Applying principles of collaboration to psychology, religion, and spirituality. Division 36 Newsletter. v34n4

8/7/2019 Applying principles of collaboration to psychology, religion, and spirituality. Division 36 Newsletter. v34n4.

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When preparing this presidential address for the Psychology of Religion division of theAmerican Psychological Association, I had two goals in mind. The first was to give an

overview of my primary research interest over the past decade, which pertains to princi-ples of effective clergy-psychology collaboration, and the second was to summarize my

presidential initiative for the past year, which involved efforts to enhance an Islamic pres-ence within Division 36. Perhaps these two fit together a bit awkwardly, but both goals

seem important enough that I persisted with a talk that combines them.

Research on Clergy-Psychologist Collaboration

It has been almost a decade since Andrew Weaver and his colleagues published an article

titled, What Do Psychologists Know about Working with the Clergy? (Weaver et al.,1997). The answer at the timebased on publication rates in APA journalsappeared tobe that psychologists knew almost nothing about the topic. Around the

same time, I initiated the Center for Church-Psychology Collaboration(CCPC) at Wheaton College in Illinois (McMinn, Meek, Canning, &

Pozzi, 2001). Part of our work at the CCPC was to do research on waysthat clergy and psychologists work effectively, or ineffectively, together.

We accomplished this through interviewing exemplars of collaborationand through national survey projects.

Based on a series of research studies, we have postulated principles for

effective collaboration (McMinn,Aikins, & Lish, 2003). Initially we artic-

ulated 8 principles, but have since condensed the list to 7 principles afterdetermining that common values and common goals were sufficientlysimilar that they could be collapsed into a single principle.

RelationshipEffective collaboration begins with some level of relationship between the

clergyperson and psychologist. An exemplar of clergy-psychologist col-laboration, Kathryn Benes, once commented,In consultation, relation-

ships are everything. Dr. Benes work is an example of what is possible

PS Y C H O L O G Y O F R E L I G I O N

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION D IVISION 36 VOLUME 31 NO

FALL 2006

NEWSLETTERAMERICANPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

DIVISION 36

INSIDE

8 Word from theNew President

10 Council ofRepresentatives

Report11 Officer & Fellows

Nominations

12 August ExecutiveCommitteeMeeting Minutes

13 JournalNominations

14 Call for Papers

16 MembershipApplication

APPLYING PRINCIPLES OF COLLABORATION

TO PSYCHOLOGY, RELIGION, AND SPIRITUALITY

M A R K R . M C M I N N , G E O R G E F O X U N I V E R S I T Y

Presidential Address for Division 36 (Psychology of Religion)

of the American Psychological Association

Presented in New Orleans, LA August, 2006

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

Mark R. McMinn,

Ph.D., ABPP


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PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION NEWSLETTER APA DIVISION 36 VOL.31, NO.4 2

with effective collaboration relationships (Benes, Walsh, McMinn,Dominguez, & Aikins,2000). As Director of Counseling Services at Catholic Social Services in Lincoln, Ne-

braska, Dr. Benes was responsible for the mental health services for a vast area of 24,000square miles. She accomplished this by establishing consultation relationships with local

priests, many of whom were able to offer pastoral care services for parishioners with the

support of Dr. Benesconsultation.

CommunicationOnce a relationship is established, it is important to maintain communication between

the psychologist and the clergy person. When my colleagues and I asked clergy and psy-chologists to describe their best experience collaborating with a member of the other

profession, the most common written response had to do with effective communication(McMinn et al. 2003). We received many comments such as: [The psychologist] kept

me informed and asked my input with the permission of the client.Neftali Serranos work at Lawndale Christian Health Center in Chicago exemplifies

the importance of good communication (Serrano, 2005). Dr. Serrano communicated

with leaders from a variety of neighborhood churches and in the process established a layministry program where he brought together and trained volunteers to help with the

spiritual and emotional needs of patients at the community health center.Effective com-munication with clergy from a variety of ethnicities and denominations was an essential

aspect of Dr. Serranos work.

RespectClergy and psychologists who work together well demonstrate respect for one another.When asked to describe positive collaborative experiences, psychologist respondents offer

comments such as Working with a Rabbi, psychologically-minded, very expert in field,yet respectfulof my expertise as well. Seemed most interested in whatever helps mutual

client. Clergy respondents offered similar comments, such as, I worked side by sidewith a Christian psychologist in our city. We would get together to discuss cases we

worked together on. Mutual respect was evident (McMinn et al., 2003).To understand the importance of respect, psychologists need to know something

about the paradox of respect that clergy face on a routine basis. On one hand, it is quitecommon for clergy to be disrespected (Rediger, 1997). This appears to be related to un-realistic expectations on the part of parishioners, coupled with a

propensity for the media to present clergy in a disparaging way.On the other hand, many clergy experience what has been called

the pedestal effect. That is, parishioners have a sort of rever-ence for clergy that appears to be excessively respectful. Yet thosewho live on a pedestal know there is only one direction to fall. In the context of this par-

adox of respect, it is especially important for psychologists to experience and communi-cate an appropriate level of respect for clergy, yet without placing them on a pedestal.

An example of collaboration characterized by respect is seen in the parish-based as-sessment model developed by Amy Dominguez (Dominguez & McMinn, 2003). This is a

three-stage assessment process that allows clergy to have an active voice in every aspect ofthe assessment. Though clergy are normally reticent to allow psychologists access to con-gregations (Lish, McMinn, Fitzsimmons, & Root, 2003), Dr. Dominguez has had success

doing so because of the respect implicit in her model of assessment.

