A look at Positive Psychology from a Christian Perspective

1. Positive Psychology through
the Lens of the Proverbs
(with a dash of Psalms
thrown in!)
Subtitle

2. The Scripture Speaks to the issues of life….
• This is especially true of the Wisdom Literature
• The Book of Job, Psalms, the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes
• It is not a simple “Don’t worry be happy approach to life-
rather” it deals with the issues of life.
• Of particular interest to me in the last 8-9 months has been
literature that speaks to the issue of “happiness and
Contentment”

3. But I stumbled into it rather indirectly…
• Never having been much of a reader (Besides
literally thousands of academic and professional
articles)---sounds strange for a professor doesn’t it?
• Although for the first 15 years of my
professional life I had hired dozens and
dozens professional speakers many of
them “Motivational speakers”

4. However having managed hundreds of
workshops, seminars, and programs--
• I was increasingly skeptical of rah, rah seminars
• The latest book on 7 steps to whatever, especially happiness,
success, sales riches, contentment,etc.
• Why?
• Most of it did not work in the long term, was based
on questionable information and was basically
Atheorical.

5. Finally one day in searching for something
that was
• Interesting and new
• Had the ability to improve my life
• Went beyond just feel good
• Most importantly was based on solid scientific
evidence
• I ran into into Positive Psychology

6. First exposure ---
• Academy of Management Omaha 2011

7. The more I explored it..
• The more intrigued I was by it
• It started improving my outlook
• I started writing articles that really seemed to connect with
more with the public and my students
• But then it Struck Me!- much of this sounds so familiar-

8. Positive Psychology.. While not deliberately
spiritual it seems so similar to much of the
Wisdom Literature– for example
• A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a
person's strength. Proverbs 17:22
• A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the
spirit. Proverbs 15:13
• If you want to (have happiness), be kind to the poor; it is a sin to
despise anyone. (Proverbs 14:21)
• WELL MORE OF THE PROVERBS A BIT LATER_ FIRST
A BRIEF INTRODCUTION TO POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

9. Positive Psychology.. While not deliberately
spiritual it seems so similar to much of the
Wisdom Literature– for example
Themes such as
• Gratefulness
• Cheerfulness
• Happiness
• Helping others
• Prudence
• Thinking about others first

10. Psychology is a wonderful tool
• Has always had great interest to students and the general
population

11. Psychology is a wonderful tool
• Has always had great interest to students and the general
population
• Notable names in Psychology include:

12. Psychology is a wonderful tool
• Has always had great interest to students and the general
population
• Notable names in Psychology include:
• William James – the father of psychology
• Carl Jung

13. Psychology is a wonderful tool
• Has always had great interest to students and the general
population
• Kurt Lewin
• Abraham Maslow

14. Psychology is a wonderful tool
• Has always had great interest to students and the general
population
• Pavlov
• Piaget

15. Psychology is a wonderful tool
• Of course
• Freud

16. However…..
• So much of psychology has traditionally
focused on helping those suffering from a
variety of maladies-
• Depression
• Bi-bipolar
• Manic-depression
• Personality disorder

17. Well to put it in another way

18. While the work of psychology is so value-
starting with the work of Martin Segliman in
1998
• In his work at the University of Pennsylvania
• And associates at other leading institutions
• Harvard
• Michigan
• Nebraska
A rather stunning “discovery was made”

19. The ratio of research studies focused on
using psychology to help improve the life
of ordinary people to helping those with
dysfunctional conditions was a stunning
• ,

20. 17:1 Negative to Positive

21. This is no way diminishes the importance of
Psychology in treating disease and
dysfunction—but it was not good enough!
• But when Martin Seligman became chair of the APA in
1998 he called for more of a balance.
• https://www.ted.com/talks/martin_seligman_on_the_state_of_
psychology?language=en

