Pastoral Theology/Renewal/Social Psychology/DB Posts/Replies
1. Christian Theology
I am pleased to meet all of you and excited to read your thoughts and opinions on the theological method. I thank God for bringing us together in this class, and I look forward to the rest of the semester. To all the mothers, Happy Mother’s Day.
Theological method is a systemic approach theologians use to investigate, understand, and interpret religious beliefs and doctrines. It involves a variety of methodologies, including textual analysis, historical research, philosophical inquiry, and engagement with religious traditions. One fundamental aspect of the theological method is recognizing the authority of religious texts and tradition, often considered sacred and central to theological reflection. The textual analysis examines these writings in their original languages while considering historical context, literary forms, and hermeneutical principles to discern their meaning and relevance to contemporary issues. Additionally, historical research helps theologians understand the development of religious beliefs and practices over time, shedding light on the cultural, social, and political factors that have shaped religious tradition1. Another critical aspect of the theological method is philosophical inquiry, which involves reasoning about the character of God, the problem of evil, and the nature of salvation. Further, intellectual tools such as logic, metaphysics, and ethics are used to explore these questions and develop coherent theological frameworks. Engagement with religious traditions involves:
Studying the beliefs, practices, and experiences of religious communities.
Recognizing the diversity within and between traditions.
Engaging in dialogue with practitioners and scholars from different religious backgrounds.
Ultimately, the theological method seeks to deepen understanding of religious truth, guide religious practice, and contribute to ongoing theological discourse across religious traditions1.
The theological method is essential as it provides a structured approach to understanding and interpreting religious beliefs and doctrines, enabling theologians to conduct rigorous analysis and reflection. By employing various methodologies such as textual analysis, historical research, philosophical inquiry, and engagement with religious tradition, theologians can deepen their understanding of sacred texts, the development of religious belief over time, and the philosophical underpinnings of theological concepts. This methodological rigor helps theologians to navigate complex theological questions, address contemporary issues within religious contexts, and contribute to ongoing theological discourse. Moreover, the theological method fosters collaboration among scholars and practitioners from different religious backgrounds, enriching the diversity of perspectives and promoting mutual understanding within the global religious community. Another critical aspect of the theological method is its adaptability to different religious traditions and contexts. Whether studying Christian, Islamic, Jewish, or other theological traditions, theologians employ similar methodological frameworks tailored to the unique characteristics of each tradition. This flexibility enables theologians to navigate the complexities of religious diversity while remaining faithful to their religious commitments.
Some people use theological methods in the formalized sense that trained theologians do; individuals often have implicit methods to interpret and understand religious beliefs and practices. Personal experience, cultural influences, spiritual teachings, and intellectual inclinations shape these methods. For example, a devout Christian might approach theology through the lens of scripture, prayer, and participation in religious rituals while drawing on the teachings of theologians and church authorities2. Similarly, a Muslim might rely on the Quran, Hadith, and scholarly interpretations such as(Sharia law) to understand Islamic beliefs and practices. Even atheists or agnostics may employ a form of theological method, albeit with different presuppositions, such as philosophical reasoning, scientific inquiry, and moral principles, to grapple with questions of meaning, purpose, and morality. These implicit theological methods significantly shape individuals’ worldviews, ethical frameworks, and sense of identity. They inform how people make sense of their experience, understand the divine (or lack thereof), and relate to others within their religious or secular communities. While these methods may not always be as structured or systematic as those employed by professional theologians, they are foundational to how individuals navigate the complexities of religious and existential questions.
- Bibliography and Footnotes
- Reading on theological methods, on McGrath, Alister E. “Christian Theology: An Introduction.” Wiley-Blackwell, 2011.
- 2. Christian Theology
Hello All,
Prayerfully, we have all grasped an understanding of what theological method is and its function in theology. The simple definition of theology is the study of God from a religious perspective. With this initial assignment, I understand theology to be; the study of faith in God, the practices and experiences in relationship to the study of God and God’s relationship to humanity. Biblical theology according to Jeff Augustine of Colorado Christian University; “Theology in a Christian context seeks to understand the God revealed in the Bible. So, the study of God is a study of God’s revelation of Himself.” Theology is often used in various manners: to reform, compare, justify, or oppose religious traditions.
