personality, Health), but if you can spare a few minutes, I'd like to describe my approach briefly.

1. Perhaps the most obvious feature is that I have a playful writing style. I think science should be fun and I think this fosters learning. As one outstanding student commented to me, "What good is a textbook if students don't read it?" I hope to encourage textbook reading by adding a dose of goofiness here and there.

2. Pedagogy
A. I try to use good examples. I suppose all textbook writers do, but I think this is one of my strong points.
B. Greater depth. I think students can handle more content, especially if it's interesting and/or important (e.g., genes and
Huntington's disease, classical conditioning and drug tolerance, Own Race Bias, conditional reasoning, Theory of Planned Behavior).
C. Short sections within chapters. I think both chapters and modules are too long. I prefer short sections followed by review questions within traditional chapters.
D. Critical thinking. I try to emphasize it throughout the text.

3. Psychology of Religion chapter. As you know well, psychology of religion is growing in popularity (e.g., new division 36 APA journal, special issues in Journal of Clinical Psychology and Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin) and it makes a good capstone for intro psych because it has many of the same topics (e.g., methods, biopsychology, development, health, social).

4. Different perspective on controversial issues. I realize that many of you will disagree with me on this, but I want to be open about my goals. This aspect comes up rarely because most topics in psychology are not controversial (e.g., experiments, agonists, color vision, shaping, object permanence, Diathesis-Stress Model). However, I think that most intro psychology texts have secular Humanist overtones in certain areas, which doesn¹t thrill me. So, to illustrate, I don't refer to humans as animals or
say that sex outside of marriage is ok. I do point out factors that protect against teen sexual behavior and research that suggests that cohabitation is accompanied by many negative characteristics.

Perhaps I should also mention that they are tending toward an etext. Although personally I prefer to hold books in my hands, it seems like the way of the future.

If you think you might possibly be interested or if you would like more information or would like to see a sample chapter, please contact me off-list by email or phone. Either way, thanks very much for your consideration and best wishes.

Doug Krull
krull@nku.edu
(859) 572-6653
Department of Psychological Science
Northern Kentucky University

The Five Stages of Grading

2010-10-25T07:33:00.003-05:00

Now that colleges are in the midst of midterm exams and the papers are pouring in, it is time for The Five Stages of Grading, a very clever spoof on Kubler-Ross. Brought to you by Not That Kind of Doctor.

Creative Protest

2010-10-24T15:51:00.003-05:00

Time has a brief story on a creative way that two French women are protesting the "burqa ban". For more background on the ban, here is a CNN article. There are plenty more stories online if you search at Google News.

Poll: Religion, Sexual Orientation and Suicide

2010-10-23T20:05:00.003-05:00

Results of a poll conducted in the U.s. indicate that most respondents agree that "religious messages contribute to a higher rate of suicide among gay and lesbian youth". The brief report is worth reading.

Facebook- Evolutionary Psych of Religion

2010-10-18T07:48:00.002-05:00

There is a new facebook page for Evolutionary Psychology of Religion. If you use facebook, you might want to visit the page.

Academic Freedom Decision in Religion Case

2010-10-18T07:36:00.002-05:00

Inside Higher Ed reports a decision in a high-profile case involving the academic freedom of an adjunct faculty member teaching religion courses. The faculty member taught at a course on Catholicism at a state university, University of Illinois. After sending an email that some considered offensive he was dismissed. The story is well worth reading if you have interest in religious issues or academic freedom.

Research Methods Workshop

2010-10-16T09:58:00.002-05:00

A workshop on methods in the study of non-religion and secularity will be offered in December at the University of Cambridge. The announcement follows:

Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network.s Methods Series

Tuesday 14 December 2010 | PPSIS, University of Cambridge

It can reasonably be said that what is most glaringly absent from current studies of those who are not traditionally religious is a qualitative understanding of the ways in which different types of .nones. construct their moral frameworks and meaning systems. . Creativity and determination is (sic) needed in order to study non-traditionally religious people in a more qualitative manner.
O.Brian Baker & Smith, Dec 2009, Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

The study of nonreligion poses particular challenges to qualitative researchers. Whatever its form (nonreligion can be any position or practice defined primarily by its relationship of difference to religion; examples are atheism, agnosticism and secularity), nonreligion is less easy to spot than formalised religious practice or affiliation and tends to have very few dedicated institutional or associational manifestations. Without qualitative research, however, the burgeoning nonreligion and
secularity studies will soon hit a glass ceiling. Qualitative research in this area is urgently needed. The first of a series of methodology-focused events, this NSRN workshop will begin to explore these challenges and opportunities.

