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PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION

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IO
EWSLETTER
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ER AT
IC CI
AN SO
PSY AS
C H O L O GIC AL

DIV
ISIO N 36
A MERICAN P SYCHOLOGICAL A SSOCIATION D IVISION 36 V OLUME 31 N O 4

FALL 2006

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS APPLYING PRINCIPLES OF COLLABORATION

TO PSYCHOLOGY, RELIGION, AND SPIRITUALITY
MARK R. MCMINN, GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY

Presidential Address for Division 36 (Psychology of Religion)

of the American Psychological Association

Presented in New Orleans, LA August, 2006

W hen preparing this presidential address for the Psychology of Religion division of the
American 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
Mark R. McMinn,
Ph.D., ABPP
titled, “What Do Psychologists Know about Working with the Clergy?” (Weaver et al.,
1997). The answer at the time—based on publication rates in APA journals—appeared to
be 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 ways INSIDE
that clergy and psychologists work effectively, or ineffectively, together.
8 Word from the
We accomplished this through interviewing exemplars of collaboration
New President
and through national survey projects.
Based on a series of research studies, we have postulated principles for 10 Council of
effective collaboration (McMinn, Aikins, & Lish, 2003). Initially we artic- Representatives
ulated 8 principles, but have since condensed the list to 7 principles after Report
determining that common values and common goals were sufficiently 11 Officer & Fellows
similar that they could be collapsed into a single principle. Nominations
12 August Executive
Relationship Committee
Effective collaboration begins with some level of relationship between the Meeting Minutes
clergyperson and psychologist. An exemplar of clergy-psychologist col- 13 Journal
laboration, Kathryn Benes, once commented, “In consultation, relation- Nominations
ships are everything.” Dr. Benes’ work is an example of what is possible
14 Call for Papers
16 Membership
Application
 PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION NEWSLETTER – APA DIVISION 36 – VOL.31, NO.4 2

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS with effective collaboration relationships (Benes, Walsh, McMinn, Dominguez, & Aikins,
[ FROM PAGE 1] 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 24,000
square 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. Benes’ consultation.

Communication
Once 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 Serrano’s 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 lay
ministry 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. Serrano’s work.

Respect
Clergy 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 respectful of my expertise as well. Seemed most interested in whatever helps mutual
client.” Clergy respondents offered similar comments, such as, “I worked side by side
with 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 quite
common 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. ...COLLABORATION
On the other hand, many clergy experience what has been called CHARACTERIZED
BY RESPECT...
the “pedestal effect.” That is, parishioners have a sort of rever-
ence for clergy that appears to be excessively respectful. Yet those
who 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 of
the 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 Goals

Perhaps 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

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 PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION NEWSLETTER – APA DIVISION 36 – VOL.31, NO.4 3

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS range of professionals regardless of whether they share the same ideologies. But the clergy
[ FROM PAGE 2] we have studied—albeit a relatively conservative subset of Christian clergy—do not view
this the same way. Chaddock and McMinn (1999) reported evidence that clergy are not
interested 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 Savage’s 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 addresses
questions 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 Expertise
For effective collaboration, both the psychologist and clergyperson must recognize that
the 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 what
psychology provides. This serves as an obstacle to effective collabo-
ration (McMinn, Chaddock, Edwards, Lim, & Campbell, 1998).
THE MAIN SOURCE
The work of Alex Galloway at Christ Community Health Ser- OF FRUSTRATION
vices in Memphis serves as an exemplar of this principle (Galloway, WHEN
COLLABORATIVE
2005). When Dr. Galloway entered into the largely African Ameri- EFFORTS DO NOT
can community in which Christ Community Health Services is lo- GO WELL IS RELATED
TO A LACK OF
cated, he sought mentoring from pastors in order to best address SHARED VALUES
the needs of the community. This serves as a heartening example AND BELIEFS
of a psychologist recognizing the expertise of clergy.