Common Values and GoalsPerhaps the most controversial of these seven principles is the assertion that clergy and

psychologists must share some common values and goals in order to collaborate well.Psychologists tend to question this, noting that they are trained to work with a wide

C O N T E N T

...COLLABORATIONCHARACTERIZEDBY RESPECT...


[ FROM PAGE 1 ]


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range of professionals regardless of whether they share the same ideologies. But the clergywe have studiedalbeit a relatively conservative subset of Christian clergydo not view

this the same way. Chaddock and McMinn (1999) reported evidence that clergy are notinterested in collaborating with psychologists who do not share basic values regarding

faith beliefs. In another study we discovered that the main source of frustration when

collaborative efforts do not go well is related to a lack of shared values and beliefs(McMinn et al., 2003).Sara Savages work at the University of Cambridge is an example of effective collabo-

ration based on common values and goals (Savage, 2005). Dr. Savage has developed the

Beta course (www.beta-course.org), which is a parish-based program that addressesquestions of importance to both psychologists and clergy. The Beta course focuses on

several questions: What does a healthy relationship look like? How can my church be-come a more caring community? Why do I find it so hard to forgive? Why am I depressed

and defeated by stress?

Complementary ExpertiseFor effective collaboration, both the psychologist and clergyperson must recognize thatthe other person offers some expertise that they themselves do not have. Preliminary ev-

idence suggests that clergy are quite willing to say that psychologists offer unique expert-ise that clergy do not have, but the converse is not necessarily true (McMinn et al., 2003).

That is, psychologists do not necessarily think that clergy offer something beyond whatpsychology provides.This serves as an obstacle to effective collabo-

ration (McMinn, Chaddock, Edwards, Lim, & Campbell, 1998).The work of Alex Galloway at Christ Community Health Ser-

vices in Memphis serves as an exemplar of this principle (Galloway,

2005). When Dr. Galloway entered into the largely African Ameri-can community in which Christ Community Health Services is lo-

cated, he sought mentoring from pastors in order to best addressthe needs of the community. This serves as a heartening example

of a psychologist recognizing the expertise of clergy.

Psychological and Spiritual AwarenessPsychologists often refer to psychological-mindedness, meaning a persons capacity torecognize a psychological dimension to life experiences. Similarly, one could postulate a

sort of spiritual-mindedness related to ones ability to see a spiritual dimension to life. Ef-fective collaboration is facilitated by both psychological- and spiritual-mindedness. An

exemplar of this is Frank Budd (Budd, 1999; Budd & Newton, 2005).Among other formsof innovative collaboration, Dr. Budd has collaborated with chaplains in the U.S. AirForce to develop an effective suicide prevention effort for Air Force personnel. The suc-

cess of this program is possible because suicide is viewed both in terms of psychologicalhopelessness and spiritual despair.

TrustThe final principle of trust might best be considered a meta-principle.That is, trust is notmerely accomplished by developing a collaborative attitude or set of skills, but it occursover time as the other 6 principles are practiced. Thomas Plantes work (Plante, 1999,

2005) exemplifies the sort of trust that can be developed over a sustained period of col-laboration. Dr. Plante works with the Roman Catholic Church in a variety of capacities,

including assessing candidates for religious life, evaluating and treating clergy, research,and writing. Plante has established trust through shared values, long-term commitment

to the Church, and professional competence.

C O N T E N T

THE MAIN SOURCEOF FRUSTRATION

WHENCOLLABORATIVEEFFORTS DO NOT

GO WELL IS RELATEDTO A LACK OF

SHARED VALUESAND BELIEFS


[ FROM PAGE 2 ]
http://www.beta-course.org/http://www.beta-course.org/


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Enhancing an Islamic Presence in Division 36

The seven principles I have just outlined for clergy-psychologist collaboration are farfrom surprising. At times I have wished I were an astrophysicist so I could say at the be-

ginning of a presentation,This isrocket science. This is not. These principles for collab-oration may seem to be little more than common sense, though as a social scientist I am

quick to add that it is important to confirm that which makes sense with empirical re-search. Assuming that these are general, common-sense principles for collaborationeven beyond clergy-psychologist collaborationI would like to use them as a general

framework to discuss my presidential initiative for Division 36.There appears to be a relative paucity of research and writing on the Islamic faith in

the psychology of religionat least that which is taught in the Western hemisphere.There are exceptions, of course, such as chapters found in Dowd and Nielsens (2006)

The Psychologies in Religion, but for the most part the monotheistic faiths in contempo-rary psychology of religion have included Christianity (predominantly) and Judaism (toa lesser extent). For the APAs Psychology of Religion division to be maximally relevant to

contemporary cultural conversations, it will be important to have agreater Islamic presence both in the division and, ultimately, in our pub-

lished articles and textbooks. There are many reasons why psychologistsshould be interested in the Islamic faith, including studying the differ-

ences and similarities between monotheistic faiths, understanding themagnitude and causes of the discrimination and prejudice experiencedby many Muslim Americans, and participating in interfaith, intercultural,

and international conversations about justice and peace.My presidential initiative involved a panel discussion of Muslim and

Christian psychologists interested in religion, which occurred by electronic meansthroughout the year. In hindsight, I should have also included Jewish psychologists on the

panel. My initial vision to discuss Muslim-Christian relations expanded over the courseof the year. I am grateful for those who served on this panel: Saba Rasheed Ali, AbdulBasit, Michael Donahue, Zari Hedayat-Ziba, and Amina Mahmood. I posed five ques-

tions to the panel over the course of the year, and panelists posted a variety of thought-

ful and helpful responses.

