The Psychology of Religion!
To understand my approach to the study of the psychology of religion, I must first have working definitions of what each of the terms mean and what they mean together. After I know what I believe that they mean, then I will know how I will approach this subject. I will define the term's religion and then the term psychology. Then I will attempt to synthesize what the two mean together.
I understand religion to be the synthesis of both the internal and external life. Religion is both personal and corporate; religion is personal in that it should help the individual become what he is capable of being, and corporate in that sustaining or achieving that change can only be done in community. Saint Irenaeus stated, "The Glory of God is man fully alive." That glory is becoming what one was intended to be; maybe even becoming more than what you believe you can be. Religion should help our actions live up to our ideas. It should help us discover our true heart and to learn to live from that heart. Religion should include what one believes, and why one believes what one believes. Those beliefs should enable us to become what we were meant to be; it should affect all of our relationships, and all aspects of our lives. In my opinion, if a person is truly religious, their actions will live up to their beliefs. It should have a positive impact on their relationships, their work and their play. Religion should be viewed as a quest; a lifelong quest to ever be reaching higher and striving harder to achieve the goals of that religion. Religion will incorporate standards that should lead people to have standards of personal behaviour. Religion should also be active; it should impact body, mind and spirit. Religion is mind, in that we study what we believe and how it should influence us. It is body in that it has a creative element, in art, poetry, story, music, painting and sculpture. It has elements of the spirit in prayer, meditation, and the mysteries.
Story is an integral part of all aspects of religion. It can teach and encourage and challenge. The ultimate intent of story is to provide hope. It is to entertain, and challenge the reader to see anew the world around him. Madeline L'Engle sums it up this way: "We are all strangers in a strange land, longing for home, but not quite knowing what or where home is. We glimpse it sometimes in our dreams, or as we turn a corner, and suddenly there is a strange, sweet familiarity that vanishes almost as soon as it comes. In literature the longing for home is found in the many stories of paradise, of the forgotten place where we once belonged." This longing is filled through story, and as such, story encourages and challenges all aspects of spirituality.
Religion is a glue that is used as a tool of reconnection; reconnecting people with God or the divine; connecting people with community or others, and it should help reconnect people with their true selves. C.S. Lewis in his space trilogy speaks of the human nature as 'bent'. We are people of a broken nature and religion should help us to learn to be straight again.
For me, psychology is the science that deals with mental processes and behavior; the emotional and behavioral characteristics of an individual, a group, or activity. Psychology is an action or argument used to manipulate or influence another. Psychology looks at why people do what they do, and factors that shape the determining factors that drive the person.
Psychology of religion is the field that studies the soul, the mind, and the relationship of life and mind to the body. Psychology of religion is an attempt to understand religious people, religious movements and religious organizations. This study is done through observation and through research. It is done in conjunction with history, sociology, and theology.
I would like to use a story to sum up my understanding:
"The Reason for Religion is not Reason:
A student, clearly troubled by something Jacob had said, followed him as he left the bakery. "Jacob, did you say that what is Holy has no beginning or end?"
"Yes" replied Jacob.
"But that is not possible," said the student. "That is because only the possible can be measured," said Jacob.
The student struggled to understand. "Jacob, you are not making sense."
Jacob nodded in agreement, then placed his hands in front of the student, covering his eyes. "You see," said Jacob, "reason explains the darkness, but it is not a light."
The psychology of religion should help us see the light and be able to understand and explain it.
Endnotes:
- John Eldredge, Waking the Dead: Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 2004. p.10
- Madeleine L'Engle, The Rock of Higher: Story as Truth: Wheaton: Shaw, 1993. p.24
- Noah benShea, Jacob the Baker: New York, Ballantine Books, 1989. p.20,21
Bibliography:
L'Engle, Madeleine The Rock that is Higher: Story as Truth,
Wheaton, Shaw, 1993.
Eldredge, John Waking the Dead
Tennessee, Thomas Nelson, 2004.
Noah benShea, Jacob the Baker:
New York, Ballantine Books, 1989.
(First written for RS 270 The Psychology of Religion Fall 2004.)
Greetings again, it is once again time for me to share with you some of the resources I find very useful on the web. This time my focus is specifically Catholic resources, those sites that I find have a great resources or tools or function that makes them exceptional.
The first time I reviewed 4 resources, 2 Author sites, and 2 resources sites.