22. The late Chris Peterson Michigan

23. Shawn Alchor- Harvard
positive psychology

24. Michelle Gielan-Former FOX CHICAGO
and National CBS Correspondent

25. Janice Kaplan- NY TIMES Best Seller

26. One criticism of the Positive Psychology
Movement is that the founders are:
• Agnostic at best
• See no role for religion of role of God
• Seems to be a “pull yourself” up by your own bootstraps mentality
• Doesn’t recognize the sinful nature of man
• Spirituality as used by the authors referes to something far
different
This is especially a prominent view of DAVE BLAND
In “Proverbs and the Formation of Character”

27. However..
• Bland does recognize common
elements of wisdom and
content between
PostivePsychology & the
Proverbs
• Based on reading many,
many books I believe he
overstates the case
• Does not recognize that even if
positive psychology is by and
large “secular” if opens up a
great deal of potential for a
faith-based integration work
going forward.

28. • He specializes in the Wisdom
Literature of the Bible and
believes its holistic
philosophy and its practical
view of life serves as a
valuable resource for
preachers and for the
spiritual life of the church.

29. Bland’s analysis make the following key
points:
• The Sage of Proverbs
believes that we should
gather wisdom from other
cultures and ideas
• Positive Psychology in
shedding ligth on some of
the vitures extolled in the
Proverbs
• Segliman and peterson
published a volume
“Character Strengths and
Virtues”
• The site 24 virtues- many
of them we would recognize
as common virtues form
around the world including
Psalms. Proverbsand other
Biblical viewpoints

30. The six CORE virtues
• Wisdom & Creativity-
creativity, curiosity ,love of
learning, open-mindedness,
perspective
• Courage- Bravery,
persistence, integrity,vitality
• Humanity –Love, Kindness,
Social intelligence

31. The six CORE virtues
• Temperance—Forgivenss &
mercy, humility, and
modesty, prudence, self-
regulation.
• Justice—Citizenship,
fairness, leadership
• Transendence—apprecaition
of beauty, gratitude, hope,
humor, spiritutality

32. In reading through this list, for most of us
• Familiar values
• Scripture verses come to mind not only from Proverbs, but
from Psalms, the Gospels, the epistles and more…
• Bland points out the the whole world view of the Proverbs
fosters all of these strengths
• Bland againis critical of their world view but when taken as
body of literature including Segliman, Petersoen,
Fredrickson, Alchor, Gielan, Kaplan I believe he under-rates
the spiritual dimensionas we understand it,

33. Land end his chapter pinitng out what he sees
as commonalities and differences
• 1. Positive psychologists tend to believe that we as human
beings have the power and resources to pursue these virtues
without the Lord’s help “the beginning of wisdom” is the
fear of the Lord”
• 2. They do not givecreence for a community of beleivers’s to
provide support, resources, or modeling—we ar emore om
our own!

34. On the other hand
• The growing body of empirically based research and well
written and academically sound books can not be ignored.
• Our faculty, students, friends and family can highly benefit
from this powerful attitude and even life-transforming
practices.
• Rather than dismissing it we as christian scholars need to
find a place at the table..
• Let’s not get caught up in the “Not invented here syndrome”

35. Do we deny the powerful value of other fields
just because we did “not invent them.”
• Management
• Medicine
• Psychology in general
• Science
• Technology

36. Matter of fact the wisdom of the Scripture
supersedes these ideas by hundreds of year

37. So where does that leave us
• A call for careful examination of the Postive Psychology
Literature
• Put it to the test
• Start to engage in the integration of faith into the
movement
• Use proven well developed techniques, tools and ideas to
improve our lives

38. Most importantly for us as scholars
• Establish a research
• Theoretical development
• Empirical research
• Seek to engage both our collegues and scholars of the
movement
• Positive is Psychology is relatively new- there is a potentially
rich research stream as far as faith integrattion

39. Sample of articles I written from the
Positive Psychology Theme
• https://daakecomments.wordpress.com/2015/12/30/pursui
ng-simple-positive-promises-rather-than-making-and-
breaking-unrealistic-resolutions/
• https://daakecomments.wordpress.com/2015/11/04/living
-wholeheartedly-in-a-half-hearted-world/
• https://daakecomments.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/thank
sgiving-in-july/