Psychology and Spiritual Formation in Dialogue: Moral and Spiritual Change in Christian Perspective (Christian Association for Psychological Studies Books)

Product Description

Can the phenomena of the human mind be separated from the practices of spiritual formation―of growing to have the mind of Christ? Research into the nature of moral and spiritual change has revived in recent years in the worlds of psychology on one hand and theology and philosophy on the other. But psychology and spiritual formation draw upon distinct bodies of research and theory grounded in different methodologies, resulting in conversation that has suffered from a lack of interdisciplinary cross-pollination. Rooted in a year-long discussion held by Biola University’s Center for Christian Thought (CCT), this volume bridges the gaps caused by professional specialization among psychology, theology, and philosophy. Each essay was forged out of an integrative discussion among theologians, psychologists, philosophers, New Testament scholars, educators, and pastors around the CCT seminar table. Topics that emerged included relational and developmental spirituality, moral virtue and judgment, and suffering and trauma.
Psychology and Spiritual Formation in Dialogue speaks across disciplinary divides, fostering fruitful conversation for fresh insights into the nature and dynamics of personal spiritual change. Contributors include

Justin L. Barrett, School of Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary
Earl D. Bland, Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University
Ellen T. Charry, Princeton Seminary
John H. Coe, Biola University
Robert A. Emmons, University of California, Davis
Stephen Evans, Baylor University
Bruce Hindmarsh, Regent College, Vancouver
Marie T. Hoffman, New York University
James M. Houston, Regent College, Vancouver
Steven J. Sandage, David R. Paine, and Jonathan Morgan, Boston University
Siang Yang Tan, School of Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary
Everett L. Worthington, Jr., Brandon J. Griffin, and Caroline R. Lavelock, Virginia Commonwealth University
Edited by

Thomas M. Crisp, professor of philosophy, Biola University
Steve L. Porter, professor of theology, spiritual formation, and philosophy, Talbot School of Theology and Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University
Gregg Ten Elshof, professor of philosophy, Biola University

Review

“A very welcome, timely, and important volume bringing together some of the best thinkers currently working at the interface between empirical psychology and Christian formation. It offers rich insights with practical application to the nurture of flourishing Christian communities.” (Joanna Collicutt, University of Oxford, author of The Psychology of Christian Character Formation)

”
Psychology and Spiritual Formation in Dialogue is a fitting tribute to Dallas Willard and a very helpful exchange of ideas for which I feel certain he would be grateful. Dallas once said that the only way to divide the components of a person is with the chapter titles of a book. I wonder if it could also be said that the primary ways of dividing the disciplines of psychology and spiritual formation are through the use of departmental headings, licensure boards, and the timeline of focus. May this important work fan the flames of both Christian spiritual theology and psychology and diminish the effect of nonhelpful barriers and hidden assumptions.” (Gary W. Moon, distinguished professor of psychology and spiritual formation, Richmont Graduate University)

“The brightest and best of Christian theologians, philosophers, and psychologists are here amassed to grapple with how our understanding and enhancement of the spiritual life of Christians can be aided by the insights of psychology. Many striking insights are provided, resisting an overly strict adherence to methodological naturalism that can create a barrier to a Christian understanding of what it means to be fully human. Each chapter is worth a careful read for a complete picture of the field. Biola’s Center for Christian Thought (CCT), who sponsored year-long weekly discussions on this topic, is to be commended for such