Next I am focused on Catholic Resources on the Web some sites that for the most part I have discovered in the 2006. I looked at a number of sites ranging from the first three are collection sites - that is they collect and compile links and resources for you in one convenient place. To the last 3 which are author sites.
Then early in 2007 I looked at some Catholic Publishing Companies and profiled them.
This time I want to focus on some sites for Catholic writers and for bibliophiles like myself. Two of these I only found reciently, one thanks to Regina Doman only this week.
The Catholic Writers Guild
Though I only found this site a few daya ago, it looks like a great place for writers and people who have an intereste in books, publishing and media from a distinctly Catholic Perspective. I have not decided if I will join or not, but it is very tempting. Regina Doman wrote about this site which is how I dound out about it. (Regina is the author of some awesome books. I am only done one and part way into a second but I can not recommend them enough.
The Catholic Writers Lounge
This site I found out about from Eric Scheske on his blog The Daily Eudemon I have not stopped back nearly iften enough. The few times I have stopped by there always seems to be great stuff to see. (If you have not checked out Eric's blog do so, it is great!)
The Catholic Carnival
Jay at Living Catholicism coordinates the Catholic Carnival, and it gets moved around the blogsphere by volunteer's who choose to host it from time to time. It is a great place to link up your own blog posts and writing. It is also a great place to see the plethora of opinions and views within the the Catholic blogsphere. Every week there are submissions from various blogs. Each week there are at least a few gems.
So check out these sites and happy surfing.
Peace and Strength!
Yours, learning to be
Steven R. McEvoy
http://mcevoysmusings.ca My Homepage
http://bookreviewsandmore.ca My Blog
CompTIA IT PRO, A+ ITT, A+ DT, A+ RST, Network+,
Microsoft MCP, MCTS Business Desktop Deployment, MCTS Vista Configuration, MCITP Enterprise Support, MCITP Consumer Support, MOS,
"The only reason for being a professional writer is that you can't help it."
- Leo Rosten
Check out this picture here. Author Laurie Halse Anderson on her blog Mad Woman in the Forest Posted a link to this picture asking if it was "True? Snarky? Where do you fit in the spectrum?" My response was:
I kind of fall off stage, I started reviewing books for publishers when I worked for the largest book store chain in Canada. Then I thought I am already reading the arc's why not publish the reviews in my university paper http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca After that some friends who did not have access to the paper wanted to see my reviews, so I started a blog as an archive of published and un-opted reviews. The content has grown and changed over the last 3 years at http://bookreviewsandmore.ca I mostly only review books I like, I usually do not finish books I am not enjoying. For a while one of the book columns I write for was published a s Love It/Hate It and ran two side by side. So I did finish some I did not enjoy or that hand endings I really did not like.
Hoever I do change my writing style considerably depending on the publication I am trying to publish the review in. I often even change it for different sections of the same paper. If I am reviewing for arts I take one style, if for science and technology or health and lifestyles I take a very different tone.
So my question to you other book reviews out there what do you think?
The picture comes from Finding Wonderland: The WritingYA Weblog used with permission.
Orphan's Journey
Robert Buettner
Orbit Books
ISBN 9780316001731
Robert Buettner's long-awaited third book in the Jason Wander series is finally here. Delays because of a Publisher closing and debates over rights to the book have made this a much-anticipated and long-delayed book. However it was worth the extended wait!Jason Wander became a hero, not by trying but out of necessity and circumstance. He is a hero of the human-slug war; he was field promoted to the position of Major General, a position he kept because of morale back on earth. In the previous two books Orphanage and Orphan's Destiny Wander grows and develops into the military leader that he reads about in history. However he often doubts himself and his own leadership ability. In this book Wander and a small group of earthlings are thrown well across the universe while doing some testing on a captured slug ship from the previous war. Once more into the breech, Wander and his compatriots find that they must struggle against the slugs. This time he is on an alien planet, well behind earth's technology, and he must make three different clans come together if he is to save his friends, himself and all human life on this alien planet.
The three clans are the Tassini, the Casuni and the Marini. These three tribes hate each other and, other than at the time of the fair, would rather kill than look at each other. Now under Wander they must come together and learn to not only tolerate each other but to work together if they are to have a hope for a future. In this volume Wander learns the burden of leadership; as a soldier he could sacrifice and die if needed for others, but as a leader he must learn how to send men to die. It will not be an easy lesson.