DISCUSSION TOPICS will include:
. Achievements of qualitative nonreligion research to date
. Conceptual issues facing qualitative nonreligious studies
. Nonreligious populations and sampling methods
. Ethnographic approaches to non-institutional or associational cultures
. Researching institutional nonreligion (e.g. atheist meet-ups, secularist campaign groups)
. Cultural and media studies approaches to New Atheism and other nonreligion discourses
. New methods and nonreligious .objects.: can visual methods, video diaries, walkabouts., social network analysis and other innovative research methods be used to research nonreligion?
. The relationship between qualitative nonreligious research and quantitative work: past, present and future

QUALITATIVE METHODS WORKSHOP

Methods for Nonreligion and Secularity Studies Series
THE WORKSHOP is open to anyone with an interest in qualitative approaches to nonreligiosity and secularity, but applications from social science researchers (including those from history and religious studies) are especially encouraged. It will enable researchers at the planning stages of a project to scrutinise and develop their research designs, and for those who are currently working in the field or have completed research into nonreligiosity to reflect on these methodologies, their successes and shortcomings.

The workshop will also be of interest to those approaching nonreligion, secularity or related topics using quantitative methodologies, to consider how qualitative projects and/or findings might enrich that work and vice versa. It may also be of interest to those not specifically working in the subject area but interested in innovative approaches to the study of Modernity.

We hope that the workshop will provide a friendly and supportive environment for researchers to discuss and develop qualitative approaches to nonreligion and secularity, and to inspire new lines of enquiry and research designs. Participants will be asked to give an informal 10 minute summary of their research or research interests in the area of qualitative nonreligion studies. To apply to participate, please email us at conference@nsrn.co.uk with a short summary of your interest and/or research activity in this area.

All applications to be received by Friday 24 September 2010
Location: Faculty of Politics, Psychology, Sociology and International
Studies
Free School Lane site
University of Cambridge
Date: Tuesday 14 December 2010
10am . 5pm (TBC)
Fees: FREE
Lunch and other refreshments will be available for a small charge

Please email us at conference@nsrn.co.uk if you have any questions about
this event.
Best wishes
Lois Lee and Stacey Gutkowski
Workshop conveners
Co-directors, Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network

On Religious Differences

2010-09-10T12:22:00.002-05:00

If I had more time to write, I would say something along these lines. Thanks, Mark, for putting it well.

Spirituality in Journal of College and Character

2010-09-07T19:06:00.002-05:00

The current issue of Journal of College and Character is a special issue on spirituality in college. If you are interested in religion and education, or in religious or spiritual development, check out this issue (Vol. 11, No. 3).

Obituary of William W. Meissner

2010-08-07T07:13:00.003-05:00

Dr. Ana-Maria Rizzuto has kindly permitted me to post this obituary of W. W. Meissner, a prolific writer who worked to understand religious experience through the tools of psychoanalysis.

In Memoriam: Tribute to William W. Meissner, S.J., M.D.
1931 - 2010
by Ana-Maria Rizzuto, M.D.
The Psychoanalytic Institute of New England, East

It is a great honor to be asked to celebrate the life and the scholarly contributions of William W. Meissner. He was a very prominent psychoanalytic theoretician and clinician and a member of the Society of Jesus, a priest and scholar in several fields. His commitment to these two vocations as a Jesuit and as a psychoanalyst converged in his love of knowledge, his dedication to investigate every aspect of the mind and all varieties of human experience. He left few of those experiences untouched. Dr. Meissner contributed a significant literature to the interface between religion, religious experience, and psychoanalysis expanding and clarifying Freud’s understanding of the field. His book Psychoanalysis an Religious Experience (1984) is a classic in the filed. As a psychoanalyst, he also explored the historical perspectives of the origin of Christianity, cultic elements, Messianism and Sabbatianism, the Messiah and the Millennium and many other related issues. He wrote about the psychology of grace and contributed many papers to theological and philosophical journals. His Ignatius of Loyola:The Psychology of a Saint" (1992), focusing on the psychological understanding of the dynamic factors involved in the religious experiences of a remarkable man and saint, is a masterpiece.