A theological method is how a person approaches the interpretation of the Bible and how they arrive at doctrinal implications. There are two types of questions to be considered as we begin our studies. The number one question is a first-order question and the number two is a second order question. The first order question for Christians is centered around the inerrancy of God. According to Gregg R. Allison, the author of, 50 Core Truths of The Christian Faith, Christians believe, ” Scripture is the written Word of God and, as such, the ultimate authority for what the Church is to believe and how it is to live, it is the foundation for good theology.” Ergo, when studying scripture we must determine what God is saying, or breathing to the writer. The second order questions are centered around the times during which the writers lived, their place in society and the norms of that period. These second order questions do not detract from God’s intended message.
Theological methods include: practical theology, systematic theology, historical theology, biblical theology and exegesis. We look at all five to begin qualitative research and critical thinking. Biblical theology focuses on the voices of the authors of the scriptures. Historical theology takes into consideration the time and place of the scripture. Systematic theology is the canonical voice of history. Practical theology is said to be the bridge between theology and social science that links the scripture to life. Nick Nowalk wrote that, ” theological methods, explores the controversial relationship between faith and reasoning in Christian thinking.” This is the reason our first order question must be unanimously agreed upon. Martin Luther is credited with the following quote: ” See to it that you fasten your attention on Gods Word and stay in it, like an infant in a cradle. If you let go for one moment, you have fallen away from the truth.” One intention of the devil is to get people away from the Word and to induce them to measure God’s will and work with their own.”
Renewal theology represents a movement within Christian beliefs that relate to the spiritual move and doctrine of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts that are being revived in our time. This movement is heavily associated with Pentecostal, and charismatic faith traditions. It is thought to be what happens when God pours out His Spirit upon His people. Psalm 51:10 says, ” Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right Spirit within me. ” Romans 12:2 states, ” Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” King David and the Apostle Paul simply transcribe the message the Lord breathed into them.
Bibliography
Gregg R. Allison, “50 Core Truths of the Christian Faith: A Guide to Understanding and Teaching Theology”, Grand Rapids, MI, (2018).
3. Christian Theology
Okay, well, good evening and good afternoon, depending on what your time may be. I hope that you all are doing well and welcome to this class, Christian Theology, one of the classes I love teaching here at Regent University. I hope that you all are doing well and that you are off to a great start.
I’m going to go ahead and briefly introduce myself and then we’ll begin with a word of prayer and we will delve into what we have for today. Okay, so I am Dr. Greg Kame and I am originally from the West African nation of Cameroon, but the United States is now home for me and my family. We’ve been in the States now for about a decade and I obtained my PhD in Systematic Theology from the University of South Africa.
And I did my research was on predestination as taught by the mainline Protestant reformers and theologians. So I did part of my research work as an exchange doctoral research fellow at the VU University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. So, and it was while I was there that I got the opportunity of meeting my wife who is also from Cameroon.
And at the time she was also working on her doctorate in Biological Sciences. And so four years after we got married and the Lord led us to the United States for ministry, my wife currently teaches as a professor of biology at the University of Maryland. And I serve as the senior pastor of one of the Southern Baptist churches here in Maryland, as well as an assistant professor of theology at a region university.
And so I am so thankful for the opportunity to serve the Lord as a pastor theologian. And I think it’s a very great mixture because as a pastor, I’m a better pastor because I’m a professor and I’m a better professor because I’m a pastor. So, and that worked out very well.
And we have three children who are still young. Our first Charis is six and Jason, our second is four and Nathan, our third and Lord willing, the last one really last because we believe in the Trinity is one. Nathan is one.
So you can imagine we do not have much sleep at night. Yeah. So that’s just a little bit about me.
And because of the size of the class, I’m not going to give you all the opportunity to introduce yourself. But as we, as this course progresses, I hope to get to know you better. And again, I’m thankful for all of you.
And since I’m not just a professor, I’m also a pastor. So think of me as your pastor for these eight weeks. So I don’t just want to teach you.
I want to pastor you as an academic, as a minister, as a scholar. And so I want to pray with you. I want to counsel you.
