SCP Academic Conference
Human and Christian Agency
An academic conference sponsored by the Society for Christian Psychology
September 17-18, 2010
To be held on the campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY
Legacy Hotel
2825 Lexington Road
Louisville, KY 40280
Ph: (877) 444-7287
http://legacy.sbts.edu/
Room Rate: $59 + tax per night
Be sure to mention the special promotion code, “SCP”.
The notion of human agency-the capacity of humans to be a cause of their own actions-was rejected as a legitimate topic within modern psychology for most of the 20th century (while work on the concept continued in philosophy and theology). However, times have changed, and human agency has returned to psychology – though not without vigorous debate, because of the current dominance of naturalism and the evidence that neuropsychology and socialization are fundamentally related to human action. Historically, Christianity has assumed some form of human agency in their understanding of human beings, and offered a distinctive approach to human and Christian agency, related to God’s involvement. Eight papers on these and related topics will be presented by a diverse group of scholars, with respondents.
Because of the incredible accumulation of knowledge and specialization over the last 100 years, knowledge about human beings today is fragmented and lacks an organizing framework. The Society believes that the various Christian traditions together provide a richly diverse but ultimately unifying paradigm for such knowledge and that there is value in bringing together Christian scholars in different disciplines and from different Christian traditions who are working on the subject of human beings in order to advance a fuller and more unified and holistic understanding within a Christian worldview framework.
Schedule of Presentations:
Friday, September 17
7:30am Registration Open
8:00-8:30am Welcome and Introduction to the Conference, Eric L. Johnson, Director of SCP
8:30-9:45am C. Stephen Evans, “What Does it Mean To Be a Bodily Soul?,” University Professor of Philosophy and the Humanities, Baylor University
9:45-10:15am Break
10:15-11:30am Peter Hampson, “‘By Knowledge and by Love’: The Integrative Role of Habitus in Christian Psychology, and Some Applications” Professor of Psychology, University of the West of England.
11:30am-1pm Lunch
1-2:15pm Michael Haykin, “The Sovereign Spirit, Human Freedom, and the Struggle against Sin in Macarius/Symeon” Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
2:15-2:30pm Break
2:30-3:45pm William Hathaway, “Responsibility & Agency: Similarities in Biblical Thought, Common Law, and Folk Psychology,” Professor of Psychology, Regent University
3:45-4:15pm Break
4:15-5:30pm Eric Jones, “Intentional Slavery: Social Influence, Automaticity, and Free Will,” Associate Professor of Psychology, Regent University
5:30-7pm Dinner
7-8:30pm Brent Slife—Special Discussion on Theistic Psychology, Former President of the Society of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology
Saturday, September 18
8:30-9:00am Prayer
9::00-10:15am Adam Green, “Agency and Being Moved by the Other,” St. Louis University
10:15-10:30am Break
10:30-11:45am William M. Struthers, “Case Studies in the Neuroscience of Agency,” Associate Professor of Psychology, Wheaton College
11:45am-1pm Lunch
1-2:15pm Andrew Purves, “Vicarious Agency: The Humanity of God in Our Place”
Professor of Reformed Theology, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
2:15-2:30pm Break
2:30-4:00pm Concluding Panel Discussion
You can register by clicking here.
Contact Eric Johnson with questions at ejohnson@sbts.edu.