RelationshipThe panel served as a mechanism to begin some collaborative relationships. Dr. Aliagreed to speak at the Division 36 midyear meeting in Maryland and her talk was a help-ful overview of the Islamic faith. Dr. Ali and I hosted a conversation hour at this years

APA meeting to discuss with division members how we might enhance an Islamic pres-ence in the division. Though there is much more to do with regard to developing better

Christian-Jewish-Muslim dialog within the division, the panel helped establish somegood working relationships and an initial conversation.

CommunicationThe panel discussion, of course, involved communication. It would have been better if we

had the budget and time to meet in person throughout the year but we did not, so wecommunicated by email. Still, our communications were meaningful and substantive.

The non-Muslim members of the panel (Michael Donahue and myself) read and com-mented on Dr.Basits book, The Essence of the Quran (Basit, 1997),and Muslim members

wrote openly about ways they experienced uncertainty and tension regarding religious is-sues and psychology.

C O N T E N T

THERE

ARE MANYREASONS WHYPSYCHOLOGISTS

SHOULD BEINTERESTED INTHE ISLAMIC

FAITH


[ FROM PAGE 3 ]


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RespectDuring the course of the year, the APA Presidential Task Force on Enhancing Diversityreleased its final report (one of the panelists, Dr.Hedayat-Diba, was also on the Presiden-tial Task Force). The report contains some helpful suggestions for making APA more re-

spectful and welcoming to Muslim psychologists. This generated some interesting

discussion among panel members. For example, one member wrote:In Islam, there is no distinction between religion and lifestyle; they are not sepa-

rate. So, the experience is not one of religion placing a demand on ones behavior or

beliefs, but rather that religion and ones lifestyle cannot be separated.They co-cre-

ate and co-exist.

That is what makes the marginalization of Muslims particularly difficult. In the

context of APA for example, if a Muslim prays 5 times a day at prescribed times,

then having a prayer room available (any room would do) can make a Muslim feel

welcomed rather than marginalized. Or to give another concrete example, at poster

sessions, there is often cheese and wine made available; but Muslims are not sup-

posed to be around alcohol and its presence may inhibit their participation and at-

tendance in such sessions.

There was a prayer room available at the APA convention this year,perhaps as a direct

result of the Task Force report. In the future, Division 36 may want to reconsider thepresence of a cash bar at our convention social hour because alcohol excludes some Mus-lim psychologists from attending.

Common Goals and ValuesThough each of the monotheistic religions have essential distinctives, it is good to re-member that there are also commonalities. Dr. Basits (1997) book provides a case for a

universal view of God that binds people together in a common fellowship, even acrossfaiths, and encourages us all to care about injustice, exploitation, and oppression. Noteveryone on the panel or in Division 36 would subscribe to Basits universal view of God,

but Division 36 is not a creedal organizationit is a scholarly society with research, clin-

ical, and social interests, and as such it is appropriate that we look for the common fel-lowship that Basit mentions.

Complementary ExpertiseSome of the Muslim psychologists on the panel expressed openness to learning moreabout the psychology of religion, realizing that it is an area of scholarly inquiry that is not

familiar to them.At the same time, psychologists outside the Muslim faith stand to learna good deal from the experience of Muslims and Muslim psychologists. For example:

I am very surprised at many of my colleagues attitudes toward Muslim clients. Be-

cause they are only familiar with the most extreme issues that the mainstream

media presents, they buy into the idea that all Muslim women are oppressed or that

all practicing Muslims are fundamentalists and when they see a client they try to

free the person of the oppression of their religion. I have experienced some interest-

ing reactions when I tell psychologists that I am a Muslim feminist. I actually had

one psychologist who responded, Isnt that an oxymoron? Interestingly, people

fail to realize that 3 countries that have the largest Muslim populations in the world

(Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Pakistan) have or in the very recent past, have had fe-

male heads of state.

C O N T E N T


[ FROM PAGE 4 ]


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Psychological and Spiritual AwarenessAs would be expected for a group of religiously-oriented psychologists, the members ofthe panel demonstrated both psychological and spiritual awareness. But some of ourconversation veered toward ways that psychologists of religionparticularly those with

clinical interestsmight participate with spiritual leaders to enhance psychological

awareness in faith communities. For example:Many Muslims are hesitant to seek therapy due to the stigma attached to psycholog-

ical concerns, plus there are many people who would choose to utilize the help of

their local spiritual leaders. I think this raises the importance of mental health pro-

fessionals networking with religious and spiritual leaders, as well as providing psy-

choeducational workshops and trainings focused toward religious/spiritual leaders

so that they have at least the basic skills to competently respond to individuals who

seek their help when in distress, as well as have the knowledge of referring those

with graver concerns to a mental health professional in the area, whom they know

is knowledgeable about the culture and religion of the individual.

Trust

One of the panelists stated quite candidly,When I first joined I was very interested inDivision 36 and its activities, but was explicitly told by APA members that the division

was really solely focused on Christianity and I might not feel welcome there.To whateverextent this view of the division is prevalent, it will not promote trust among those inter-

ested in interfaith conversations. Though I suspect it is true that the division is com-prised predominantly of Christian scholars and clinicians, the purpose of the division ismuch broader than any particular set of faith values. If we are to remain relevant to the

APA and broader cultural issues, it will be important to build collaborative alliances withpsychologists studying and representing various faiths.

This presidential initiative was modest in scope, but I trust it is a helpful step towardenhancing the presence and visibility of the Islamic faith within the APAs Psychology of

Religion division.

REFERENCES

Basit, A. (1997) The essence of the Quran. Kazi Publications. Chicago: Kazi Publications.

Benes, K. M., Walsh, J. M., McMinn, M. R., Dominguez, A. W., & Aikins, D. C. (2000). Psychologyand the church: An exemplar of psychology-clergy collaboration. Professional Psychology:Research and Practice, 31, 515520.

