Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Validation Of The Transformative Work In Society Index: Christianity, Work, And Economics Integration, John R. Terrill

Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertations

In recent years, concern for faith-work integration has evolved from a special interest to a sustained movement within workplace and ecclesiastical communities. This study’s purpose is to validate the Transformative Work in Society Index (TWSI) exploring Christian faith, work, and economics integration within the larger nomological net of workplace spirituality, organizational outcomes, and faith maturity measures. The TWSI incorporates the full affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions of what it means to be agentic human beings at work. A total of 405 participants who self-identified as Christians took part in this study (40.2% female; mean age = 46 years; mean as …

The Effects Of Grace Interventions In Church Communities, Rodger K. Bufford, Mark R. Mcminn, Jeff A. Moody, Laura Geczy-Haskins

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

Grace remains little studied though several recent studies have developed promising ways to measure grace. Here we report two studies involving grace interventions as part of an ongoing investigation of positive psychology in the context of Christian church communities, Study One used a crossover design in which two congregations were measured on grace and other variables at the outset, and again after phases one and two. One congregation received a grace intervention during phase one and the second during phase two. Results showed increased scores on grace but not an expected increase in marital satisfaction among married participants. Study Two …

Existence As Economy And As Charity An Essay On The Essence Of Christianity (1916) By: Antonio Caso, Antonio Caso, Alexander V. Stehn, Jose G. Rodriguez Jr.

Psychological Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Antonio Caso rejects the effort of biologists to reduce life to the organic world, a sphere of existence that is defined by economy and egoism, best summarized in the formula: Life = Minimum Effort x Maximum Gain. The problem is that this cannot explain what he calls “disinterested activity,” such as play, art, and self-sacrifice. His primary example of disinterested or selfless activity is the life of Jesus, which Caso also believes is the height of human dignity. In other words, Caso not only argues that there is more than one order of life or existence; he also argues …

Psychopathology And Crime Causation: Insanity Or Excuse?, Meagan Cline

Fidei et Veritatis: The Liberty University Journal of Graduate Research

One of the most controversial topics in the criminal justice industry is the "insanity defense" and its applicability or validity in prosecuting criminal cases. The purpose of this assignment is to identify and discuss psychopathology and crime causation in terms of mental illness, research, and the insanity defense. For this evaluation, information was gathered from scholarly research, textbooks, dictionaries, and published literature. These sources were then carefully reviewed and applied to the evaluation in a concise, yet informative, manner. This assignment also addresses some of the key terms in psychopathology and crime causation, including various theories, definitions, and less commonly …

The Relationship Between Christian Religiosity And Heterosexism In The Southern United States, Patricia Hare

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The internalization of heterosexism places lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals at disproportionately higher risks of depression and self-destructive behaviors. For LGB Christians, this phenomenon is often exacerbated. Although literature on heterosexism has increased, little research has examined more insular, religious environments. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Christian denominational religiosity and heterosexism and to compare the degree of religiosity and heterosexism between members of 5 Christian denominations and between same-sex sexuality perspectives in the southern United States. Guided by the attribution theory, a correlational, cross-sectional survey design was used to analyze degree of religiosity …

Missio-Logoi And Faith: Factors That Influence Attitude Certainty, David R. Dunaetz

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

One of the goals of missio-logoi (missionary speech) used by missionaries is the development of faith in the lives of those whom the missionaries serve. From a biblical perspective, faith has both a relational (e.g., John 3:16) and a cognitive dimension (e.g., Hebrews 11:1). This cognitive dimension is similar to what social psychologists call attitude certainty, the degree to which an individual is certain that a particular attitude or belief is true. This study reviews the empirical research conducted to discover the factors that influence attitude certainty. These factors include support for the beliefs by peers, repeated verbal expression of …

Stressful Scriptures: Gender Role Ideology, Gender Role Stress, And Christian Religiosity, Tess A. Lommers-Johnson

Scripps Senior Theses

The Gender Role Stress paradigm asserts that individuals experience distress when they cannot or do not want to live up to the roles prescribed to their gender, and this stress is related to Gender Role Ideology. Within American Christian culture, gender roles are socialized and shaped according to tradition and the Bible. To investigate the intersection of these factors, Christian adults will respond to questionnaires about their Gender Role Ideology, Gender Role Stress, and religiosity. Significant positive correlational relationships between Gender Role Ideology and Gender Role Stress, between religiosity and Gender Role Ideology, and between religiosity and Gender Role Stress …