I want to help you in any way helpful as you pursue God’s call for your life. I know that you all have your stories, your experiences, and thus far, the God who has led you to this point in your life and your ministry, I believe he has great plans for you and he will continue to lead you. And great things await you in the future in Jesus name.
I believe that you all the very, you know, we live in a church age where many young men and women or older folks don’t see the value of theological education. You know, if for those who desire to practice law, go to law school. It’s a given.
You don’t get into the legal career without going to law school. And those who desire to practice medicine, go to medical school. And as you will see in this course, I’m going to be sharing with you some insightful information about the history of education and the place that theology used to play and how theology informed education as a whole.
How theology was known as Regina Santerum, the queen of the sciences, and how theologians were the ones who coined the word doctor. So the first doctors were theologians and others had to learn from theologians to borrow from theologians to also have doctorate in their own fields. There’s so much to learn from this course that will inspire you and encourage you to pursue your theological calling with passion and with expectation, because the God who has called you definitely has some great things for you in the future.
The best is yet to come for you. Amen? Amen. The best is yet to come.
Amen. All right. So let’s go ahead and open with a word of prayer, and then we will delve into our study for today.
Ancient of days, we love you. We thank you for this opportunity to study that you’ve given us. Father, I pray that you go before us.
I pray that you level down every mountain or barrier, break through every gate of bronze, shatter every bar of iron, pull down every stronghold and every obstacle that may prevent your children from making the most of this learning opportunity. Satan, I command you in the name of Jesus, stay on the other side of the line. Let this man of God, let this woman of God learn through the spirit of God what they need to know about ministry with regards to Christian theology.
And so Lord, I pray that you make the path straight for every student in this class, oh God, so that by the end of this class, when they write their reflection papers, they will have great testimonies to share. They will have great reflections about this course that will bring glory and honor to your name. So thank you God, because we know that you are with us.
And if you’ll be for us, nothing or no one will be against us. So thank you God for your presence and for your blessings. In Jesus name and let the class say amen and amen.
Amen. Amen. Amen.
All right. So I’m sure you guys wouldn’t be surprised by my pastoral energy, my pastoral feel, because that’s what we are. We are pastors.
All right. So we’re going to have a total of four collaborative sessions or Zoom meetings in this class. So today is the first one.
And the purpose of this collaborative is just to do a course overview. Okay. We want to go over the course requirements and make sure that you understand the requirements and expectations so that you are not uninformed, because we want you to do your best and get good grades by the end of this class.
So we’re going to begin, before we talk about course requirements and expectations, let’s first understand what theology is in general and what Christian theology is in particular. Okay. Now, as Dr. R.C. Sproul once noted, everyone is a theologian.
Okay. Whether perhaps not theologians in the professional sense, but we are all theologians in the general sense of the word. So we all have a theological position one way or another.
So the idea of theology shouldn’t be totally strange for you. So if someone were to ask you the question, what is theology? You are studying theology. You are a Master of Divinity student.
What is theology? What would be your simplistic definition of theology? Anyone? Yes, Marcus. Yes, Professor. I would take what I’ve read this week and theology, the study of God.
And I would also add what the lecture said is the art of interpreting, the art of making plain the original intention, the intention of the original author to draw the meaning of what God wants to say and our relationship with him. Good. Very good.
Very good. Well said. Anyone else who would like to share their thoughts on what they understand in a simplistic sense, what theology is all about? Okay.
I will, Dr. Cumming. Yes, go ahead, Logan. I like the thought that it’s like the human attempts to put into words God and creation and all that he’s done.
Okay, good, good. A human attempt to put into words the understanding of God. And that’s a very good way.
Have you ever come across someone who lets you tell them, hey, I’m studying theology, especially within the Pentecostal circles where everyone is so excited and so eager to do ministry and they don’t want to go through the process and the training, some feel like going to seminary is a waste of time. Okay. So because I have the anointing, I have the gift, the spiritual gifts.
I’m just going to go right ahead and open my church and start ministering. And if you ask them, it’s good for you to study theology. And they will say, no, I don’t, I don’t believe in theology.
