Report on Positive Psychology and Theology conference. St Peter s College Adelaide 29 th and 30 th September

Transcription

1 Report on Positive Psychology and Theology conference St Peter s College Adelaide 29 th and 30 th September

2 Ellen T. Charry Margaret W. Harmon Professor of Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary. Her interest is in human flourishing in Christian perspective. a member of the Pursuit of Happiness Project at the Center for Law and Religion at Emory University Charry has served on the editorial boards of the Scottish Journal of Theology and Pro Ecclesia. She currently serves as an editor-atlarge for The Christian Century.

3 Ellen T. Charry Two key note addresses 1 st on the gifts what Positive Psychology could give to Christian Theology and practice. 2 nd on the gift what Christian Theology could give to positive Psychology Both very insightful and intense lectures.

4 1st Practical Elective Christ s Passion (his arrest, trial and crucifixion) through the Lens of Peterson and Seligman s Virtue and Strengths Classifications.

5 Dr Matthew White Director of Well-being & Positive Education at St. Peter s College, Adelaide, where he serves on the school's Senior Leadership Team. Mathew is an Honorary Senior Fellow at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education in The University of Melbourne, Adjunct Lecturer at The University of Adelaide's School of Education and Research Affiliate of the Well-being Institute at Cambridge University. The Rev d Dr Theo McCall Chaplain at St Peter's College, Adelaide, and works across the whole school (ELC to Year 12). He obtained his PhD in Theology from Flinders University and is a Board member and Adjunct Lecturer at St Barnabas' College and Adjunct Lecturer at Charles Sturt University.

6 1. Wisdom and knowledge (strengths that involve the acquisition and use of knowledge) Creativity Curiosity Open-mindedness Love of learning Perspective and wisdom

7 2. Courage (strengths that allow one to accomplish goals in the face of opposition) Bravery Persistence Integrity Vitality

8 3. Humanity (strengths of tending and befriending others) Love Kindness Social intelligence

9 4. Justice (strengths that build healthy community) Active citizenship / social responsibility / loyalty / teamwork / Fairness / Leadership

10 5. Temperance (strengths that protect against excess) Forgiveness + mercy Humility and modesty Prudence Self-regulation and self control

11 6. Transcendence (strengths that forge connections to the larger universe and provide meaning) Appreciation of beauty and appreciation of excellence Gratitude Hope Humor and playfulness Spirituality, or a sense of purpose and coherence

12 A brief portion was read 3 So Judas brought a detachment of soldiers together with police from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and they came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that was to happen to him, came forward and asked them, For whom are you looking? 5 They answered, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus replied, I am he. Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When Jesus said to them, I am he, they stepped back and fell to the ground. 7 Again he asked them, For whom are you looking? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. 8 Jesus answered, I told you that I am he. So if you are looking for me, let these men go.

13 The question was then In this section what character strengths did Jesus demonstrate.?

14 Process used to get boys to review Activating event Thoughts, underlying beliefs Consequences emotional / reactions

15 2 nd Practical Elective Positive psychology in the secondary School Curriculum: Exploring Humanity s Meaning and Purpose through a Cross-curricular Program

16 Ms Emily Fitzsimons holds a Masters in Education and is, a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania s Masters in Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program, one of only five in Australia. Head of English & Subject coordinator of Positive Education St Peter s College.

17 49 slides in 45 min elective So I will only touch on a the core of her presentation the cross-curricular unit Her lead in covered What do we mean by meaning? Looked at under 4 headings Meaning and God Why meaning is important

18 A cross-curricular unit The rationale 9 dot points Then introduced Meaning in and through the humanities.

19 4 Thematic strands 1. What it means to be human: our value and universal place 2. Human connection: to God and each other 3. Spiritual stability: resilience and integrity 4. Aspiration: prospecting and working towards the future

20 What it means to be human: our value and universal place Examples in English & Literature Primo Levi s If this is a man Or Viktor Frank s writings Novels of Cormac McCarthy Poems of either Derek Walcott or Seamus Heaney Also eg in Visual and Performing Arts, History and RE

21 Key questions to explore When everything is stripped from us, what is left as the essence of a human? What unites us? From where do we get our morality? In what ways are we unique among all living things? How might we know we are special or precious? Where might individuals gain their world view? If you were to represent the universe and your place in it pictorially, what would it look like?

22 Human connection: to God and each other Examples from English & Literature Remarque s All quiet on the Western Front Film: Good will Hunting Frazier s Cold Mountain John Donne s Meditations & holy sonnets Also eg in Visual and Performing Arts, History and RE

23 Key questions In what ways are humans designed for interpersonal connections? How can good connections enhance wellbeing? What is the nature of our connection to God? What is the difference between our relationship to Him as creator versus Father, for example? In what ways can connections be used to to achieve great things? What does the bible mean when it describes Christians as one body? Is the biblical image of one body appropriate to the secular world? Why or why not?

24 3. Spiritual Stability: Resilience & Integrity Examples from English & Literature Writing gratitude letters Miller s The Crucible Mandela s The Long Walk Home Also eg in Visual and Performing Arts, History and RE

25 Key Questions What do we mean by resilience? Is it the same as ignoring problems? In what ways might having a meaning and purpose in our lives enable us to endure suffering? What can we see of how people respond to change? How can the belief in the Holy Spirit affect the lives of Christians?

26 4. Aspiration: Prospecting and working towards the future Examples from English & Literature Dystopic & utopic fiction Science fiction films eg Philip K Dick s Minority Report Meta-fictional films eg Charlie Kaufman or The Truman Show Also eg in Visual and Performing Arts, History and RE

27 Key Questions In what ways might people have a different picture of their future? What sorts of things impact the picture that we have? How might a picture of the future affect how we behave in the present ( motivations, goals, emotions etc)? In what ways is Christian hope different to the secular sense of hope? How do we serve our God?

28 From Viktor Frankl the prisoner who had lost faithin the future his future- was doomed. With his loss of belief in the future, he also lost his spiritual hold; he let himself decline and become subject to mental and physical decay. He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how.

29 There where 4 examples of assessment given. Sets of Biblical passages where also provided.