Orphanage was originally written in homage to Robert A. Heinlien's Starship Troopers. I believe Heinlien would have enjoyed Buettner's original offering and this latest installment. Buettner is developing a unique voice and a great writing style. The reader is transported into the events as one reads. This is a great work of science fiction and a commentary on war and the burden of leadership. And we have at least two more installments to look forward to - Orphan's Alliance and Orphan's Triumph both forthcoming.
Jason Wander Saga:
Orphanage
Orphan's DestinyOrphan's Journey
Orphan's Alliance
Orphan's Triumph
This past month about 200 people descended upon the UW campus, and specifically the Optometry building. The people came for a number of reasons, but all tied to the Optometry Board exams. UW is one of two schools in Canada where the Canadian Examiners in Optometry / Examinateurs Canadiens en Optometrie (CEO/ECO) run by the Canadian Standards Association in Optometry (CSAO) take place. This is usually an annual event, but this year so many applicants applied for the board exams it was split over two weekends, one in April and this past weekend. There are a number of different characters in this event - the Examiners, the Candidates, test subjects and volunteers or support staff. Each character type comes for different reasons, and plays a different role.
The Examiners are members of the Optometry profession; they come for a few reasons. First as part of their profession they must take continuing education courses to keep up their own certification to practice. Coming and helping with this weekend, meets some of their requirements in this field. Also their travel costs and accommodations are covered, therefore the event is not a loss financially for them. Also they receive an honorarium for their aid in the process. There are 24 examiners per day to make this event successful. The chief examiner this year was Dr. Jonathan Arnel, a hulking man who led the weekend with a joyful smile and strict attention to details.
The second category is the subjects; these are people who meet specific needs for the practical eye exam, or who have normal eyes and are part of the basic eye exam assessment. Subjects can come for a half day, full day or both full days. They are paid $60 per half day plus parking if they drive and park at UW. I met subjects that had been doing this for a dozen years now and had no plans to stop volunteering in this way. There are 30 subjects needed each day, and at least 24 each session. Subjects are needed who meet each of the four sections of the practical exam in Clinical Skills Assessment. Plus they need spares for each test type in case of a conflict of interest, or a subject needing a break. Subjects arrive early on their first day or part day and are examined by two Examiners who create the baseline the Candidates will be judged against. One session I had to spare because the student was from UW and knew the subject, creating a conflict of interest. Subjects are approached and recruited by UW's own Nancy Yowski.
Nancy Yowski also coordinates the support staff and volunteers who help make the event successful. Without these people, what needs to happen would not happen, at least not in such a timely fashion. On their walkie talkies they make sure that for every session every examinee and Candidate and Examiner are where they should be when they should. They also look after the needs in the facilities - signage, set-up, take-down and other support roles. Nancy helps to run a tight ship that stays efficient.
The Candidates come next, for all the other people are there to test them to see if they have learned enough in 6 or 7 years of school to become an Optometrist. There were 91 candidates this past weekend and 59 the weekend in April. They come from all over Canada, the US and from abroad. Anyone wishing to practice Optometry in Canada must write these board exams. I met candidates from around the world, and many from home. This session had many students from UW. I met 3 cousins from Calgary who had all studied in different schools in the States, had written their US boards the week before and were all hoping to practice close to home in Alberta. I met others who also planned on writing the UK boards to keep future options open.
Now that we know the players, what happens next? As mentioned, each subject has a baseline created for what the Candidates' answers will be compared to. The Clinical Skills assessment consists of 4 exams: binocular vision, ocular health, refraction/case history and contact lenses/glasses. If a candidate fails a section they can reattempt that section during the next set of exams; the same for a second failure. If however they miss a section a third time, they must do a remedial year, apply to a committee to redo the boards and they must redo all 4 sections. The candidates have 40 minutes for each section, with a break in between. They move from station to station until they have completed all four sections. Yet even when they finish these practical exams their week is only beginning.
After the practical exams, they move on to written exams. This is composed of 3 exams spread over 5 sittings. The 3 exams are Optometric Knowledge, Ocular Therapeutics, and Clinical Judgments. The exam on Optometric knowledge is written in 3 three-hour sessions over two days and is comprised of 280 multiple choice questions. The Ocular Therapeutics is 120 multiple choice questions done in a three-hour exam. The final exam in Clinical Judgment is 100 multiple choice questions done in one sitting. Yet even after passing those five written exams and the clinical exams from the CSAO, they are still not yet licensed to practice. Candidates still have to write a Jurisprudence exam for each province in which they wish to practice, in Canada.