His contributions to psychoanalytic theory are as numerous as they are significant. He investigated and clarified many issues of theory and technique. No one knows exactly how many papers he published, but I managed to count over three hundred. The same is true about his books. I believe he wrote 25 books.

Dr. Meissner’s clarity of thought in addressing anew so many theoretical and technical issues in psychoanalysis and the psychology of religion brought him to the rank of one of the greatest theoreticians of contemporary psychoanalysis, a "true luminary," as Drs. Massicote and Bursztajn said in their obituary for the Public Information Committee of the International Psychoanalytic Association.

He received the Oskar Pfister Award from the American Psychiatric Association in 1989 and the William C. Bier Award from the American Psychological Association in 2001 as a recognition of his outstanding contributions to the psychology of religion.

His many contributions to psychoanalysis will remain a source of significant learning for new generations of psychoanalysts, for the scholars of psychoanalytic theory, and for those interested in understanding of the psychodynamics of religious processes in the future.

Ana-Maria Rizzuto, M.D.
10 Rogers Street # 321
Cambridge, MA 02142 1248

I would like to thank Dr. Rizzuto for providing this obituary of Dr. Meissner, who was a prolific writer and important psychoanalytic theorist. His most recent book was Time, Self, and Psychoanalysis but an important theme in his work focused on the psychology of religion. The following is a list of some of the books addressing religion.

To the Greater Glory: A Psychological Study of Ignatian Spirituality (Marquette Studies in Theology)

The Cultic Origins of Christianity: The Dynamics of Religious Development (Theology)

Thy Kingdom Come

Vincent's Religion: The Search for Meaning (Reshaping of Psychoanalysis)

Life and Faith: Psychological Perspectives on Religious Experience

Ignatius of Loyola: The Psychology of a Saint

Psychoanalysis and Religious Experience

W. W. Meissner

2010-08-04T09:36:00.003-05:00

Psychoanalyst W. W. Meissner died recently. He worked extensively with the psychology of religion. An obituary is located at The Boston Globe. I hope to locate someone who is in a position to write an obituary for this site. If you would like to do this, please contact me. (Thanks, Michael Donahue, for letting me know about this news.)

Parenting Blog

2010-07-30T07:44:00.002-05:00

One of the blogs I read regularly is Bruce Dolin's The Privilege of Parenting. He offers thoughtful reflections on the challenges and opportunities of parenting, and often touches on issues with implications for morality. If you are a parent or are interesting in parenting visit and click the "subscribe" link at the top, right of his blog.

Court Cases: Religious Students Object to Counseling LGBT Clients

2010-07-28T14:59:00.003-05:00

New developments were announced in cases involving counseling psychology graduate students who objected to counseling LGBT clients in an affirming way. A student backed by the Alliance Defense Fund sued Augusta State University over the issue. The student cites her religious beliefs condemning homosexuality, while the university cites professional ethics codes. A similar case at Eastern Michigan University was resolved yesterday by a federal judge ruling in favor of the university. A summary of the issue appears in today's issue of Inside Higher Ed.

A Sunday at 105

2010-07-26T05:22:00.003-05:00

Religion plays an important role in the life of Aldéa Pellerin-Cormier, filmed by her grandson in this short film from the National Film Board of Canada. Pellerin-Cormier also offers her views on politics and sex, and will leave you smiling at the end of this sweet film.