I don’t, I’m not into that theology stuff. But then if you ask them, okay, you don’t believe in theology. If you ask them, what is your view of God? What do you understand as God? Who is God to you? And believe you me, the very first sentence that will come out of their mouth is their theology.
So everyone has a theology. So Logan is right. Theology is us trying to put into words, our understanding, our conception about God.
So the word theology actually comes from the combination of two Greek word, the word theos, which means God, and the word logos, which means word, it means reason, or it means study of. So when these two Greek words, theos and logos are put together etymologically, they form the word theology. So simply stated, theology is the study of God.
Okay. Now the study of God could be approached from different perspectives. It could be from an Islamic perspective.
It could be from a Buddhist perspective. It could be from a philosophical perspective. It could even be from a scientific perspective.
But in this class, we want to look at the study of God from a Christian perspective. That’s why we refer to this class as Christian theology. Okay.
So by virtue of what we understand as theology in general, our definition of Christian theology then would be that Christian theology refers to Christian beliefs and practices based on what the Bible teaches, that is the Old Testament and the New Testament, as well as what Christian traditions say about God. So that would be a simplistic definition of Christian theology. The study of God from the perspective of scripture and the works of church tradition or church tradition, the works of other scholars and church fathers over the years regarding the church, regarding God and creation.
So this is what we want to look at. Now, within the subject of Christian theology, there are major disciplines, which I’d like to quickly point out to you. And this might be something for you to think about as you think about your ministry future, as you think about your academic trajectory as well, if God may be calling you to further your studies after completing your master’s degree here.
So there are major areas where you can specialize as a Christian theologian. The first discipline is biblical studies or biblical theology. So this discipline studies what each biblical author means by what they have said in scripture, both from the Old Testament and from the New Testament.
Then we have practical theology, also referred to as pastoral theology. And this is the degree that the specialization that those who are interested in pastoring per se would want to major in. This has to do with applying theological convictions into everyday practical ministry life.
So this discipline provides theological understanding on important concept of worship, such as preaching, missions, praise and worship, the day-to-day administration in the church, or running a para-church organization. So pastoral theology enables you to be a church administrator or a church minister. Then we have historical theology.
It is the study and development of theological ideas as they develop throughout history. So it’s like church history, but focused primarily on the development of theological ideas. Then we have my favorite, systematic theology, because that’s what I have majored in.
Systematic theology is also referred to as dogmatic. So when you see the word dogmatics, know they are referring to systematic theology, come from the word dogma, which means doctrine or standards or major tenets for the church. So systematic theology answers the question, what does the entire Bible teach about any given topic? What does the Bible teach about predestination? What does the Bible teach about the atonement? What does the Bible teach about sanctification? What does the Bible teach about Christian involvement in politics? What does the Bible teach about homosexuality? What does the Bible teach about women in ministry? And so on.
So systematic theology is that discipline that puts together all biblical passages that speak to a certain topic and then study them carefully and then develop doctrines from it. That’s why it is also referred to as dogmatics, because the dogmas of the church come out of this important discipline of systematic theology. In other words, the lawyers of the church are systematic theologians because they understand the Bible and then extract from the Bible biblical doctrines, which they establish as the dogmas of the church.
So these are some of the major areas that you can specialize as Christian theologian. So I have specialized in systematic theology. You might want to specialize in historical theology or practical theology or biblical theology.
Now there are other disciplines in Christian theology like counseling and other disciplines, but I want to just mention the major theological ones, ones that deal with theology proper. So just keep that at the back of your mind as you think about your ministry future or your academic future. Now let’s look at the overview of this Christian theology class.
So we’re now in week one, which is just a general introduction to Christian theology. I trust that you’ve had the chance to watch the video for this week and you’ve been going through your assigned readings as they are intended to give you a general understanding of what Christian theology is all about. Next week, which will be week two, we are going to be looking at the doctrine of the Trinity.
God in three persons. In week three, we will look at the doctrine of creation. In week four, we will look at the doctrine of Christ, also known as Christology.
And in week five, we will look at the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, also known as pneumatology. And in week six, we’re going to look at my favorite doctrine in Christian theology, the doctrine of salvation, also known as soteriology. And in week seven, we will look at the doctrine of the church, ecclesiology.
