Purpose of Assignment and Learning Goals
A student learning outcome for this course is that “students will formulate a critique of stress-coping models through a Christian worldview perspective”. This is connected to the faith integration goal that “students will articulate how Scripture, tradition, reason, culture and experience inform psychological perspectives in the pursuit of truth.” Faith and science can complement and inform each other, a theme you will explore in this paper. Another learning goal is “learning to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view.”
Instructions
This 3-part paper (about 6 pages double-spaced) may be written in first person but should abide by APA 7th edition formatting (please have a cover page, page numbers, a reference list, and in-text citations correctly formatted). You do not need an introduction or conclusion for this paper. Please do try to relate your three sections to each other, as they are aspects of the same conversation.
Part 1 – Theory Critique (about 500 words)
Consider the three theories of how spirituality and religion affect health described on pp. 218-220 (Greenberg). Choose one of these theories to evaluate through the lens of a Christian worldview. Find a second source (besides Greenberg) that explains the theory you selected in more detail and provide a summary of the theory in your paper.
Does the theory you selected seem compatible with a Christian worldview? Are any parts of it incompatible? Why or why not? Be specific and cite Scripture to support your perspective. You may also cite commentaries or other theological sources. How can the Christian faith and this theory inform each other?
Part 2 – Scripture Reflection (about 500 words)
What does the Bible have to say about stress and coping? (Hint, these exact terms do not appear in most translations of Scripture, but passages with other terms such as worry, fear, rely, trust, depend, support, and comfort may be helpful to investigate). In the Bible, many people cry out to God in the midst of distress and many wrestle with relying on Him. Other people in Scripture turn away from God and look to other sources to manage their problems. Cite Scripture to give examples as you answer this question, but please focus on themes that you see in Scripture related to this topic. You may also cite sources that you find useful in interpreting Scripture. Either way, your claims/points need to have supporting evidence.
Part 3 – Personal Reflection (about 500 words)
How has faith and/or religion been a source of coping or a buffer against stress in your own life? Please be specific. If you feel that it has not, describe what you turn to instead of faith/religion.
Reflect on how faith could be a source of coping in a client’s life and on how you would honor or incorporate that source of strength in your work with a client/patient (in whatever profession), even if you do not share their beliefs.
The instructor uses SimCheck for this paper. Acceptable similarity score is 14% or less.
Note:
Believing in Christianity is not a prerequisite for writing this paper. If I attended Brigham Young University, I might be expected to evaluate academic theories from a Mormon lens, without believing in Mormonism myself. If you do not consider yourself a Christian, you can write this paper from the perspective of someone who is seeking to understand a Christian perspective on stress and coping. On a related note, Christianity has many denominations and within those denominations, there may be some variation in perspective on the psychological theories we are discussing in this course. I do not have a “right answer paper” to compare yours to. I may disagree with some or all of your conclusions, but this will not impact your grade; you might write something which I believe to be incorrect but which still fulfills the parameters of the assignment. This is a critical thinking assignment: the process is the goal. Think deep thoughts, ask deep questions, enjoy the process!