Psychologists and Prisoner Abuse -- Story Continues

2010-07-08T19:16:00.002-05:00

The licenses of psychologists who were involved in the "harsh interrogation" of prisoners at Guantanamo are at risk, according to this article from the Dayton Daily News. Larry James, dean at Wright State University's School of Professional Psychology, has been the subject of two earlier suits, both of which were dismissed.

Social Scientists Talking to Terrorists

2010-07-07T20:16:00.005-05:00

The current issue of Edge features Scott Atran and Robert Axelrod describing why they talk to terrorists. Given the recent US Supreme Court decision, this is a particularly relevant topic for social scientists engaged in studying controversial religious groups.

Gestalt Psychology Research Request

2010-07-07T08:08:00.002-05:00

Dr. Kailash Tuli, at the IILM Institute for Higher Education in India, is seeking a research collaborator for a study concerning gestalt psychology and religion. Dr. Tuli's profile at http://psyrel.com/exchange/edata/tuli.html includes his email address so that you can contact him about this or other research possibilities.

US Supreme Court Ruling on Religion on Campus

2010-06-28T11:20:00.003-05:00

The US Supreme Court ruled today on a case regarding religious expression in universities and colleges. The ruling confirms that religious groups may be expected to uphold anti-bias rules, and that it is not an infringement on their religious speech. Read more in Inside Higher Ed.

Conference on Takfir (Infidels)

2010-06-26T20:48:00.003-05:00

An interesting news story forwarded to me reports on a conference to be held on the practice of declaring fellow Muslims infidels. Read more at this informative Global Post article.

The Nature of Existence

2010-06-10T16:15:00.003-05:00

The Nature of Existence, a film by Roger Nygaard, is opening in several cities in the coming few weeks. Nygaard began by asking friends why they thought we exist; this question carried him around the world seeking opinions on the question. He even interviewed me, and David Wulff about the topic. Go see the film if you are in an area where it is playing. (At this point, theaters are scheduled to show it in New York, California, Hawaii, Texas, Georgia, Oregon, Colorado, and Arizona.)

Parenting and Sexual Orientation

2010-06-08T07:52:00.002-05:00

US News and World Report offers a summary of an upcoming article to be published in the journal Pediatrics concerning children raised in lesbian households. The article, which will be published in next month's issue, reports that those children fare better emotionally and socially than do parents raised in heterosexual households. The article has not yet been published, and I have not read the article or evaluated its methodology, etc. What is interesting to me now is the comments that accompany the article. As with many online commentary forums, the discussion is quite polarized along ideological lines. You may not want to wade through all 150+ comments, but perusing a few of them conveys the passion of social debate. Whether or not that debate is enlightening as well as passionate, well, that is a different question!

Judaism and DNA Studies

2010-06-07T19:11:00.003-05:00

New Scientist reports a fascinating article describing how religion made Jews genetically distinct. Comparing the DNA of 237 Jews from around the world with that of 416 non-Jews, the researchers found that about 2500 years ago the Jewish population split into two groups. This story is consistent with the story of Jewish exile under king Nebuchadnezzar. There is hope that such research may be useful in dealing with Tay-Sachs and other diseases that are more prevalent among Jews.

Don Browning, 1934 - 2010

2010-06-07T08:23:00.003-05:00

Don Browning, the Alexander Campbell Professor Emeritus of Religious Ethics and the Social Sciences at the Divinity School of the University of Chicago, has died. He was a driving force in pastoral psychology, teaching at the University of Chicago from 1977 - 2002. He directed the Lily Project on Religion, Culture and the Family, and published
Fundamental Practical Theology.

You can view the University of Chicago announcement, his faculty profile, or his essay Critical Familism, Civil Society, and the Law. If I learn of more information, I will share it here as well. I offer my condolences to all who miss Professor Browning.

Changing Attitudes About Homosexuality

2010-06-06T04:05:00.003-05:00

A recent Gallup Poll finds that the percentage of US residents who accept homosexual relations has, for the first time, surpassed the 50% mark. In terms of religiosity, 42% of Protestants, 62% of Catholics, and 84% of people affiliated with other religions considered homosexuality morally acceptable. The comparable figure for those with no religious affiliation was 85%. Compared with attitudes reported in previous years, the big change was among men, especially those aged 18-49. This group showed a 20% increase in acceptance over the rate reported just 4 years ago.