And in the last week, that’s week eight, we will look at the doctrine of the last things, also known as eschatology. So this is the schedule. This is the outline.
So we pray that for the next eight weeks that God will lead you and lead us as we study these important Christian theological concepts as we develop our own theological convictions for our ministries and for life in general. All right, let’s now look at the required textbooks, what is required for you to read as we go through these important doctrines of the church or in Christian theology. So the first textbook that you are required to read is Learning Theology with the Church Fathers, written by Christopher Hall.
Christopher Hall was a former chancellor of Eastern University. As you may have noticed, Eastern University is also my alma mater. So I also obtained a Master of Business Administration from Eastern University in St. Davis, Pennsylvania.
So Dr. Hall was the former chancellor of this Christian university. The second required textbook for this class is 50 Core Truths of the Christian Faith, a Guide to Understanding and Teaching Theology. And this is by Greg Allison.
Dr. Allison is a professor of Christian theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. So you will be learning from great theologians who believe in the church and who value the central role that the church plays in the advancement of the kingdom of God. So they have a lot to share, and I trust that you will learn a lot from these two great scholars.
Of course, these are the required readings, but you’re welcome to read other resources to add, especially when you write your research papers or even reflection papers or discussion board posts. You’re welcome to read beyond these required textbooks so as to enrich your submissions. I have also written a book titled Predestination, An Introduction to Soteriology.
It might help you, especially for those who might want to write on the subject of soteriology in your research paper. So that’s another additional resource that you could add to your reading for this class. But these are the required textbooks.
Now, let’s talk about course requirements, beginning with your quiz, your syllabus quiz. So this is required for everyone in this class. And this quiz consists of four simple questions that are related to the materials that are found in your course syllabus.
And you must take this quiz by Sunday this week or risk being dropped out of this class for lack of participation. Okay. So each student is required to take this quiz if you’ve not already done so.
All right. And the syllabus quiz is 20% of your final grade. So make sure you take it so that you don’t lose this point.
The second requirement are Zoom meetings. So again, we’re going to have four Zoom meetings in this class. And Zoom meetings are required.
Okay. And to receive a full grade, I ask that immediately after we finish each Zoom meeting, please go on Canvas and click on the Zoom meeting one link and type the words I attended and click submit. So that will confirm that you were in this class and I will give you a full grade for participating in this class.
However, while we encourage everyone to participate because you get the opportunity to ask questions and interact with the professor, but if you cannot attend for unavoidable reasons, then we ask that you watch the archived session afterwards and write a one page summary of about 250 words about what you got out of the recording and send it to me. Again, go to the Zoom link on Zoom meeting one link and submit your summary by Sunday. So this will be applicable for the students who are not currently in on this live session who will listen to this afterwards.
So they will have to submit a one page summary by Sunday this week. And Zoom meetings constitutes 4% of your final grade. Okay.
The next is discussion board posts. Okay. So each of you have been assigned to your groups.
And so you are expected to submit your initial discussion board posts and your response posts. The initial posts are due on Thursdays and your response posts are due on Sundays. Initial posts should be roughly about 500 words and your response posts should be between 200 and 250 words.
So your discussion board posts are due in weeks one, week two, week three, week five and week six. So please take note about that. Now to help you write good initial posts, I have submitted some guidelines.
I’ve uploaded some guidelines for you to follow. So please make sure you check the announcement tab in your group forum. I’ve explained what I expect from you when you respond to the questions each week.
So if you go to your group forum right now, you should find my email or my announcement about how you should tackle the discussion question for this week. I’ll do the same for the subsequent weeks that discussion board posts are due. So discussion board posts are important because they make up 45% of your final grade.
So you want to make sure that you pay attention to these posts and do the best you can and follow my instructions. In your week one announcement, I gave you details on what I will be looking for whenever I grade your discussion board posts. So make sure you consider all of those details when you write your posts.
So the next is a research paper proposal and your initial bibliography which make up four percent of your final grade. And this is due in week four. And what I need you to do is two important things.
Number one, I need you to submit a good research topic. Okay. I’m not asking you to submit a sentence or to tell me what you want to write about.
