A social scientist interested in faith? Interesting….
Actually, science is more about faith than most people think. In fact, sometimes scientists live more comfortably with faith, than do religious individuals. That is, scientists are trained to embrace not knowing–our lives are built on research questions and hypotheses. This is consistent with my own attempts to understand the life and teachings of Jesus. Most recently this pursuit has included a focus on principles of mindfulness, contemplation, and social action.
The niche that I have carved out for myself as a professional within the faith community is offering a unique synthesis of social science and faith-based perspectives—essentially using Jesus’ life and teachings, and principles of mindfulness, to provide a foundation for certain social scientific findings about relationships. For example, my scientific work on marriage and forgiveness is informed and contextualized by Jesus’ teachings on what it means to pursue human relationships- “Love your enemies” at times refers to how you respond to the person you are waking up next to. Teachings such as “Do not judge,” are central to principles of mindfulness.
Combining these perspectives into a holistic relationship worldview has provided the foundation for rich discussions in faith and non-faith settings. I have taught about forgiveness, conflict, nonverbal communication, love, intimacy, marriage, and parenting in a variety of church contexts. In addition, my teaching extends beyond the local church community; for example, I have had wonderful discussions with Muslim students and clergy about the nature of forgiveness.
Any of the workshops listed on the Workshops and Presentations page can be done with a faith emphasis grounding the workshop. Contact me to begin a discussion as to how I might bring a unique perspective to your faith community.
Sample Faith Communities Where I Have Presented (Phoenix area)
Brophy Preparatory Academy
Hope Community Church
Just Moved Ministries
Moon Valley Bible Church
Neighborhood Ministries
Scottsdale Bible Church
Saint Vincent DePaul School, Phoenix
West Valley Universalist Unitarian Church
Young Life, College ASU’s Tempe
Young Life, College ASU’s West campus