Budd, F. C. (1999). An Air Force model of psychologist-chaplain collaboration. ProfessionalPsychology: Research and Practice, 30, 552556.

Budd, F., & Newton, M. (2005). Healing the brokenhearted: Cross and couch together. InMcMinn, M. R., & Dominguez, A. D. (Eds.) (pp. 89-93), Psychology and the church.Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.

Chaddock, T. P., & McMinn, M. R. (1999). Values affecting collaboration among psychologistsand evangelical clergy. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 27, 319328.

Dominguez, A. W., & McMinn, M. R. (2003). Collaboration through research: The MultimethodChurch-based Assessment Process. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 22, 333337.

Dowd, E. T., & Nielsen, S. L. (Eds.) (2006). The psychologies in religion: Working with the religiousclient. New York: Springer.

Galloway, A. (2005). Psychology at work inside and outside the church: Bridging the gapsbetween emotional, physical, and spiritual health. In McMinn, M. R., & Dominguez, A. D.(Eds.) (pp. 129135), Psychology and the church. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.

C O N T E N T


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Lish, R. A., McMinn, M. R., Fitzsimmons, C. R., & Root, A. M. (2003). Clergy interest ininnovative collaboration with psychologists. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 22,294298.

McMinn, M. R., Aikins, D. C., Lish, R. A. (2003). Basic and advanced competence incollaborating with clergy. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 34, 197202.

McMinn, M. R., Chaddock, T. P., Edwards, L. C., Lim, R. K. B., & Campbell, C. D. (1998).

Psychologists collaborating with clergy: Survey findings and implications. ProfessionalPsychology: Research and Practice, 29, 564570.

McMinn, M. R., Meek, K. R., Canning, S. S., & Pozzi, C. F. (2001). Training psychologists to workwith religious organizations: The Center for Church-Psychology Collaboration. ProfessionalPsychology: Research and Practice, 32, 324328.

Plante, T. G. (1999). A collaborative relationship between professional psychology and theRoman Catholic Church: A case example and suggested principles for success. ProfessionalPsychology: Research and Practice, 30, 541546.

Plante, T. G. (2005). Psychological consultation with the Roman Catholic Church: Integratingwho we are and what we do. In McMinn, M. R., & Dominguez, A. D. (Eds.) (pp. 7380),Psychology and the church. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.

Rediger, G. L. (1997). Clergy killers: Guidance for pastors and congregations under attack.Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

Savage, S. B. (2005). Psychology serving the church in the United Kingdom: Church consultancyand pastoral care. In McMinn, M. R., & Dominguez, A. D. (Eds.) (pp. 113119), Psychologyand the church. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.

Serrano, N. (2005). A psychologist-pastor: A bridge for churches at a Christian communityhealth center. In McMinn, M. R., & Dominguez, A. D. (Eds.) (pp. 145149), Psychology and thechurch. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.

Weaver, A. J., Samford, J. A., Kline, A. E., Lucas, L.A., Larson, D. B., & Koenig, H. G. (1997).What do psychologists know about working with the clergy? An analysis of eight APAJournals: 19911994. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 28, 471474.

C O N T E N T


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A N N O U N C E M E N T

Faith and Health: Interdisciplinary Conference onthe Dynamics of Religious Coping

You are herewith warmly invited to a conference entitled Faith and Health that will

take place at The University of Notre Dame from December 35 2006. The conference issponsored by the departments of Psychology and Theology of Notre Dame as well as theIndiana University School of Medicine.

This conference represents a conversation between disciplines that have developed in-dividual perspectives on faith and health but have only recently begun to integrate them.

Hence, the main thrust of the conference will be to bring scholars from theology, medi-cine, and psychology together in a way that will allow them to not only present infor-

mation from their respective disciplines but also to integrate that information in order toset a new agenda for the field of faith and health. As an institution with high academicstandards as well as deep roots in Christianity, The University of Notre Dame is able to

draw from the Christian tradition particular issues of particular importance to the ques-tion of religious coping and explore connections with other faith traditions.

The conference is open for registration athttps://marketplace.nd.edu/cce/ where youwill find all relevant information about the conference, including meals and lodging. All

registered participants share lunch and dinner to foster discussion and scholarly ex-change. Participants who are not able to attend all meals are nevertheless welcome toregister freely for individual meals.
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8/17


A WORD FROM THE NEW PRESIDENT

OF DIVISION 36

Who is our New President?

Ralph L. Piedmont, Ph.D. is the new President for Division 36, taking over duties fromMark McMinn, who now moves into the role of Past-President. Lisa Miller will be en-

tering as the Divisions new President-elect.Ralph received his doctorate in Personality Psychology from Boston University in

1989. He then did a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institute of Aging with Drs.Paul T. Costa, Jr. and Robert R.McCrae. Here he acquired the central core to his researchcareer: training in taxonometric research and the five-factor model of personality. Cur-

rently, Ralph is a full professor in the Pastoral Counseling Department at Loyola Collegein Maryland. He serves as their director of research for the doctoral program. His current

research interests in spirituality center on his instrument: the Assessment for Spiritualityand Religious Sentiments (ASPIRES), a measure of Spiritual Transcendence and Reli-

gious Involvement. This scale captures aspects of the individual independent of estab-lished personality constructs. The Spiritual Transcendence measure captures a

non-denominational measure of spirituality shown relevant for cross-cultural and cross-faith research.

Ralphs wife Rose is an important collaborator in much of his work. Together the cou-

ple have two children, Joanna (16) and Dominic (11) and represent two of Ralphs mostimportant works. When not teaching or doing research, Ralph very much enjoys tennis,

swimming, trap shooting, and numismatics.