Think about a research topic. So I’m going to grade you for your ability to come up with a research topic. A topic that is good and acceptable for research at the master’s level.
Okay. But make sure you’re free to write on any subject you wish to write on as long as it is within the field of Christian theology. Okay.
So since this is a Christian theology class, we want you to write a paper that is within the scope of this class. So the first key requirement for your research proposal is a good research topic. The second key requirement is a list of your initial bibliography.
That is the resources that you plan to use in the paper. And for your proposal, you’re required to submit at least four credible academic resources. Okay.
But when you write your paper, you would be required to submit at least seven academic resources. But for your proposal, I just want you to state four credible resources that you plan on using for your work. And make sure that you format your sources using the Toribian style.
Okay. Use the Toribian manual of style in formatting all your resources or your sources in this class. Okay.
And again, the research proposal will make up four percent of your final grade. Then the next assignment is your research paper, which makes up 35 percent of your final grade. Very important assignment as well.
Okay. The length of your paper should be between 2,500 to 3,000 words. And it must be based on the topic that I’ve approved.
So you submit your proposal, and I’ll approve your topic. If I do not think that your topic is good enough, I will give you some suggestions and give you directions on what.
3. Renewal
(Original Content Only) (250 words per reply) (APA citations) (in-text citations are a must)
Discussion Post One
Good Evening Everyone
I was so excited about the reading assignments this week. This is my passion right now, learning how to grow churches. Also, why are some of the millennial generation, Gen Z, and now Gen Alpha, not in church? I Pastor a small congregation. I am in my third year, as a Pastor here and my fifth year in pastoral ministry, and I see many things that both Aubrey Malphurs and Gordon E. Penfold have said concerning the rationale behind why there is a decline in church growth.
Malphurs and Penfold mention in part one of their book, “ Re: Vision The Key To Transforming Your Church “ that some of these changes are occurring due to young people leaving church and the Growth of cults and non-Christian groups [1] I agree. What I see is some of the millennial generation has left the church. Some of them are parents of Gen Z and Gen Alpha. With some of Gen Z and Gen Alpha not being raised in church at all this is a great problem for the church in the western part of the world. Malphurs and Penfold also mention the growth of non-Christian groups. They list the statistics found through the U.S. Census Bureau in the late 90s to early 2000s. I think the growth may have grown since the pandemic of 2020-21.
I agree with Dietrich Bonhoeffer” There is a distinct difference between churched and unchurched people; “the gap between the churched and the churchless is growing, and it appears that Christian communities of faith will struggle more than ever to engage the outsiders in their neighborhood, town, or city” [2]
Some preliminary actions that my ministry can utilize or start to close the gap, have been having the youth lead worship every second Sunday of the month. We also have become a part of educating ourselves on social action for the community, in which we have begun to do research through members of the community. Our church has been a part of a Cohort with Oikos Ministry (Fishing Differently). Please see the video below. One of the Pastors, with a small congregation, learned to do ministry differently to lead others to Christ while serving the community. [3]
Our church has met and partnered with the church across the street recently. They are the majority English as a second language church, they mainly speak Spanish. I have connected with the Pastor who is bi-lingual.
Aubrey Malphurs notes, “No genuine turnaround occurs without new birth” Re: Vision, 48. I agree with agree with Malphurs. Our churches need a new birth both physically and spiritually in our communities.
Blessings!
Janis Barnes
4. Renewal
In this discussion board it is stated that “the gap between the churched and the churchless is growing, and it appears that Christian communities of faith will struggle more than ever to engage the outsiders in their neighborhood, town, or city” (Barna and Kinnaman, Churchless, 29).
Why are some of these changes happening between the churched and the churchless? There are many reasons why the gap is the way that it is. “Four out of five churches in America are plateaued or are in decline.” (Malphurs 21) David Kinnaman says “The ages of eighteen to twenty-nine are the black hole church attendance; this age segment is “missing in action” from most congregations.” (Malphurs 23) Sadly, the unchurched are seeking spiritual things and finding them in cults and other religions and these groups are exploding.
