Illuminating Theological Inquiry and Christian Ethics Through Training in Psychological Science
This project was made possible through the support of Grant 62691 from the John Templeton Foundation. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the John Templeton Foundation.
Generously funded by the John Templeton Foundation, this grant aims to foster interdisciplinary work that brings together scholars from various fields to tackle complex problems of human flourishing. Theologians can lack training and outlets to collaborate with researchers from the sciences, which would increase the scope and applicability of their work. Without in-depth training in qualitative/quantitative research methods, theologians often do not come to research with the kinds of “scientific” methodologies and thinking that other researchers prize.
There are notable exceptions to this disconnect, however. Theologians working in theological anthropology, moral theology, and practical theology are robustly integrating the psychological sciences into their theological reflection. This grant will build upon this work by training a group of junior and mid-career theology faculty, as well as graduate students and postdocs, who are interested in topics in the psychological sciences that address suffering, virtue development, and aesthetics. Theologians within and outside Baylor will have the opportunity to compete for training opportunities in three phases of the grant that will become increasingly robust and hands-on.
Devan Stahl
Stahl is the PI on this grant. She is a theological bioethicist whose research focuses on the intersection of health care, theology, and disability. She is also an adjunct professor at Baylor College of Medicine, and provides clinical ethics consultation services to Baylor, Scott, and White Hillcrest Hospital.
Sarah Schnitker
Schnitker is the grant’s Co-PI. She studies virtue and character development in adolescents and emerging adults, with a focus on the role of spirituality and religion in virtue formation, and she directs the Science of Virtues Lab and BRIGHTS Center at Baylor.
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship.
Illuminating Theology 