Wearing Memories: Clothing And The Global Lives Of Mourning In Swaziland, Casey Golomski

Anthropology

This article situates a cultural phenomenon of women’s memory work through clothing in Swaziland. It explores clothing as both action and object of everyday, personalized practice that constitutes psychosocial well-being and material proximities between the living and the dead, namely, in how clothing of the deceased is privately possessed and ritually manipulated by the bereaved. While human and spiritual self-other relations are produced through clothing and its material efficacy, current global ideologies of immaterial mortuary ritual associated with Pentecostalism have emerged as contraries to this local, intersubjective grief work. This article describes how such contrarian ideologies paper over existing global …

Raising Narcissists: What Over-Approving Parents Can Learn From Philippians 2, A. Thornhill

A. Chadwick Thornhill

No abstract provided.

Proof Of Heaven?: Controversy Over Near-Death Experiences In American Christianity, Joel Sanford

The Hilltop Review

Testimonies claiming firsthand experience of Life after Death have been circulating in many cultures since antiquity. Among these experiences are those occurring at, near, or beyond the point of death or apparent death. Testimonies of this kind of experience, now widely referred to as a Near-death Experience (NDE), were popularized by Raymond Moody's publication of Life after Life in 1975. In the last 10 years, it seems there has been a growing American public interest in these experiences, resulting in a slew of New York Times best-sellers. With such provocative titles as Proof of Heaven and Heaven is for Real …

Incongruence With Social Work Culture Among Evangelical Students: The Mediating Role Of Group-Based Dominance, N. Walls, Kristie Seelman

Kristie L Seelman

Teaching about religion in social work programs is viewed as a difficult topic fraught with tension and anxiety (Coholic, 2003), but when content about religion is not integrated into the curriculum, social work practitioners have little guidance on how to manage their own personal religious beliefs in the context of social work values in practice (Canda, Nakashima, & Furman, 2004). Given that religious values may influence how one perceives gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and even mental health (Duriez & Hutsebaut, 2000; Wilkinson, 2004) and play a role in the social worker’s ability to be authentic with a client and provide positive …

Femininity, Masculinity, Gender, And The Role Of Shame On Christian Men And Women In The Evangelical Church Culture, Joy L. Hottenstein

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Previous research has suggested that individuals (men and women) who endorse more feminine characteristics according to Bem’s Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) are more prone to shame. There have been no known studies conducted to determine if this link also exists within the Evangelical Christian church. Shame, across the research literature, is linked to psychological maladjustment and is defined as a sense that one’s core self is defective and comes up short on expectations. The purpose of this study is to test the relationship between gender, gender role, and shame for men and women who are active in the Evangelical church …

Post-College Transition: A Study Of Evangelical Spirituality In Emerging Adulthood, Katharine R. Pals

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the question: How are the spiritual lives of evangelical Christian FIU graduates affected during the two to four years following their college graduation? In twenty mini-case studies participants describe their patterns in prayer life, devotion, community service outreach, and ways that they understand their own growth process as evangelical Christian emerging adults.

A total of twenty FIU alumni from the classes of 2009-2012 between the ages of 23 and 34 were interviewed in this study. The sample population of evangelical Christian FIU alumni was identified by the graduates’ previous membership in on-campus Christian organizations, including Campus Bible …

Spiritual/Religious Issues In Therapy At A Community Mental Health Clinic, Courtney Elizabeth Mcconnell

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Abstract The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the growing area of spirituality and religion in counseling. The American public values religion; and the American Psychological Association (APA) acknowledges religion/spirituality as a vital area of diversity. With APA calling for specialized training in religious diversity, it is important to consider what religious/spiritual issues arise in a community counseling setting. This study was designed to determine whether clients or therapists raise religious issues, and whether clients who self-identify as religiously affiliated spend more time discussing religious/spiritual topics in session. In addition, researchers hoped to learn about what religious content was …

Egyptians' Attitudes Toward Secularism, Nouran Omar, Norhan El-Araby, Sherine Samir