What are some preliminary actions that your ministry or change can utilize or start to close the gap? Fortunately, some things can be done to the church pointed in the right direction. According to Malphurs; “The church needs to rediscover the purpose, mission, vision, and core values of the church. Restructure the bylaws to empower the pastor to lead the congregation. Revitalize the worship service. Develop ministries to young families, work to update, and remodel your facilities.” (Malphurs 50) Churches that are in trouble or are declining must stop circling the wagons become outward-focused and remember what the church did when it started. Churches must back into their communities making and developing relationships.
I do agree with Malphurs’s statement that “No genuine turnaround occurs without new birth”. (Malphurs 48) He goes as far as to say that “nothing will revitalize a church faster than lots of new believers.” (Malphurs 48) Seeing people’s lives changed, healed, and delivered will do wonders in the church. Just as the churches in Revelation, return get back to our first love. The church must be reminded of what the main thing is and make it the main one again.
5. Social Psychology
(Original Content Only) (250 words per reply) (APA citations) (in-text citations are a must)
Correlation means that there is a relationship between two variables. However, simply because there is a correlation does not mean that there is a causation. Nevertheless, according to Baron and Branscombe (2012), “From a scientific point of view, knowing that there is a correlation between two variables can be very useful.” (p. 21). For example, on hot days, ice cream trucks that go around neighborhoods sell more ice cream bars than on cooler days. We might hypothesize that there is a correlation between ice cream sales and temperatures. However, it is important to note “the existence of even strong correlations between variables does not indicate that they are causally related to each other.” (Baron and Branscombe, 2012, p. 28).
When we look at ‘correlation does not mean causation’ we need to understand that it is possible for two variables to be correlated even if there is no direct causal relationship between them.” In the case of the ice cream truck, data can show one thing, however, there could be other variables that impact data. Humans have a natural tendency to want answers and they look for patterns. However, we confuse coincidence with correlation and correlation with causality. Barrowman (2014) states that “causation is rarely simple as we tend to assume and, perhaps for this reason, its complexities are often glossed over or even ignored.” (p. 25).
Branscombe, N. R., & Baron, R. A. (2012). Social Psychology (P. Kapur, Ed.; 13th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
6. Social Psychology
Understanding methodology of research is crucial for fellow academics to comprehend the purpose, hypothesis, procedure, and results of studies. Proper methodology often strengthens research and legitimizes researchers’ findings. One procedure utilized to study social psychology is systematic observation where researchers do not manipulate any variables and simply surveil human behavior, usually in social settings. Conducting surveys is also a form of systematic observation due to the researchers not interfering and just analyzing survey data results (Branscombe & Baron, 2017). This technique differs from the correlational approach to social psychological research. Branscombe & Baron state “The term correlation refers to a tendency for one event to be associated with changes in the other” (2017, p. 24). Causation refers to the creation and effect of certain variables. Sometimes correlation and causation are linked together, but this does not mean that variable relationship determines cause.
The correlation method “is particularly useful as a method where there are many intervening factors that cannot be controlled, and/or the response does not occur until long after exposure to the stimulus” (Boyce, 2018, p. 1). A satirical news headline regarding this topic is “When ice cream sales rise, so do homicides. Coincidence, or will your next cone murder you?” written by Justin Peters (2013). A common example of correlation not causation in the criminal justice field is the positive correlation between ice cream sales and increased crime rates during the summer months. It would be silly to assume that higher ice cream consumption causes more crime, which proves that these two variables are only correlated due to warmer weather and longer days. However, do you think increased sugar intake during the holidays can increase sporadic or criminal behavior?
Boyce, P. (2018). Editorial: Correlation, causation and confusion. Lighting Research & Technology, 50(5), 657. https://doi-org.dml.regis.edu/10.1177/147715351878…
7. Social Psychology
Topic: Ethical Concerns in Research
Psychological research often involves some amount of deception. Participants are often tricked in some way to believe they are in certain situations so that their responses can be evaluated. For example, a researcher who studies prejudice cannot tell her participants that she is evaluating how prejudice they are. If she did, participants would try to cover it up (after all, acting prejudice is not socially desirable). You can see why it’s important that the individuals who are being studied cannot second-guess the actual variables being studied, lest they themselves manipulate their responses to be more in line with their own expectations or self-perceptions.