Psychological and Spiritual Awareness

Psychologists often refer to psychological-mindedness, meaning a person’s capacity to
recognize a psychological dimension to life experiences. Similarly, one could postulate a
sort of spiritual-mindedness related to one’s 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 forms
of innovative collaboration, Dr. Budd has collaborated with chaplains in the U.S. Air
Force 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 psychological
hopelessness and spiritual despair.

Trust
The final principle of trust might best be considered a meta-principle. That is, trust is not
merely accomplished by developing a collaborative attitude or set of skills, but it occurs
over time as the other 6 principles are practiced. Thomas Plante’s 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.

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

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS Enhancing an Islamic Presence in Division 36

[ FROM PAGE 3]
The seven principles I have just outlined for clergy-psychologist collaboration are far
from surprising. At times I have wished I were an astrophysicist so I could say at the be-
ginning of a presentation, “This is rocket 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 collaboration—
even beyond clergy-psychologist collaboration—I 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 religion—at least that which is taught in the Western hemisphere.
There are exceptions, of course, such as chapters found in Dowd and Nielsen’s (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 (to
a lesser extent). For the APA’s Psychology of Religion division to be maximally relevant to
contemporary cultural conversations, it will be important to have a
greater Islamic presence both in the division and, ultimately, in our pub-
THERE
lished articles and textbooks. There are many reasons why psychologists ARE MANY
should be interested in the Islamic faith, including studying the differ- REASONS WHY
PSYCHOLOGISTS
ences and similarities between monotheistic faiths, understanding the SHOULD BE
magnitude and causes of the discrimination and prejudice experienced INTERESTED IN
THE ISLAMIC
by many Muslim Americans, and participating in interfaith, intercultural, FAITH…
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 means
throughout 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 course
of the year. I am grateful for those who served on this panel: Saba Rasheed Ali, Abdul
Basit, 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.

Relationship
The panel served as a mechanism to begin some collaborative relationships. Dr. Ali
agreed 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 year’s
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 some
good working relationships and an initial conversation.

Communication
The 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 we
communicated 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. Basit’s 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.

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 PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION NEWSLETTER – APA DIVISION 36 – VOL.31, NO.4 5

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS Respect

[ FROM PAGE 4] During the course of the year, the APA Presidential Task Force on Enhancing Diversity
released 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 one’s behavior or
beliefs, but rather that religion and one’s 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 the
presence of a cash bar at our convention social hour because alcohol excludes some Mus-
lim psychologists from attending.

Common Goals and Values

Though each of the monotheistic religions have essential distinctives, it is good to re-
member that there are also commonalities. Dr. Basit’s (1997) book provides a case for a
universal view of God that binds people together in a common fellowship, even across
faiths, and encourages us all to care about injustice, exploitation, and oppression. Not
everyone on the panel or in Division 36 would subscribe to Basit’s universal view of God,
but Division 36 is not a creedal organization—it 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 Expertise
Some of the Muslim psychologists on the panel expressed openness to learning more
about 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 learn
a 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, “Isn’t 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.

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 PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION NEWSLETTER – APA DIVISION 36 – VOL.31, NO.4 6

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS Psychological and Spiritual Awareness

[ FROM PAGE 5] As would be expected for a group of religiously-oriented psychologists, the members of
the panel demonstrated both psychological and spiritual awareness. But some of our
conversation veered toward ways that psychologists of religion—particularly those with
clinical interests—might 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 in
Division 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 whatever
extent 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 is
much 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 with
psychologists studying and representing various faiths.
This presidential initiative was modest in scope, but I trust it is a helpful step toward
enhancing the presence and visibility of the Islamic faith within the APA’s 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). Psychology
and the church: An exemplar of psychology-clergy collaboration. Professional Psychology:
Research and Practice, 31, 515–520.
Budd, F. C. (1999). An Air Force model of psychologist-chaplain collaboration. Professional
Psychology: Research and Practice, 30, 552–556.
Budd, F., & Newton, M. (2005). Healing the brokenhearted: Cross and couch together. In
McMinn, 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 psychologists
and evangelical clergy. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 27, 319–328.
Dominguez, A. W., & McMinn, M. R. (2003). Collaboration through research: The Multimethod
Church-based Assessment Process. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 22, 333–337.
Dowd, E. T., & Nielsen, S. L. (Eds.) (2006). The psychologies in religion: Working with the religious
client. New York: Springer.
Galloway, A. (2005). Psychology at work inside and outside the church: Bridging the gaps
between emotional, physical, and spiritual health. In McMinn, M. R., & Dominguez, A. D.
(Eds.) (pp. 129–135), Psychology and the church. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.