Papers, Posters, and Presentations

This research study examined Egyptians' attitudes towards Egypt's possible evolution into a secular state. Our hypotheses were that Christianity, less religiosity in Islam, more religious tolerance, higher Westernization and more liberal thinking would predict more positive attitudes towards Egypt becoming a secular state. In addition, we conducted exploratory research on the demographics including gender and socio-economic status including education, to see whether they have a relationship with secularism attitudes. The convenience sample consisted of 234 individuals who completed a series of questionnaires either at an Internet website or on paper in our local neighborhoods. Our findings confirmed our hypotheses except …

Does Participation In Christian Faith Affect The Healing Process Of Female African American Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors, Tamika A. Thomas

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is often associated with devastating effects that are long-lasting and pervasive in nature. Though the sequelae vary from survivor to survivor, difficulties typically manifest psychologically, interpersonally, behaviorally, and in physical health problems. While there are many articles in the CSA literature on coping strategies and various treatment modalities, literature on the efficacy of treatment for this population is limited. Further absent from the CSA literature is an understanding of the impact that participation in religious activities has on the healing process within this population. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the impact that …

Dealing With Suffering: A Comparison Of Religious And Psychological Perspectives, Emily R. Pimpinella

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

One of the main tasks of psychologists is to help clients deal with suffering. In order to assist the client, a therapist needs to have an understanding of the client’s beliefs about suffering. Due to the importance of religion for much of the general population, and considering how beliefs influence clients when dealing with suffering, it is essential that psychologists be mindful and respectful of religious beliefs in order to provide competent service. In order to do this, therapists need to have knowledge about the religious doctrine that their client observes. Therapists also need to be aware of their own …

Invitation To The Table Conversation: A Few Diverse Perspectives On Integration, Natalia Yangarber-Hicks, Charles Behensky, Sally Schwer, Kelly Schimmel Flanagan, Nicholas J.S. Gibson, Mitchell W. Hicks, Cynthia Neal Kimball, Jenny H. Pak, Thomas G. Plante, Steven L. Porter

Psychology

This article represents an invitation to the "integration table" to several previously underrepresented perspectives within Christian psychology. The Judeo-Christian tradition and current views on scholarship and Christian faith compel us to extend hospitality to minority voices within integration, thereby enriching and challenging existing paradigms in the field. Contributors to this article, spanning areas of cultural, disciplinary, and theological diversity, provide suggestions for how their distinct voices can enhance future integrative efforts.

Professional Psychology And The Doctrines Of Sin And Grace: Christian Leaders’ Perspectives, Mark R. Mcminn, Janeil N. Ruiz, David Marx, J. Brooke Wright, Nicole B. Gilbert

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

What is a professional psychologist to do when a client brings up the concept of sin? To some, sin may seem like a stifling religious relic that has no place in contemporary psychology. But viewing sin from within the Christian faith, and in tandem with the doctrine of grace, can help psychologists understand why sin is such an important concept for many of their Christian clients. Psychologists’ misunderstanding of sin and grace may contribute to relatively low rates of referral from Christian leaders to clinical psychologists, and may sometimes hinder therapeutic progress. Two methods of data collection, involving a total …

A Research Agenda In India For Political Psychologists: Fanning The Flames Of Political Violence Or Dousing Them?, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This article describes psychological Issues about the incitement of political violence in India that merits further attention by political psychologists.

Is Psychology Seducing Christianity (Chapter 7 From Christians In The Crossfire), Mark R. Mcminn

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

No abstract provided.

Psychology Gone Awry: An Analysis Of Psychological World Views, Mark P. Cosgrove

Books by Taylor faculty, staff, and administrators

Demonstrating that each of the three major psychological world views—naturalistic, humanistic, and transpersonal—has Its own singular weakness. Mark P. Cosgrove suggests an alternative: Christian theism. "A world view based on Christian beliefs." says Cosgrove. "adequately copes with the weaknesses of modern psychological world views and provides a suitable framework for the study of man and the development of solutions to human problems."

The Psychology Of Conversion, James Roy Smith

Master's Theses

The present study of conversion is approached through the medium of psychology, which, like the Christian religion, is extremely interested in human beings. Christianity owes to psychology a great debt of gratitude for the light which it has thrown upon the vast recesses of the human mind and upon the possibilities in the personality which Christianity would convert.

There has been no hesitation to employ whatever information psychology may offer concerning the processes at work in conversion,together with any technique which might serve to increase its likelihood. It is not the purpose of this thesis to champion the cause of …