Wisdom, Chapter 1 of The Science of Virtue: Why Positive Psychology Matters to the Church

The day before I started this chapter I played flag football with some of my doctoral students. Though I am thirty years their senior, I tried my best to keep up for three hours of great fun. Today my sore muscles scream any time I try to move. My wife, Lisa, would say they are reprimanding me for my foolishness. Typing on the keyboard is about the only motion that doesn’t hurt. It seems both fitting and paradoxical to begin writing about wisdom the morning after punishing my body in the name of a good time. Hopefully I haven’t just destroyed any credibility I have on the topic

Technology in Practice (Section 2.31 of the Comprehensive Clinical Psychology: Vol. 2. Professional Issues)

The contemporary practice of psychology requires a prudent balance of traditional and emerging communication methods. Interpersonal interactions in the context of human relationship (e.g., speech, emotional expressions, and nonverbal gestures) have been a vital part of emotional healing throughout many centuries, and research findings in the 1990s underscore the importance of relational factors in effective psychological interventions (Whiston & Sexton, 1993). In addition to the time honored interpersonal communication methods of professional psychology, rapid technological advances have propelled psychologists into another sphere of communication. Today\u27s professional psychologist is increasingly expected to attain mastery in both of these communication methods-the very old and the very new

Forgiveness, Chapter 2 of The Science of Virtue: Why Positive Psychology Matters to the Church

Forgiveness is close to the center of everything Christian. It shows up in the heart of the Lord’s Prayer, which is in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount, which is the centerpiece of how we understand Jesus and his astonishing critical wisdom. “Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” (Matt. 6:12)

ACT, Values, and Christian Psychology: A Response to Sisemore

“Amen, brother” is probably too brief a response for an academic journal, but it would be a fitting summary for my observations of Sisemore’s (2015) article, “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: A Christian Translation.” Sisemore demonstrates both a good understanding of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Christian wisdom. Rather than repeating all our points of agreement, I limit my observations to two anecdotes about ACT and Christianity, a few positive reflections regarding Sisemore’s article, and two suggestions for further translation work

A Third Variable in Obesity: The Effects of Brown Adipose Tissue on Thermogenesis

Approaches to weight management which consider only energy intake and/or expenditure do not consistently lead to favorable outcomes. A third variable, thermogenesis, must also be considered in a comprehensive understanding of obesity· Three types of thermogenesis have been outlined-shivering thermogenesis, nonshivering thermogenesis (NST), and diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT). The latter two types of thermogenesis, NST and DIT, may share a common biochemical mechanism which leads to heat production in brown adipose tissue (BAT) which is unchecked by energy needs. Four categories of studies are reviewed which implicate BAT as an important factor in DIT and point to commonalities in NST and DIT. More research is necessary to fully understand the role of BAT in human obesity

Home to Jesus (Chapter 9 on Finding Our Way Home)

Excerpt: Like so many, I was raised in a religious home- praying before meals, attending Sunday services, seeking to follow God\u27s will for my life. I remember getting two Christmas presents in ninth grade-a new pair of skis and a new Bible. Honestly, I was more thrilled with the Bible than with the skis (though both gifts made me ecstatic about my generous parents for a few days). I remember wondering in those youthful years why anyone would choose a life apart from Jesus. As I grew toward adulthood I began to understand their reasons. The faith I had loved as a child began to feel cumbersome, restrictive, and onerous. Still, I held on even as I noticed many of my church friends slipping away, leaving the faith behind as they negotiated the new challenges of love, work, and personal identity. I wondered where their lives were leading as I oscillated between envy for their freedom and sadness for their waywardness

Introduction to The Science of Virtue, Why Positive Psychology Matters to the Church

My students look at me funny when I mention 1980, as if we are studying ancient history. It doesn’t seem that long ago to me, but most of them were ten years shy of being born. Mount St. Helens erupted that year, gifting my classmates and me with an inch of ash for our college graduation day in Portland, Oregon. Rubik’s Cube captured the world’s attention and more of my free time than I care to admit. And a concerned couple at my church approached my wife, Lisa, and me a few weeks before we packed our U-Haul for graduate school with a warning that my choice to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology would likely cause us both to abandon our faith. Several weeks later, during my first day on the Vanderbilt University campus, another doctoral student insisted that I couldn’t possibly be religious and be a good scientist. Psychology and Christianity were not getting along well in 1980