Presidents Report

Greetings! I hope this newsletter finds all things well on your end. Now that we have

gone electronic in our format, this has created the opportunity to add more diversecontent to the Newsletter. Hopefully, we will use this space wisely, and you the member-ship will find the new format informative and relevant. As we move forward, I hope that

you will give us feedback on what you like, and dont like, about the document.When I first joined Division 36 back in the early 1990s, I found the division to be an

organization that seemed marginalized in APA. We were relatively small (about 1,200members), and it seemed that the professional interests of our group were not considered

of much value in the larger APA governance structure. Issues about religion and spiritu-ality just did not seem to have many supporters. Over the years this has certainlychanged.

First, our membership has grown to over 2,400 members, with about one third stu-dents. Interest in the Division continues to grow. We have also become more relevant to

APA over the years as both the political landscape has evolved and with a rapidly growingresearch literature demonstrating the value of numinous

constructs for understanding people and the lives they areleading. Members of our division have written numerous

books for the APA publication label, and all have been re-markable successes. These works have galvanized a broadinterest in the work we do and there is no indication that

this attention will ebb anytime soon. Given the many so-cial and political issues that APA has been confronting,

our Division has played an important role in craftingAPAs responses. There is no doubt that the value of thePsychology of Religion is becoming increasingly recog-

nized, and its presence more actively sought.

C O N T E N T

NEW PRESIDENT

Ralph L. Piedmont, Ph.D.

New President receiving the gavel.


9/17


Second, an important benchmark of this growth has been the interest by APA in cre-ating a journal for our division. This past year Mark McMinn and I have been in dia-

logue with the publications department at APA about launching a new title. Given thehuge success of our books, APA was (and continues to be) very eager to explore new ven-

ues for our content. As you may already know, APA conducted a survey of our member-

ship to plumb interest in a new journal and the response was overwhelmingly favorable.At the annual convention in New Orleans, the Executive Committee voted unanimouslyto launch an APA-sponsored journal for our Division. Although the financial relationshipmust yet be determined, it is clear that the Division will have complete editorial control

over the publication. Ultimately, the journal will be a significant revenue stream for Di-vision 36, enabling us to provide more outreach to our membership. The journal will be

available to our members as part of their membership dues. We hope to have the firstissue published in the Spring of 2008.

The creation of an APA-sponsored journal signals the beginning of a new era for ourDivision. On one level it is recognition of the increasing amount of quality research andprofessional interest in this area. Further, it is an acknowledgment of the importance of

this type of work and the need to provide for its widest possible dissemination. This is animportant step towards receiving organizational acceptance and full membership into

the scientific community.Third, as our Division begins to enter a new, more mature phase, another initiative I

have is for our Executive Committee to formulate a 5-year plan. We need to step backand ask, Where do we wish to move towards in the coming years? and What do we

wish to accomplish? We need to think more programmatically about ourselves andbegin to chart a course that makes sense for us. The growing energy needs to be har-nessed and directed. I hope by this time next year we will be able to publish here an

Agenda for Action to guide us in the coming years. If you have any thoughts on thistopic, please feel free to contact me (my e-mail address is below).

Finally, another initiative that I wish to pursue (although it is not a new one) is theMid-Year Research Conference on Religion and Spirituality. Jointly sponsored by the Di-

vision and the Pastoral Counseling Department at Loyola College, this event has emergedover the past four years as an informative, highly enjoyable confer-

ence. This past year, over 275 professionals attended from across theU.S. and around the world. The conference is uniformly rated highby attendees, who see it as a high quality research conference that pro-

vides an intimate environment where professionals can discuss issuesof mutual interest. The conference is affordable and provides a unique

venue for learning more about current work in the field. I would liketo issue a personal invitation to all members to attend the 2007 Con-ference (scheduled for March 13) in Columbia, Maryland. Not only

is it a great way to gather new information (and CEU credits are pro-vided at a very reasonable rate), but it also helps support the Division

and promote its visibility in the scientific community. Please considersubmitting a poster, paper, or symposium for the conference. We have

added a pre-conference workshop day (on March 1st), and we are looking for individu-als who would like to present a content session or workshop. We have 3- and 6-hour ses-sions available. Let me know if you are interested ([email protected]). To learn more

about the conference log on to: http://www.loyola.edu/pastoralcounseling/myc/ .I hope you agree that these are very exciting times to be a member of Division 36.

There is so much happening and more activities than ever before. I hope you will findmany opportunities for involving yourself in the Division. The more active participants

we have, the more dynamic and stimulating the experience will become!

C O N T E N T

NEW PRESIDENT

[ FROM PAGE 8 ]

Conference Poster Session
mailto:[email protected]://www.loyola.edu/pastoralcounseling/myc/mailto:[email protected]://www.loyola.edu/pastoralcounseling/myc/


10/17


T

he August Council meetings went smoothly under the sage leadership of Gerry

Koocher, and several Council decisions are of note. In this report I will emphasize thehighlights of the meeting, but if you are interested in a more comprehensive under-standing of the proceedings please email me ([email protected]) for a draft of the

minutes.The financial status of the Association looks good again, although we are not as likely

to see the large surpluses that we have had in recent years. The budget for the comingyear looks to be a break evenbudget, but a decision made by Council following budget

approval has the potential of putting us into the red for the year. However, this measurewould not produce a large deficit. One of the financial issues that came to the fore wasthat our ramp up dues program for encouraging new members to join APA could prove

to be financially costly to the Association in upcoming years. This is the dues programthat required new members to pay a relatively small proportion of the full dues fee for the

first few years of their membership, with their dues increasing to the full amount in sub-sequent years. Council passed a more fiscally responsible dues schedule for new mem-

bers. Personally, I feel that the new schedule is more reasonable both for the Associationand for retaining new members. Although the previous program required fairly low duesfor new members initially, the ramp up in subsequent years came in big chunks, and I

feel we would have lost quite a few members because of these large increases. The newprogram passed by Council has a more gradual increase in dues for new members. In

sum, it is projected that our income and expenditures for the coming year should beabout equal, and because of the surplus of recent years, along with excellent assets and in-

vestments, the financial outlook of APA appears to be sound.There was also encouraging news on the technological front: APAs web page will get

a thorough overhaul, so that soon you should not have to go out to Google to find what

you need on the site.

