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

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”

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”

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.

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

First exposure ---

• Academy of Management Omaha 2011

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-

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

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

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

population

Psychology is a wonderful tool• Has always had great interest to students and the

general population• Notable names in Psychology include:

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

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

population• Kurt Lewin

• Abraham Maslow

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

population• Pavlov

• Piaget

Psychology is a wonderful tool• Of course• Freud

However…..• So much of psychology has traditionally

focused on helping those suffering from a variety of maladies-

• Depression• Bi-bipolar• Manic-depression• Personality disorder

Well to put it in another way

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• NebraskaA rather stunning “discovery was made”

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• ,

17:1 Negative to Positive

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

The late Chris Peterson Michigan

Shawn Alchor- Harvard

positive psychology

Michelle Gielan-Former FOX CHICAGO and National CBS Correspondent

Janice Kaplan- NY TIMES Best Seller

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

differentThis is especially a prominent view of DAVE BLANDIn “Proverbs and the Formation of Character”

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.

• 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.

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

The six CORE virtues

• Wisdom & Creativity-creativity, curiosity ,love of learning, open-mindedness, perspective

• Courage- Bravery, persistence, integrity,vitality

• Humanity –Love, Kindness, Social intelligence

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

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,

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!

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”

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

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

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

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

Sample of articles I written from the Positive Psychology Theme• https://daakecomments.wordpress.com/2015/12/30/pursuing-

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/thanksgiving-in-july/