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 PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION NEWSLETTER – APA DIVISION 36 – VOL.31, NO.4 7

PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS Lish, R. A., McMinn, M. R., Fitzsimmons, C. R., & Root, A. M. (2003). Clergy interest in
[ FROM PAGE 6] innovative collaboration with psychologists. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 22,
294–298.
McMinn, M. R., Aikins, D. C., Lish, R. A. (2003). Basic and advanced competence in
collaborating with clergy. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 34, 197–202.
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. Professional
Psychology: Research and Practice, 29, 564–570.
McMinn, M. R., Meek, K. R., Canning, S. S., & Pozzi, C. F. (2001). Training psychologists to work
with religious organizations: The Center for Church-Psychology Collaboration. Professional
Psychology: Research and Practice, 32, 324–328.
Plante, T. G. (1999). A collaborative relationship between professional psychology and the
Roman Catholic Church: A case example and suggested principles for success. Professional
Psychology: Research and Practice, 30, 541–546.
Plante, T. G. (2005). Psychological consultation with the Roman Catholic Church: Integrating
who we are and what we do. In McMinn, M. R., & Dominguez, A. D. (Eds.) (pp. 73–80),
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 consultancy
and pastoral care. In McMinn, M. R., & Dominguez, A. D. (Eds.) (pp. 113–119), Psychology
and the church. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.
Serrano, N. (2005). A psychologist-pastor: A bridge for churches at a Christian community
health center. In McMinn, M. R., & Dominguez, A. D. (Eds.) (pp. 145–149), Psychology and the
church. 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 APA
Journals: 1991–1994. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 28, 471–474.

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

Faith and Health: Interdisciplinary Conference on

the 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 3–5 2006. The conference is
sponsored by the departments of Psychology and Theology of Notre Dame as well as the
Indiana 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 to
set a new agenda for the field of faith and health. As an institution with high academic
standards 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 at https://marketplace.nd.edu/cce/ where you
will 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 to
register freely for individual meals.

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NEW PRESIDENT A WORD FROM THE NEW PRESIDENT

OF DIVISION 36

Who is our New President?

R alph L. Piedmont, Ph.D. is the new President for Division 36, taking over duties from
Mark McMinn, who now moves into the role of Past-President. Lisa Miller will be en-
tering as the Division’s 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 research
career: 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 College
Ralph L. Piedmont, Ph.D.
in 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 Spirituality
and 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.
Ralph’s 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 Ralph’s most
important works. When not teaching or doing research, Ralph very much enjoys tennis,
swimming, trap shooting, and numismatics.

President’s Report

G reetings! 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 diverse
content 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 don’t 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 1,200
members), 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 certainly
changed.
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 growing
research literature demonstrating the value of numinous
constructs for understanding people and the lives they are
leading. 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 broad
interest 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 crafting
APA’s responses. There is no doubt that the value of the
Psychology of Religion is becoming increasingly recog-
nized, and its presence more actively sought. New President receiving the gavel.