Another highlight was a mentoring program that APA is establishing called Center-ing on Mentoring. This initiative is viewed as a way of personalizing APA, both in theAssociation as a whole and within the divisions. There will be a mentoring web site, as

well as an upcoming issue ofProfessional Psychologydevoted to this project. It seems tome that our division is somewhat ahead of the game in this matter, as there appears to beexcellent grassroots mentoring within the division, as well as our mentoring award.

Perhaps one of the most interesting issues of the meetings was the PENS report fol-low-up and a motion presented to the Council against torture. This discussion was pre-

ceded by an interesting presentation by Lt. General Kevin Kiley, Surgeon General of theU.S. Army. Dr. Steven Reisner, senior faculty at Columbia Universitys International

Trauma Studies Program,presented a response to Dr. Kileys presentation.The essence ofthe PENS report confirms the commitment of all psychologists to do no harm, the

starting point for all ethical considerations regarding interrogations. Council then

adopted a Resolution Against Torture. For me, this initiative was an impressive exampleof collaboration, as this motion was crafted jointly by several of the divisions for social

justice and the division of military psychology.A final issue of interest to members of Division 36 concerned the APA accreditation

process. The Committee on Accreditation (CoA) asked Council to approve a motion todiscontinue the current arrangement between APA and the Canadian Psychological As-

sociation to concurrently accredit programs in Canada. The Canadian response to thismotion was at best mixed, with many of the Canadian Council representatives offering

C O N T E N T

COUNCIL REPORT APA COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES REPORT

P H I L L I P W A T K I N S & M A R Y E . R E U D E R

C O U N C I L R E P R E S E N TA T I V E S
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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strong opposition to this measure. It became clear to most Council members that thisproposal was premature, and so the motion was tabled and sent back to CoA.

My general impression from the August meeting of the Council was that the futurelooks bright both for the Association and our division. I want to personally thank you

all for allowing me to serve as one of the Division 36 Council representatives this past

year.

NOMINATIONS INVITED FOR DIVISION OFFICES

Nominations are now open for election of the following Division36 offices: President Member-at-Large

APA Council RepresentativeNominations should be placed in a sealed envelope, with a signature over the seal,

and postmarked no later than December 15, 2006.Nominations should be addressed to: Mark McMinn, Ph.D., Past-President of APA

Division 36, Department of Psychology, George Fox University, 414 N. Meridian Street,Newberg, Oregon 97132.

FELLOW NOMINATIONS INVITED

Nominations of Division 36 members for Fellow status are invited from any member of

the Division. The minimum standards for Fellowship include: (1) a doctoral degree basedin part on a psychological dissertation or received from a program primarily psycholog-

ical in nature; (2) membership in APA for at least one year and membership in the Divi-sion through which the nomination is made; (3) active engagement at the time of

nomination in the advancement of psychology in any of its aspects; (4) five years of ac-ceptable professional experience subsequent to the granting of the doctoral degree; (5)

evidence of unusual and outstanding contributions or performance in the field of psy-chology; and (6) nomination by one of the Divisions in which member status is held.

Any of the nominees achievements may contribute to the weight of evidence in favor

of the nomination. Most often the primary basis of the nomination is research, but prac-tice, teaching, public service, administration, or professional activity may serve as well.

Nominations or inquiries about eligibility or the application process may be sent tothe Division 36 Fellows Chair, David Wulff([email protected]) or Department ofPsychology, Wheaton College, Norton, MA 02766. Deadline for nominations is Decem-

ber 15, 2006.

C O N T E N T

COUNCIL REPORT

[ FROM PAGE 10 ]

A N N O U N C E M E N T

2007 APA Convention Call for Proposals

Division 36 program proposals should include religion or spirituality as a major con-struct. Papers and posters will be accepted; however, there is limited space for symposia.

All program proposals must be submitted through the apa.org website and cannot besent to the mail or email address of the program chair.

The deadline for submissions is December 1, 2006. The website address for submis-

sion of proposals is: http://apacustomout.apa.org/ConvCall .
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://apacustomout.apa.org/ConvCallmailto:[email protected]://apacustomout.apa.org/ConvCall


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The Executive Committee met on Sunday August 12, 2006 from 7:00am-9:00am in theHospitality Suite of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel. In attendance were Mark

McMinn, Patrick Bennett, Marcia Cutting, Jennifer Ripley, Paul Watkins, Jamie Aten,Lewis Schlosser, Ralph Peidmont, Lisa Miller, William Hathaway, and Stephen Cook.Also

invited to the meeting were two representatives from the APA Journals Office, WillSchweitzer and Susan Harris.

1) The EC officially endorsed the nominations made by the Awards Committee.The EC discussed the fact that two of the three awards were given to members

of the same academic institution.