So even though 200 people descended upon UW this week, of the 91 Candidates, who knows how many will be practicing Optometry soon. Yet it was a fun weekend for the examiners with a catered dinner Friday evening, and breakfast and lunch catered on Saturday and Sunday for the support staff, subjects and examiners. But after all those exams and at least six years of school, you sure better hope you enjoy the work once you get into the field. So farewell till next year to the examiners, and good luck to the candidates - hopefully we will not see you again next spring.
(First Published in Imprint 2008-06-27 as 'Eyeful of Testing'.)
My friend and coworker from Imprint has started selling his artwork. You can see his cartoon profile pictures here. Mine is below. He stated on facebook: 
"That's right! A fee. But "how much," do you say? Well, normally things like this would cost about $20 or much more, which is a fair price definitely. As for me, I will charge an even better fee.
If you want me to draw a cartoon portrait of you (or a friend) — full colour, inked, any requested theme to follow — you will have to pay me a minimum of $15 a pop.
Mind you, things like detailed backgrounds and such will add quite a bit to the price of the commission, so if you need something like that, you'll have to talk to me about it in more detail.
So, yeah. If you want me to do some cartoon art for you, just leave a request comment after the note and I'll put you on the list. And since I can't tag everyone on my list, ask around from friends if they want any commission work from me! I'd be entirely grateful if you did!
You can pay me in either one of two ways:
1. In person.
2. Through PayPal, email is dayuse [at] gmail [dot] com.
So there you have it. If you're interested, just give him a buzz!"
So if you like mine or are interested in some custom profile pictures drop Peter a line.
Beyond the Valley of Thorns
The Land of Elyon Book 2Patrick Carman
Scholastic
ISBN 0439700949
This is book two in the Land of Elyon trilogy and the third book by Carman I have read set in Elyon. Carman creates an amazing, believable, alternate world. As I read more and more of Carman's writing the more I enjoy and appreciate his skills. Elyon is the Semetic for God or Most High. It has been used in fiction by Ted Dekker as a name for God allegorically, and for Carman it is the name of the world or land. As I progress through his books, the more similar I see that his writings are to Lewis's Narnia. As such, these are great stories for the whole family.
This book takes place a year after The Dark Hills Divide. A year ago beloved leader Thomas Warvold passed away, the plan to capture Bridewell have been foiled and the walls connecting the towns of Bridewell, Ainsworth, Lathbury and Turlock have come down. Now a year later it appears Warvold had plans for Alexa Daley, and others. Alexa is delivered a letter and told she has a mission to perform and she cannot tell anyone she is leaving. She must leave another letter prepared for her father and be on her way to yet another adventure.
Alexa joins forces again with Yipes the dwarf, Odessa the wolf, Squire the Hawk and Murphy the squirrel. They have been entrusted into the hands and guidance of John Christopher a former convict, who will guide them through the wild, and along the way they join forces with a Giant named Armon. They are charged with the task of sneaking into a well-guarded land, freeing a captive and overthrowing the Grindall.
However, whenever great tasks are attempted, a price must be paid, and in this adventure the price will be very high. You must join Alexa and the team that has been gathered around her as she travels across the land of Elyon to fulfill the request of her beloved Warvold. But many challenges and surprises are in store for our small band of adventurers.
Just a forewarning though - this book ends with a cliff-hanger, or should I say, we at the bottom of the cliff salivating for the next book!
Other of Patrick Carman Books:
The Dark Hills Divide - The Land of Elyon Book 1
Beyond the Valley of Thorns - The Land of Elyon Book 2
The Tenth City - The Land of Elyon Book 3
Into The Mist - The Land of Elyon Prequel
Stargazer - The Land of Elyon Book 4
The House of Power - Atherton Book 1
Rivers of Fire - Atherton, Book 2
The Dark Planet - Atherron Book 3
Saving Mr Nibbles - Elliot's Park Book 1
Haunted Hike - Elliot's Park Book 2
The Walnut Cup - Elliot's Park Book 3
A Windy Tale - Elliot's Park Book 4
Skeleton Creek - Skeleton Creek Book 1 - A Prereview.
Ghost in the Machine - Skeleton Creek Book 2
Crossbones - Skeleton Creek Book 3
The Raven - Skeleton Creek Book 4
The Black Circle - 39 Clues Book 5
Trackers #1
Thirteen Days to Midnight
The Psychology of Religion!