The poll involved 1029 respondents and has a 4% margin of error. You can view details of the methodology here (pdf).

JST Virtual Science Center: Mind Lab

2010-06-04T12:37:00.003-05:00

If you teach introductory psychology courses, be sure to put the JST Virtual Science Center Mind Lab on your list of resources for students. This highly interactive site beautifully illustrates principles of visual perception. More relevant for psychology of religion courses is the last section, illustrating Libet's important work examining free will. A textual eaxmination of Libet is found here, but the Mind Lab introduction is an excellent place to start. It can help students consider more deeply the question of volition and the extent to which people act as independent agents.

Limits of Understanding

2010-06-03T09:58:00.004-05:00

If, like me, you are unable to attend the World Science Festival in New York City now underway, you can still enjoy some of the session by viewing the webcast they are providing. Click http://www.worldsciencefestival.com/live-intro to enjoy the sessions online. I am particularly interested in the session Friday evening, on The Limits of Understanding. Included on the panel will be Marvin Minsky, whose work I remember enjoying in grad school. It should be a fascinating session.

Research Participant Request

2010-06-02T18:56:00.002-05:00

A graduate student seeks participants for his study on how religion is used by people who have served in the military. For more information about the study, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LHJZZM3. Please pass this link on to anyone you happen to know who has been in the military during the past 10 years.

Psychology of Religion at Cambridge

2010-05-26T21:55:00.003-05:00

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

2010-05-26T21:48:00.003-05:00

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

2010-05-26T12:23:00.002-05:00

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

2010-05-24T08:20:00.003-05:00

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

2010-05-10T11:25:00.002-05:00

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

2010-05-08T22:16:00.003-05:00

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

2010-05-07T06:48:00.003-05:00

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

2010-05-05T07:08:00.002-05:00

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.

Example for Class: Religious Discrimination

2010-04-20T22:49:00.006-05:00

The Baltimore Sun reports on a Muslim whose application to be a foster parent was rejected, despite the fact that she was raised through the foster system. Read the details and share it with your students; this case seems very well-suited to generating class discussion. It is possible that there may be more to the story than is in the article, but as reported in the Sun it seems utterly amazing that such things would happen in 2010.

-- edited to add: A friend tells me that he saw another report that indicated the woman kept the dietary laws of Islam, but is not married to the man she is living with. If that is true, it takes the idea of "cafeteria religion" to a new level!

Shrink Rap Radio with Paul Moore

2010-04-18T06:25:00.002-05:00

Shrink Rap Radio is one of the podcasts I listen to regularly. David Van Nuys interviews a variety of guests with interests in clinical and counseling issues. In fact, you can now obtain CE credits by listening to his show.

His most recent interview features Paul Moore, a psychoanalyst in Ireland, and touches on issues relevant to psychology of religion. You can listen to it online at that link, or through iTunes. Moore discusses, among other things, his perception of the problems that the Catholic Church is experiencing, and some ways that religion and psychotherapy are similar. For people experienced with these topics it will present nothing new, but if you have not read much on these themes it may be worth listening to.

The Lobotomist

2010-04-16T13:20:00.002-05:00

If you are at all interested in the history of mental health, take a few minutes to visit The Lobotomist. The program from WGBH (Boston) tells the story of Walter Freeman, who saw the lobotomy as a means of curing a wide range of psychiatric disorders. It is a fascinating and chilling story of excess. The link does not address religion as much as it portrays an overenthusiastic, almost religious devotion to a surgical procedure. You can see useful historical perspectives on mental health, and view the program online. Well worth your time on a Friday afternoon.

Survey on Inter-Religious Households

2010-04-14T13:14:00.003-05:00

A researcher is requesting help locating participants for a study on childhood in inter-religious households. It is very brief, and can be found at this link. Pass it along to others who might be interested!