2) Extensive discussion revolved around the launch of a Division 36 journalthrough the APA Journals office. Financial terms and questions of content andownership were discussed by the Division and APA. It was agreed on between

the EC and APA Journals that the cost of producing the journal would not fallupon the Division, but rather APA. Once the Journal earns back the start-upcosts, and covers production costs, the bottom line revenues will be shared be-

tween the Division and APA Press (50%/50%) for perpetuity. The journal mostlikely will be published quarterly, with 64 pages per issue. Members will be

charged for the journal at the time of paying Divisional dues, with students re-ceiving the journal at a reduced charge. The motion to officially endorse the de-

velopment of a journal within these terms, owned by the division, with 50/50revenue split in future revenues was approved by a unanimous EC vote.

3) The Mid-Year Conference, held at Loyolas Columbia Center was again a suc-cess. A total of 278 people registered, of whom 49 registered as Division 36

members. The overall conference and session content received excellent feed-back and evaluation. The budget was nearly balanced, with a small deficit of$1,233.28. The 2007 Mid-Year Conference was approved unanimously by the

EC.

4) Starting this year, APA is tracking Division 36 membership dues, rather thancollection occurring through the Division. It is anticipated that this will im-prove the ratio of members who are in good standing (paying dues), potentially

raising the Division revenues by $1,000.

5) The Handbook of Division 36 was developed by P. Scott Richards during his

term as President. Included in the Handbook are detailed descriptions of the

duties of each officer within the EC. The EC gratefully acknowledged this con-tribution to the Division and unanimously approved the Handbook.

6) Patrick Bennett reported on the Division Newsletter, sharing that the format

and aesthetics of the Newsletter may continue to be developed in upcoming is-sues. The EC gratefully acknowledged his contribution to the Division through

the crucial job of Editor of the Newsletter.

C O N T E N T

MINUTES EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES

AUGUST 12, 2006

D I V I S I O N 3 6 , A M E R I C A N P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A S S O C I A T I O N

A M E R I C A N P S Y C H O L O G I C A L A S S O C I A T I O N C O N V E N T I O N

N E W O R L E A N S , L A


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The Executive Committee of Division 36 is delighted to announce that the APA will be

publishing a Divisional Journal starting in 2008, pending the likely final approval ofthe APA Council. The development of the Journal was discussed at the Division 36 Busi-

ness Meeting at the 2006 APA Convention in New Orleans. The Journal will publishscholarly articles on topics within the purview of Division 36, authored both by mem-

bers and non-members. Further details on the final title and content of the Journal willbe posted in the Newsletter following the final approval by the APA Council.

To ensure a timely launch of the Journal, currently two sets of nominations are beingsought be the Division:

1) Nominations, including self-nominations, for a position on the Committee toselect the Editor in Chief will be accepted through December 15, 2006. Quali-

fications for this Committee include a publication record on the topic of spir-

ituality and/or religion, and membership in good standing with the Division.

2) Nominations, including self-nominations, for the position of Editor in Chiefwill be accepted through February 1, 2007. Qualifications for the position of

Editor in Chief include all or most of the following:

be a full member in good standing of the division be a senior scholar (e.g., full professor) be extensively published in the scientific journal literature have editorial experience with APA journals (e.g., editor or associate edi-

tor, editorial board)

have editorial experience in his/her own right (e.g., been an editor orsome relevant publication in the field)

have sufficient university support (e.g., university to provide space, re-lease time, etc.) to fulfill responsibilities

fulfill whatever other requirements the editor-selection committee deemsnecessary

Kindly send nominations and the nominees vita to Prof. Lisa Miller (President-Elect

Division 36) [email protected] .

C O N T E N T

NOMINATIONS INVITED FOR EDITOR IN CHIEF

AND EDITOR IN CHIEF SELECTION COMMITTEE FOR THE

NEW DIVISION 36 JOURNAL

JOURNAL NOMINATIONS
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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CALL FOR PAPERSReturn this form to Loyola College Brenda Helsing, 8890 McGaw Road Columbia, MD 21045 or fax (410) 617-7644

5th Annual Mid-Year Research Conference on Religion & SpiritualityMarch 1, 2007 Pre-Conference Institute

March 2 & 3, 2007 ConferenceHosted by Loyola College in Maryland Department of Pastoral Counseling & Division 36

Psychology of Religion of the American Psychological Association Columbia Graduate Center, Columbia, MD

PRE-CONFERENCE REGISTRATIONMarch 1 Pre-Conference InstituteEarly Bird Registration Ends FEB. 8, 2007

See Separate Flier for Details

If you register for March 1 Pre-Conference AND March 2 &3 Conference Presentation Fees are:$50 1/2 Day Presentation$100 Full Day Presentation

If you register for March 1 Pre-Conference ONLY by Feb. 8$90 1/2 Day Presentation$140 Full Day Presentation

If you register for March 1 Pre-Conference ONLYon Feb. 9 or later$100 1/2 Day Presentation$150 Full Day PresentationThe registration fee includes CEU fee, conference bag, program guide,all conference handouts, access to exhibit tables and book sales.

NOTE: If you are registering for the Pre-Conference AND the

Mid-Year Conference you pay the presentation fee plus the

conference registration fee below.

CONFERENCE REGISTRATIONMarch 1, 2 & 3 Mid-Year ConferenceEarly Bird Registration Ends FEB. 8, 2007

March 1, 2007 - Pre-ConferenceSee separate flier with presenters and topics; see above forregistration Information.

March 1, 2 & 3, 2007 Pre-Conference & Mid-YearConference registration fees until Feb. 8$75 for Members;$90 for Non-members;$35 Students

Registration Fees from Feb. 9 and at the Door$90 for Members;$105 for Non-members;$45 Students

CALL FOR PAPERSAbstract Submission Information - Please read instructions on

next page before submitting your Proposals!