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NEW PRESIDENT Second, an important benchmark of this growth has been the interest by APA in cre-
[ FROM PAGE 8] 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 the
huge 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 unanimously
to launch an APA-sponsored journal for our Division. Although the financial relationship
must 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 first
issue published in the Spring of 2008.
The creation of an APA-sponsored journal signals the beginning of a new era for our
Division. On one level it is recognition of the increasing amount of quality research and
professional 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 an
important 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 back
and 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 and
begin 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 this
topic, 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 the
Mid-Year Research Conference on Religion and Spirituality. Jointly sponsored by the Di-
vision and the Pastoral Counseling Department at Loyola College, this event has emerged
over the past four years as an informative, highly enjoyable confer-
ence. This past year, over 275 professionals attended from across the
U.S. and around the world. The conference is uniformly rated high
by attendees, who see it as a high quality research conference that pro-
vides an intimate environment where professionals can discuss issues
of mutual interest. The conference is affordable and provides a unique
venue for learning more about current work in the field. I would like
to issue a personal invitation to all members to attend the 2007 Con-
ference (scheduled for March 1–3) 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
Conference Poster Session
and promote its visibility in the scientific community. Please consider
submitting 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 (rpiedmont@loyola.edu). 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 find
many opportunities for involving yourself in the Division. The more active participants
we have, the more dynamic and stimulating the experience will become! r

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 PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION NEWSLETTER – APA DIVISION 36 – VOL.31, NO.4 10

COUNCIL REPORT APA COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES REPORT

P H I L L I P WAT K I N S & M A RY E . R E U D E R
COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES

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 the
highlights of the meeting, but if you are interested in a more comprehensive under-
standing of the proceedings please email me (pwatkins@mail.ewu.edu) 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 coming
year looks to be a “break even” budget, but a decision made by Council following budget
approval has the potential of putting us into the red for the year. However, this measure
would not produce a large deficit. One of the financial issues that came to the fore was
that 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 program
that 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 Association
and for retaining new members. Although the previous program required fairly low dues
for 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 new
program 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 be
about 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: APA’s 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 the
Association as a whole and within the divisions. There will be a mentoring web site, as
well as an upcoming issue of Professional Psychology devoted to this project. It seems to
me that our division is somewhat ahead of the game in this matter, as there appears to be
excellent 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 the
U.S. Army. Dr. Steven Reisner, senior faculty at Columbia University’s International
Trauma Studies Program, presented a response to Dr. Kiley’s presentation. The essence of
the 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 example
of 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 to
discontinue the current arrangement between APA and the Canadian Psychological As-
sociation to concurrently accredit programs in Canada. The Canadian response to this
motion was at best mixed, with many of the Canadian Council representatives offering

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 PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION NEWSLETTER – APA DIVISION 36 – VOL.31, NO.4 11

COUNCIL REPORT strong opposition to this measure. It became clear to most Council members that this
[ FROM PAGE 10 ] proposal 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 future
looks 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. Rr

NOMINATIONS INVITED FOR DIVISION OFFICES

Nominations are now open for election of the following Division36 offices:
• President
• Member-at-Large
• APA Council Representative
Nominations 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 based
in 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 nominee’s 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 to
the Division 36 Fellows Chair, David Wulff (dwulff@wheatonma.edu) or Department of
Psychology, Wheaton College, Norton, MA 02766. Deadline for nominations is Decem-
ber 15, 2006.

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 be
sent 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 .

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 PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION NEWSLETTER – APA DIVISION 36 – VOL.31, NO.4 12

MINUTES EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES

AUGUST 12, 2006
DIVISION 36, AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION CONVENTION

NEW ORLEANS, LA

T he Executive Committee met on Sunday August 12, 2006 from 7:00am-9:00am in the
Hospitality 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, Will
Schweitzer 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 journal
through the APA Journals office. Financial terms and questions of content and
ownership 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 fall
upon the Division, but rather APA. Once the Journal earns back the start-up
costs, and covers production costs, the bottom line revenues will be shared be-
tween the Division and APA Press (50%/50%) for perpetuity. The journal most
likely 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 50/50
revenue split in future revenues was approved by a unanimous EC vote.
3) The Mid-Year Conference, held at Loyola’s 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 than
collection 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.Rr

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 PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION NEWSLETTER – APA DIVISION 36 – VOL.31, NO.4 13