Cambridge Visiting Professorship

2010-04-13T20:09:00.004-05:00

There is a visiting professorship at Cambridge University that is suitable for psychologists or sociologists who study religion and other aspects of social life, and who have a sabbatical and can travel. Contact Nicholas Gibson for details.

Lectureship in Psych of Religion: Heythrop College

2010-04-12T07:10:00.002-05:00

Heythrop College of the University of London is advertising for the position of Lecturer in the Psychology of Religion. The position (Reference: ACA18-PSYR) is a full-time, permanent lectureship, and carries a salary of £34,754 to £36,741. More information is available here, and at the Heythrop Vacancies site, where you may find application forms.

Change Lanes, But Not Routes, at Reformed Theological Seminary

2010-04-09T22:26:00.004-05:00

Theologian Bruce Waltke discussed religion and science, creationism and evolution recently, in so many words saying that the religious should engage with the scientific, lest the world consider religious belief obsolete. (My paraphrase, of course. Read more here.) Waltke learned this week that his remarks about evolution offended his employer, Reformed Theological Seminary, which then asked for his resignation.

From Inside Higher Ed:
Michael Milton (President of Reformed Seminary), said that the seminary allows "views to vary" about creation, describing the faculty members there as having "an eight-lane highway" on which to explore various routes to understanding. Giving an example, he said that some faculty members believe that the Hebrew word yom (day) should be seen in Genesis as a literal 24-hour day. Others believe that yom may be providing "a framework" for some period of time longer than a day. Both of those views, and various others, are allowed, Milton said.

Sigh.

Clergy Sexual Abuse Update

2010-03-28T10:08:00.003-05:00

Professor Thomas Plante has updated his essay on clergy sexual abuse to reflect developments in research and charges alleging abuse in the world.

Varieties of Catholicism

2010-03-23T08:44:00.003-05:00

The New York Times has an interesting article about Catholicism in Ukraine where, in Western Ukraine, priests may be married. The article may provide a good starting point for psychology of religion classes addressing such things as sexuality and religion, or the range of diversity that may be found within religious groups.

Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging

2010-03-17T12:46:00.002-05:00

The Journal of Religious Gerontology is now being published as the Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging. For more information about this journal, and to receive a free issue, go to http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/WRSA. You can also receive e-mail updates of tables of contents for each issue using a link at that site.

New Bioethics M.A. Program

2010-03-15T19:10:00.002-05:00

Stephen Post announces a new graduate degree program in Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics at Stony Brook University. Students who are interested in the psychology of religion, but who seek a career path different from clinical / counseling psychology or college teaching, may find the program of interest.

Paloutzian Introduces Kirkpatrick

2010-02-27T12:31:00.005-05:00

Ray Paloutzian gave a one-of-a-kind introduction of Lee Kirkpatrick at the 2010 SPSP 2010 preconference on religion and spirituality. Fortunately for us, what happened in Vegas needn't stay in Vegas!

For the lyrics, click on this link, and then click the "More Info" link in the upper-right corner, under the name "Boofshavik". Yes, it sounds like a lot of steps but it is worth it to read the many different ways that Kirkpatrick has contributed to the field. Social psychology, attachment, evolutionary psychology... and fortunately for us, Kirkpatrick isn't done yet!

Sociologists "Get Religion"

2010-02-09T12:20:00.002-05:00

An interesting report on one of our sister disciplines is found in the story Sociologists Get Religion in today's Inside Higher Ed. It describes sociologists as becoming more interested in studying religion, and using it in more significant ways in accounting for phenomena. It is worth your time to read.

Applying Research: Ken Pargament

2010-02-03T09:59:00.003-05:00

Bowling Green State University psychologist Kenneth Pargament is busy at work applying his research to problems faced by soldiers. Read this bgnews.com summary for more info on this unique aspect of the psychology of religion.

Call for Papers: Journal of Behavioral Medicine

2010-02-02T22:32:00.001-05:00

Call for Papers

The Journal of Behavioral Medicine invites authors to submit abstracts (150
words) to be considered for inclusion in an upcoming special issue on the
topic of "Spirituality in Behavioral Medicine Research." Abstracts must
report actual (not promised) results from empirical studies on the relevance
of spirituality and religion to health psychology and behavioral medicine.
Preliminary results from ongoing investigations will be considered.