Over the years, as psychologists continued to use deception in their experiments, some experiments were found to cause significant psychological disturbance to those who participated. After several well-known experiments such as Milgram’s Obedience to Authority experiment and the Stanford Prison Guard Experiment, institutional review boards (IRBs) were established to evaluate potential harm to those willing to be studied.
Consider what you learned about Schacter’s Affiliation study.
Imagine yourself being one of the subjects in the experiment. How do you think you would have reacted? Evaluate the ethics of this experiment. Was anyone harmed? If you served on a University’s IRB, would you have approved the study? In your discussion, be sure to address the balance between the cost to the individual and the benefit to society from learning about human behavior.
Write a brief response (one to three paragraphs) in the Forum to share your own evaluation of the ethics of this experiment, supporting your position.
8. Social Psychology
In the early 20th century, William McDougall, who is considered one of the founders of early psychology, wrote about a “gregarious” instinct that causes people to want to come together in groups. People want to affiliate with others. (Friedman, Schustack, 2006, p. 303). Thus, there is an instinct in people to seek out others. We are motivated to have friends and we are motivated to seek out those who can relate to us. In Schachter’s (1959) Affiliation Study, college students were told that they would be subjected to a painful experiment with one group and the other group was told that it would not be that bad. Schachter hypothesized that people would rather affiliate with others rather than be alone because having others around them reduced their anxiety about the perceived pain.
If I was in Schacter’s Affiliation study my reaction would be dependent on which group I would be placed in. I would be scared, nervous, and regretful if I was placed in the group thinking they were about to get “painfully shocked”. If I was placed in the other group, the group that thought they were barely going to get shocked, then I wouldn’t be nervous at all. When deciding what room I wanted to be put in, I would choose to be put in with the group. Therefore, I can see where I would “affiliate with others who were also looking at being in a group where the experiment would be painful.
Ethically, I think this experiment was acceptable. Even though the first group probably experienced fear, nervousness, and panic, I don’t feel like it was anything that would cause long-term damage. If I was on the university’s institutional review board I would authorize this experiment because I don’t feel this would cause long-term damage or harm.
Branscombe, N. R., & Baron, R. A. (2012). Social Psychology (P. Kapur, Ed.; 13th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
Friedman, H., Schustgack, M. (2006). Personality: Classic Theories and Modern Research. (3rd. ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.
9. Social Psychology
(Original Content Only) (250 words per reply) (APA citations) (in-text citations are a must)
The purpose of Schachter’s Affiliation experiment was to measure the correlation between people’s fear or anxiety in social situations and their desire to associate with others going through similar experiences. The results of this experiment proved that individuals who were collectively frightened or anxious desired to affiliate more than individuals who were not stressed or anxious. “One conclusion from this line of research was that ‘misery doesn’t just love any kind of company, it loves only miserable company’ (Schachter, 1959, p. 24)” (Branscombe & Baron, 2017, p. 226). One observation from the debriefing of the experimental group was the change in body language and everyone assessing how others were responding to the news that they were going to be hurt, which was a form of social comparison.
I consider myself to be an empathetic and emotionally intelligent individual, so if I were a subject in Schachter’s Affiliation experiment I would have definitely performed immense social comparison to seek clarity, camaraderie, and guidance no matter which group test group I was in. “The human desire to belong is age-old; historically serving as a survival mechanism for groups over time” (Allen, et. al., 2022, p. 1151). Since there was no physical or long-lasting emotional or psychological harm, the deception of Schachter’s experiment was within ethical boundaries. If I were on an IRB board, I would have approved of this experiment. However, one major critique of this experiment was the homogeneity of the sample. While Schachter’s results were significant in understanding affiliation, the lack of diversity of his sample weakened the validity of his findings. What other critiques can be found of Schachter’s sample or methodology?
Allen, K.-A., Gray, D. L., Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (2022). The Need to Belong: a Deep Dive into the Origins, Implications, and Future of a Foundational Construct. Educational Psychology Review, 34(2), 1133–1156. https://doi-org.dml.regis.edu/10.1007/s10648-021-09633-6
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