JOURNAL NOMINATIONS NOMINATIONS INVITED FOR EDITOR IN CHIEF

AND EDITOR IN CHIEF SELECTION COMMITTEE FOR THE
NEW DIVISION 36 JOURNAL

T he 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 of
the 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 publish
scholarly 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 will
be 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 being
sought be the Division:

1) Nominations, including self-nominations, for a position on the Committee to

select 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 Chief

will 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 or
some 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 deems
necessary

Kindly send nominations and the nominee’s vita to Prof. Lisa Miller (President-Elect
Division 36) at lfm14@columbia.edu . r

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 CALL FOR PAPERS
Return 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 & Spirituality
March 1, 2007 – Pre-Conference Institute
March 2 & 3, 2007 – Conference
Hosted 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 REGISTRATION CALL FOR PAPERS

March 1 – Pre-Conference Institute Abstract Submission Information - Please read instructions on
Early Bird Registration Ends FEB. 8, 2007 next page before submitting your Proposals!
See Separate Flier for Details Proposals are due January 5, 2007
If you register for March 1 Pre-Conference AND March 2 & FORMAT Posters, Papers and Symposia
3 Conference Presentation Fees are: GALA RECEPTION (No Charge)
$50 1/2 Day Presentation Friday evening Gala Reception FREE to all attendees –
$100 Full Day Presentation 5:30 – 7:00 pm Cash Bar
___NO–not attending ___YES–attending _____# of people
If you register for March 1 Pre-Conference ONLY by Feb. 8
$90 1/2 Day Presentation LUNCHES
$140 Full Day Presentation Pre-pay lunch for Thursday, Friday or Saturday – $10.00 each
day. Lunch includes one of each of the following items:
If you register for March 1 Pre-Conference ONLY sandwich, chips, dessert and beverage.
on Feb. 9 or later LUNCHES
$100 1/2 Day Presentation ___ Thursday ($10)
$150 Full Day Presentation ___ Friday ($10)
The registration fee includes CEU fee, conference bag, program guide, ___ Saturday ($10)
all conference handouts, access to exhibit tables and book sales.
NOTE: If you are registering for the Pre-Conference AND the CEUs AVAILABLE
Mid-Year Conference you pay the presentation fee plus the March 1 Pre-Conference – CEU included in Registration Fee
conference registration fee below. March 2 & 3 – single fee of $60

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION HOTELS

To get the discounted hotel rate, you MUST ask for “Loyola
March 1, 2 & 3 Mid-Year Conference
Mid Year Spirituality Conference;” or “Loyola College Group;”
Early Bird Registration Ends FEB. 8, 2007 –
or” Loyola Mid-year Conference Group” at each hotel.
March 1, 2007 - Pre-Conference th
Deadline for discounted hotel registration rate is Feb. 8
See separate flier with presenters and topics; see above for
Extended Stay America (newly remodeled and suites only)
registration Information.
(410) 872-2994 $85.00 + tax
Courtyard Marriott
March 1, 2 & 3, 2007 – Pre-Conference & Mid-Year
(410) 290-0002 $100.00+ tax
Conference registration fees until Feb. 8
$75 for Members; NEW THIS YEAR!
$90 for Non-members; SPONSORSHIPS and ADVERTISING
$35 Students We invite you to support our education efforts and share your
company’s products.
Registration Fees from Feb. 9 and at the Door For a list of sponsorship opportunities contact Brenda Helsing,
$90 for Members; 410-617-7614 or bhelsing@loyola.edu.
$105 for Non-members; Website: www.loyola.edu/pastoralcounseling/midyearconference.html
$45 Students

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 and
will 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 as
the 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 21045
QUESTIONS: Contact Brenda Helsing, (410) 617-7614 or bhelsing@loyola.edu.

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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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PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION NEWSLETTER – APA DIVISION 36 – VOL.31, NO.4 17

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 division’s quarterly Newsletter contains original articles, book re-

views, announcements, and news of interest to division members.

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: pbennett6@isugw.indstate.edu

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