This special issue will address the question of how and why spirituality and
religion are relevant to behavioral medicine. Authors will identify
potential mechanisms by which spiritual beliefs and practices impact upon
human health and illness. Studies will (a) utilize theoretically-based
measures of spirituality and religion; (b) involve examinations of
moderation and mediation; (c) utilize experimental methodologies; and/or (d)
describe the integration of spiritual or religious content into
psychological and medical interventions.

Invitations to submit full-length papers will be extended to up to six
papers. Abstracts received prior to February 28th, 2010 will receive full
consideration. Submissions and inquiries should be directed to David H.
Rosmarin at drosmarin@mclean.harvard.edu or (617) 910 7790.

Survey Research Workshop

2010-02-01T21:13:00.006-05:00

Researchers interested in surveys of American religion are invited to apply for a workshop to be held at Calvin College June 3-9, 2010. Travel and lodging will be covered for approximately 15 awardees. More details are available at the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion website.

On the Need for Religious Education

2010-01-23T21:21:00.003-05:00

Illustrating the need for greater religious education and awareness, an airplane made emergency landing when a Jewish teenager put on tefillin in order to say his prayers. When the crew asked him what he was doing, they apparently were dissatisfied with his explanation and ordered the New York to Louisville flight to land in Philadelphia so that they could investigate further. Sigh.

There is an element of truth in comedian Bengt Washburn's observation that "One person doing something weird -- he is just a nut. A group of people doing something weird -- well, that's just a church." (source) Something that is common in one religion and helps bring meaning to its adherents often seems strange to observers outside the faith. In some cases, it even can seem threatening. More religious education and awareness may not solve all of the world's problems, but it seems that at least in one case, it could have helped a plane reach its destination safely.

IACSR Call for Proposals

2010-01-01T10:04:00.002-05:00

An announcement from IACSR:

Call for Proposals for Presentations at the 2010 meeting of the International Association for the Cognitive Science of Religion (IACSR) in conjunction with the XXth Quinquennial World Congress of the International Association of the History of Religions (IAHR)

August 15-21, 2010 in Toronto

http://www.religion.utoronto.ca/resources/iahr

The IACSR, which seeks to advance the naturalistic study of religion, invites interested scholars to submit proposals for presentations (lasting no more than 25 minutes) for possible inclusion on the program at its upcoming meeting for 2010 in Toronto. Submissions are welcome on any topic in the cognitive science of religion. The IACSR recognizes that the cognitive sciences encompass a wide array of disciplines and methods, including, among others, experimental research in psychology and neuroscience, computational modeling, ethnographic, historical, archaeological, and comparative studies of religious cognition, and the survey techniques of the social sciences. Presentations advancing new cognitive theories of diverse religious phenomena are also welcome.

Proposals should consist of two pages. The cover page should include the following items ONLY:

1. presentation title

2. word count of the proposal

3. all authors’ names

4. all authors’ email addresses (papers with multiple authors should explicitly indicate which of the addresses should serve as the one to which all subsequent communications about this submission should be sent)

On a subsequent page, the substantive section of the proposal should, again, include the title of the presentation, should not exceed 500 words, and should not contain either footnotes or endnotes or the author’s name(s). The author’s name(s) should only appear on the cover page.

Proposals should be attached as an MS Word file in emails with “IACSR submission” in their subject lines to be sent to Armin W. Geertz at awg@teo.au.dk. The deadline for submission is February 15, 2010.
President Luther H. Martin

President Elect Robert N. McCauley

Secretary General Armin W. Geertz

Sommervogel Archive is Relocated

2009-12-31T12:49:00.003-05:00

Michael Donahue's excellent resource, the Sommervogel Archive, is now hosted on Division 36's new webspace. To access it, go there with this link. You also can reach it through the Resources link on my main page.