Proposals are due January 5, 2007FORMAT Posters, Papers and Symposia

GALA RECEPTION (No Charge)Friday evening Gala Reception FREEto all attendees

5:30 7:00 pm Cash Bar

___NOnot attending ___YESattending _____# of people

LUNCHESPre-pay lunch for Thursday, Friday or Saturday $10.00 each

day. Lunch includes one of each of the following items:

sandwich, chips, dessert and beverage.

LUNCHES___ Thursday ($10)

___ Friday ($10)

___ Saturday ($10)

CEUs AVAILABLEMarch 1 Pre-Conference CEU included in Registration Fee

March 2 & 3 single fee of $60

HOTELSTo get the discounted hotel rate, you MUSTask for Loyola

Mid Year Spirituality Conference; or Loyola College Group;

or Loyola Mid-year Conference Group at each hotel.

Deadline for discounted hotel registration rate is Feb. 8th

Extended Stay America (newly remodeled and suites only)(410) 872-2994 $85.00 + tax

Courtyard Marriott(410) 290-0002 $100.00+ tax

NEW THIS YEAR!

SPONSORSHIPS and ADVERTISINGWe invite you to support our education efforts and share your

companys products.

For a list of sponsorship opportunities contact Brenda Helsing,410-617-7614 [email protected]: www.loyola.edu/pastoralcounseling/midyearconference.html

Name __________________________________________________Affiliate Name ________________________________________

_____ Div 36 Member/Affiliate _____Loyola Affiliate _____Non-Member _____ Student (Loyola) _____Student (Div 36)

Mailing Address ______________________________________________________________________________________________

City State Zip ________________________________________________________________________________________________

Telephone _________________________________________________Email ____________________________________________

PAYMENT OPTIONS (please check one): ___Check enclosed ___MasterCard ___Visa ___Amex TOTAL $ ____________

Credit Card # ________________________________________________________Exp. Date ________________________________

Name on Credit Card _________________________________________________Signature _________________________________

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Abstract Submission Information/Deadline for Submission is January 5, 2007!Please Read the Following Directions Carefully before Submitting Your Proposals!

1. Type the title in CAPITAL LETTERS on the first line. Skip a line.2. Type the author(s) and primary affiliation(s) with affiliations placed in parentheses.

Skip a line.3. Type the Abstract.

Posters and Papers require a 1,000-word abstract that includes the research question, methodology,results and interpretation along with any figures or tables (papers will have 15-minute presentation time andwill be part of a larger themed group of papers).

Symposia require a 300-word overall abstract, plus a 300-word abstract for each presentation, as well asthe name of each presenter. Minimum of two presenters is required. Symposia will be 50, 90 and 110

minutes in length. Please indicate preferred time duration.

4. Type the following information for the primary author at the bottom of the page. Mailing address and phone number (with area code). Fax number and e-mail address. Type of submission: Paper, Poster or Symposium. For Papers indicate if the presenting author is willing to chair his/her paper session, which involves

introducing the speakers in the session to which the paper is assigned.

DEADLINE for Submissions is January 5, 2007. Please indicate if you are a student in your cover letter.Send Submissions to: Call for Papers Mid-Year Conference c/o Dr. Ralph L. Piedmont

Loyola College in Maryland, 8890 McGaw Road, Columbia, MD 21045QUESTIONS: Contact Brenda Helsing, (410) 617-7614 or [email protected].

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Application for Division 36: Psychology of Religion American Psychological Association

Please photocopy and distribute to those interested in joining Division 36

Name: (Last, First, M.I.) ______________________________________________________________________

Home Address: _____________________________________________________________________________

Office Address: _____________________________________________________________________________

Email: _____________________ Home Phone ( ) ____________ Office Phone ( )_____________

Send mail to: ____Home _____ Office

Present Membership Status in APA: ___ Fellow ___ Member ___ Associate ____Student Affiliate ____None*

Status Sought in Division 36: ___ Fellow ___ Member ___ Associate ___ Student Affiliate ___Professional Affiliate

*If you are not currently an APA member, please include a copy of your CV

APA Membership #: ______________ Date of original APA membership: __________________

Highest Degree: ___________ Major field of study: ____________________________________

Institution: ___________________________________________

Briefly summarize your interest in Division 36:

Signature: _______________________________ Date: _______________

Send Applications to: William Hathaway, Membership Chair

Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology

CRB 161

1000 Regent University Drive

Virginia Beach, VA 23456

Applications should be accompanied by a check for $15 (US) made out to Div. 36 of APA

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C O N T E N T

PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION NEWSLETTER

EDITOR: Patrick R. Bennett, Ph.D., Indiana State University

The Newsletter is the official publication of the American Psychological Association Division 36,

Psychology of Religion. The Newsletter invites articles, interviews, book reviews and announce-

ments relevant to the interdisciplinary focus of psychology and religion. Editorial inquiries

should be addressed to:

Patrick R. Bennett, Ph.D.; Editor, Division 36 Newsletter; Department of Psychology; Indiana

State University; Root Hall, Room B-211; Terre Haute, IN 47809.

Phone: (812) 237-2446 Email: [email protected]

Our Mission...

Division 36, Psychology of Religion

promotes the application of psychological research meth-

ods and interpretive frameworks to diverse forms of religion

and spirituality;

encourages the incorporation of the results of such work

into clinical and other applied settings;

and fosters constructive dialogue and interchange between

psychological study and practice, on the one hand, and

religious perspectives and institutions on the other.

The division is strictly nonsectarian and welcomes the participation of all

persons, without regard to personal faith, who view religion as a signif-

icant factor in human functioning.

The divisions quarterly Newsletter contains original articles, book re-

views, announcements, and news of interest to division members.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

Documents

Applying principles of collaboration to psychology, religion, and spirituality. Division 36 Newsletter. v34n4