Independent Lens - PBS

2009-12-29T21:53:00.004-05:00

For those of you who are in the US, check your television listings to view Independent Lens. The series is showing two films that are of interest to psychologists who study religion. One is Scenes From a Parish, about racial tensions in a Massachusetts parish over a four-year period. The other, Knocking, offers a look at the Jehovah's Witnesses who are known for their door-to-door proselytizing efforts. Your local show times will vary. Look at this page to locate times in your area.

Essays Related to Religion

2009-12-27T10:00:00.003-05:00

Here are two outstanding essays related to religion:

A fascinating examination of the intellectual and social history of Central Asia is found at Wilson Quarterly in an essay by Frederick Starr. He writes about the region's intellectual heights achieved about 1000 years ago, and the religious and other social factors responsible for its decline.

For something concerning morality, take the time to read David Grann's account of Cameron Todd Willingham's conviction for murder. Willingham's children died in a fire; he was convicted of setting the blaze and eventually was put to death for the act. The evidence seems clear, however, that he did not commit the crime, and Texas put to death an innocent man.

An IRB Nightmare

2009-12-26T08:54:00.003-05:00

Institutional Review Boards are intended to ensure that people participating in research are being treated ethically, but sometimes their decisions seem senseless. Here is a story of a doctoral student required by her university's IRB to undergo 80 separate reviews of a project that, by all appearances, should have been exempt from review. Read her account of a process gone awry.

Sigh.

Kim Peek Dies

2009-12-22T16:50:00.003-05:00

If I were to begin my psychology career now, and if I studied something other than the psychology of religion, it would be to study people like Kim Peek. Born without a corpus callosum, Peek was the inspiration for the movie Rain Man. His amazing ability to memorize left him with an estimated 9000 - 12000 books committed to memory, but at the cost of learning conceptual things with tremendous difficulty. Peek died December 19, 2009, of a heart attack at the age of 58. If you are interested in psychology, do yourself a favor and read about this remarkable person. His hometown newspapers offer stories here and here. This wikipedia biography also includes links to several media appearances that are worthwhile.

A Controversial Op-Ed at the Boston Globe

2009-12-22T16:34:00.003-05:00

If you teach students, you may find this post at The Boston Globe to be of interest. The author, a professor of rhetoric and history at Babson College, compares her foreign students with her U.S. students, and finds the U.S. students falling well short of their foreign classmates.

SIPR News

2009-12-22T06:58:00.003-05:00

The new edition of the SIPR News is now available. If you speak a language other than Italian, you can use Google Translator to view it in a language you probably do speak. The google translator will show about half of the newsletter in English; the latter half remains in Italian but you can copy & paste the remaining text into the translator to see it with a little more effort. There may be other online translation tools that work better, but when I tried Yahoo's "Babelfish" it was not able to translate the .pdf file. At any rate, the SIPR News is well worth reading for the summary of the recent IAPR conference summary it provides, including abstracts of presentations from the Italian scholars who attended.

Religion's Place in History

2009-12-21T11:40:00.007-05:00

The study of religion in history is on the rise according to a report issued by the AHA. Nearly 40% of AHA graduate students, assistant- and associate-professors surveyed indicated that religion was one of the three most important areas of their work. Most other areas of study in history showed a decline in importance since 1992, the first date that data were collected; only religion, African-American, and cultural history showed increases.

I am not aware of comparable data in other disciplines, but the extent to which religion may be part of academic study deserves our attention. Like psychology more generally, the psychology of religion has natural connections to disciplines across the academic spectrum, from biology to sociology. Of course, the role of religion in psychology itself has been an important area of interest to psychologists of religion, who often see religion's place in psychology as being under-appreciated. One good example of this is Michael Donahue's work documenting religion's neglect in social psychology. You can download his 2005 article on this subject, Disregarding (and disrespecting?) religion in social psychology: The case
of the 1998 Handbook of Social Psychology from his site. It makes for interesting reading, whether your focus is social psychology or another aspect of psychology.

IAPR Highlights

2009-12-17T15:47:00.002-05:00

Do you wonder what you missed at the recent IAPR meeting? Satisfy your curiosity by viewing abstracts and photos from the IAPR meeting, kindly hosted by SIPR.